So, Sony has announced the New WF-C700N Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds, plus WH-1000XM5 in Midnight Blue. Let us break that down for you: that means an update to Sony’s midrange in-ear offering with what they call “Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds” and, boom! – a new colour for their very popular, top-rated higher end headphones.
The New WF-C700N looks and seems like a steady choice with “noise cancelling, all-day comfort and immersive sound quality”. Presumably, market demand has driven this product offering – with colours that include pastels! The sleek styling seems to be aimed at young adults, the next generation of digital natives who clearly consume large amounts of media with more nuance by the day, and an ever-increasing sense of discernment.
Midrange earbuds typically offer a balance between price and performance and by tapping into this demand, Sony could capture a larger share of this market. By expanding its midrange earbud offering, Sony further diversifies its product portfolio. While the industry giant can never be accused of putting all its eggs in one basket, this might help mitigate risks associated with relying too heavily on a single product category or price segment which could be part of recovering from any post-pandemic slumps. With upcoming economic downturns, it is perhaps a wise move that they provide a broader range of options for consumers with different preferences and budgets.
With interesting non-name brand earbud offerings available on Amazon and big box stores with incredibly ‘cute’ and ‘chic’ colours and styles, most purveyors of actual audio quality will defer to Sony and explore this. Not every college-going audiophile is going to pick up planar IEMs, and so the WF-C700Ns are what you’d get them for Christmas.
You generally can’t go wrong with Sony audio accessories. And, no doubt, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones come from an impressive lineage of audio excellence, with two previous generations of top-rated over-ear noise cancelling headphones. The arrival of the WH-1000XM5 was highly anticipated, creating excitement and anticipation within the world of personal audio – so it’s no wonder they’re expanding their offering with a new colourway, midnight blue.
Midnight blue is, in a word, elegant. As all get-out. It looks and feels exclusive. If anyone ever wanted incredibly luxe-looking headphones but weren’t keen on going with cookie cutter black or silver, these navy beauties offer a more custom sense of sophistication, within that premium look.
I’d definitely imagine a fashion-savvy tech bro choosing these over the regular black. A trader who wears brown belts and shoes would feel more comfortable reaching for something blue. And frankly, if we had the option to buy a second pair of WH-1000XM5s, we’d love to choose the blue to differentiate them visually. It feels like a less serious choice, and something you’d smile about. Granted, they’re not pink. But it’s a shade in the right direction, if you’re stretching into the sunshine.
Which would you reach for first? The cute earbuds or the luxe earphones? Sony has something to suit everyone’s needs, and both the new earbuds and the blue earphones options are available now. Look at our more technical reviews for both of these on our sibling site, and enjoy your sonic adventures!
