Beats BeatsX vs Sony WF-C500

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BeatsX compared with WF-C500

	BeatsBeatsX	SonyWF-C500
Overview
Released
Released	February 2017	October 2021
Sound
Type
Type	In-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	No	No
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	–	No
Driver size
Driver size	–	5.8 mm
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC and AAC
Drivers
Drivers	–	Closed dynamic 5.8 mm drivers with neodymium magnets; the maker figure is retained rather than TechRadar's rounded 6 mm in its design discussion
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	–	No active noise cancelling or ambient listening mode; the reviews confirm these omissions. Call noise suppression is separate from listening noise cancellation.
Chip
Chip	Apple W1	–
Audio features
Audio features	SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs; passive isolation without active noise cancellation (Les Numériques)	DSEE processing, app equaliser and personalised 360 Reality Audio playback with compatible services
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 8 hours	Up to 10 hours
With the case
With the case	–	Up to 20 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	–	No
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	–	Up to ten hours per charge and 20 hours including the case with DSEE and equaliser off. The manual lists ten hours for AAC or SBC with DSEE AUTO or OFF, but warns that equaliser and DSEE settings can shorten runtime. Talk time up to five hours.
Charging case
Charging case	–	USB-C charging; maker UK support gives approximately 2.5 hours for the earbuds and three hours for the case. No wireless charging, as confirmed by both reviews.
Fast charging
Fast charging	A 5-minute Lightning Fast Fuel charge gives up to 2 hours of playback; 45 minutes gives up to 8 hours	Ten minutes charging provides approximately one hour playback
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	–	5.4 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	–	IPX4
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	–	5.0
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	–	No
Controls
Controls	RemoteTalk buttons for calls, music playback and Siri	Physical buttons for playback, tracks, volume, calls and the paired phone's voice assistant
Microphones
Microphones	–	Omnidirectional MEMS microphones; maker Japanese specifications
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Flex-Form neck cable, ear tips and removable wingtips; magnetic earpieces join together when not in use	Hybrid silicone tips in SS, M and LL; either earbud works independently
Case weight
Case weight	–	Approximately 35 g; the earbud weight is approximately 5.4 g each
Dimensions
Dimensions	–	Charging case approximately 80.0 × 34.9 × 30.9 mm
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	No published IP rating (SoundGuys)	IPX4 applies to the earbuds excluding the sound outlets; the charging case is not water resistant
Works with
Works with	iOS and Android with Class 1 Bluetooth; W1 pairing and switching between devices registered to the same iCloud account	Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP; up to eight remembered paired devices. Maker manual explicitly excludes multipoint. Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair; Sony Headphones Connect app. European maker announcement states October 2021 availability; Japan specifies 8 October, while Hong Kong specifies late October.
Colours
Colours	Originally White and Black, with Gray and Blue announced for later availability	Black, White, Ice Green and Coral Orange
In the box
In the box	Earphones, ear tips, removable wingtips, carrying pouch and Lightning charging cable	Earbuds, charging case, hybrid silicone tips in SS, M and LL, approximately 20 cm USB-C cable and documents