Playstation Link Enables Immersive Audio for Remote Play on the Playstation Portal
Sony is known for pushing the boundaries of gaming, and their latest audio products – the Pulse Elite wireless headset and the Pulse Explore wireless earbuds – are no exception.
Pulse Elite Wireless Headset: Over-Ear Immersion for Remote Play
The Pulse Elite is Sony’s brand-new wireless headset designed to take your gaming audio to the next level. One of its standout features is lossless audio, ensuring that you’ll hear every detail with pristine clarity. But that’s not all; it comes equipped with a retractable boom mic enhanced with AI-powered noise rejection. This feature intelligently filters out background noise, keeping your communication crystal clear even in noisy environments.
To add to its convenience, Pulse Elite comes with a charging hanger for easy storage and quick charging, ensuring you’re always ready for your next gaming session. The premium design and comfortable over-ear fit make it perfect for long gaming sessions. The only downside? It requires a USB dongle for use with the PlayStation 5, so keep track of that small but essential piece of tech.
The Pulse Elite is built for audiophiles according to Sony, and that’s why they’ve equipped the Pulse Elite with custom-designed planar magnetic drivers. These drivers are usually found in premium headphones used by sound engineers, guaranteeing an audiophile-level listening experience.
For those who prefer a more portable audio experience, Sony unveiled the Pulse Explore wireless earbuds. These earbuds offer a unique blend of lossless audio quality and low-latency performance, making them perfect for gaming.
But what sets these earbuds apart is their ability to multitask. They can connect to the PlayStation 5 via a USB dongle and simultaneously link to a secondary device via Bluetooth. This means you can stay immersed in your game while taking a phone call or listening to your favourite podcast on the side.
Like the Pulse Elite, the Pulse Explore also features custom-designed planar magnetic drivers for an unmatched listening experience. Plus, their futuristic design complements the PlayStation 5’s aesthetics.
PlayStation Link: Revolutionizing Wireless Audio
Both Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore leverage PlayStation Link, Sony’s proprietary wireless audio technology. This technology offers low latency, lossless audio and seamless switching between multiple PlayStation Link hosts, such as the PS5 with the USB adapter and PlayStation Portal.
The USB adapter included with each headset and earbuds is required for PlayStation Link when using them with the PS5. This adapter will also be available for purchase separately and can be used on PC and Mac, ensuring that you can enjoy the same lossless, low-latency audio experience on your computer.
Pricing & Availability
These two audio devices are a new addition to Sony’s growing slate of PlayStation accessories. Together with the PlayStation Portal, Sony seems to be carving out an ecosystem that centres around the console.
Sony hasn’t revealed availability details just yet. However, the Pulse Explore will be priced at USD$199.99 (MYR932.42), EUR219.99 (MYR1,101.99), GBP199.99 (MYR1,171.15) and JPY29,980 (MYR949.36); while the Pulse Elite is priced at USD$149.99 (MYR699.29), EUR149.99 (MYR750.37), GBP129.99(MYR760.10) and JPY18,980 (MYR600.87).
Sony first introduced their very high-end, very clever, and very powerful Exmor T for mobile imaging sensor on the Xperia 1 V, Sony’s fifth generation flagship smartphone that does everything an Alpha user needs it to do and even more. The thing is, at MYR 6,399, the Xperia 1 V commands an asking price even higher than what Samsung asks for in their flagship Galaxy S line-up. While the Xperia 1 V is a brilliant smartphone that is supposed to offer unparalleled performance and functionalities to content creators or creative professionals, it may be a little too rich for plenty of users. So, you get the Sony Xperia 5 V then.
In any way you look at it, the Sony Xperia 5 V is a brilliant product still, even compared to its more premium brother, the Xperia 1 V. Sure, there are visual cues to tell the people who know that you are not using Sony’s top-of-the-line smartphone. Its display size, for example is only 6.1-inch compared to the larger 6.5-inch of the Xperia 1V. It is also only Full HD in resolution instead of 4K. You still get the unique 21:9 aspect ratio from the Xperia 5 V. It is also still an OLED display that offers up to 120Hz in refresh rate and 240Hz in sampling rate. According to Sony as well, the display on the Xperia 5 V offers 100% in DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and even BT.2020. Like the more premium flagship, the Xperia 5 V also has an X1 engine just to power the display.
Beneath the Corning Gorilla Glass protected display though is still the very powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2 platform that proved to be a force in the Xperia 1 V. It is not like you are getting a dwindled down battery too. Even in a smaller shell, you still get a 5,000mAh pack. That also means that this one smartphone can offer you even better battery life than even the great Xperia 1. Of course, the device runs on a rather stock version of Android 13 with just a few bloatware like its premium brother.
The bloatware powers the same Exmor T for Mobile sensor that its higher-end flagship brother gets. The Xperia 5 V boasts an effective 48-Megapixel underneath a 24mm lens with F1.9 aperture. Instead of two other cameras though, there is only one more camera that sits with the main shooter. You get a 12-Megapixel ultra-wide shooter instead of the clever variable telephoto that the Xperia 1 V offers. Still, you probably can get enough details with digital zoom from the 48-Megapixel photos. There is also a front-facing camera that is rated at 12-Megapixel for all your selfie and video-conferencing needs.
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Just like its bigger brother, the Xperia 5 V maintains the same candy bar look and offers 3.5mm jack connectivity. Alongside that, there is the unique shutter button too. If you need, the Xperia 5 V also features a MicroSD card slot for storage expansion up to 1TB. There is fast charging for the large battery, you also get wireless charging still with the Xperia 5 V.
Price and Availability
While Sony Malaysia touts Q4 2023 availability, they have not officially announced its retail price just yet. We expect the Xperia 5 V to be a little more expensive than the current Xperia 5 IV at MYR 4,499. We do not think it will be priced above RM 5,000 though, at least there is no reason to believe that it will be priced as such. For now, we can only wait. For more information on Sony’s latest Xperia 5 V, you can head to their website.
Smartphones today are getting a little dreary. The most exciting thing to happen in the past few years was the introduction of foldable form factors. Even then, their practicality is limited, and end up being fashion statements.
Sony’s Xperia 1 smartphones have never been the type that follows trends. The Sony Xperia 1 devices pushed the boundaries of photo and video workflows on a smartphone. There are apps for specific functions and each specialized app does their jobs well. They were always made for Sony’s existing customers looking for an extension to their workflows. The new one is supposed to fit that bill better than before.
It is now MYR 6,399 though. Is it worth that much money? Should you get one? We find out.
Design
We have said this before; we think that Sony managed to nail a design that is elegant and timeless. Nothing much has changed since the introduction of the modern Sony Xperia 1 series. The familiar candy bar design might be old-fashioned, yet the hard-edged design still holds well today. You might not even be able to tell this Xperia 1 V apart from its predecessors.
You get the same button placements as before. The fingerprint sensor is also your power button. The volume rockers sit above the power button. The shutter button that is exclusive to Xperia devices is still there. The display size remains the same for the Xperia 1 V at 6.5-inch with 21:9 aspect ratio that forms the familiar narrow form factor. The sides are now serrated for better grip and feel. The glass at the back is also textured, giving a frosted look to the back and a slightly more organic feel while also resisting fingerprint marks.
Hardware
It is a 2023 device, so it needs modern hardware inside. There are a few things that remain though. You still get a 3.5mm jack and the 4K display unique to the Xperia 1 series.
6.5-inch OLED 1,644 x 3,840 (~643 ppi) 21:9 aspect ratio 120Hz (up to) HDR BT.2020 Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Operating System
Android 13
Battery
Non-Removable Li-Po 5,000mAh Fast Charging 30W Wireless Charging Reverse Charging
Connectivity
Dual SIM Wi-Fi WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e Wi-Fi Direct DLNA GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS A2DP LE Audio AptX HD AptX Adaptive Bluetooth 5.3 OTG Support NFC USB Type-C 3.2
Camera (s)
REAR: 48-Megapixel (f/1.9, 1.12µm Exmor T for Mobile, 24mm wide angle) 12-Megapixel (f/2.3, 85mm telephoto, 125mm telephoto) 12-Megapixel (f/2.2, 16mm ultrawide) Dual Pixel PDAF 4K video recording (120fps) 5-axis gyro EIS, OIS HDR Zeiss T* LED flash FRONT: 12-Megapixel (f/2.0, 24mm wide angle) 4K video recording (30fps) 5-axis gyro EIS HDR
Sensors
Accelerometer Proximity Side Mounted Fingerprint Ambient Light Gyroscope Compass
User Interface – Clean and Plain Android 13
Sony stuck with the original Android interface. The few bloatware that you can find on the Xperia 1 are Photography Pro, Video Pro, Cinema Pro, and Music Pro. To view your creations, there is Google’s Photos app.
We like the Vanilla Android 13 on Sony’s Xperia 1 V. It feels minimal, simple, and snappy. Since there are no custom skins to worry about, major Android updates can be pushed earlier too.
The Bloatware – Photography Pro, Video Pro, Cinema Pro, Music Pro
Unlike most smartphones today, the Xperia 1 V comes with just a few useful ‘bloatware’. They replace the camera and voice recorder apps. The camera app is replaced by three apps – the Photography Pro app, Video Pro app, and Cinema Pro. The voice recorder app is replaced by Sony’s Music Pro app.
Music Pro
The Music Pro app does everything regular voice recording apps does and more. There is just a simple problem of setting up hitting ‘voice recording’ on the setting before you can start. Beyond that, you can use it to record vocals and instruments separately, and then put them together to create your own demo or even master tracks. Unfortunately, we do not possess nearly enough musical talent nor the time to record proper tracks, so there will be no samples from us.
You can technically record your guitar and vocals concurrently. With some clever AI and acceptable noise levels, we find that the audio recorded on the device sounds clean and clear enough even for music mastering. The ‘voice and guitar’ mode does not separate voice and guitar tracks though.
You can edit your recordings with the app too. While there are limited things you can do, the Music Pro app is comprehensive enough for quick demo tracks. You can add various effects and mix the volumes of each track recorded on the app.
Performance
This is a top-tier smartphone with matching hardware. You get Qualcomm’s most powerful Snapdragon processor to date paired with the best display you can find on a smartphone.
Benchmarks
We have maintained that benchmarks for smartphones are flawed and can be unreliable. There were only a handful of benchmarking tools that are available for the Xperia 1 V.
Call Quality and Connectivity
While it is a 5G device, 5G availability in Malaysia is limited. Since Maxis did not offer 5G connectivity in our testing period, we did not test the device with 5G connectivity.
Even with 4G LTE though, we are happy to report that the device works as expected with little issues during a call with VoLTE support. When you lose network coverage, the device holds your call for a few moments to attempt a reconnection. You can make calls even when you have a single bar of network coverage with limited effectiveness.
Gaming
The hallmark of Qualcomm’s most advanced and powerful processor to date is its gaming prowess. The game of choice for us was Pokémon UNITE.
Like most modern smartphones, there is an interface to turn up your device or go into ‘do not disturb’ for uninterrupted gaming experience. We assume that Pokémon UNITE runs at the highest settings based on its hardware. We were impressed with its heat management too.
The game runs at up to 60fps and looks great on the device, especially with the vivid and bright colours. Since the display is wide, you get better overviews of what is happening on the battlefield. In PUBG Mobile, you might appreciate the extra display real estate too.
PlayStation Remote Play
If you have the latest PlayStation devices, this is an obvious choice for mobile gaming. You can technically play your games outside your home even without the DualShock controller if you have an adequate network (like 5G, for example). While this is not an Xperia exclusive feature, we find that games somehow play smoother and snappier on the Xperia 1 V, especially when both devices are under the same WiFi umbrella.
Multitasking and Productivity
Sony wants the Sony Xperia 1 V to be the ultimate tool. That also means smooth multitasking is crucial. With 12GB of RAM within the device, you should have no issues with it.
In our tests, we have Google Chrome with about 20 tabs, Gmail app, WhatsApp, Telegram, Adobe’s Lightroom for Mobile working while running Photography Pro or Video Pro concurrently. The Sony Xperia 1 V managed to run all these applications and even switch between them without any visible hiccups.
Display and Audio
6.5-inch might look small. But this is no ordinary smartphone display. It is a narrow 9:21 (vertical) aspect ratio at 1,644 by 3,840 pixels which also means that it is not technically a true 4K 2160p UHD display.
21:9 (horizontal) aspect ratio is perfect for cinema. Movies like Devotion or The Adam Project on Netflix fill the entire display with content. The front-facing camera is placed on a thin bezel on top of the display, offering unbroken immersion while watching movies.
You tend to get two huge negative spaces at the sides for regular 16:9 videos though. In effect, you are getting a slightly smaller screen than other smartphones. Still, it is an OLED display that offers 120Hz and HDR BT.2020 colours underneath a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. HDR BT.2020 is a new standard that maximizes the colour depth 4K displays can offer. You are getting 12-bit in colour depth with the most accurate, vibrant colours available and deep blacks from the Sony Xperia 1 V.
Sony’s Xperia 1 V boasts dual speakers that offer 24-bit/192kHz decoding. That means that your smartphone is a Hi-Res capable music player with capable speakers. We think that the Sony Xperia 1 V’s speakers are one of the best sounding speakers fitted to a smartphone. It sounds full, punchy, and accurate at all volume ranges. It can get loud too if you want it to be. The only thing missing is its own subwoofer for even punchier bass notes.
3.5mm AUX Jack
Nothing beats the wire in terms of audio quality and latency. The 3.5mm AUX jack on the Sony Xperia 1 V is nothing too special to begin with, but the fact that the device has one is interesting enough. Having a 3.5mm jack also means that you are not relying on battery power for your audio; one less thing to go wrong. The AUX jack can also be used as a mic input.
Battery Life
The Sony flagship comes with a 5,000mAh battery, typical of modern flagships. We were pleasantly surprised with its battery life despite the 4K display. In our typical use case mentioned above, we typically saw the Sony Xperia 1 V lasting more than a day and sometimes even two days in minimal use cases.
Camera(s)
The Sony Xperia 1 V comes with three cameras. Each of them is rated at 12-Megapixel resolution, but there is more to it. Sony developed a new larger Exmor T for mobile sensor underneath a 24mm lens on the device.
The 12-Megapixel Exmor T for Mobile – More Like 52-Megapixel
While Sony says that the main camera captures 12-Megapixel photos, their sensor technically has 48 million effective pixels from an oversized 52-Megapixel 1/1.35-inch sensor. Save for the Xperia Pro-I, the Exmor T for mobile is the largest ever camera sensor in a smartphone with about 26% more surface area than regular 1/1.7-inch sensors. Larger pixels also means that each individual pixel captures more light for more details and better low-light performance.
In adequate lighting, you get even better results. Photos look stunning and feel like something you get from proper cameras. We are not saying that this can replace a DSLR, but the best camera is the one you have, and this one is one camera you want to have in your pockets.
Photography Pro
This replaces your regular camera app and can work like one. In the ‘basic’ mode, it does everything automatically. Snaps can be taken with the physical shutter button or the on-screen button. There is the usual Auto, Aperture Priority (A), Programmable Auto (P), and Shutter Speed Priority(S) modes alongside Manual (M) mode. We left it on Auto most of the time since it is quicker to work with.
The Auto option still offers a few granular controls. You can choose to save your photos in RAW or JPEG formats, or both. You can manually control your focus pull as well from the interface for even more creative control. You even get focus peaking if you need it.
Video Pro
The Video Pro app turns the device into a proper production ready camera. The interface is intuitive with all the granular controls you need on the display. You can even adjust focus pull, put markers on the slider and let the interface automate the focus pull for you.
You get to choose between different colour logs, even S-Cinetone if you want to for that extra cinematic look post edit. If you do not want any of the post editing hassle though, you can just still with the basic or the vivid colour log.
The Sony Xperia 1 V also comes with both Optical and Electronic Image Stabilizers. It takes a little bit of practice, but when you get your movements right, you can easily shoot a stable video while walking through the park even without a gimbal.
Cinema Pro
The Video Pro app is not the only video recording app on the device though. The Cinema Pro app lets you capture videos at 21:9 aspect ratio. The Cinema Pro app also offers most of the controls that are offered on the Video Pro app, including shooting in the S-Cinetone colour gamut.
It is also a video editing app right on the device that allows you to stitch whatever footage you took on the device and get a cinematic video or vlog going without too much fuss. You are directly getting and editing footage at the natural cinematic aspect ratio perfect for viewing on the Sony Xperia 1 V itself. We think that it might provide an interesting look for your vlogs.
If you do have a modern Alpha camera though, the Xperia 1 V is not just an accompanying smartphone. It can be the ultimate companion for your alpha workflow. It can be your external monitor when you do your video shots on the Alpha camera. We are talking about a proper external 4K display for your Alpha camera.
The Xperia 1 V can be connected to the camera via a USB Type-C to HDMI cable to make it a larger, more colour accurate 4K external monitor for your shoots. The idea is not to use the Xperia 1 V with your modern Sony Alpha cameras though. It is to be used with older Alpha cameras and even cameras made by other monufacturers. If you have a USB Type-C to HDMI cable or some form of adapter for an HDMI or USB Type-C cables to the same effect, you can use the Sony Xperia 1 V in the external monitor mode with all sorts of cameras.
The Sony Xperia 1 V – Not the Average Flagship
We have to acknowledge that its design may not be to everyone’s liking. The sharper edges on the Xperia 1 V may also not be the most comfortable thing in your hands. There is not much else wrong with the Xperia 1 V though.
Its improved camera and apps capture better photos and videos than before. The device works extremely well as an alternative to regular cameras. While proper cameras offer better results, the videos and photos taken on the Xperia 1 V are still remarkable.
In the sea of Android devices, the near Vanilla Android 13 interface on the Xperia 1 V is refreshing. It feels clean, smooth, and looks great in 4K. Thanks to the minimal overlay as well, any major Android updates should come quickly on the Xperia 1 V.
We like the shutter button. The distinctive knurled shutter button alongside the textured back and sides make the device feel more premium than before. For protection, Sony also sells a minimal protective case with kickstand for the Sony Xperia 1 V that offers a better grip feel.
The 4K display is stunning to look at. We were also impressed with the battery life of the Sony Xperia 1 V despite the power-hungry display. It lasted more than a day even when we decided to work with the cameras. We liked that the flagship comes with 3.5mm jack as well as excellent speakers.
At MYR 6,399, the Sony Xperia 1 V is easily one the most expensive Android devices out there. Is it worth its asking price? To most, it is not. It is more than a regular smartphone for content creators. It is an extended tool, a companion, and a viable alternative when all else fails. For that, we think that it is worth the MYR 6,399 asking price. We would buy it.
Sony’s α7C (Alpha 7C) launched in 2020 was something we liked. The idea of having a full frame camera in a body no larger than a standard APS-C DSLR was appealing. It makes plenty of sense especially for the travelling photographer to still have the power of a full frame sensor for all your creator needs while travelling.
As of 2022 though, the brilliant α7C went out of production. While we expected Sony to come up with a replacement or follow-up to the compact full frame shooter, it looked bleak since Sony kept that information rather privy. To be fair, the world is still recovering from the constraint that is the product of the world’s chip shortage.
Finally in 2023, the α7C has a replacement device. It is not just one camera that Sony announced though. They launched two cameras – the α7C II, and the α7CR.
Sony α7C II (Alpha 7C Mark II)
Source: Sony
Sony’s direct replacement for the α7C is the new α7C II. Where the original α7C shares similarities with the α7 III, the α7C II shares similarities with the full frame mirrorless camera that replaced the α7 III, the α7 IV. That is a good thing.
For starters it packs the same 33-Megapixel Exmor T CMOS sensor as the α7 IV (Alpha 7 Mark IV). That means you also get the same Advanced BIONZ XR image processor that the powerful α7 IV packs alongside a clever AI processor that offers more accurate subject recognition than before. This results in the same advanced Eye-AF system that the α7 IV benefit from as well offering one of the best, if not the best, autofocus systems found in a mirrorless camera this size.
Like the α7 IV, the new α7C II is also capable of recording videos at 4K at up to 60p. If you wish to record videos at 120p, you do have to push it down to 1080p Full HD resolution. You also want to take note that 4K 60p recording can only be done in super 35 crop mode, which means you are not technically fully utilizing the entirety of the full frame sensor when you record at those speeds. Still, being able to shoot in 10-bit 4:2:2 is a huge bonus for video recorders and color grading purposes. You have the option to shoot in S-Log3 or S-Cinetone with custom LUTs for even better-looking videos.
Sony α7CR (Alpha 7CR)
Source: Sony
Then there is the other camera that came as quite a surprise, the α7CR. To be fair, this is very much like the full-sized counterpart to the α7 series. As per the ‘R’ moniker suggests, the α7CR is made for photography prowess in a small form-factor body. It shares similarities with the Sony α7R V.
It packs the same high-resolution 61-Megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor like the bigger α7R V. It also packs the BIONZ XR image processor for the most advanced image processing capabilities available to full frame cameras of this stature. This full frame sensor is also capable of recording videos at 10-bit 4.2.2 colour space and in 4K resolution at a maximum of 60p.
The Mini α7 Line-Up
The new cameras are pretty much a miniaturized version of the α7 IV and α7R V counterparts. They pack everything the larger, full-sized cameras they are based on and offer almost all the sorts of photography and video recording power their full-sized counterparts offer. There is a small compromise though. Since the body is a little smaller, the battery they come with is also smaller than their full-sized counterparts. The cameras also do not support CF Express cards and therefore does not have the recording speeds that the full frame cameras are capable of.
Availability
Sony Malaysia has not announced the official pricing for both the products just yet. They have confirmed that the new α7C II and α7CR will be available in Malaysia by the end of November 2023. In markets where the α7C II and α7CR are already available, prices are at US$ 2,199.99 (MYR 10,210*) and US$ 2,999.95 (MYR 13,922*) respectively.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.64 as of 30/08/2023 on xe.com
Sony’s WF-1000XM4 that we reviewed last year was, in our opinion, one of the best, if not the best high-end noise cancelling earbuds your money can buy. Sony really knows how to make audio gear and thanks to their knowhow in active noise cancelling (ANC) technologies, you expect nothing less with their high-end noise cancelling audio gears. But that is also a problem in itself made by Sony for themselves. How do you top their best product? While the answer is simply; “make everything better”, it really is not as simple as that.
Of course, while Sony still holds the lead in active noise cancelling headphones, there are players in the industry who are catching up. Apple, for example, introduced their 2nd generation AirPods Pro to a success and with stellar reviews on its aural and noise cancelling performances. Sony cannot just be content with their WF-1000XM4. They do need to push the envelopes a little. They have with the WF-1000XM5.
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Despite being the ‘mark 5’ in the bunch, this is not Sony’s 5th generation ANC earbuds. It is, in fact, their 4th generation high-end earbuds. The earbuds also do not look totally dissimilar with the ‘mark 4’. It is supposedly 25% smaller and 20% lighter than before though. We think that Sony is going for that signature timeless look with their higher-end earphones now, sort of like what they are doing with their Xperia smartphones line-up.
Inside is a completely different earbuds compared to the WF-1000XM4 though. We start with the new driver; they call it the Dynamic Driver X unit. The new Dynamic Driver X is almost similar in size to the previous driver, but is developed specifically for the latest generation WF-1000 earbuds. According to Sony, the driver design offers a combination of materials from the dome to the edge of the diaphragm structure. What this does, according to them, is to reduce distortion on both high-end and low-end frequencies allowing the engineers to pump more power into the driver to produce detailed highs and powerful bass. Of course, they have not forgotten that a balanced audio reproduction requires a balanced and detailed mid-tone too.
Unlike the older WF-1000XM4, the new WF-1000XM5 comes packing two processors. They have a brand-new Noise Cancelling Processor QN2e and Integrated Processor V2. The Integrated Processor V2 now enables the earbuds to process 24-bit audio and offers high-performance noise amplification for super rich audio unlike anything you might have experienced in a pair of wireless earbuds. Of course, you still get Hi-Res support thanks to LDAC and DSEE Extreme. Sony’s highly acclaimed 360 Reality Audio now also comes with head tracking technology that ensures that your sound moves accordingly creating an even higher immersion than ever before.
Source: Sony
Alongside three mics on each earbud, the dedicated noise cancelling processor delivers noise cancelling performance and ambient noise mode even better than you find on the WF-1000XM4. They say that thanks to the three-mic combo, ambient noise can be captured more accurately than before resulting in a much more natural feel of your surroundings. Because noise is picked up much more accurately as well, the noise cancelling algorithm is more precise and therefore works better in noisy environments. You also get Sony’s clever polyurethane foam materials that passively cancels noise in the environment for a better seal in your ears.
Sony also claims that the new WF-1000XM5 offers better call quality than ever before. You still get the beamforming mic that was first introduced in the previous earphones. They have employed cleverer AI algorithms in the new earphones based on Deep Neutral Network (DNN) processing working alongside new bone conduction sensors to accurately pick up your voice. The result should be a more natural sounding, cleaner, and clearer voice at least from your end during a call.
Despite being smaller, the IPX4 water-resistant body of the WF-1000XM5 contains a battery that offers up to 8 hours of continuous listening time on a single charge. Of course, the case carries extra charges for the earbuds for up to 24 hours of listening time. You can also charge the earbuds wirelessly, like its predecessor. Thanks to Multipoint Connect, you can pair the WF-1000XM5 with up to two devices simultaneously, though you might have to sacrifice LDAC capabilities.
Price and Availability
Sony’s WF-1000XM5 will be available in two colour options, just like before. You can get it in black or silver when it is available in August 2023 onward. It will set you back MYR 1,299, which is more expensive than the previous WF-1000XM4 that sold for MYR 1,099 at launch. More on the Sony WF-1000XM5 can be found on their website.
Sony’s α6000 series is one of those line-ups of cameras that we can easily recommend to anyone who is looking to get into photography. Despite its price, we think that Sony’s mirrorless APS-C interchangeable lens camera line-up offers some of the best value for a camera. The older α6600 for example, offers 4K video recording with S-Log3, pretty much on par with the more premium α7 line-up of cameras when it comes to video work. While APS-C sensors are smaller than full-frame sensors, the α6600 is still a formidable photography tool that offers photo quality that is comparable to full-frame photos.
The α6600 is an aging platform though. It launched back in September 2019, which was nearly 4 years ago. Considering that the gap between the α7 III and α7 IV is also a little over 3 years old, the α6600 is due for an upgrade. Introducing the Sony α6700.
New Sensor
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
You still get an APS-C sensor on the Sony α6700, like its predecessor, which is also rather expected, since this is the compact camera line-up from Sony. It is an upgraded sensor though. It is now a 26-Megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor alongside Sony’s most powerful BIONZ XR image processor that also powers Sony’s latest full-frame cameras.
New Processor
Source: Sony
The BIONZ XR processor allows the Sony α6700 to record 4K videos like the older α6600. But instead of the regular 60fps, you can record at 120fps this time. You can also record videos at S-Cinetone picture profile, which is the preferred profile for Sony’s filmmakers on their professional Cinema Line cameras. On top of that, you have the flexibility of shooting videos and photos from a standard ISO 100 all the way to ISO 32000 for both high-sensitivity and low-light shooting.
The new processor also contains a clever artificial intelligence (AI) engine first seen on Sony’s advanced α7R V platform. The AI engine allows the α6700 to cleverly recognize subjects accurately (Real-Time Recognition AF) and quickly focuses on the subject even if they are not human. Of course, that contributes to the speedy Eye-AF system that Sony pioneered.
Still Compact
Source: Sony
You get a familiar platform on the Sony α6700. You get the same compact design body with lightweight materials. It is a little over 100g lighter than the older α6600 too. While 100g may not sound a lot, it does make a difference when you need to work with it an entire day for both video and photography workflow. Thanks to the new swiveling vari-angle LCD monitor as well, the new α6700 offers even more flexibility in the types of shots you can get and monitor.
Price and Availability
The Sony α6700 will be available in Malaysia from September 2023 onward. No colour options here, just the regular black colour that we are used to with Sony’s cameras, or any other cameras for that matter. There are no mentions yet on its official pricing in Malaysia just yet. It is priced at US$ 1,398, which is about MYR 6,416*. In that case, we are expecting the new camera will be priced at about MYR 6,400 when it arrives in Malaysia. For more information on Sony’s latest α6700, you can head over to their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.59 as of 13/07/2023 on xe.com
The Sony Xperia 1V is finally here in Malaysia, and as per previously reported, it will set you back MYR 6,399. It is a lot of money for a smartphone, yes. It is more expensive than Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra at this point (MYR 5,699 onward, 256GB + 12GB), making it the most expensive mass-produced Android smartphone to date. But then again, the Sony Xperia 1V smartphone is not necessarily made for the general user. Instead, Sony has content creators in mind when it comes to the Sony Xperia 1V.
On paper, it does not look like you are getting much more for your money on the Xperia 1V. You get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 System on a Chip (SoC) to begin with, the most powerful processor money can buy in an Android smartphone. Alongside the integrated chip is up to 256GB in storage and up to 12GB in RAM which should ensure that the device is speedy and snappy enough to keep up with the best the Android segment has to offer. Unlike most flagships in the market though, you can expand the device’s storage with a MicroSD card at up to 1TB capacity. Of course, that means sacrificing the secondary SIM tray.
Out the back are three 12-Megapixel sensors in 24mm, 16mm, and 85-125mm lenses configuration. There is a textured glass that protects the camera sensors too that offers better grip and feel than before. Underneath the glass back is a 5,000mAh battery that should keep the device running for an entire day and even more.
Up front is a rather expansive 21:9 aspect ratio OLED display that offers 4K resolution at HDR levels. It also offers 120Hz refresh rate for a smooth feel of Android 13 on the device. The Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects the main display and also protects another 12-Megapixel sensor that is kitted with a 24mm lens for selfies or video conferencing purposes.
We said that the main sensor is a 12-Megapixel sensor. While that is mostly true in most photography use cases, the sensor is a special one developed just for the Sony Xperia 1 series. The new Exmor T sensor is larger than regular smartphone camera sensors, meaning it can capture more light and perform naturally better in low-light conditions. The sensor also technically has 52-Megapixel on it, but only 48-Megapixel is effectively available on tap. With pixel binning, you get a larger 12-Megapixel sensor than ever before that offers more details and clarity than ever before.
Price and Availability
The Sony Xperia 1V, as mentioned, is priced at MYR 6,399. It is now available via Sony Stores and their authorised resellers throughout the nation. You can get yours in Black or Khaki Green variants. They teased a White variant at the local launch, but we cannot be sure that it will be available at the same time as the other two colours currently. For a limited time, every purchase of the Sony Xperia 1V entitles you to a Sony WH-1000XM5 noise cancelling headphones worth MYR 1,799. Yes, it is expensive, but we do think that nothing does a better job than the Sony Xperia 1V when it comes to content creation. More on the Sony Xperia 1V can be found on their website.
What can you buy with MYR 4,000? You can get yourself a very nice steak dinner for at least four people in a very expensive restaurant. You can buy an entry-level gaming laptop with older generation hardware. You can even buy a decent laptop that you can use for work and play for that money. Even if you buy a 4K TV, you might still have some spare cash to afford yourself a decent soundbar. Or you can buy a Sony ZV-1 II, Sony’s latest compact camera, and have MYR 1 to spare for your parking.
So Familiar
If you have had your hands on a Sony ZV-1, the original one, you would be surprised (or maybe not) at how similar this ‘second-generation- ZV-1 is to the first one. It is sort of the same body that both use with no changes in the layout or material. That also means that if you come from the ZV-1, you will be quickly familiar with the ZV-1 II.
We like plenty of things on the ZV-1. We like the swiveling hinged monitor that we can just swing out to quickly turn the camera on. We like that folding in the display also turns the camera off. We like that it is compact yet shoots decent 4K footage, and we like that it features a standard zoom 24-70mm lens. Most of these features stayed on for the ZV-1 Mk. II.
The ZV-1 II still has a brilliant swiveling display that will be the only source of monitoring you get on the camera itself. There is no viewfinder to look at here, which is pretty much expected in this form factor. Then there is the 4K 24p capabilities that continued from the older ZV-1. The lens offers the same zoom mechanism and look, except that it is an 18-50mm lens now instead of a 24-70mm with a maximum aperture of F4.0.
They have added a few things too. They added ‘background blurring’ effect toggle for your portraits. They also added more creative looks for the ZV-1 II. The highlight addition though, at least we think, is the Cinematic Vlog mode that completely changes how you shoot your videos.
The sensor you get on the ZV-1 II is pretty much the same one you can find from the first-generation ZV-1. You get a 1-inch 21-Megapxiel Exmor RS sensor that is also capable of taking videos at 4K 24p resolutions. You can technically also record Full HD videos at up to 60p with the camera. That also means there is no slow-motion video recording for the ZV-1 II. To be fair, that is not what the ZV-1 is for anyway.
If you come from the older ZV-1, there should be no surprises about the photo and video quality here. The 21-Megapixel photos are clear and well detailed, even at the edges. While the sensor is not very big, you technically can get great looking portraits with some deep ‘bokeh’ effect by turning on the camera’s ‘background blur’ mode. Even if you do not use the ‘background blur’ mode though, portrait still looks mighty good with limited depth. Still, for landscape photos, the image is mostly clear and sharp when you go closer to the edges of the image. If you are shooting at 18mm, you can expect some distortion at the edges of your image since you are technically getting an ultra-wide angle.
The ZV-1 II can also shoot photos at up to 24fps, meaning you can technically use this to shoot action photos. You can take it down to your local track on a track day and take great looking photos with this camera thanks to the fast and rather accurate autofocus. We did not get to do that though unfortunately. You technically can take photos when your friends are playing football or any other sports technically thanks to the clever eye-AF. Again, we did not get to do that in our test period.
For 4K video recording, the camera uses the entire 1-inch sensor to shoot, which also means that you are not getting any odd crops on your frame when you switch between photo and video mode. In video mode though, the camera defaults to 16:9 aspect ratio, which means that you lose a little bit of image from the top and bottom of the photo frame. The Cinematic Vlog mode cuts the image even more to make the traditional film 2.35:1 aspect ratio for that cinematic look. We also noticed that the image stabilization is a little more aggressive in cinematic vlog mode allowing for a much more stable looking contents without going through vigorous stabilization algorithms from your editors.
You can technically shoot in Sony’s colour gamut Log with the ZV-1 II. You can go up to S-Log3 in both 4K and Full HD modes. There is no S-Cinetone log here though, which is a shame since we thought it would be nice to pair with the cinematic vlog function. Of course, since the ZV-1 II is made for quick and fuss free vlog production and social media contents, it would not make sense for its intended user to use any of the colour gamut logs. Still, having the option to use the logs in all kinds of shoot mode would be nice for more advanced users.
You can even use the ZV-1 as your webcam if your PC does not already have one. Unfortunately, the camera only allows for up to 720p when you stream the camera directly to the PC via USB Type-C. Still, the 720p image still looks better than most 720p and even Full HD 1080p webcam you can find in the market today. If you are looking for a plug-and-play webcam that looks good, this one could be for you.
Oddly Poor Battery Life
There is a compromise with all the weight saving and focus on making the ZV-1 II the most compact camera of its type yet capable of even more than its predecessor. The compromise comes in the form of a small battery capacity. To be fair, the small battery also contributes to the lightweight construction of the camera.
It is a rather small 1,240mAh NP-BX1 removeable battery that the ZV-1 II packs: the same one as the first-generation ZV-1. It is rated for up to 290 stills and up to 75 minutes of continuous video recording. We took it out to do both stills and videos in the same venue for our test. In our test, we barely got the camera through an hour and a half (1 hour 30 minutes) before the ZV-1 II started warning us of low battery. Since it is replaceable, you technically can buy more to prolong your photo shoot or video shoot with the ZV-1 II. Each battery pack will set you back MYR 202 though. Thankfully you can charge the battery and camera via the camera’s USB Type-C port, meaning you can just plug it to your powerbank, and you are ready to shoot even more photos and videos.
Should You Then? Maybe Not.
We like the ZV-1 II. It is a tiny camera that is rather well packaged and well-rounded enough for a quick photo walk around town. Even if you are not on a dedicated photo walk, it is a compact enough camera for you to carry around and pull out when you see a photo opportunity. It is made for the spontaneous content creator that does not need or want to carry a bunch of gear or a large DSLR around for convenience and subtlety. It also works as a decent webcam to replace your rather poor one on the laptop for an all-around better video conferencing or streaming experience.
We are finding it difficult to recommend this camera to anyone who wants a compact camera that does everything though. For starters, it will set you back MYR 3,999. For that kind of money, you can get your hands on an older ZV-1 and still have extra to buy a proper Sony mic that can be mounted on the camera. Secondly, the ZV-1 will still be on sale, and there is nothing wrong with that camera in the first place. Thirdly, if simplicity is what you are after, what is wrong with the ZV-1F? The ZV-1F has a fixed lens and does everything the ZV-1 does too. If you already have the ZV-1 or the ZV-1F, apart from a few added features and the different lens length, you are not getting much of an upgrade on the ZV-1 II too.
Sony’s ZV-1 was something we thought was rather clever for content creators to work with. It was compact, offered 4K video recording, and all the clever features that any content creators could enjoy and appreciate. Now, you can get your hands on one Sony ZV-1 camera at MYR 2,599, which is not too unreasonable.
There is a new kid on the block, just launched by Sony last night. The new kid is the sort of follow up to the ZV-1 compact shooter, the ZV-1 II (Mk. II, M2). No, it is not quite a replacement to the ZV-1, at least not according to Sony. They say that they have made some improvements based on the feedback from their community and users, but it is not meant to replace the ZV-1. They will still be selling the ZV-1 alongside this Mk. II.
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
The design of the camera has not changed very much. You would be forgiven for mistaking the ZV-1 II for the ZV-1 when you put them together. They both come in the same colour options too, which does not help in telling the cameras apart. The price tag is a little different though, we will get into that later.
The difference is really more than skin deep. Instead of 24-70mm, you get a much wider viewpoint with the widest shot at 18mm and zooming up to 50mm. The 18-50mm lens is fast too with a variable aperture from F1.8-4.0. The wider lens also offers more shooting flexibility and creative avenues for landscapes and even selfies. You do not need to stretch your hands all that much anymore or find a selfie stick to work with. You can just have your natural arm’s length to get a good frame for yourself and even others to join you even without the help of selfie sticks. You still can get your hands on Sony’s clever remote camera grip though, if you want to.
They have improved the microphone too. It is now a 3-capsule unit that captures audio from all directions. It is clever too; the ZV-1 II can quickly switch its recording direction when it detects human faces in its frame allowing you to shoot your vlogs without needing another mic attachment. You can also select its shooting direction manually, your options are front, rear, and all directions. There is an included windscreen too for you to use in the great outdoors. If you still prefer to shoot with a mic attachment, you can get an assortment from Sony’s own stables that works with the Multi Interface shoe mounting or get a generic one and connect them to the camera via the 3.5mm mic jack.
Source: Sony
It is still a 1.0 type CMOS sensor with Sony’s Exmor RS image processor that boasts about 21-Megapixel. You get a lot more shooting options with the ZV-1 II over the previous camera though. You get a CInematic Vlog settings that you might like, if your main medium is YouTube. The settings offer you a very cinematic CinemaScope 2.35:1 video aspect ratio and 24fps for your videos for that cinema look. You do not get to shoot in Sony’s famous colour gamut Logs, but the camera still can cleverly offer you five looks and four different moods to your video that also enables you to create content more quickly than ever.
Even for photography, you get to work with up to 10 preset looks allowing you to shoot in different creative styles without post processing. That means your contents get from the camera to social media channels much faster than before especially when you pair it to Sony’s Creator’s mobile app.
Source: Sony
For a better and more seamless shoot experience, the ZV-1 II offers Face Priority AE and Soft Skin effects for natural and better-looking skin tones in whatever lighting conditions that you subject the camera to. Its Fast Hyubrid autofocus system will ensure that the camera locks and tracks its subjects accurately without too much focus hunting for better looking videos even without a shooting assistant. Its Eye AF can also now lock on to animals’ eyes in both video and photopgraphy mode for even more shooting flexibility than before. For the reviewers, the ZV-1 II offers a clever Product Shwocase mode that you can activate to ensure that the device priortises intended subjects instead of the face or human being in the frame and then transitioning smoothly from face to product and vice versa.
Its S&Q mode also now offers up to 5x slow motion video recording or 60x quick motion video recordings to add flavour to your videos. With a dedicated S&Q mode, you can have complete control over the ZV-1 II’s shooting parameters on a single screen too. With up to ISO12800 (from ISO125), the camera is capable of shooting clear stills and videos in low-light conditions. Even when you are moving while shooting, the ZV-1’s Active Mode stabilisation should keep things smooth and shake free. It even includes its own built-in ND filter for outdoor shoots.
Price and Availability
The Sony ZV-1 II will be coming to Malaysia in July 2023. Sony have also confirmed that the ZV-1 II will be available for MYR 3,999 onward. It is MYR 1,400 more than the current ZV-1. There is no other way to put it, it is expensive. Still, if you want the best vlogging camera money can buy, this is probably it. Like the ZV-1, you can have it in Black or White. More on the Sony ZV-1 II can be found on their website.
The Sony WF-1000XM4, in our opinions, is one the best, if not the best pair of wireless earphones you can find in the industry currently. It will set you back MYR 1,099. That kind of money offers you the best-in-class noise cancelling action with one of the best sounding wireless earphones you can buy.
MYR 1,099 is still a lot of money. Not everyone has that kind of money to spend or is willing to spend that kind of money for a pair of wireless earbuds. Spending less money most of the time will only get you subpar earbuds experience. That may not be the case with Sony’s latest wireless earbuds though.
Sony’s new WF-C700N was just announced not too long ago will set you back MYR 549, half the WF-1000XM4. It also offers Sony’s clever noise cancelling technology, and you get up to 7.5 hours of battery life in a single charge. The compact case offers another full charge of the earbuds.
What are you giving up for that kind of price though? Is it good enough for your money? Should you get one? We try to answer all of that.
Design
The new WF-C700N is designed differently from Sony’s usual wireless earbuds. Instead of a bulkier case that offers more than a single extra charge on the earbuds, they decided to make it more compact than before. The result is a tiny pill like package that you can easily stow in your pockets without adding too much bulk. The entire thing is even smaller than the Linkbuds S package.
The tiny package means that Sony must compromise on the size of battery they can pack into the case. It still packs a whole charge for the earbuds itself. The earbuds itself is also tinier than ever though, which also explains the more compact case size. How they extract a quoted 7.5 hours out of these earbuds is a wonder even to us.
Still, we like the fact that Sony offers more colour options with their more accessible earbuds. You get to choose between the usual black or white colour options. You also get to choose between Sage Green and Lavender colour options, both rather attractive colours. We got the Lavender one and we have to say that we quite like the soft purple colour with matted texture.
The earbuds themselves are lightweight and are more compact than what we are used to from Sony. It is about the same size as the Sony Linkbuds S we think, but it feels smaller than that. You might not want to wear it in bed though.
To make the earbuds lighter and more compact than before, Sony resorted to physical tactile buttons for the earbuds. Using physical buttons means that it is a little more intuitive to work with and more responsive than touch sensitive buttons. Instead of needing two taps to get it to respond to you, a single click on either earbud registers as a control input. That is also why you do not want to wear it to bed.
Hardware
The WF-C700N packs two tiny 5mm drivers on each side. Both ends also offer IPX4 water resistance ratings just in case you want to go to the gym with them on. There is no wireless charging case to talk about here in the interest of keeping the case as compact as possible.
Specifications
Sony WF-1000XM4
Driver Unit
5mm Closed
Frequency Response
20Hz – 20,000Hz(44.1kHz sampling)
Headphone type
Wireless Earbuds
Battery (Continuous Music Playback)
Unspecified capacity Earbuds only – Max. 7.5 hrs(NC On) / Max. 10 hrs(NC Off) W/ Case – Max 15 hrs (NC On) / Max 20 hrs (NC Off)
Miscellaneous
Bluetooth 5.2 Active Noise Cancelling DSEE IPX4
Features
It is a Sony product, of course it comes with Sony’s clever know-how with noise cancelling technology. But Sony headphones are more than just its noise cancelling. There is DSEE upscaling technology, and of course, they all work with Sony’s clever headphones app.
Noise Cancelling
You do not get the state-of-the-art V1 processor or Sony’s older QN1 processor that you have in the WF-C700N. In fact, Sony never mentioned what kind of processor you find with the little earbuds. Even then, WF-C700N offers superb noise cancelling technology. We think that it is even comparable to Sony’s higher-end offerings from the likes of the WF-1000 series; not the WF-1000XM4, more like the older WF-1000XM3.
The WF-C700N’s noise cancelling offers a decent amount of isolation. There is no disorientating anti-noise that we have noticed on the WF-C700N, which is always a plus. It keeps most loud noises away from your ears, which is a good thing. It deals with sudden noises quite well too, thanks to its clever algorithm. In some cases, where the noise floor is rather high, you will not get complete quietness, you still can hear the outside world but it is at a much more bearable noise floor.
Of course, it comes with ambient noise mode too. It is also controlled by Sony’s Headphones app. Like any other Sony’s noise cancelling gear, its ambient noise control is rather granular on the app. You can choose how much noise gets through and target human voice specifically to pass through the algorithm.
The ambient noise mode is as good as what we get from the WF-1000XM4 or even the WH-1000 series. It feels more natural than anything that Sony had to offer before at this price range. It almost feels like you are not wearing anything in your ears, since the earbuds are so light. The only giveaway is the amplified wind-noise or some scratchiness to the ambient noise mode.
Sony Headphones App
The Sony Headphones app has not changed much for a while. As with our previous headphones review, the app layout and interface has remained pretty much the same as long as we know it. It is not the best-looking interface in the world, nor is it the sleekest feeling interface out there. It is highly functional though.
It offers control over everything you have on the earbuds. Most of the time, we control our noise cancelling and ambient sound mode on the app instead of the physical buttons. We could mess with the EQ too on the app. The app offers you a few EQ presets you might be familiar with if you have used the app before. You can also save your own custom preset for the EQ and store up to two different custom tuning. The app also offers you geolocation-based settings like any of Sony’s modern headphones. You can also control what the buttons on the earbuds do, unfortunately those settings are also pre-set, and you cannot change what each gesture does, which we find rather limiting. It is important to have the app if you want to keep your earbuds firmware updated. You can only update your earphones through the mobile app either on Android or iOS.
DSEE
It is not DSEE Ultimate, so the upscaling engine is not as powerful as what you would find on the Sony WF-1000XM4. Then again, the WF-1000XM4 is twice the price of the WF-C700N. any form of upscaling, if you are listening to Spotify mostly, is still a huge welcome.
If you have yet to understand what DSEE does, you can refer to Sony’s website or our previous reviews of Sony’s headphones. It is basically an intelligent system that fills missing pieces in compressed audio. Obviously, to do that Sony needs to rely on some machine learning algorithm.
We tested mostly with Tidal and Spotify. With Tidal, the upscaling does quite little to elevate the already excellent music experience from Tidal. With Spotify though, you can hear the difference in fidelity when you turn the DSEE on or off. With it off, Spotify runs at business as usual. With DSEE, your music from Spotify somehow sounds more full, more complete. There is a small added satisfaction and joy in listening to better audio, and that is what you get with DSEE on Spotify music. Of course, that applies to other music players that plays MP3 music too, since the upscaling system is embedded in the earbuds itself than your smartphone. You can turn it off or on via the Sony Headphone App too.
Performance
Of course, this being a Sony gear, you can expect it to sound decent at least. We are happy to report that it does sound better than we expected it to be. We also mentioned that we were pleasantly surprised with the noise cancelling performance from the WF-C700N.
Sound Quality
While it does not have the DSEE Ultimate that the WF-1000XM4 packs, DSEE is still a great upscaling technology. That means that you get better than Spotify listening experience anyway. While Sony says DSEE Ultimate offers even better upscaling, from a listening perspective, you can hardly tell the difference between DSEE Ultimate or DSEE if you are not paying attention and if you do not know what you are looking for.
At the lower end frequency, the WF-C700N sounds excellent and powerful enough to give you plenty of details in songs like ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd. For orchestral performances like ‘Final Fantasy VII Medley’ Video Game Orchestra, the WF-C700N offers detailed enough highs that the music does come alive in your head. We tested the mids with Loren Allred’s ‘Never Enough’ and it sounded quite excellent at that too. We are testing the WF-C700N on Tidal at Master quality, so if you are on Spotify, you might want to dampen your expectations just a little bit. Still, even with Spotify, you get a rather bright audio quality from the WF-C700N without sacrificing too much bass details and qualities. If there is one word to describe the WF-C700N’s sound profile, we would say that it is balanced. You get plenty of dynamic range from the earbuds in whatever listening situation.
Battery Life
Sony quoted 7.5 hours of battery life on the WF-C700N. The capsule that is the charging case is quoted to offer an extra full charge for the earbuds as well. That means a quoted total listening time of 15 hours.
In our tests, we never use the WF-C700N more than an hour or two on average. We did however get to use it for three hours straight at some point in our test. Within that week, we got to use the WF-C700N almost daily with total use in the region of up to 10 hours. In the test, we alternate between ambient noise mode and noise cancelling mode depending on the situation and leave our volume between 20% to 75%.
We never got the ‘low battery’ warning. In that case, we want to believe Sony regarding their 15-hour total battery life claims. You could extend on that 15-hours too by turning off noise cancelling or ambient noise mode while also turning down your volume. We charged the device only once in our two weeks review period.
Unlike the higher-end headphones, the WF-C700N does not have a proximity sensor that pauses your music automatically when you take it off. That could also explain why it is sold for less and offer an extensive battery life. There is also no wireless charging technology here, just a plain USB Type-C port.
The Sony WF-C700N – Not Quite the Baby WF-1000XM4 We Expected, But Better
The Sony WF-C700N will set you back MYR 549, almost exactly half the cost of a Sony WF-1000XM4. On paper, it looks like it is half the product that is the high-end noise cancelling earbuds. When you use it, it does not feel like half the product the WF-1000XM4.
We cannot say that theWF-C700N performs on par as its higher end sibling. It is good though, nearly as good as. We really think it outperforms its asking price.
It offers a well-balanced sound reproduction. Compared to other earbuds at this price range, the Sony earbuds offers a more well-rounded listening experience with clear details at almost every dynamic range. It sounds clean and bassy without sacrificing other frequencies and muddling your music listening experience. Since it is water resistant, you get to use it anywhere too and at any time.
We like the tactile physical button, but there is some caveat to that. Unlike Sony’s WF-1000XM4, you cannot push the earbuds in at the center of the earbud’s body. You want to hold it around the physical button, which does not have a lot of space and leverage to secure your earbuds into your ears. Because it is a physical button, you might not want to wear it to sleep.
We are highly impressed with the build quality despite its weight. It is a Sony product after all, build quality should be at its best here. At the same time, we are also impressed with its battery life. While we might have preferred more charges from the case, we also think that it is a good compromise in packaging size and weight, especially if you have an active lifestyle.
We really like the WF-C700N. At MYR 549, it is an inexpensive pair of wireless earbuds, which is already a bonus. It offers active noise cancelling, while not entirely on par with the WF-1000XM4, it is still decent and good enough thanks to Sony’s know-how in the field. It sounds great, better than most earphones you find in the same price range. It is light, and super compact, more so than Sony’s high-end offerings. It features physical buttons, which may not be to everyone’s liking. For what the Sony WF-C700N is offering though, we think the physical button is quite forgivable.
There are nearly no caveats with the Sony WF-C700N, you get more than what your money is paying for, we can say that for sure. It is worth every penny you spend on it and more if you can get it at a discounted price. Just for those, you should get one if you are looking for a premium piece of audio kit that is relatively inexpensive.
