Sony's lineup of noise-cancelling true wireless earphones spans a wide range of prices, features, and quality. At the top end, the premium WF-1000XM5 earbuds ($299.99) compete against the best from Apple and Bose. The midrange LinkBuds S ($199.99) offer advanced features with slightly less impressive drivers. And the lower-tier WF-C700N ($119.99) sacrifice less than you might think to reach their more affordable price.
We've tested and rated each of these models, and you can see our individual reviews for a detailed rundown of each. Here, we walk you through all of the similarities between these models and, more importantly, their differences, to help you decide between them. We don't pick winners in each category because performance and features scale pretty linearly with price; in other words, the more you pay, the better the earphones you get.
Before you dive into our analysis, just note that we respectively refer to the WF-1000XM5 and WF-C700N as the XM5 and C700N throughout the comparison for the sake of brevity.
Sony's Noise-Cancelling Earbuds
Sony WF-1000XM5 Review
4.5 OutstandingSony LinkBuds S Review
3.5 GoodSony WF-C700N Review
3.5 GoodSony LinkBuds S vs. WF-1000XM5 vs. WF-C700N: Design and Build Quality
From a design standpoint, the XM5 earphones look streamlined and cool, with a textured, stone-like surface on the case and outer panels. The LinkBuds S also feature a similarly easy-to-grip matte, textured surface. Meanwhile, the C700N earbuds opt for a plasticky, lightweight design that feels a bit cheap.
They all have an IPX4 water-resistance rating, which means they can resist light rain and sweat, but nothing more intense.
Sony WF-C700N (Credit: Tim Gideon)Sony LinkBuds S vs. WF-1000XM5 vs. WF-C700N: In-Ear Fit
Most true wireless in-ears offer a stable fit and these three are no exception. That said, the earpieces can sit in a range of positions in your ear and still feel secure, which is good. With the XM5 and C700N models, however, this variability affects the ANC (active noise cancellation) performance. The C700N earbuds deliver their best ANC, for instance, when you jam the eartips into your ear canal, whereas the XM5 earphones can make helpful ANC adjustments if you simply twist them slightly.
Of the three, the XM5 model's hybrid foam-silicone eartips offer the best in-canal seal and, as a bonus, block out some noise passively; they ship with four total pairs (XS, S, M, and L). The LinkBuds S also include four pairs of eartips in the same sizes, but they use a standard silicone material. The C700N earbuds arrive with just three silicone eartip pairs (S, M, and L).
Sony LinkBuds S vs. WF-1000XM5 vs. WF-C700N: Bluetooth and Connectivity
Both the C700N earphones and the LinkBuds S work with Bluetooth 5.2, while the XM5 supports version 5.3.
The C700N earbuds offer just the AAC and SBC codecs, which leaves Android users without a higher-quality option. The LinkBuds S and XM5 models work with the AAC, LDAC, LC3, and SBC options. LDAC enables high bit rate streaming on compatible devices, while LC3 promises to be the future standard for Bluetooth quality. One quick note: The LinkBuds S received LC3 support via a beta update in early 2023, so the implementation isn't yet complete.
Both the XM5 earbuds and LinkBuds S support multipoint pairing for simultaneous connections with up to two devices.
Sony LinkBuds S vs. WF-1000XM5 vs. WF-C700N: Controls
Sony takes a themed approach to controls and uses the same basic layout for each pair of earphones. By default, the outer panel on the left earpiece switches between the ANC and Ambient Sound modes, while the right earpiece controls basic playback. You can swap out different control sets on either side if you want to add volume controls, for example.
The main difference between the XM5 earphones and the other two models is they don't make you leave off any controls—they support a four-tap gesture that controls volume by default. Sony frequently updates its companion app though, so it wouldn't shock me if the other two models eventually get this feature.
Otherwise, the XM5 earbuds also support some shortcuts. You can configure double and triple taps to respectively trigger Spotify Tap and Endel (a generative soundscape app) integrations via the app.
Sony WF-1000XM5 (Credit: Tim Gideon)Sony LinkBuds S vs. WF-1000XM5 vs. WF-C700N: Noise Cancellation and Ambient Sound
As for active noise cancellation (ANC), the C700N earphones dial back the volume of a simulated airplane cabin recording with low-frequency rumble and white noise decently well. They perform similarly against a crowded cafe recording with more complex noise. But their efficacy highly depends on their fit; you need to jam them into your ear canal for the best experience.
The LinkBuds S turn in above-average ANC performance for their price. They're more adept at cutting back low-frequency rumble than against a varied mix of highs and mids, however.
The XM5 earphones are one of three best options on the market—the two others are the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. In this group, Bose is best at dialing back airplane cabin-like droning and busy cafe noises, but Sony excels at reducing the very deepest bass sounds (like from a subwoofer). Sony also doesn't add any masking hiss to the signal. For the full rundown of their differences, check out our detailed comparison of these top noise-cancelling earbuds.
As for Ambient Sound control, each of these models offer fader adjustments for the ambient mics and a voice pass-through setting that emphasizes speech. As we discuss a bit later, the XM5 earphones have the best mics of the group, so their Ambient Sound mode produces sharper and clearer audio than the others. The other two pairs still perform well here, though. None of them offers anything similar to the AirPods Pro's Adaptive Transparency or the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II's ActiveSense Aware modes; these can bring the volume of any sudden, very loud sounds back to a normal level.
Sony LinkBuds S vs. WF-1000XM5 vs. WF-C700N: Audio Performance
All of these earbuds have some sonic appeal, but there are clear performance differences throughout the range.
Starting with driver size, both the C700N and LinkBuds S use 5mm dynamic drivers, whereas the XM5 packs 8.4mm dynamic drivers. The latter drivers have a rigid central section that aids treble delivery and a flexible outer ring that improves the bass response.
Whereas the C700N earbuds boost the low-end frequencies too much, the LinkBuds S take a more balanced approach, producing plenty of bass but never going overboard. As you might expect, the XM5 earphones sound the most refined of the three. They're capable of intense bass, but the out-of-box tuning favors a more balanced approach. In a testament to just how low their drivers can go, the earphones deliver the deepest sub-bass synth elements from Kendrick Lamar's “Loyalty.” with plenty of body.
All have access to a 5-band EQ in the app, which means you can tune their sound signatures to your preference.
Sony LinkBuds S vs. WF-1000XM5 vs. WF-C700N: Battery Life and Charging
The C700N earbuds can run for 7.5 hours with ANC on and 10 hours with it off according to Sony, but the charging case is a major letdown; it simply matches those above figures for each scenario. Most cases hold at least a few full charges.
Sony LinkBuds S (Credit: Tim Gideon)Sony claims the LinkBuds S offer up to 6 hours of playback with ANC on, with an extra 14 hours in the case. With ANC off, the estimate increases to 9 hours. This is a pretty average showing, but you can fully charge them in roughly 2 hours.
With ANC on, Sony says the XM5 earphones can deliver 8 hours of playback time and that their case holds an additional 12 hours of battery life. Those numbers go up to 12 and 24 hours for the earbuds and case respectively if you turn off noise cancellation. These estimates are quite good for a true wireless pair.
Of course, your typical listening volume and codec choice will affect your real-world results. Out of the three, only the case for the XM5 supports wireless charging.
Sony LinkBuds S vs. WF-1000XM5 vs. WF-C700N: App and Voice Assistants
The earphones all use the same Sony Headphones app (available for Android and iOS), which lets you adjust the ANC and transparency modes to your heart's content and access the aforementioned, excellent 5-band EQ. Just be aware that there are quite a few extraneous features I would like Sony to pare down. The XM5 earphones get a few extra capabilities here the others lack, such as the option to enable hands-free Google Assistant (only on Android) and Alexa. If you use voice assistants, that support gives the XM5 an edge over the other two.
Sony LinkBuds S vs. WF-1000XM5 vs. WF-C700N: Mic Clarity
All three models include quality mic arrays that work fine for calls and voice commands. That said, the XM5 earphones offer one of the best voice mic arrays I’ve tested. A bone conduction sensor helps them recognize when you are speaking and the mics subsequently filter out everything else, including other voices. It's a very sophisticated setup that works exceptionally well.
Which Sony Earphones Are Best for You?
As mentioned, you get what you pay for in Sony's lineup of true wireless earphones. Yes, they all share the advantage of a comprehensive companion app with EQ, but that's about where the similarities end.
The WF-1000XM5 earphones are clearly the premium option of the group with top-notch ANC and audio performance. The significantly less expensive LinkBuds S still bring plenty of excellent qualities to the table, including commendable noise cancellation and sound quality for the price. We’re not huge fans of the WF-C700N, though—for less money, you can get more enjoyable audio, superior active noise cancellation, and a comparable app experience with the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC ($99.99).
(Credit: Tim Gideon)Not a Sony fan? Check out our features on the best Apple and Bose headphones you can buy.