The WF-C510 is the budget Sony earbud to beat: SoundGuys measured 10h29m battery against an 11-hour rating, 4.6/5 MDAQS sound, and owners praise the light, secure fit — but call quality is the consistent weakness across press and owners alike. No LDAC, no ANC, no frills; just dependable sound for $60, often less on sale. Check the live Amazon price.
— THE VERDICT · JUDGEANY EDITORSWhat the WF-C510 are
Sony launched the WF-C510 in September 2024 as its entry-level true wireless pair — a simpler, cheaper sibling to the WF-C700N, at a $59.99 list price (announced late August 2024 per Notebookcheck, released September per TechRadar). Per Sony's own product pages, each bud carries a 6mm driver, Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC and AAC (no LDAC, no aptX), multipoint, DSEE upscaling, IPX4 splash resistance, physical buttons instead of touch controls, and an adjustable Ambient Sound Mode. Battery is rated at 11 hours per charge with Ambient Sound off (8 with it on), plus 11 more hours in the case, for 22 hours total, in a 4.6-gram-per-bud body with a 31-gram case. Colors run black, white, blue and yellow. Everything below comes from published reviews and owner reports — JudgeAny runs no lab and tested nothing here ourselves.
Sound and codecs
SoundGuys' lab work is the strongest published evidence: an MDAQS overall score of 4.6 out of 5, with measured frequency response showing highs slightly underemphasized and bass quieter than even their bass-light preference curve — mids can seem forward at high volume. What Hi-Fi gave the sound 5 out of 5 inside their five-star review, calling the C510 richer and more full-bodied than the older WF-C500, with only the pricier WF-C700N showing better dynamic dexterity in their test rooms. TechRadar scored sound 4.5 out of 5 and heard no distortion at normal volumes. The codec list is the one firm limit: SBC and AAC only, so hi-res wireless is off the table on any phone. The five-band EQ in the Sony Sound Connect app exists, but SoundGuys called it "pretty poor" — acceptable for small tweaks, not a rescue tool.
Calls: the weak spot
Call quality is where press and owner reports converge most negatively. SoundGuys found the mic rejects office-style simulated noise "not all that well" while handling wind and street noise better — the office case matters more for most buyers. PC Gamer was blunter, calling the mic's noise filtering poor and the buds "ill-suited to taking calls out and about"; Smartprix judged the mics "really not good" in loud settings and busy streets. Owners agree: call problems are the single biggest complaint theme, with several owners reporting they switch to other devices for meetings. Quiet rooms are fine; anywhere noisy is a gamble.
Battery, comfort and the case
Battery is the headline strength. SoundGuys measured 10 hours 29 minutes in their standardized rundown, TechRadar got 10 hours 42 minutes, Digit.in logged 10 hours 15 minutes at 50% volume — all close to Sony's 11-hour claim. (One outlier, bizmoarena, claimed over 14 hours, which exceeds even Sony's spec and disagrees with every standardized test; treat that number skeptically.) The caveat TechRadar flagged is the case: it adds only about one extra full charge, so multi-day trips without a cable bring some battery anxiety. Comfort is widely praised — light 4.6-gram buds that stay put, good for small ears — though HowToGeek reported them falling out easily, the lone strong dissent. The case itself draws the other recurring complaint: What Hi-Fi called the build cheap-looking, and owners note a flimsy lid. Small omissions round out the picture: no charging cable in the box, no in-ear detection, no wireless charging.
Who should buy them
Buy the WF-C510 if you want Sony tuning and honest all-day battery at the lowest possible price — commuters and office workers who take calls in quiet rooms get the most here. Skip them if calls in noisy places matter, if you need LDAC or aptX, or if you want ANC (the C510 has none; that's the WF-C700N's job). The sales pattern is kind: Tom's Guide logged a Prime Day drop to $38 on Amazon in July 2025, and Hip2Save spotted $49.99 at the Sony store in September 2026. Check the live Amazon price.