The Sony SP600N Wireless are decent in-ears for most uses but are a better choice for sports and working out. They have good build quality, an easy-to-use and decently stable design, and they're portable enough to easily carry around on your person. They isolate sufficiently well in noisy conditions to be suitable for commuting, despite their comparatively weak active noise cancellation, and they don't leak much. Unfortunately, they have a relatively short battery life, and their sound quality is a bit too bass-heavy, which won't be ideal for every listener.
Our Verdict
The Sony SP600N are fair for mixed usage. They have a good build quality and easy-to-use controls. They also isolate well in noisy conditions despite having comparatively weak noise cancellation. They're also stable and portable enough for sports. Unfortunately, the slightly bulky in-line remote does reduce their stability. They also have a relatively short battery life when using the noise cancelling feature. Their sound quality is also a bit too bass-heavy, but on the upside, they support the Sony | Headphones Connect app, unlike the SP500, so you can somewhat EQ their sound profile to better cater to what you're listening to.
- Very low leakage.
- Breathable and stable enough for sports.
- Simple and compact design.
- Poor microphone quality.
- Overly bass-heavy.
The Sony SP600N are passable for neutral sound. They pack a lot of bass, which some listeners may like, but unfortunately, it also tends to drown instruments and vocals in the mid-range. This gives them a boomy sound quality that's further emphasized by the slightly recessed mid and treble ranges. They won't sound as clear or detailed on most tracks, and they have a few peaks in the higher frequencies that will sound a bit sharp on some S and T sounds.
The Sony SP600N are decent for commuting. They isolate decently well against ambient noise, they're portable, and they have an easy-to-use control scheme. They should be suitable for most commuters but would be better if they had a longer battery life with better power-saving features. The noise cancellation feature isn't as strong, but since they block a good amount of noise passively, it shouldn't be much of an issue.
The Sony SP600N are very good for sports. They have a stable and compact wireless in-ear design that you can easily carry around on your person and should be stable enough for running and working out. They also have a good control scheme that's easy to use. However, they lack proper cable management and have a slightly bulky in-line remote.
The Sony SP600N Wireless are okay for office use. The Sony SP600N block a decent amount of noise and barely leak, so you will rarely distract your colleagues even if you like to listen to your music at higher than average volumes.
The Sony SP600N Wireless are disappointing for gaming. They have a bit too much latency to be suitable for gaming. They're also not as customizable as most gaming headsets and aren't compatible with most consoles via Bluetooth. They also have a mediocre-at-best mic for gaming.
Changelog
- Updated Mar 27, 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.
- Updated Sep 13, 2018: Review published.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sony WI-SP600N are very good sports headphones. They have a good build quality and a compact design that's easy to carry around on your person. They're also stable enough for running and working out, although better cable management and a smaller in-line remote would have made them even more stable for sports. Unfortunately, they have relatively short battery life. Their sound quality is also a bit too bass-heavy, but on the upside, you can customize their sound profile with their companion app, which makes them a bit more versatile than the Sony WI-SP500 Wireless.
See our recommendations for the best noise cancelling earbuds, the best wireless earbuds for iPhone, and the best noise cancelling headphones under $100.
The Jaybird X3 Wireless are better sports headphones than the Sony WI-SP600N Wireless. They're a bit more compact and easier to carry around since they come with a pouch. They also block a bit more noise passively with their in-ear fit than the active noise cancelling SP600N. They have a slightly better default sound, but north headphones can be EQed. On the other hand, the Sonys have a durable and premium-looking design. They also noise cancelling so they handle low-frequency noise a little better than the Jaybird, even if the Jaybirds' passive isolation is a bit better overall. The Sonys also have NFC, which makes pairing them with mobile phones a little easier.
The Sony WI-SP600N Wireless have about the same performance as the Fitbit Flyer Wireless, but they're more customizable. The Sony have a better companion app, which gives them a lot more options and features you can tweak to better your listening experience. They're also noise cancelling, so they do a bit better for commuting. On the other hand, the Fitbit are a bit more stable for the gym with a smaller and easier to use in-line remote. The Fitbit also have a longer battery life and offer slightly better value for your money if you do not mind not having an EQ.
The Bose SoundSport Wireless are a slightly better wireless headset than the Sony WI-SP600N Wireless. The Bose have an earbud fit, which makes them a bit more comfortable for most listeners than the Sonys. They also have a longer battery life and a better-balanced sound that caters well to most music genres. They're also a tad more stable for the gym. The Sonys, on the other hand, have a better isolation performance which makes them a bit more suitable for other uses, like commute and travel. They also have a slightly more premium and durable design with better controls. You can also EQ the Sonys via their app, which you can't with the Bose.
The Sony WI-SP600N Wireless are a better wireless in-ear than the Sony WI-SP500 Wireless. The SP600 have a more consistent sound and fit than the SP500 model. The SP600 also block more noise thanks to thief in-ear design and noise cancellation, so they're a bit more suitable for commuting and traveling as well as sports. Their fit a bit more stable thanks to the wing/stability fins, and overall they're easier to use with a more traditional inline remote. On the other hand, the SP500 have slightly longer battery life. They also have a unique earbud design that's a bit more comfortable when you get the right fit. They also have a unique look and feel that some may prefer over the SP600's design.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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