There are many types of wireless earbuds in the market and even though bigger brands like Apple tend to be the most popular choice amongst potential buyers, the price can often be a deal-breaker, especially if you are looking to merely invest in a pair that is durable enough for your workout routine.
While I may not be someone who does intense workouts, I do go for brisk walks around the block every evening and have been looking for a pair of wireless earbuds solely dedicated to this activity.
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Said to be designed for an active lifestyle, Sony’s WF-SP800N is their latest in truly wireless sports headphones that are not only resistant to water and sweat but also combines long battery life with digital noise cancelling. I decided to try out the WF-SP800N for a week to see if the latest Sony audio wearable is worth the investment. Here’s my review.
DESIGN
Unlike my Samsung Galaxy Buds+, the Sony WF-SP800N earbuds are bigger in size and looked slightly intimidating to put on when I first took them out of the case. The unusually large size of the earbuds is attributed to the addition of the silicone arc supporters which help to ensure a secure fit when you’re engaging in strenuous activities. When you first put them on, it can seem a little uncomfortable especially if you are not used to the size and the strange feeling of earbuds sticking out of your ears.
Despite the unnatural feel of the earbuds jutting out, I have to admit that the earbuds did create a nice, tight seal that kept them in place, ensuring they stayed in throughout my routine. As compared to other earbuds, I found myself having to fuss over them less often as I didn’t get the feel of them slowly slipping out in any way.
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Apart from the earbuds being larger than most designs, the charging case is also slightly chunkier, which could be a bit of a hassle for those who like keeping the case around when exercising. While it might lose out in the compact department, it does make up for in being more prominent and easy to locate in your bag or on your desk.
PERFORMANCE
As someone who enjoys the bass in her music, I was pleased to find that the earbuds featured Sony’s Extra Bass EQ tuning which I could adjust via the app. A thing I noticed with the earbuds is that the bass can sometimes drown out the mids and the highs which makes the song lose its overall clarity.
Of course, this can be rectified with the app’s selection of audio modes with preset tunings. Deciding to not customise my audio mode, I selected the ‘Bright’ mode in the app to use with my earbuds, which gave me the ideal audio balance between the bass, vocals, mids and highs.
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Although I am not someone who utilises the noise-cancelling option often, I tried them out on the WF-SP800N and was pleased with the result. While they couldn’t completely drown out the occasional roaring of plane engines overhead or my dog barking at the neighbour, it was able to impressively turn them into dull, muffled sounds that didn’t affect my overall music experience.
Alongside the noise cancellation, the earbuds also feature an Ambient Sound Mode and Adaptive Sound Control, which is especially handy to help keep you aware of your surroundings when you’re exercising outside. I used the Adaptive Sound Control while travelling on public transport as it can automatically detect where I am at and adjust the ambient sound settings to suit my environment so that I don’t miss my stop when I’m watching videos.
BATTERY LIFE
The Sony WF-SP800N holds a total of around 18 hours of battery life — nine hours from the earbuds themselves and about nine hours from the charging case. Without the noise-cancelling feature switched on, the earbuds are able to last slightly longer, with 13 hours of power for the earbuds on a full charge, and an extra 13 hours with the charging case, bringing it to a total of up to 26 hours of playtime.
The WF-SP800N’s charging case is also built with a quick charge feature which allows you to charge your earbuds in 10 minutes for up to 60 minutes of music playback while using noise cancelling.
THE SONY WF-SP800N IS GOOD FOR DAILY USE
Although the Sony WF-SP800N may not have as many features as the other fancier made-for-sports audio companions in the current wireless earbuds market, it is probably one of the more affordable ones (retailing at $299) that not only provides you with a pleasant overall sound but also an impressive noise-cancelling feature.
Even though both the earbuds and charging case are a bit bigger than most wireless models, I feel that the durability and secure fit of the WF-SP800N more then makes up for it, especially when it can dutifully provide a comfortable, hands-free audio experience in and out of the gym.
The Sony WF-SP800N Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones for Sports retails at $299 and is available in Black, Blue, Orange and White online from the Sony Singapore Store and the Sony Official Store on Lazada.
For more information on the Sony WF-SP800N, click here.
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