Sony Sony WF-C510 True Wireless Earbuds (White) Review

The Sony WF-C510 earbuds have best-in-class connectivity (97th percentile) and top-tier comfort, but their sound quality ranks in the bottom 2% of all earbuds we've tested. They're a call-taker's dream and a music-lover's disappointment. At $50-$68, you're paying for the fit and the brand, not the audio.

The Sony WF-C510 earbuds are a study in contradictions. They sit in the 97th percentile for connectivity, thanks to rock-solid Bluetooth 5.3 and multipoint pairing, and they're in the top 15% for comfort and mic quality. But then you get to the sound, which lands in a dismal 2nd percentile. That's the headline: these are supremely comfortable, well-connected earbuds that just don't sound very good. They're built for long wear, with an IPX4 rating and a design that multiple users say they can keep in for hours, but you're making a serious trade-off on audio fidelity to get there.

Let's start with what's great. That 97th percentile connectivity score isn't a fluke. The multipoint pairing works seamlessly, and the Bluetooth 5.3 connection is stable. The microphone is also a standout, scoring in the 88th percentile, so your voice comes through clearly on calls. Comfort and build quality are both in the high 80s percentile-wise, which is why they score so well for fitness and general use. Now, the bad news. The sound quality score of 2 is brutal. The 6mm dynamic drivers struggle with detail and bass, even with Sony's DSEE upscaling turned on. The battery life isn't much better, sitting at the 10th percentile with 11 hours from the buds themselves. You're getting top-tier connectivity wrapped around very average core performance.

Priced between $50 and $68, the WF-C510 sits in a crowded budget-to-midrange bracket. For that money, you're paying a premium for the Sony brand name and its excellent connectivity and comfort features. However, when sound quality is your main metric, you can find better performers at this price, like the Anker Soundcore P3i, which often trades blows on price but delivers much better audio. The value here is niche: if you need a super-comfortable, reliable set of buds primarily for calls and podcasts, and you're willing to fiddle with the EQ, they might be worth it. For everyone else, it's a tough sell.

Stacked against the competition, the trade-offs are clear. The Nothing Ear (a) offers better-balanced sound and a more fun design for similar money. The Anker Soundcore P3i punches above its weight with adaptive noise cancellation and generally superior audio for the price. Even stepping up slightly, the JBL Tune Flex provides actual noise cancelling. The Sony's only clear advantages are in comfort and that flawless multipoint connectivity. If those are your top two priorities, it wins. If you care at all about music or battery life, nearly every competitor on this list is a better choice.

Skip these if you're an audiophile or even a casual music fan. That 2nd percentile sound score is a hard stop. Also, avoid them if long battery life is critical—their 10th percentile rating means you'll be charging often. They're built for comfort and calls, not for losing yourself in a playlist.

We can't recommend the Sony WF-C510 for most people. The abysmal 2nd percentile sound score is a dealbreaker for an audio product. They are, however, a fantastic specialist tool. If you take hours of calls daily, need buds that won't hurt your ears, and value seamless device switching above all else, these are arguably the best in class. For everyone else—especially music listeners—the Nothing Ear (a) or an Anker Soundcore model will give you a much more complete and satisfying experience for the same cash.