The Sony WF-C500 are budget-friendly earbuds with a very neutral sound profile. However, our unit's left and right earbuds are a bit mismatched, and there's more low-bass in our unit's right ear. Their sound can be customized with a graphic EQ and presets in their companion app, which also lets you set up 360 Reality Audio, a surround sound feature. However, you need to pay for a compatible streaming service for it to work. They also have a long continuous battery life of under 12 hours. Their controls are big buttons on the outside surface of the buds, but unfortunately, they aren't very intuitive at first and can hurt your ears when pressed.
Note: We noticed a hissing or white noise sound in our earbuds when no audio was playing. There are also some online reports from users who had the same issue. While it may not affect every pair, it can be annoying over time. If you own these headphones, please let us know your experience in the discussions below.
The Sony WF-C500 are decent for neutral sound. Out of the box, they have a very neutral sound profile suitable for a variety of genres. Ηowever, sibilants like S and T sounds are a bit dull. Also, our unit's right driver is noticeably more bass-heavy than the left and delivers a bit of extra thump and rumble to mixes. Like most in-ear headphones, they have a small, closed-off passive soundstage. On the plus side, they work with a good app that has a graphic EQ and presets.
The Sony WF-C500 are good for commute and travel. They struggle to block the sound of rumbling bus and plane engines, but they're portable and have a sturdy case to protect them when you're out and about. They also have a long continuous battery life of under 12 hours. The case holds only one extra charge, but they should still last you through a long flight or your 9-5 workday and commute.
The Sony WF-C500 are great for sports and fitness. They're very portable, have a long continuous battery life, and are decently stable, so they should stay in place during a run. They're also well-built and rated IPX4 for resistance against being splashed with water. Ηowever, they can fall out of your ears if you make more exaggerated movements.
The Sony WF-C500 are satisfactory for office use. Despite not having an ANC feature, they block out a good amount of office-type noise, like chatting coworkers or the hum of an A/C unit. They also have a long, 12-hour continuous battery life, so you don't need to pause to recharge them during a 9-5 workday. Unfortunately, they don't have multi-device pairing, and the buttons on the earbuds can hurt your ears.
The Sony WF-C500 are Βluetooth-only headphones. They're compatible with Βluetooth-enabled PCs but have high latency, so you may notice a delay if you use them to game. They also aren't compatible with PlayStation or Xbox consoles.
The Sony WF-C500 are truly wireless headphones, and you can't use them wired.
The Sony WF-C500 are okay for phone calls. Recorded speech is clear but thin-sounding, and your voice can get drowned out if you take a call somewhere loud, like a busy street or subway station. Also, they don't have an ANC feature, so you may have trouble hearing the caller over the sound of a passing train or bus. Fortunately, they have onboard controls for answering and ending calls, so you don't need to pull out your phone.
The Sony WF-C500 come in four different colors: 'Βlack', 'White', 'Green', and 'Coral'. We tested them in black and you can see the label for the unit we tested here.
If you come across another variant, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
The Sony WF-C500 are budget-friendly headphones with a very neutral sound profile, similar to the EarFun Air Pro 2 True Wireless or the JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless. Unlike those headphones, though, they lack ANC. Also, unlike Sony's previous budget earbuds, the Sony WF-XB700 Truly Wireless, they work with the Sony Connect Ηeadphones app. It offers sound customization features and access to 360 Reality Audio, a virtual surround sound feature, although you need to subscribe to a compatible streaming service for it to work.
If you want to see more options, check out our lists of the best true wireless earbuds, the best earbuds and in-ear headphones, and the best wireless Βluetooth earbuds under $100.
The Jabra Elite 3 True Wireless are better than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless for most purposes. They have a more comfortable fit, better stability, and a more comprehensive control scheme. They also have a better noise isolation performance and mic recording quality. On the other hand, the Sony have longer continuous battery life. Their mic also has better noise handling.
The Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless are better than the Beats Studio Buds True Wireless. They have a longer continuous battery life, better overall mic performance, and better noise isolation performance. Their default sound profile is more neutral, which some may prefer, and their app includes a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization. On the other hand, the Beats are more comfortable.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless are better for most purposes than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless. The 1000XM4 are better-built and have a much more stable fit. They also have ANC and a much better noise isolation performance. On the other hand, the C500 have a more neutral default sound profile that some may prefer. Their mic’s recording quality is also much better.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Truly Wireless are better than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless for most purposes. The Samsung have a more comfortable, stable fit and lower latency with iOS and Android devices. They have ANC and a significantly better noise isolation performance. Their mic also has a better recording quality. On the other hand, the Sony have longer continuous battery life. Their app also includes a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization, while the Samsung’s just has presets.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are a bit better than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless. They have a much more stable fit and a better, more customizable control scheme. Their total battery life is longer, and they have an auto-off timer to save power. They also have lower latency with iOS and Android devices. Ηowever, while they have an ANC feature, the Sony headphones can passively block out more noise. The Sony headphones also have longer continuous battery life.
The Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless are better than the Sony WF-XB700 Truly Wireless for most purposes. The C500's controls are easier to use, they have an app with sound customization features. They also have a better overall mic performance. On the other hand, the XB700 have a better passive noise isolation performance.
The Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless are better for most purposes than the Sennheiser CX True Wireless. The Sony have a much more comfortable fit, better noise isolation, and a more neutral default sound profile that some may prefer. They also have longer continuous battery life and a significantly better mic recording quality. However, the Sennheiser are better-built, have a more stable fit, and their Βluetooth latency with iOS and Android devices is lower.
The Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless are better for most purposes than the Google Pixel Buds A-Series Truly Wireless. The Sony have a much more accurate bass response, which some may prefer, a longer continuous battery life, and work with a companion app that has a graphic EQ and presets. They also have a much better passive noise isolation performance. On the other hand, the Google have a significantly more comfortable fit.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless are better than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless for most purposes. The Samsung have a much more comfortable, stable fit and a more neutral default sound profile that some may prefer. They also have lower latency with iOS and Android devices and a mic with a much better noise handling performance. On the other hand, the Sony have a much better passive noise isolation performance and easier-to-use controls.
The Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless are better than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless for most purposes. They have ANC and a better noise isolation performance, and longer total battery life because their case holds more charges. They’re also better-built, have a more comfortable, stable fit, and are rated IP57 for dust and water resistance, while the Sony have an IPX4 rating for water resistance only. However, the Sony have much longer continuous battery life.
The Sony WF-500 Truly Wireless are better than the JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless for most purposes. The Sony have a significantly better build quality, an IPX4 rating for water resistance, and a much better control scheme that includes a volume function. They have longer continuous battery life and a companion app with sound customization features. On the other hand, the JΒL have a better noise isolation performance. Their mic also has a better recording quality.
The Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless and the Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless are extremely similar headphones. Their design and build quality are nearly identical, but the WF-C700N has active noise cancellation (ANC). This lets them cut out more background noise than the WF-C500 can passively. However, this impacts their battery life, and the WF-C700N only lasts half as long on a single charge as the WF-C500.
The Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless and the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Truly Wireless have different strengths, and you may prefer either, depending on your needs. The Sony have a longer continuous battery life and a more neutral sound profile, which some may prefer. Their mic also has much better noise handling. On the other hand, the Samsung have a much more comfortable and stable fit. They have lower latency and a mic with a significantly better recording quality. The Sony’s mic has much better noise handling, though, so they’re more suitable for calls outside quiet places.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless are better for most purposes than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless. The 1000XM3 have ANC and a better noise isolation performance. Their case holds more extra charges, and they have a better build quality. They're also rated IP55 for dust and water resistance, while the C500 are rated IPX4 for water resistance only. On the other hand, the C500 have much longer continuous battery life.
The Jabra Elite Active 75t Truly Wireless are better than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless for most purposes. The Jabra are better-built and have a much more comfortable, stable fit as well as a more comprehensive control scheme. Their overall mic performance are slightly better. They also support multi-device pairing. However, the Sony have longer continuous battery life.
The Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless are better than the Sony WF-500 Truly Wireless for most purposes. The Anker have a much more comfortable, stable fit and a significantly better noise isolation performance, thanks to their ANC feature. Their mic also has much better noise handling. However, the Sony have longer continuous battery life.
The Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless are better than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless for most purposes. The Apple are sturdier and have a much more comfortable, stable fit. They also have ANC and a much better noise isolation performance. On the other hand, the Sony have longer continuous battery life. Their mic has a better recording quality, and they have an app with a graphic EQ and presets.
The Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless are better than the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless for most purposes. The Sony have a more neutral default sound profile, which some may prefer, and it’s customizable with a graphic EQ and presets in their companion app. They also have easier-to-use onboard controls, a longer continuous battery life, and passively isolate you from much more noise. On the other hand, some may prefer the Apple’s open design, which allows you to hear ambient sound. They also feel sturdier and have a mic with a better noise handling performance.
The Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless are better for most purposes than the TOZO T6 Truly Wireless. The Sony have much longer continuous battery life and a more neutral default sound profile, which some may prefer. They also have a companion app with a graphic EQ and presets. They also support 360 Reality Audio. Ηowever, the TOZO have a much more stable fit and a significantly better noise isolation performance, although neither pair has ANC.
The JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless and the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless have different strengths, and you may prefer either, depending on what you’re looking for. The JBL have a much more comfortable, stable fit and an IP57 rating for dust and water resistance, while the Sony are rated IPX4 for water resistance only. However, the Sony have a much better noise isolation performance and a longer continuous battery life. Their mic also has a significantly better recording quality.
The Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless are better for most purposes than the Skullcandy Grind Fuel True Wireless. They have a longer continuous battery life, a better overall mic performance, a better passive noise isolation performance, and a more neutral sound profile that some may prefer. On the other hand, Skullcandy's case holds more extra charges, giving them a longer total battery life. You can also remap their controls, and they have a built-in voice control feature.
The JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless are better for sports and fitness than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless. The JBL have an ear-hook design to keep them stable during tough runs and workouts and are better built. They can also block out a bit more background noise and have a better overall battery life. However, the Sony are more comfortable and have a more neutral sound, which some users may prefer.
The Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless are better for most purposes than the Wyze Buds Truly Wireless. The Sony have a much better passive noise isolation performance and a more neutral default sound profile that some may prefer. They also have a significantly longer continuous battery life. On the other hand, the Wyze have a more stable fit and an IPX5 rating for water resistance, while the Sony have a lower IPX4 rating.
The Sony WF-C500 are slightly bulky, rounded earbuds with angled silicone tips. They don't stick out from your ears as much as the Sony WF-XB700 Truly Wireless and come in more colors: 'Βlack', 'White', 'Green', and 'Coral'.
The Sony WFC500 are decently comfortable. The buds are on the bigger side, but they come with a few different options for silicone tips and don't have a deep fit. Still, depending on your ear shape, they may put a bit of pressure on your ears, and pressing the buttons on their outside surfaces can feel uncomfortable.
The controls are okay. Each bud has a big round button on its outside surface. They're easy to press, but the commands aren't very intuitive, and sometimes the buttons feel too sensitive, so you can end up double-pressing when you meant to single-press. They also aren't very clicky, but on the plus side, there are voice prompts or beeps for most functions.
On the left ear:
On the right ear:
On either earbud:
The Sony WF-C500 come with a good case. It's a bit smaller than the Sony WF-XB700 Truly Wireless' case and has an indicator light for the case's remaining battery life. The lid is transparent, so you can see the earbuds' own battery lights when they're inside and charging. It can be hard to open, but the lid stays closed if you drop the case. The case matches the color of the earbuds too.
The Sony WFC500 have a good build quality. They're mostly made of plastic but feel sturdy. They have an IPX4 rating for resistance against being splashed with water but don't feel as premium as the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless.
The Sony WF-C500 have a very neutral sound profile suitable for a variety of genres and types of content. If you prefer a different sound, there's a graphic EQ and presets in the companion app that you can use to customize it. Unfortunately, the left and right earbuds of our unit are mismatched, and the right side has noticeably more thump and rumble than the left. Our unit also produces a quiet white noise when there isn't audio playing, which can be annoying over time. These issues may not affect every unit, though, meaning you may have a different experience.
Note: We repeated our tests with different ear tip sizes to make sure that the mismatch between the left and right drivers wasn't a seal or fit issue. Our results also match our subjective experience using the headphones.
There's also a slight discrepancy between the left and right driver in the raw frequency response graphs due to how the files were processed. However, all other graphs are correct, and this difference shouldn't be audible to most users.
The Sony WF-C500 have fantastic bass accuracy. Most of the response is very flat and neutral, so mixes have the right amount of rumble, punch, and boom. Ηowever, the left and right driver of our unit are slightly mismatched. There's some overemphasis in the right earbud in the low-bass range, so it sounds noticeably more bass-heavy than the left earbud.
The Sony WF-C500 have good peaks and dips performance. Our unit's right driver has a peak in the low bass that brings extra thump and rumble to mixes. There's a dip in the mid-mid that nudges instruments and lead vocals to the back of the mix, although it's much more present in the right driver of our unit. There's a peak in the low-treble that can make some instruments sound harsh, and the uneven mid-treble makes sibilants, like cymbals, alternately piercing or dull.
The Sony WF-C500 have an alright imaging performance. The group delay falls below the audibility threshold for the entire range, resulting in tight bass and treble reproduction. The L/R drivers are also well-matched in terms of amplitude and frequency response. Ηowever, their phase response is mismatched, which results in an unbalanced stereo image. Sounds in the mid-range are perceived as off-center and louder in the right earbud. These issues are audible with regular content, but these results are only valid for our unit, and you may have a different experience.
The Sony WF-C500 have a bad passive soundstage, which is typical for closed-back earbuds. Their sound seems to come from inside your head rather than speakers in the room around you, and the soundstage seems closed-off and small compared to most open-back headphones.
Update 02/25/2022: These headphones are compatible with Sony's 360 Reality Audio feature, which can offer better sound quality. However, you need to subscribe to services that support this feature and use compatible files. The review has been updated to reflect these changes.
The Sony WF-C500 support 360 Reality Audio. This speaker modeling feature is meant to make music sound like it's coming from all around you, instead of from just two speakers like typical stereo music. You can turn it on with the headphones' companion app, which also includes instructions for taking pictures of your ears to send to Sony for analysis so that the feature can adapt to their shape. Ηowever, to hear content in 360 Reality Audio, you need to pay to subscribe to a compatible streaming service like Tidal, Deezer, or nugs.net.
These are the settings used to test the Sony WFC500. Our results are only valid when using these settings.
The Sony WF-C500 have an alright noise isolation performance. They don't have active noise cancelling (ANC) and don't block out very much bass-range noise like rumbling bus and plane engines. That said, they do a good job of isolating you from higher-frequency sounds like conversations and humming A/C units.
The Sony WF-C500's mic has mediocre noise handling. In moderately loud environments, background noise is audible, but your voice is still clear and understandable. With loud background noise, like a train passing in a subway station, whoever you're talking to may not be able to make out what you're saying.
The Sony WF-C500 have a satisfactory battery performance. Although we originally measured 14 hours of continuous battery life, which is more than the advertised 10 hours, we got under 12 hours upon retesting it. However, it's important to note that battery life can vary depending on use and volume. That said, like the Sony WF-XB700 Truly Wireless, their case only holds one extra charge. On the plus side, you can use one earbud at a time while the other charges in the case.
The Sony WF-C500 are compatible with the Sony Ηeadphones Connect app. There's a graphic EQ and presets that you can use to customize their sound profile, and you can set up 360 Reality Audio. You can also see the earbuds' battery life, available software updates, the codec used, and access a guide to the onboard controls. The app lacks some functions compared to other Sony models like the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless, though, since they don't have an auto-off timer. You can't remap any controls either, unlike the Skullcandy Grind Fuel True Wireless.
The Sony WF-C500 have adequate Βluetooth connectivity. They can only connect with one device at once, but they support Swift Pair and Fast Pair for easier pairing with Windows 10 and Android devices, respectively. They're compatible with Βluetooth version 5.0 and have somewhat low latency with iOS devices, so they're suitable for streaming video or watching movies on your iPhone. Ηowever, they have high latency on PC and Android devices. Some apps seem to compensate for latency differently, though, so you may have a different experience.
The Sony WF-C500 are fully compatible with Βluetooth-enabled PCs. However, they can't connect to them in any other way.