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Sony WI-C310 Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Review updated Aug 06, 2019 at 09:51 am
Latest change: Test bench update Aug 05, 2021 at 04:43 pm
Sony WI-C310 Wireless Picture
7.5
Neutral Sound
7.4
Commute/Travel
8.0
Sports/Fitness
7.0
Office
5.4
Wireless Gaming
5.3
Wired Gaming
6.6
Phone Calls

The Sony WI-C310 are decent mixed-usage in-ear headphones. They are very lightweight, their neckband design is flexible and portable, and theyโ€™ll be stable enough for running. They have a decent sound profile but might be better-suited for bass-heavy genres. The bud cables are very long, creating big loops when wearing the headphones, which may be a bit cumbersome. On the upside, they have a good 17-hour battery life and isolate well against work environment noises, but wonโ€™t be the ideal choice for public transit. They are decent all-around headphones and offer good value, but donโ€™t necessarily stand out from other similar in-ears.

Our Verdict

7.5 Neutral Sound

Decent for neutral listening. While they have a decent audio profile, the WI-C310 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 donโ€™t have a dedicated companion app with an EQ to customize their sound to your liking.

Pros
  • Decent audio reproduction.
  • Portable and flexible around-the-neck design.
  • Good battery life.
Cons
  • Slightly cheap build quality.
  • Mushy control buttons.
  • Always-on sidetone when using the microphone.
7.4 Commute/Travel

Decent for commuting. The Sony WIC310 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 donโ€™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 donโ€™t leak too much.

Pros
  • Decent audio reproduction.
  • Portable and flexible around-the-neck design.
  • Good battery life.
Cons
  • Slightly cheap build quality.
  • Mushy control buttons.
  • Always-on sidetone when using the microphone.
8.0 Sports/Fitness

Good for sports. These headphones are very portable and easy to carry around to the gym. Their bud design is very small and doesnโ€™t trap heat inside your ear, which is great since you wonโ€™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 itโ€™s easy to pull the headphones out of your ears.

Pros
  • Decent audio reproduction.
  • Portable and flexible around-the-neck design.
  • Good battery life.
Cons
  • Slightly cheap build quality.
  • Mushy control buttons.
  • Always-on sidetone when using the microphone.
7.0 Office

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 17-hour battery life, so they should last you for a couple of work days before needing charging. However, they donโ€™t automatically turn off, so if you get up from your desk and leave them there, be sure to turn them off.

Pros
  • Decent audio reproduction.
  • Portable and flexible around-the-neck design.
  • Good battery life.
Cons
  • Slightly cheap build quality.
  • Mushy control buttons.
  • Always-on sidetone when using the microphone.
5.4 Wireless Gaming

Poor for gaming. The latency of the headphones wonโ€™t be suitable for video games and their in-line microphone recording quality wonโ€™t be comparable to that of gaming headset boom microphones. Also, they canโ€™t be customized and donโ€™t have a feature-packed app like some headsets do.

5.3 Wired Gaming
6.6 Phone Calls

Pros
  • Decent audio reproduction.
  • Portable and flexible around-the-neck design.
  • Good battery life.
Cons
  • Slightly cheap build quality.
  • Mushy control buttons.
  • Always-on sidetone when using the microphone.
  • 7.5 Neutral Sound
  • 7.4 Commute/Travel
  • 8.0 Sports/Fitness
  • 7.0 Office
  • 5.4 Wireless Gaming
  • 5.3 Wired Gaming
  • 6.6 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Aug 05, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  2. Updated Feb 05, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
  3. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  4. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  5. Updated Aug 06, 2019: Review published.
  6. Updated Aug 04, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
  7. Updated Aug 04, 2019: Early access published.
  8. Updated Aug 02, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  9. Updated Jul 16, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Sony WI-C310 are pretty basic around-the-neck headphones that don’t particularly stand out from the competition. 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 headphones, the best earbuds, and the best neckband headphones.

Beats Flex Wireless

The Beats Flex Wireless and the Sony WI-C310 Wireless are similarly performing headphones; you may prefer one pair over the other. The Flex are more comfortable, better built, and have a more stable fit. They also have a W1 chip, so you can seamlessly pair them with Apple devices. However, the Sony headphones have a better-balanced sound profile, which some users may prefer, and longer continuous battery life.

Sony WI-C200 Wireless

The Sony WI-C310 Wireless and Sony WI-C200 are pretty much the same headphones. The main difference between the two models is that the WI-C310 have flat cables, while the WI-C200 have thin cables. The C310 are available in more colors and have slightly better isolation performance.

Sony WI-XB400 EXTRA BASS Wireless

The Sony WI-C310 Wireless are a bit better than the Sony WI-XB400 EXTRA BASS Wireless in mixed usage. They perform similarly in most aspects, but the C310 have a more neutral sound, since they don't have the extra emphasis in the bass. Also, the C310 have better noise isolation, especially in the treble range, but the quality of the microphone is significantly worse.

Sony WI-C400 Wireless

The Sony WI-C310 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-C310 are Bluetooth 5.0 and have noticeably better wireless range.

JBL Live 200BT Wireless

The Sony WI-C310 Wireless and the JBL Live 200BT Wireless are similarly performing headphones. The main difference between the two is that the Sonys have a flexible band while the JBLs have a solid plastic band that can’t be folded and won’t fit in pockets. However, the Sony offer more battery life than the JBL and are Bluetooth 5.0. On the other hand, the Sonys can’t connect to two devices simultaneously like the JBL can.

Jabra Elite 45e Wireless

The Sony WI-C310 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, are noticeably better built, and 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.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic

The Sony WI-C310 are fairly simple around-the-neck headphones with a soft and flexible neckband design. The cables are flat and fairly long, which creates a big loop when putting them in your ears. They have a rubberized cover, the buds are very small, and they donโ€™t protrude much out of your ears. They come in different colors such as white, black, blue, and gold. If you don't mind about the color of your headphones, take a look at the near-identical WI-C200.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.04 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs

The WI-C310 are fairly comfortable for in-ears. They don't go too deeply in your ear canal and donโ€™t apply pressure inside your ear since the buds are very small. The headphones feel lightweight, but some may be annoyed by their long cables that can be bothersome. They come with three tip sizes to help you find the most comfortable fit. However, the in-ear fit might not be the most comfortable to wear for a while.

6.5
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Okay
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
No
Additional Controls Voice Assistant

The WI-C310 have a pretty straightforward in-line remote with a 3-button scheme. You can play/pause your music, and take calls with the center button and double-tap it to trigger your deviceโ€™s voice assistant. You also have volume controls, and holding them will either skip tracks or go to the previous one. You have audio cues when skipping tracks and when reaching maximum and minimum volume. You also get a clear voice prompt during the pairing procedure. Unfortunately, the buttons are a bit mushy, which makes tactile feedback a bit underwhelming.

9.1
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 0.9 ยฐC

Like most in-ear headphones, the WI-C310 are very breathable and wonโ€™t trap much heat inside your ears. This means you shouldnโ€™t feel a big difference in temperature and wonโ€™t sweat more when working out with these.

9.6
Design
Portability
L 2.5" (6.4 cm)
W 0.6" (1.5 cm)
H 0.6" (1.5 cm)
Volume 1.00 inยณ (16.39 cmยณ)
Transmitter Required No

Thanks to the flexible neckband design, the WI-C310 can easily be folded into a more compact format and will fit in most pockets or a bag. They are quite easy to carry around your neck as well. These headphones donโ€™t take much space but, unfortunately, donโ€™t come with a case to protect them when youโ€™re on the move.

0
Design
Case
Type No case
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A

These headphones donโ€™t come with a case or pouch.

6.5
Design
Build Quality

The Sony WI-C310 donโ€™t feel like very durable headphones. The two modules feel like theyโ€™re made from thin plastic and are fairly fragile. While the cables are rubberized and flat, they feel thin and look like they could easily be pulled from the bud housing or the modules. On the upside, the buds are magnetic, which helps with cable management when theyโ€™re dangling around your neck.

7.0
Design
Stability

The Sony WIC310 are stable enough for a light run or workout. However, a very small tug on the cable is enough to make the buds fall out of your ears. While their wireless design means you donโ€™t have a wire in the way, the earbud cables are still very long, creating big loops when wearing them, so be careful not to get them hooked on something.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Sony WI-C310 headphones
  • 3x tip options
  • USB-C charging cable
  • Manuals

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
0.29 dB
Treble Amount
-1.2 dB
8.9
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.23 dB

The frequency response consistency is excellent. If the user can achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the assortment of tips that come with the headphones, then they should be able to get consistent bass and treble delivery every time they use the headphones.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
8.3
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.46 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
-0.78 dB
Mid-Bass
2.55 dB
High-Bass
3.59 dB

The bass performance of the Sony WI-C310 is great. Their LFE (low-frequency extension) is down to 10Hz, which is excellent. Thereโ€™s a small 1.5dB underemphasis in the low-bass range, which means they may lack a bit of thump and rumble common to bass-heavy genres, but this will barely be audible. The response then gets overemphasized in the high-bass, by about 2.5dB, which adds a bit of boominess and muddiness to the sound. If you prefer a more bass-heavy sound, check out the very similar Sony WI-XB400.

8.9
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.41 dB
Low-Mid
1.32 dB
Mid-Mid
-1.39 dB
High-Mid
0 dB

The mid-range response of the WI-C310 is also great. The vocals and lead instruments will be accurately reproduced. However, the small dip in mid-mid will slightly nudge them to the back of the mix, but this shouldnโ€™t be too audible for most.

8.8
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.8 dB
Low-Treble
1.27 dB
Mid-Treble
-0.68 dB
High-Treble
-4.45 dB

The Sony WI-C310 have very good treble performance. The response until 7kHz is well-balanced and even, but thereโ€™s a dip around 8kHz, followed by a sharp bump at 10kHz. This means that some frequencies will lack detail and brightness, while some other sibilants (S and Ts) will sound overly sharp and piercing. However, not everybody hears the treble frequencies the same way, so your experience may vary.

8.3
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.1 dB
Dips
0.89 dB
9.3
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.14
Weighted Phase Mismatch
2.9
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.27
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.01

The stereo imaging is excellent. Their weighted group delay is at 0.14, which is very low. The group delay graph also shows that the entire response is well below the audibility threshold. This ensures a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Also, the L/R drivers of our test unit were well-matched in frequency, amplitude, and phase response. This is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video game effects) in the stereo image. Note that these results are only valid for our unit and yours may perform differently.

1.2
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
Openness
3.6
Acoustic Space Excitation
1.5

The soundstage is poor. This is because creating an out-of-head and speaker-like soundstage is largely dependent on activating the resonances of the pinna (outer ear). The design of in-ears and earbuds is in such a way that fully bypasses the pinna and doesn't interact with it. Also, because these headphones have a closed-back enclosure, their soundstage won't be perceived to be as open as that of open-back earbuds like the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless, or the Bose SoundSport Free.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No App
7.4
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.329
WHD @ 100
0.192
Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth 4.0
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Silicone (small)
Microphone
In-line
Isolation
6.3
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-20.39 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
-3.29 dB
Mid
-16.91 dB
Treble
-42.12 dB

The Sony WIC310 have a mediocre noise isolation performance. Their fit doesnโ€™t block much lower frequencies like the rumbling of a bus engine, which means they wonโ€™t be ideal for commuting with an isolation performance of only 3dB. On the upside, they isolate by about 17dB in the mid-range, responsible for blocking out ambient chatter. In the treble range, responsible for sharp S and Ts and A/C fan noise, they achieved isolation of 42dB, which is excellent.

8.7
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
29.01 dB

The leakage performance is great. The Sony WIC310 don't leak in the bass and mid ranges, which results in a thin-sounding leakage. The significant portion of their leakage is between 2kHz and 6kHz, which is a relatively narrow range. However, the overall level of the leakage is quiet. With the music at 100dB SPL, the leakage at 1 foot away averages at about 29dB and peaks at 46dB SPL, which is above the noise floor of an average office.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
In-Line
Yes
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic Yes
5.9
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
522.85 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
2.9 dB
HFE
3,517.32 Hz
Weighted THD
2.316
Gain
36.48 dB

The in-line mic has a sub-par recording quality. The LFE of 523Hz results in a recorded or transmitted speech that is very thin. The HFE of 3.5kHz suggests a speech that lacks detail and presence. However, the intelligibility of speech on this microphone will still be understandable in quiet environments.

7.3
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
17.34 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
7.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

The in-line microphone of the WI-C310 is okay at noise handling. In our SpNR test, it achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of about 17dB, indicating it is best-suited for quiet and moderate environments. However, the mic will struggle to separate speech from ambient noise in loud situations.

Active Features
6.6
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
17 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
Total Battery Life
17 hrs
Charge Time
2.7 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
No
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port USB-C

We measured about 17 hours of battery life for a single charge of the WI-C310, which is pretty good and will last you long enough for a full work day without a problem. However, they can take a bit of time to charge with just under three hours. Unfortunately, they donโ€™t have any power saving features, so be sure to turn them off when youโ€™re not using them.

0
Active Features
App Support
App Name No App
iOS No
Android No
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
No
ANC Control
No
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping No
Surround Support
No

These headphones arenโ€™t compatible with the Sony | Headphones Connect app and donโ€™t have any dedicated customization options.

Connectivity
6.7
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
139.00 ft (42.37 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
204 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
149 ms
Android Latency
192 ms

These headphones are Bluetooth 5.0 compatible, so you might even get better results than what weโ€™ve measured if your source supports it as well. However, they canโ€™t be connected to multiple devices simultaneously and donโ€™t support NFC, which is quite rare for Sony headphones.

With 215 ms of latency, the Sony WI-C310 might not be the best option to watch video content as some will notice a delay between audio and video. However, some apps and devices offer some sort of compensation, so you might not notice it as much.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
No
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection
No Wired Option
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A

The Sony WI-C310 are Bluetooth-only headphones and canโ€™t be used with an audio cable.

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
No
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
PS4 Wired USB
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
No
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
No
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
No Base/Dock
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
No
Power Supply
No Base/Dock

These headphones donโ€™t have a dock.