Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Sony WF-C700N
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyWF-1000XM5 | SonyWF-C700N | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | July 2023 | April 2023 |
| Sound | ||
| Type | In-ear | In-ear |
| Noise cancelling | Yes | Yes |
| Transparency mode | Yes | Yes |
| Spatial audio with head tracking | Yes | – |
| Driver size | 8.4 mm | 5 mm |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 | SBC and AAC |
| Chip | QN2e | – |
| Drivers | 8.4 mm Dynamic Driver X | Closed 5 mm drivers; the maker does not identify the magnet material |
| Chip | HD Noise Canceling Processor QN2e and Integrated Processor V2 | – |
| Noise cancelling detail | Three noise-cancelling microphones per earbud (dual feedback and feedforward, six in total); Noise Isolation Earbud Tips for passive isolation; Ambient Sound Mode with adjustable level; Quick Attention Mode; Speak-to-Chat | Active noise cancelling, adjustable Ambient Sound Mode and Focus on Voice; Adaptive Sound Control changes ambient settings according to activity and familiar locations |
| Audio features | LDAC up to 990 kbps (Hi-Res Audio Wireless); DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio, with head tracking on supported Android 13 phones; LE Audio (LC3) | DSEE processing, app equaliser and personalised 360 Reality Audio with compatible services; Bluetooth transmission range 20 Hz–20 kHz at 44.1 kHz sampling, not a measured acoustic frequency response |
| Battery | ||
| Listening time (maker's claim) | Up to 8 hours | Up to 7.5 hours |
| With the case | Up to 24 hours | Up to 15 hours |
| Wireless charging | Yes | No |
| Battery life detail | Up to 12 hours with noise cancelling off (AAC or SBC), 36 hours with the case; with LDAC, 5 hours with noise cancelling on or 8 hours off; with LC3, 7 hours on or 11 hours off; talk time up to 6 hours (7 hours with noise cancelling off) | Maker claims up to 7.5 hours with ANC and 15 hours including the case, or ten and 20 hours with ANC off. The manual specifies AAC at 7.5 hours with ANC or ambient mode and ten hours with both off; SBC is seven and nine hours respectively. Equaliser and DSEE shorten runtime. Talk time up to five hours. SoundGuys measured seven hours 13 minutes with ANC. |
| Charging case | USB-C and Qi wireless charging; Xperia phones with battery sharing can charge it; about 2 hours to fully charge the case and earbuds, 1.5 hours for the earbuds alone | USB-C charging; maker manual gives approximately 1.5 hours for the earbuds and three hours for the case. SoundGuys confirms that wireless charging is absent. |
| Fast charging | 3 minutes of charging gives about 1 hour of playback | Ten minutes charging provides approximately one hour playback |
| Design | ||
| Weight (each earbud) | 5.9 g | 4.6 g (better) |
| Water and sweat resistance | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Two devices at once | Yes | Yes |
| Controls | Touch sensor on each earbud, reassignable in the app (by default the left switches noise cancelling and Ambient Sound Mode and holds for Quick Attention Mode; the right plays and pauses, skips tracks and holds for the voice assistant; tap four or more times for volume); nod or shake your head to answer or reject calls; IR sensors pause music when an earbud is taken out and switch the earbuds off after about 15 minutes | Physical buttons for playback, tracks, calls, voice assistant and noise modes. Updated firmware adds volume adjustment by pressing the right button four times or more to increase volume, or the left to decrease it. TechRadar's launch review predates this addition. |
| Microphones | Three microphones per earbud for noise cancelling; bone-conduction sensor and AI-based noise reduction for calls; wind noise reduction structure | – |
| Fit and ear tips | Noise Isolation Earbud Tips (polyurethane foam) in four sizes (SS, S, M, L); Sony says the earbuds are about 25% smaller and 20% lighter than the WF-1000XM4; either earbud can be used on its own | – |
| Case weight | About 39 g | Approximately 31 g; 4.6 g per earbud includes medium tips |
| Water resistance detail | IPX4 (IEC 60529) for the earbuds; the charging case is not water resistant | IPX4 applies to the earbuds excluding the sound outlets; the charging case is not water resistant |
| Works with | Sony | Sound Connect app (formerly Headphones Connect) for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; LE Audio with compatible devices; Google Fast Pair; Microsoft Swift Pair | Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP. Two-device multipoint requires updated firmware; the launch announcement scheduled it for summer 2023 and the current maker manual documents it. The European maker announcement gives April 2023 availability without a first-sale day; Sony’s US release gives 5 April and Japan’s gives 21 April. TechRadar’s 1 April claim is not substituted for maker retail dates. |
| Colours | Black, Platinum Silver, Smoky Pink | Black, White, Lavender and Sage Green |
| In the box | Earbuds, charging case, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C, about 20 cm), Noise Isolation Earbud Tips in SS, S, M and L (M fitted), documents | – |
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