Sony is a renowned brand in audio space and the company recently launched its competitively priced WF-XB700 TWS earbuds meant for people who relish ‘Extra bass’. These buds fall next in line to WF-1000XM3 which Sony will bring to India in August.
In the day and age where TWS options are coming thick and fast from literally every smartphone and audio brand, what edge do the Sony WF-XB700 have? Let’s explore all such questions in our Sony WF-XB700 review.
Sony WF-XB700 Price and Specifications
| Product | Sony WF-XB700 |
| Driver | 12mm Neodymium (20Hz -20,000Hz) |
| NFC | No |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Water resistance | IPX4 (sweat and splash resistant) |
| Weight | 8g (each bud)46 grams (case) |
| Battery | Buds – 9 hours Case – 9 hours USB Type-C charging port |
| Colors | Blue, Black |
| Box content | USB-A to USB-C charging cable, Extra ear tips |
| Price | Rs. 9,990 |
Sony WF-XB700 review: Design and Comfort
At first glance, the buds appeared big, …..like I-am-not-putting-that-thing-in-my-ear Big! But they fit in surprisingly good. Sony calls this ‘Tri-hold’ design that takes support in your ears at three different places, thus evenly distributing the weight. There are three other ear tips in the box and most users should be able to find what suits the best.
The chunky charging case that comes along isn’t exactly premium but it’s made of good quality plastic. It feels solid and doesn’t scratch easy (even when manhandled by a 5-year old). The case lid is actually translucent and you can see charging LEDs shine through like Megatron eyes.
XB700 doesn’t have active noise cancellation but the tight fit ably blocks ambient noise and provides excellent passive noise cancellation. While the buds did fit quite well, they proved uncomfortable when used for longer durations. The physical fit and comfort are more of a subjective matter and it’s possible that the XB700 may not strain your ears as much. For us, Galaxy Buds + that fall in the same price bracket fair better in this regard.
Function buttons are positioned on the underside of the buds, right where our index fingers naturally go. Since Sony uses tactile hard buttons, the functions trigger reliably, and pressing them doesn’t disturb ear alignment. The buds are also IPX4 water-resistant, which is to say that you can’t take them in the shower, but sweat trickling down during workouts or splashes shouldn’t be a bother.
Sony WF-XB700 review: Software and Functions
You will have to pair these the regular way by navigating to Bluetooth settings. There is no NFC or google fast pair and surprisingly these buds are not compatible with Sony’s Headphone Connect companion app. Due to the lack of app support, there are no customization options.
Nevertheless, we didn’t face any issues pairing these buds and the process was always seamless.
The button on the left bud can be used to control volume – press to increase and long press to decrease.
The right bud has music controls. You can press for play-pause, double-press for next track, and triple-press for jumping to the previous track. Or long-press to summon Google Assistant.
Simultaneously pressing both left and right buttons for 7 seconds puts XB700 in pairing mode.
A glaring omission is that these buds don’t have auto play-pause for when you plug any of the earbuds out.
Also Read: 10 Best TWS earbuds priced under INR 8,000
Sony WF-XB700 review: Performance and Audio Quality
XB700 pair over Bluetooth 5.0 and we didn’t face any issues with Bluetooth connectivity. As stated above, the pairing was seamless and we didn’t experience any connection drop. Latency was perfectly acceptable while gaming and call quality was as good as it gets for TWS buds.
The buds don’t have LDAC or AptX codec support, but that didn’t really matter because the audio quality is pretty good.
Sony is using 12mm Neodymium drivers for powerful audio. Low frequencies are of course boosted, but the bass is never overwhelming and doesn’t affect the mids or vocals as much.
We could clearly make out all instruments playing in the background and vocals were quite clear. Highs are quite decent too.
Yes, the audio signature prioritizes bass – which is crisp and punchy – but the sound stage is well balanced and these are certainly among best-sounding TWS buds when compared to other available options under 10K. If you prefer a more neutral signature, you should consider the Galaxy Buds+ for a comparable price.
Sony WF-XB700 review: Battery
Battery mileage is easily the best we have tested on TWS earbuds. These headphones can easily last for 8 to 10 hours on a single charge and the case holds another 9 hours of charge.
Buds take around 2.5 hours to fully charge while resting in the case. The case takes around 3 hours to fully charge.
Also Check: Realme Buds Air Neo Review
Sony WF-XB700 review: Verdict
Priced at INR 9,990, Sony WF-XB700 are a great buy for people who prefer heavy bass. There is a lot that these buds get right – audio output is quite impressive, battery mileage is excellent, and the function buttons are quite reliable.
The major downside is that we didn’t find these buds very comfortable over extended listening sessions, and that’s a pity. Lack of support for headphone connect apps was also disappointing. For these shortcomings, they don’t necessarily outperform Galaxy Buds + in our opinion but they do present a very viable alternative.
Pros
- Well balanced audio with Extra Bass
- Excellent battery mileage
- Reliable function buttons
- Passively block ambient noise
Cons
- Ear strain with extended listening
- Not compatible with Sony Headphone Connect app
Sony WF-XB700 FAQ
No, they only support AAC and SBC.
No, you can’t pair them with the proprietary companion app
No, they don’t.
Battery mileage is excellent. These buds can comfortably last for up to 10 hours on single charge.
No. However, function buttons are very reliable and are easily accessible.
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