Sony WF-1000X vs Sony WF-C500

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WF-1000X compared with WF-C500

	SonyWF-1000X	SonyWF-C500
Overview
Released
Released	September 2017	October 2021
Sound
Type
Type	In-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	No
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	No
Driver size
Driver size	6 mm	5.8 mm
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC and AAC
Drivers
Drivers	Closed dynamic 6 mm drivers with CCAW voice coils and neodymium magnets	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	Active noise cancelling and Ambient Sound Mode with normal or voice settings; Adaptive Sound Control changes modes according to the paired phone's movement sensors	No active noise cancelling or ambient listening mode; the reviews confirm these omissions. Call noise suppression is separate from listening noise cancellation.
Audio features
Audio features	Sony Headphones Connect provides sound-quality/connection-priority settings and equaliser presets; the launch maker page dates equaliser support to a later October 2017 app update	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 3 hours	Up to 10 hours
With the case
With the case	Up to 9 hours	Up to 20 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	–	No
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	AAC playback up to three hours with noise cancelling, Ambient Sound Mode or both off; SBC up to two hours with noise cancelling or ambient sound, or 2.5 hours off. Maker press release states nine hours total with two case recharges. Standby figures of eight or 35 hours are not playback life.	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	Micro-USB charging; earbuds approximately 1.5 hours, charging case approximately three hours for a full charge according to the Japanese maker specifications; NFC pairing built into the 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	Maker help guide states approximately 70 minutes playback after 15 minutes charging; TechRadar's 75-minute claim is not substituted	Ten minutes charging provides approximately one hour playback
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	6.8 g	5.4 g (better)
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	–	IPX4
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.1	5.0
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	–	No
Controls
Controls	Left button controls power, pairing and sound modes; right button controls playback, tracks, calls and voice-assistant activation; no earbud volume adjustment	Physical buttons for playback, tracks, volume, calls and the paired phone's voice assistant
Microphones
Microphones	Omnidirectional electret-condenser microphone; hands-free calls use the left unit and call audio is heard from the left only	Omnidirectional MEMS microphones; maker Japanese specifications
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Long Hybrid silicone tips in SS, S, M and L; Triple-comfort tips in S, M and L; fitting supporters in M and L	Hybrid silicone tips in SS, M and LL; either earbud works independently
Case weight
Case weight	Approximately 70 g; maker earbud weight is approximately 6.8 g each	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	Maker manual states the headset is not waterproof; no IP rating published	IPX4 applies to the earbuds excluding the sound outlets; the charging case is not water resistant
Works with
Works with	Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP; remembers up to eight paired devices, but the manual states music plays from one paired device at a time. Sony warns that Bluetooth playback can lag video or games. Maker US availability was September 2017; Japanese first sale was 7 October 2017. Sony announced a connection-stability update on 30 November 2017 to reduce audio interruptions; review observations are retained without asserting that every dropout was resolved	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	Black or Champagne Gold	Black, White, Ice Green and Coral Orange
In the box
In the box	Earbuds, charging case, approximately 50 cm Micro-USB cable, silicone and Triple-comfort tips, fitting supporters and documentation	Earbuds, charging case, hybrid silicone tips in SS, M and LL, approximately 20 cm USB-C cable and documents