ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Sony WF-C510 earbuds can be found now on Amazon for $60.
- These earbuds produce astonishingly good sound at a budget-friendly value.
- I had hassle getting the sound cranked to a good quantity on Android, however on MacOS all was headbangingly sensible.
Again within the 80s, you’d must have taken my Sony headphones out of my chilly, lifeless fingers. All through undergrad, these headphones just about lived on my head. In my pupil ID picture, you possibly can see them hanging round my neck, able to pump the fantastic sound of Rush, The Fixx, The Tubes, Human League, or every other fantastic band from the period.
Yeah… I used to be that man.
What can I say, I like high-quality sound.
So, when a Sony PR rep requested if I would prefer to evaluation their new WF-C510 wireless earbuds, you understand I jumped throughout it. After I noticed the worth level for the brand new earbuds, I had hopes there’d be a brand new favourite for cost-effective, high quality sound.
My hopes have been not dashed.
The specs
- 6 mm drivers
- Sort – closed
- Frequency response – 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz sampling)
- Bluetooth 5.3 with assist for SBC and AAC codecs and an efficient vary of 32.81 ft.
- Battery life – as much as 11 hours from a full cost with an additional full cost from the case. With a 5-minute cost, you get 1 hour of playback.
- Ambient Sound Mode
- Constructed-in microphone for calls
- IPX4 water resistance
- DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine – extra on this in a bit)
- Value – $60 on Amazon
Additionally: I gave these $79 headphones a second chance, and they surprised me in the best way
My expertise
It is all the time nice if you take out a pair of Bluetooth earbuds and your Pixel cellphone mechanically detects and pairs with them. For individuals who’ve by no means skilled this, it simplifies the method and ensures the connection with out having to fiddle with Related Gadgets (which is not all that difficult to start with).
As soon as related, I made a decision (in honor of my 80s self) to take pleasure in music from the period. I fired up Spotify, looked for The Tubes, and performed “Discuss To Ya Later.” Instantly, I used to be reminded of that candy sound from these headphones from my previous, solely with much more readability and crispness.
The very first thing I observed was the amount degree, which was pretty low. I cranked the Android quantity all the best way to 100% and the amount of the earbuds was okay, however not almost as loud as I’d usually take pleasure in. It doesn’t matter what I did, I could not get the amount to succeed in “headbanging” ranges. Not everybody will probably be involved with that, because the earbuds do produce loads of sound, however on some units, you may have to crank the cellphone quantity as much as 100%.
Additionally: I listened to wireless earbuds with xMEMs drivers and they’ve set a new standard for me
On a whim, I related the earbuds to my MacBook Professional, and that made all of the distinction on this planet. I may crank the amount up and listen to all that wonderful Sony sound. The truth is, the earbuds produced even higher sound from my MacBook than they did on Android, even with out the Sony app. There was extra punch on the low finish and cleaner highs.
After I in contrast the sound of the C510s on Android with DSEE enabled (from the Sony app) and straight out of the MacBook Professional, there was no comparability… the MacBook wins, fingers down. I ran via most of The Tube’s discography and felt transported again to that magical interval referred to as the 80s. Crank the sound above 50% and the bass actually shines. This may occasionally sound loopy, however I would put these $59 headphones up towards my favourite Denon PerL Professionals (which promote for round $280 on Amazon).
I tapped play for “The Monkey Time” and the sound of one in every of my first 80s crushes (Martha Davis, from the Motels) was simply wonderful.
With Martha Davis in thoughts, I cranked up “Solely The Lonely,” which by no means fails to seize me by the guts and remind me that music can transport you to different locations and occasions. The C510’s introduced the Motels sound into the trendy period with an ideal mix of lows, mids, and highs, and a powerful soundstage for such small earbuds.
Additionally: The best earbuds for audiophiles I’ve tested aren’t by Sony or Bose
The subsequent track was “Human,” by Human League, which by no means fails to remind me that I’m an artist to my core. The opening bars instantly knowledgeable me that these earbuds would carry this track to life and pull at my heartstrings like a tug-of-war with the gods. The sound was wealthy, deep, and emotional.
I like it.
As an alternative of going again to utilizing these earbuds on Android, I continued my testing on the MacBook Professional. Regardless of not having the Sony app, these earbuds shine in methods I didn’t assume doable at this value. However then, that is Sony, so it actually must be no shock. The corporate is aware of sound.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
If you need a pair of brilliant-sounding headphones that ship a basic (but up-to-date) sound, you’ll not discover a higher pair for lower than $70 than the Sony WF-C510. I’ve examined so many earbuds and headphones through the years and I merely can’t keep in mind a pair that produced such readability, dimension, and richness at such an reasonably priced value.
These earbuds are about as “no-brainer” as you may get. If you need costly sound at a cheap value, these are the earbuds to purchase. Interval. And if I am unsuitable, I am solely human, so I am going to speak to ya later.