Sony WF-C500 True Wireless Headphones (Up to 20 Hours
Sony WF-C500 True Wireless Headphones (Up to 20 Hours Battery Life with Charging Case – Compatible with Voice Assistant, Built-in Microphone for Phone Calls, Bluetooth) Black
Your sound, just how you like it
With the Sony│Headphones Connect app, you can tailor your sound to your personal preference. Choose from a variety of presets to match the sound quality with the genre of music you’re listening to. Or create and save your own presets using the EQ Custom feature on the app.
Compact. Lightweight. Secure.
These compact buds are made to fit securely in your ears, thanks to a new ergonomic surface design.
Your ideal on-the-go companion
The charging case is small enough to carry in a pocket or bag, so you can easily recharge on the go.
Control it all with the click of a button
Handy buttons let you play music, adjust the volume, access your voice assistant and make calls.
Eliminating plastic waste
The WF-C500’s packaging is 100% plastic-free, reflecting our commitment to the environment.
Your sound, easier than ever
360 Reality Audio
So immersive. So real.
Immerse yourself in sound, as real as if you’re at a live concert or with the artist recording in a studio. With 360 Reality Audio, your music has never been so immersive and so real.
Compare Sony Earbuds
WF-C500 | WF-XB700 | LinkBuds | WF-1000XM4 | LinkBuds S | |
Noise cancelling | No | No | No | NC with V1 | Digital noise cancellation |
Battery life | Up to 20 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 17.5 hours | Up to 24 hours | Up to 20 hours |
Quick charging | 10 minutes = 1 hour | 10 minutes = 1 hour | 10 Minutes = 1.5 Hours | 5 minutes = 1 hour | 5 minutes = 1 hour |
Wireless charging Qi | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
Hi-Res Audio Wireless | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
Extra Bass | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
360 Reality Audio | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Built-in mic for calls | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Precise Voice Pickup Tech. | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Voice assistant | Google Assistant, Siri | Google Assistant, Siri | Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri | Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri | Alexa, Google Assistant , Siri |
Water resistant | IPX4 water resistance | IPX4 water resistance | IPX4 Water Resistant | IPX4 water resistance | IPX4 Water Resistant |
Weight (Earbud / Case) | 5.4 g / 35 g | 8 g / 46 g | 4.1g/34g | 7.3 g / 41 g | 4.8 g/35 g |
Dimensions: | 8 x 5 x 5 cm; 87 Grams |
Model: | WFC500B/BZ |
Batteries Included: | 3 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
Manufacture: | Sony |
Dimensions: | 8 x 5 x 5 cm; 87 Grams |
Origin: | Vietnam |
I’d like to share my experience as a 3-month user of the SONY earphones. They’ve been a great fit for my ears, although I did notice some minor discomfort after wearing them for several hours. The earphones work well in delivering high-quality music playback, and I’m satisfied with the functionality of the buttons for adjusting sound levels, playing, and pausing.
In terms of connectivity, the Bluetooth connection is both fast and stable. However, there’s one aspect that left me somewhat disappointed, and that’s the noise cancellation feature when using the earphones as a microphone. Unfortunately, it tends to pick up surrounding noise and sometimes diminishes the clarity of my voice during calls, making it challenging for the person I’m speaking to.
Love them so good for the price replacement for my Galaxy buds Pro 2 much better them battery life so good not at to charge up every or day like the buds Pro 2 sound quality really good very basses even know thay r not noise cancelling you can here any back ground noise best buy for me this year definitely recommend them you be surprised when you get them to
Great sound. Needed to download app to connect. Skipping and volume control can be a bit tricky. Ears hurt after wearing for a while. Often came loose in ear. Lost left earpiece last week though and sony csn no longer help to supply a replacement for this model so an expensive and shortlived wireless experience for me!
Bought as these were highest rated. I can see why. They sound great. They’re comfortable. The batteries last a very long time.
But they’re not very loud at all sadly.
Was going to splurge on the Samsung galaxy buds pro but decided that I wouldn’t use them enough to warrant the price. These on the other hand are good enough for me when out and about. I did try and watch a 1+ your film and about 45 mins in they did become a tad uncomfortable but not so uncomfortable I felt compelled to stop using them at the time.
The Sony WF-C500 True Wireless Headphones have proven to be a game-changer in my audio experience, and I am thoroughly impressed with their features and performance. With the convenience of up to 20 hours of battery life and a charging case, these headphones provide a level of freedom and quality that makes them a must-have for music enthusiasts and on-the-go individuals.
From the moment I paired these true wireless headphones, I was blown away by their seamless connectivity and sound quality. The Bluetooth connection is stable, and the audio reproduction is impressive, with rich bass and clear highs that enhance my music, podcasts, and calls.
The 20-hour battery life is a true game-changer, and the included charging case ensures that I never run out of power, whether I’m on a long commute or traveling. The case itself is compact and easy to carry, providing multiple charges on the go.
What truly sets the Sony WF-C500 True Wireless Headphones apart is their comfort and fit. They stay securely in place during physical activities, and the ergonomic design prevents discomfort even during extended wear.
I appreciate the intuitive touch controls on the earbuds, which allow me to easily adjust volume, skip tracks, and answer calls without reaching for my device.
In conclusion, the Sony WF-C500 True Wireless Headphones have quickly become an essential part of my daily routine. Their battery life, sound quality, and comfort make them an exceptional investment for anyone seeking a reliable and enjoyable audio experience. I’m thoroughly impressed with their performance and functionality, and I confidently award them a well-deserved five-star rating. If you’re looking for true wireless headphones that deliver on both battery life and audio excellence, the Sony WF-C500 True Wireless Headphones are an excellent choice. Thank you, Sony, for creating such top-notch true wireless headphones that redefine wireless audio enjoyment!
I’ve owned a pair of these since May which I use exclusively with my Samsung tablet. They work great, good battery life and very good sound quality once adjusted with the Sony Headphones Connect app.
I ordered a second set for use with my Windows laptop, sadly my experience is a lot different. Sony don’t have the Sony Headphones connect app available for Windows. This means that the sound is extremely tinny and there is virtually no bass. No Windows setting can adjust this to an acceptable sound quality so I’ve returned them, very disappointed that there isn’t the support available for Windows users.
This is a great pair of brand-name, budget option wireless earbuds. The value for the Sony quality is excellent even if it doesn’t have all the features of the higher model lines. They do take some time to adjust to your ears and may feel like they are falling out at first. My biggest gripe is hitting the stop/play button on the right bud when removing it – imagine finding your podcast not in the same spot you thought you left it! App associated with it is functional but a bit basic.
Bought at 49.99. Pairs well with the app for preset/custom EQs. Battery lasts long but confusing to tell how much charge is left as the lighting is only orange. The case is a bit cheap feeling but to be expected. The volume controls are buttons on the ear buds themselves and they are not too clicky which good.
These Bluetooth earbuds work really well, they sound great for the money.
Bought these to use as headphones on an older Samsung TV, didn’t realise at the time the older TV didn’t have Bluetooth ! Bought a little box that plugs into the optical audio output of the TV and becomes a Bluetooth audio transmitter, these Sony earbuds paired easily. Tried these with a modern 2023 Samsung TV with Bluetooth, they pair up no problem at all.
These buds come in a little case, the case itself can be charged, the buds fall into place perfectly using magnets. Charged via the supplied USB-USB C cable. If the case and the earbuds are fully charged – you can take these things anywhere – once the power runs out on these – put them back into their case (without being connected to anything) and they will recharge for hours more use.
The audio quality is pretty decent at this price point, volume control took a while to figure out, all done with the left bud.
These really are very useful, they come with a selection of s/m/l rubber inserts for different sized ears.
What HiFi also gave these 5 stars.
I bought the ear pods to replace my Sony headphones which were causing me pain after a few hours use.
As a glasses wearer the conventional headphones would hurt my ears & push the nose piece so that it caused a sore point on my nose.
The ear pods fit almost fully in the outer ear and initially i thought they would fall out in normal use but they haven’t so far although I haven’t done any strenuous exercise in them as yet.
This model isn’t however specifically targeted at the gym crowd & I just wanted good quality sound & a good fit which I think I have attained after a bit of tweaking.
The setup suggests that you download the Sony Headphones app & part of the procedure is to take a picture of the front of your face & both your ears which I thought was a gimmick but doesn’t seem to have done any harm, although I would suggest you get a friend to take the pictures of your ears for you as it s quite hard to get it right on your own.
Using the app you can tweak various sound settings on the pods to try & achieve the perfect sound that is right for you and it is worth a bit of experiment to get it as good as possible.
Overall I am happy with the result & quality of sound and the charging case is neat & the pods are stored away neatly when not in use and held in place with magnets that lock them in with a quality feel.
I was given a pair of these 2 years ago as a present and love them so much that I bought a pair for someone else’s birthday. PLEASE BEAR IN MIND: these photos are after 2 years of daily use so they look a little battered! Obviously they arrived pristine 🙂
For reference, I use these twice daily: one 1-3 hour use with a single bud, and one 1hr use with both buds), and once or twice a month for 4-5 hours with both buds. They have definitely risen to the challenge.
1. SOUND. I’m not a music buff so don’t know how the sound quality of these would compare to more expensive or professional products, but I’ve found they produce well-balanced music at a high quality (i.e. no tinny sounds, decent bass) and no voice distortion in spoken word. I mainly use them for audiobooks and they’ve been excellent. If I’m in a noisy environment (I’m talking cooking with the extractor hood on, or the footie on TV husband-based commentary thereof, not a full-blown concert or anything) they do a great job of blocking out the room noise and delivering my own noise straight to my ear without having to have the volume deafeningly high. They’re not really noise-“cancelling”, but they negate enough of the unwanted noise for it to not be a distraction, and work well for my own purposes.
2. DURABILITY. As I say, I’ve had mine for 2 years and they have been put through the ringer; 90% of their use is outdoors on dog walks. I live near the beach so they have been dropped in the sand and dirt, sat loose (i.e. out of their case) in sandy pockets, generally been battered about and abused and they’re still working perfectly. The flexible in-ear parts can be easily removed for cleaning, if needed.
The recesses in the case can be a bit fiddle to clean (though I’m not sure you’d normally ned to as I’m sure most people will treat theirs far better than me!) but a cotton bud and a quick blow and they’re perfect. The case itself is nice and sturdy and, even though I have the white version it still looks in good nick, especially considering the amount of dirt it’s been dragged through.
3. BATTERY. When you first take them out of the case, a voice tells you “battery fully charged” / “battery, about X%”. I use mine for on average 2 hours but up to 5hrs at one time before popping back in the case and I’ve never had a low battery warning (I’m assuming there would be one in-ear if they got low). Very occasionally I’ll get a “battery about 70%” warning in which case when I get home I pop the case on charge and forget about it, but battery just hasn’t been an issue for me and I’ve never heard lower than that. I can’t tell you how quickly they charge because I’ve never had to time it but the case is always fully charged after around an hour I’d guess.
The ‘case as a charging unit’ is a fantastic design feature and really useful when on the go. The metal charging connectors have never once failed, despite all the dust and dirt they’ve been dragged through. The magnetic areas mean they snap back into the case perfectly every time, and they’re definitely secure in there, even with the case open. They also snap together if they’re loose, which is useful if you’ve dumped them both in your pocket!
4. COMFORT. As they are relatively large, I’m surprised at how well they fit & sit in the ear. The only time I notice them wiggling loose is if I’m gardening and spending a lot of time jiggling about with my head lowered. And even then, a quick press and they’re back in place. With normal, upright behaviour they stay in place for hours. They are comfortable enough that you forget they’re there.
5. CONTROLS. I tend to just use the right one (I’m a woman walking alone so only have a single earbud in) which has the pause/play/skip chapter/answer call control. It’s a big old button (so very easy to use/no chance of missing it), works quickly, and when you restart it will usually rewind a second or two so you’re not missing anything. A long press skips forward to the next chapter/song. If you’re listening to something and a call comes through, it knows to pause your music/book and automatically resume once you’ve hung up, so no faffing about digging out your phone again. Left earbud is volume control (single press: volume up / long press: volume down) and, again, is responsive and doesn’t race through the volume levels too quickly, so you’re able to adjust easily.
6. OTHER POINTS. Bluetooth setup was quick and easy (both on phone and laptop), and it connects quickly (another voice in your ear tells you “bluetooth connected/disconnected”). Charging is quick and simple: orange light on the earbuds when charging / orange light on the case and earbuds when plugged in to a cable. When first removed from the case the buds flash blue twice to show they’re on and working, then some more blue flashes to show bluetooth connection status. There are various other flashing/colour combinations to indicate different things which are listed in the paperwork if you’re interested. There’s also some 3D sound system you can download (I never explored this) so I’d imagine you can tweak the levels if you want to. The case design is lovely; it’s smooth and rounded and feels pleasant in-hand.
IN SUMMARY: these are excellent. As I said, I’m no professional sound person, but if you want something that gives you solid sound quality, and will stand up to everyday use and abuse I would *highly* recommend these. They’re a good price for a quality little product and they’re definitely built to last.
Absolutely great buds for the money, I have listed all the pros and cons I could think of in my time using them. Hope it helps 🙂
Pros:
– They are the best sounding wireless buds I have tried under 100.
– Sony app is very useful with plenty of EQ adjustment for those that need it.
– Buttons! They have buttons, rather than the more commonplace touch panels.
– Plenty of bass when wanted, but only when adjusted within the EQ app.
– Comfortable when worn during exercise and when worn for long periods of time.
– Call quality is good and clear. Mics pick up your voice well enough.
– You can listen to music and take calls with just one headphone out of the case if you want to.
– Bluetooth connectivity has been rock solid.
– USB C charging port.
– Did I mention they have buttons?
Cons:
– Buttons are not mappable to different functions, so you are stuck with the default button functionality.
– If the shape does not fit your ear they will be sadly useless, I have quite small ears and they fit fine. Just something to be aware of.
– There at functions within the app that are specifically for certain streaming apps, if you don’t use on of them, you can’t use the feature. Bit dull that it’s always on the EQ screen but doesn’t affect the user experience.
– No noise cancellation, but as they are in ear buds they have a large amount of noise cancellation by design.
– When first playing some music if you want a bass heavy headphone you may be put off. Just remember you can turn the “Clear Bass” (Sonys version of a bass boost) all the way up to 10 and it won’t distort.
What Hi-Fi have these rated second overall after a top of the range Sony noise cancelling product costing almost four times as much.
These are Sony too which gives a top brand comfort and though no noise cancellation they are a fantastic budget alternative!
Well worth the price
These earphones are good, but if you lie on them and put weight on them, you will either turn the sound all the way down or continuously pause the thing you are listening to. The buttons are very sensitive and can be abit agitating. Otherwise a good product though.
The headphones work great my only issue with them is that the buttons are too sensitive and big. Whenever I touch the headphones they go on or start playing or stop the music (even if I have them on my pocket). Take into consideration if you use them regularly it can be annoying.
Sound quality is quite good, but I managed to connect my Mac and iPad several times, but all fail. I guess that’s why it has a discount.
Light weight. Good sound for price. Use in gym. Battery life is ok. Fit will be an individual thing
Low price, high range product. Comes with wireless charging meaning my boy is wanting a pair. Does everything required if you are just listening to pods etc. Unless you are a music grandee better than ones I’ve bought at twice the price
Been looking fair a pair for a long time but am very fussy when it comes to sound quality but was never willing to pay silly money for a pair. Used to have a 25 pair but the sound was so tinny I gave them away after a couple of uses. At time of purchase these were 50 and I have to say they’re well worth the money, sound just as good as my wired BOSE in ear buds. I would suggest downloading an equaliser app from your phones store to really get the best sound from these though.
I got these headphones for Christmas and I initially charged them and the pod up, I’ve used them quite a few times over the months and never had to recharge them since, really impressive sound quality too and the noise cancelling is fantastic too, overall they are a great product that looks good and lasts for ages, I dropped 1 into a puddle just after Christmas is it worked no problem so they are definitely waterproof to an extent.
With the majority of my devices (Oppo X3 Find phone running ColorOS 13 – same as Android 13 with tweaks, Amazon Fire TV 4K Max, Windows 11 desktop & iPad 5th generation using iOS 16), the connection was dead easy except for the iPad. This I think was caused by already having a set of Sony Headphones with a very similar model number. As soon as I deleted that the ear buds connected fine. These are superior to my Pixel A series buds of 18 months both in sound quality & battery life. One little feature I think is good is that when you take the buds from the charger & put them in your ears, you get audio that tells you for each bud the charge percentage remaining. I also noted that the range of the device is a bit better. With my Pixel buds & the Sony headphones (budget type) the connection begins to break up even with a fully charged device, if I go into one or other bedroom in my bungalow (both within the 9 metre range). With the Sony buds that doesn’t happen & is rock steady. Very pleased.
Got in sale about half price, as did not want to spend approx 100 pounds on buds for dog walking and running. Also did not want NC buds as want to hear traffic. These are reasonable quality in terms of sound and build. As for fit, they are OK, having a choice of 3 fittings. They sit in my ears fairly well.
Good but, like all bluetooth headphones, you so much as tap the side of them to push them into your ears or when lying down, they pause whatever you listen to. Battery is good and don’t die independent of eachother like most crap headphones.
This is the 5th pair or earbuds I’ve tried in the 40-75 range solely for accompanying me on the 30-40 or so KM I run per week. These are by far the best.
Pros:
Sound can be altered to your tastes via an app
These are very stable in your ear(s)
Bass is at a decent level in the mix
The pitch is not tinny
They cope well with sweat
Comfortable
Cons:
Noise cancelling is relatively minimal
Bass is just a smidge on the thin side even at +10
Overall 8/10 and a mile beyond anything else I’ve tried in the price range (and that’s a lot)
My only complaint with these is that 3pin connection in the charging case seems to be degrading over time, I’ve tried carefully cleaning it but still I have to place the buds inside very precisely in order for them to charge.
I use these every night to get to sleep, the sound quality is decent for the price and the volume goes high enough for me to find them in case they fall out of my ear during sleep. By the time I wake up the battery is still going and is still connected.
I listen to a lot of bass heavy music and am very particular about sound quality (being a DJ). I listen to a lot of dubstep (original style – not Skrillex etc), hip hop, jungle/drum & bass & bhangra.
These give a nice weighty sound, using the equaliser you can get a nice warm bassy sound whilst playing loud with the treble low so it doesn’t hurt your ears.
Bought for 55 but they were on for 40 not long ago; definitely recommend at that price.
I had also just bought the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ earphones which are good but don’t compare in terms of bass weight. Cambridge Audio earphones may be very slightly crisper but hard to get the treble low enough. The mic is better on the Sony’s for voice calls and they are an easier fit for those with small ear holes.
I also have the Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones which are my gold standard. The WF-C500 are great and have a similar soundscape but not quite as clear/weighty (as would be expected from in ear vs over-ear).
Would recommend these for bass lovers
Good sounding buds for everyday use and will do for the casual persons use.
Pros
Good sounding buds
Good battery life
Cons
USB C cable in the box is very small.
For me the fitting is bit of A pain as the right bud seems to fall out no matter what size tip I put on it
Some times feel that they could be a little bit loude
Firstly, if you are reading this review to find out about audio quality, move on to another review. They work, sound comes out. Great.
Good points
They pair easily to phone
Can be turned on without having to put back in the case
Seem to hold their charge very well
Look good and feel good quality
Bad points
Button on side is too sensitive. It has started to play in my pocket and when I put my hat on.
Shape makes them slightly difficult to hold – if you have problems with dexterity, you could easily find yourself dropping them.
How do I know when the case is running out of charge??
Unfortunately my dog chewed up my AirPods so I needed to buy some more wireless EarPods. With a teething puppy in the house I didn’t want to spend too much money and came across these.
I’m so surprised by how good they are! The sound quality isn’t as good as AirPods, but at quarter of the price it really is close. The noise cancellation is MUCH better than AirPods.
The battery is also crazily good. After over a months use they are still on 70% battery, I can’t believe it!
They also have a microphone which does the job in terms of phone calls, clear enough to get by.
The only negative I can think of is they are a bit fiddly to get into the ears, but once they are in they are very secure.
I would recommend these over apple equivalents everyday of the week. Purchase them with confidence and enjoy!
Excellent, inexpensive earbuds with very decent sound. I have seen their sound described in a couple of reviews as being tinny, but this is not true. I assume that the reviewers in these instances may not have placed the earbuds in their ears correctly, you need to sort of gently screw them back and forth into your ear canal until you create a seal until they sound more full and alive. Just be careful with the volume! I find with this type of headphone it is easier to play music to loud that it is with over-ear or on-ear headphones. I use them for mostly classical music and jazz when I don’t want to annoy my wife, or a programme on BBC Radio 3 or 4 when I need to move round the house.
These are not noise cancelling headphones (I wasn’t looking for such headphones in any case) but they do manage to cut you off pretty definitively from the outside world when you’re using them.
These earbuds are great so far. I’m not a snob with my earphones, I just need something that has a decent battery and sound quality. So far this fits the bill perfectly.
They are the comfiest earbuds I’ve had and fit nicely in my ears which is something I’ve struggled with.
The noise cancellation is good enough that I can hear bits of traffic next to a noisy road but walking on a quiet street I won’t hear a thing unless its up close.
The battery has lasted about 10hrs and I’ve had them on all day doing things about the house which is great as my last pair only lasted four hours.
Sound is great, I’m sure there is better but for 50 I’m not about to complain and I’ve bought enough cheap earphones to know these are the best sound quality I’ve had.
I got these from Amazon warehouse and there wasn’t a thing wrong with them so that saved me nearly a tenner which is great.
As well as these wf c500 I also own the wf 1000xm4 and the linkbuds s.
Both the linkbuds s and the c500 are identical fit and size. The wf1000 are a little larger, but not excessively so.
Battery life is excellent on the c500 and I hit my 10 hrs early on in the recharge cycle.
There’s no ldac encoder on these just aac. So sound quality is a slight step down from the wf 1000 and the linkbud s .
It’s acceptable, but I can certainly notice a little more compression and tizz. But for the purpose if a small comfortable bud with good battery life they are perfect
No wireless charging ,nor does the base report its charge as there’s no Bluetooth in the charging base.
If you want the very best, then go for the wf1000 xm4, or maybe the linkbuds s as a second choice, but the battery life isn’t good with the s, realistically getting 4 hrs before recharge needed with anc on expect 5 hrs with it off.
As these have no and then the simplicity is their biggest strength.. at a tad under 50.
It’s a perfect price/quality balance.