Sony WI-C100 wireless headphones review

• Sony launched a wireless neckband-style headphone WI-C100 in India at an introductory price of ₹1699.
• WI-C100 features an IPX4 rating, 20+ hours of battery life and more.
• WI-C100 will compete against neckband style headphones under ₹3000.

Sony recently launched a wireless neckband-style headphone WI-C100 in India. The latest neckband from the company improves on battery life over the WI-C200 but compromises the build quality. Sony launched it at ₹2790, but currently, it is available at an introductory price of ₹1699, making it a direct rival to Boat Rockerz 330 and Oneplus Bullets Z2.
The WI-C100 is the latest offering from Sony among WI-C200, WI-C310, and WI-C400 neckband wireless At this price tag, the WI-C100 is for sports enthusiasts and casual users who want lightweight in-ear headphones at a budget price from a premium brand like Sony.
But for ₹2790 can Sony’s WI-C100 be the best wireless neckband style in-ear headphones in its segment? Let's find out in this review.

Pricing and availability

The Sony WI-C100 in-ear headphone is available in four colors: black, taupe, white, and blue. It is available across Sony retail stores, major electronic stores, and other e-commerce websites in India for an introductory price of ₹1,699 and the regular price is ₹2,790.

Basic features, large battery, Bluetooth 5 but lacks active noise cancellation

The Sony WI-C100 has a straightforward in-ear headphone neckband design. These in-ear headphones are connected by a thin cable that runs behind your neck. Unlike WI-C200, the buds on WI-C100 cannot be stuck together to avoid hanging them as they are not magnetic. It’s a simple addition that makes it easy to manage and is seen on similarly priced devices.
There is a controller with three buttons for all the basic commands like call, music, and volume controls and accessing your device’s voice assistant (Google Assistant/ Siri). It has a slim design making it fairly comfortable, and its flexible cable makes the WI-C100 ultra-portable since you can easily wrap it up and store it in your pocket.
Besides this, the WI-C100 earphone is IPX4 rated for water, splash, and sweat resistance, it is said to offer 25 hours of playback on a full charge.
Once fully charged, WI-C100 lasted for 21-22 hours per my usage, which included attending calls, listening to music and watching movies all day long. Besides this, you can use it for a couple of hours or so from 15-20 minutes of charge.

The Sony WI-C100 comes with a Type-C charger, and it takes almost 2 hours to charge from 20-100%.
The Sony WI-C100 uses Bluetooth 5 for connectivity which provides minimum latency. The earphones support Dolby Atmos, but it only works with a Sony WLS-NS7 wireless transmitter and a Bravia XR TV. Also, earphones lack active noise cancellation support.

Performance that comes with the convenience

I have been using Sony’s WI-C100 for the last few days, and so far, I’m impressed by its balanced sound quality and long battery life. Furthermore, it feels fairly stable once in your ears, but the cable doesn’t feel very durable as they are thin and could break if you forcefully pull them from your ears.

The Sony WI-C100 in-ear headphones are easy to operate as they have three buttons for music controls and call management. As far as convenience is concerned, the buttons work just fine and are easily accessible.
The built-in microphone worked decently for me. I used it for calling while cycling and also for my office meetings. I was perfectly audible to the caller in both cases.

The WI-C100 has underwhelming bass and good treble balance in terms of sound output. When listening fast-paced high-frequency genres like dubstep, house, trance, or hip-hop, you will experience that it lacks that punch in the bass. Although, the vocals and treble sound sharp and clean.

Pair Sony WI-C100 with Headphones Connect app

The Sony WI-C100 in-ear headphones are compatible with the Sony Headphones Connect app, and syncing with the app gives you access to music control within the app along with volume control. Besides this, you will get access to a Bluetooth connection quality which you can use if the sound stutters.

The app shows the battery level of the WI-C100 headphones and lets you switch between the different preset equalizers.

Also, the app can be used to set up 360 Reality Audio; however, the 360 Reality Audio is only available for Artist Connection and nugs.net music service apps.
This means that if you are subscribed to these two apps, then only you can set up 360 Reality Audio via WI-C100 wireless in-ear headphones.

Who should buy them?

If you’re looking for portable wireless in-ear headphones at a low price, but from a reliable brand, then the Sony WI-C100 is a good option. It lacks the punchy bass that most Gen Zs crave, but WI-C100 has a surprisingly well-balanced frequency response, especially at this price segment. But if you want a more loud and more bassy sound, consider the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2.
The Sony WI-C100 has a fairly stable fit, but the build quality isn’t the most durable we’ve seen. Also, Sony WI-C100 doesn’t isolate noise, which makes it ideal for everyday casual use. Also, runners who don’t want to spend too much on their running headphones can also try these.
The Sony WI-C100 is not made for specialized needs, but if you are looking for in-ear headphones for everyday use with a lightweight, easy-to-carry design and decent overall performance, then Sony’s WI-C100 should be your pick.
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