Sony WF-C510

The Sony WF-C510 are budget true wireless earbuds that punch above their weight on comfort, battery life, and connectivity. You get 11 hours per charge, multipoint Bluetooth, and a genuinely comfortable fit in a compact package. Just don't expect great call quality or active noise cancellation, and be aware that some units have reliability issues.

The WF-C510 uses a single 6mm dynamic driver tuned by Sony, and the sound profile leans warm with punchy bass and clear vocals. DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) does some upscaling work on compressed audio, which helps if you're streaming from Spotify at lower bitrates. Sound quality lands in the 81st percentile in our database, which means it's well above average but not going to dethrone pricier options. The 20Hz-20kHz frequency response is standard, and you get SBC and AAC codecs, so iPhone users will be fine but Android users won't get aptX or LDAC.

Battery life is a genuine highlight. Sony claims 11 hours from the earbuds and another 11 from the case, for 22 hours total. That's competitive in this price range, though our battery score puts it at the 68th percentile, which is solid but not spectacular. The 5-minute quick charge giving you an hour of playback is handy when you forget to charge overnight. Connectivity is where these shine brightest, hitting the 100th percentile in our database. Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint means you can pair to your phone and laptop simultaneously, and switching is smooth. The mic, on the other hand, sits at the 38th percentile. Call quality is mediocre at best, and the single mic with noise cancellation doesn't do much in noisy environments.

The WF-C510 goes up against some serious competition. The Nothing Buds 2 offer a more distinctive design and better sound tuning, but they typically cost more and don't match Sony's battery life. The EarFun Air Pro 4 brings active noise cancellation to the table, which the Sony lacks entirely, and it's often priced similarly. If ANC matters to you, the Sony is a non-starter. The JLab JBuds Pods ANC also undercuts the Sony on price while adding noise cancellation, though the build quality and comfort aren't as good. The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro is in a completely different league on sound and features, but it costs significantly more.

Where the Sony wins is comfort and connectivity. The 5g weight per bud makes them easy to wear for hours, and the multipoint implementation is genuinely best-in-class at this price. The compact case is also a differentiator, it's noticeably smaller than what JLab and EarFun ship. But the lack of ANC and the weak mic performance are real trade-offs. If you're comparing the Sony WF-C510 vs Nothing Buds 2, the Sony wins on battery and comfort while the Nothing wins on sound character and design. Against the EarFun Air Pro 4, the Sony loses on features but wins on fit and brand reliability, assuming you get a good unit.

Pricing on the WF-C510 is all over the place depending on where you shop. In the US, we're seeing listings from USD 44 to USD 100 across 15 vendors. That's a USD 56 spread, which is wild for a budget earbud. If you're paying the top end of that range, you're getting into territory where better options exist. At the low end, around USD 44, these are an absolute steal. Canadian buyers face a similar situation, with prices ranging from CAD 65 to CAD 100. The best deal we're seeing is at the lower end of that USD range, so it's worth shopping around before you commit. At full price, the Nothing Buds 2 or EarFun Air Pro 4 start looking more compelling. But if you can snag the WF-C510 for under USD 60, the value proposition is hard to beat.

The Sony WF-C510 sits in the budget true wireless earbud bracket, and it's one of the more interesting options we've seen there. You get a 6mm dynamic driver, Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint, IPX4 water resistance, and a claimed 11 hours of playback from the earbuds alone. That's a solid spec sheet for the price, especially when you factor in the compact case and the fact that these weigh just 5 grams per bud. People searching for "best budget wireless earbuds" or "Sony earbuds under $100" will keep running into these, and for good reason.

Our database puts the WF-C510 at the absolute top for connectivity, which is rare at this price. Comfort scores are also excellent, landing in the 94th percentile. Sound quality is strong but not class-leading, and the mic performance is where things get rough. If you're mostly listening to music and taking the occasional call in a quiet room, these are a great pick. If you're on Zoom all day, keep reading.

Sony clearly aimed these at everyday use. The Ambient Sound Mode lets you hear what's around you, the EQ customization in the Headphones Connect app is genuinely useful, and the color options are a nice touch. But there's a reliability question mark hanging over these buds that we need to talk about.

Skip the WF-C510 if you take a lot of phone calls or video meetings. The mic quality is genuinely weak, and you'll sound muffled to the person on the other end. Also skip these if you need active noise cancellation for commuting or travel, the EarFun Air Pro 4 or JLab JBuds Pods ANC are better fits for that. If you've been burned by earbud reliability issues before, the charging failure reports on the Sony might make you nervous, and the Nothing Buds 2 or Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro offer more consistent build quality, though at a higher price.

Should you buy the Sony WF-C510? If you can find them at the lower end of the price range and you prioritize comfort, battery life, and rock-solid connectivity, yes. These are genuinely great everyday earbuds for music and podcasts. The 11-hour battery life means you can wear them all day without thinking about the case, and the multipoint connection is something you'll wonder how you lived without once you've used it.

But there are caveats. The mic is weak, so don't buy these for calls. There's no ANC, so frequent flyers should look elsewhere. And the reliability reports are concerning. Multiple owners mention left earbud charging failures and audio distortion developing within months. That's not a dealbreaker at USD 44, but it's harder to swallow at USD 100. If you're willing to roll the dice on reliability, the WF-C510 delivers a lot of what makes Sony earbuds great at a fraction of the usual price.