Sony Releases True Wireless Earbuds and Headphones
Sony announced the mid-range WF-XB700 earbuds along with a noise-canceling set of headphones, the $199.99 WH-CH710N.
Priced at only $129.99 -- undercutting competitors like Jabra and Samsung -- the XB700s feature Sony’s “Extra Bass” technology for punchier sound output.
According to Sony, the earbuds last for up to nine hours on a single charge, with the battery case getting you another nine hours for 18 total. And they’ve got an IPX4 water and sweat resistance rating. The earbuds use Bluetooth 5.0, and each one establishes an individual connection to your phone. Sony is supporting AAC and SBC.
The XB700s will be available this month in black and blue color options.
Slated to go on sale later this month, Sony’s latest Bluetooth headphones (WH-CH710N) support your choice of onboard Alexa or Google Assistant, active noise cancellation, and an ambient sound mode that lets you listen in on your surroundings. The noise-canceling set of headphones, include “Artificial Intelligence Noise Cancellation,” which “constantly analyzes environmental ambient sound components, and automatically selects the most effective noise canceling mode for users’ surroundings.”
The CH710Ns is running for up to 35 hours continuously on a full charge, and up to 200 hours of standby time. You can recharge the headset via its built-in USB-C port.
Sony says that “dual microphones feeding forwards and backwards mean the WH-CH710N headphones catch more ambient sounds than ever before,” but if you do want to hear the outside world, there’s an ambient sound mode. The headphones support AAC and SBC codecs, and not Sony’s higher-quality LDAC.
The headphones feature 30mm drivers, Bluetooth 5 support, and one-touch pairing with NFC-enabled devices.
Design-wise, the WH-CH710N comes with an adjustable metal headband, oval-shaped earpads, and earcups that swivel flat for easy storage.
The CH710Ns only come in black and also go up for preorder this month.