Our Verdict
Decent for neutral listening. While they have a decent audio profile, the WI-C200 in-ear fit might not be optimal for neutral listeners. Their bass is quite powerful and a bit boomy while vocals and lead instruments can feel a bit nudged to the back of mix. Their treble is good, but a bit uneven in very high frequencies. Unfortunately, they don’t have a dedicated companion app with an EQ to customize their sound to your liking.
- Decent audio reproduction.
- Portable and flexible around-the-neck design.
- Good battery life.
- Slightly cheap build quality.
- Mushy control buttons.
- Always-on feedback when using the microphone.
Decent for commuting. The Sony WI-C200 are very portable, can easily rest around your neck, and have a long battery life for the longest trips or rides. They have a decent isolation performance, but they don’t do well against deep engine rumbles. On the upside, you might be able to mask more ambient noise by raising your volume since they don’t leak too much.
- Decent audio reproduction.
- Portable and flexible around-the-neck design.
- Good battery life.
- Slightly cheap build quality.
- Mushy control buttons.
- Always-on feedback when using the microphone.
Good for sports. The Sony WI-C200 are very portable and easy to carry around to the gym. Their bud design is very small and doesn’t trap heat inside your ear, which is great since you won’t sweat more than usual wearing them. They are also stable enough for working out, but since the cables are very long, they create big loops and it’s easy to pull the headphones out of your ears.
- Decent audio reproduction.
- Portable and flexible around-the-neck design.
- Good battery life.
- Slightly cheap build quality.
- Mushy control buttons.
- Always-on feedback when using the microphone.
Decent for the office. The small buds are fairly comfortable to wear for a while, but the in-ear fit might not be for everyone. Their isolation performance against work environment noises such as ambient chatter and A/C systems is very good. Also, they have a long 15-hour battery life, so they should last you for a couple of work days before needing charging. However, they don’t automatically turn off, so if you get up from your desk and leave them there, be sure to turn them off.
- Decent audio reproduction.
- Portable and flexible around-the-neck design.
- Good battery life.
- Slightly cheap build quality.
- Mushy control buttons.
- Always-on feedback when using the microphone.
Poor for gaming. The latency of the headphones won’t be suitable for video games and their in-line microphone recording quality won’t be comparable to that of gaming headset boom microphones. Also, they can’t be customized and don’t have a feature-packed app like some headsets do.
- Decent audio reproduction.
- Portable and flexible around-the-neck design.
- Good battery life.
- Slightly cheap build quality.
- Mushy control buttons.
- Always-on feedback when using the microphone.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 03, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Feb 05, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sony WI-C200 are pretty basic around-the-neck headphones that don’t particularly stand out from the competition and are pretty much identical to the WI-C310. They perform decently in the majority of our tests, without excelling at anything. Unfortunately, they don’t feel like premium headphones and the materials used feel a bit cheap. See our recommendations for the best neckband headphones, the best cheap wireless earbuds, and the best earbuds under $50.
The Sony WI-C310 Wireless and Sony WI-C200 Wireless headphones are very similar. The main difference between the two models is that the WI-C310 have flat cables, while the WI-C200 have thin cables. The WI-C310 are available in more colors and have slightly better isolation performance.
The Sony WI-XB400 EXTRA BASS Wireless and the Sony WI-C200 Wireless are very similar headphones and have nearly identical performance in most uses. The C200 have less bass, but they tend to sound a bit muddy and cluttered, and the treble sounds much more piercing than the XB400. The XB400 have better noise isolation and the microphone is significantly better.
The Sony WI-C200 are better headphones than the Jabra Elite 45e Wireless, mainly because of their better audio quality. The Jabra have a very detail-lacking sound and an overemphasized bass, making them sound dark. On the other hand, the Elite 45e have a more comfortable earbud design, they are noticeably better built, and they come with stability fins that are great for physical activity. The Elite 45e also have a companion app with an EQ, which the Sonys are lacking. If you can EQ the Elite 45e to a sound you like, then they are the better choice.
The Sony WI-C200 are better neckband headphones than the Sony WI-C400 Wireless. Their flexible neckband is easy to fold into a more compact format that will fit in most pockets. Their sound profile is significantly better, and they take less time to charge. On the other hand, the C400 have NFC pairing and a Bluetooth sync button, but the WI-C200 are Bluetooth 5.0 and have noticeably better wireless range.
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