Review on Sony WI-C310/B Wireless In-Ear Headset with Built-in Mic for Phone Calls - Black by Chris Kaul

This is an update to the Sony Wi-C300 Bluetooth headphones they launched just over a year ago. When they were introduced I wrote that they were stolen: great comfort, excellent Bluetooth performance and decent sound at a very good price. These aren't the best sounding Bluetooth headphones I have, but they are the most comfortable to wear and I use them very regularly, even a year later (and they still work great). I was happy to get them as they improve a few things over the previous generation while retaining all the other benefits (and even have a cheaper list price). Luckily they don't disappoint. They're just as comfortable as the previous generation (can be worn for many hours without discomfort), the battery life is MUCH better, the cable is better, and even the sound quality is better, although overall I'd still consider the sound to be decent. So let's break it down. In terms of sound, you get clean highs, very pleasant mids and limited bass. Compared to the previous generation, the high frequencies are slightly more accentuated and all instruments and voices are well articulated. In terms of sound, they sound less overloaded with complex music than the previous generation. There is still a SMALL harshness at higher audio levels. But they are still easy to hear. As with the previous generation, the mids are significantly more balanced than many other headphones, even if they cost a lot more. Bass is the weak link: there's not much of it. What you hear in the bass range is good, but the limited bass is a hindrance for you, it won't be because of your headphones. The bass seems to have improved slightly over the previous generation, but the difference isn't huge. The overall sound is detailed and pleasant. I find it easy to listen to them for a very long time. But let's be clear: these aren't audiophile headphones. To be honest, few Bluetooth headsets offer an audiophile experience and those that do are very expensive. But these are headphones that you can listen to for a long time without feeling the need to take them off, and that in itself is a win in this class. What I really like about this headphone design is that the headphones are small and lightweight. Since these are single-driver headphones and there is a separate battery on the cable, they fit the ear canal very well. This makes them MUCH more comfortable to use than most in-ear headphones. There are only three sizes of silicone ear tips to choose from in the pack, but I find the medium ones (which come installed by default) fit very well. You don't have to put clips in or around your ears, so while they're extremely comfortable, they won't stay under stress. So these probably aren't the kind of headphones you need if you're into aggressive athletic activity. .Battery charging via USB-C connection (see photo). This is an upgrade from the previous generation that used a more fragile micro USB connector. The package includes a standard USB-A to USB-C cable that connects to any compatible USB charger. I like it WAY better than the proprietary chargers that companies like Jaybird use. This means I never have to worry about losing my charger. They take about 3 hours to fully charge (about 1 hour longer than the previous gen) and I get over 13 hours on a full charge, which is amazing and about TWICE the battery life of the previous gen. Ergonomics are satisfactory. There are two "light bulbs" on the cable connecting the left and right earphones. One bulb contains the battery and the second bulb contains the controls (power/bluetooth_pair, volume up, volume down, pause, skip forward, skip back). As with most headphones, there are three buttons here, each with a dual function depending on how long you hold them down. The weight of everything: headphones - cord, two light bulbs - is quite light, and it's easy to forget you're wearing them. These headphones corrected the previous generation's asymmetry problem and significantly increased the length of the headphones' connection cable. Headphones. In the previous generation, even though they are sold as over-the-neck headphones, I found them too short to wear comfortably that way, so I wear them with the cord in front of me. With these new headphones, the cord is about twice as long and sits comfortably behind the neck. This is a very valuable improvement. The headphones say they're on when Bluetooth connects and when you turn them off. Bluetooth performance itself is excellent. Pairing was quick and reliable every time I turned them on - a rare experience with budget Bluetooth headphones. And they kept a good Bluetooth connection even on the entire floor of a large house. I would even go as far as to say that the Bluetooth performance was surprisingly good, much better than some of the more expensive Bluetooth headphones I've used. These headphones are equipped with Bluetooth version 5, while the previous generation used Bluetooth version 4.2. This should result in both a more stable connection and better battery management (which should double battery life as you can see). Based on research, Sony appears to have upgraded the Bluetooth module in the headphones from the Airoha AB1522 v 4.2 chip in the WI-C300 to the Realtek RLT8763B v 5.0 chip in the WI-C310. Compared to my other favorite mid-range Bluetooth headphones, the Jaybird X2, I find these Sony headphones to be significantly more comfortable and only slightly inferior in sound quality. In fact, I like the balance of highs and mids better than the Jaybirds. But the Jaybirds can produce better bass (if you put them in your ears correctly) and the highs are a little nicer. Considering the very reasonable price, they are a relative advantage over Jaybirds and co. There are cheaper no-name Bluetooth headphones out there, but from my extensive experience with headphones from other manufacturers, they are mostly terrible (poor sound, poor ergonomics, poor Bluetooth Perfomance). This WI-C310 set, along with its predecessor, the WI-C300, are the first listed Bluetooth headphones in this range that I highly recommend. INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE: You will receive a Bluetooth headphone headset, three pairs of silicone tips. (small, medium [preinstalled], large), USB-C cable and user manual. A USB charger is NOT included, but any standard USB charger will work. Verdict: Pros: Amazing Bluetooth pairing and long Bluetooth range Very comfortable on the ears Standard USB-C charging port Pretty decent balance of highs and mids 13+ hours on one charge (estimated at 15 hours) Long cable fits comfortably behind the Neck Attractive price Cons: Limited bass No clips to keep them in your ears during aggressive sports Differences between WI-C310 (these headphones) and its predecessor WI-C300: Bluetooth: WI-C310: version 5.0 (better battery life, better connectivity ) WI- C300: Version 4.2 WI-C310: 34" (fits better behind the neck) WI-C300: 22" charging port WI-C310: USB-C (more durable) WI-C300: Micro-USB sound quality WI-C310 : similar but less loaded with complex music. WI-C300: Similar but packed with complex music.