Earbuds · Model guide · Maker specs
Sony WF-C510
Get the WF-C510 if you want small, simple Sony earbuds without noise cancelling; the C710N adds it, plus IPX4 and a 30-hour case.
Product images
Sony WF-C510, from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Get the WF-C510 if you want small, simple Sony earbuds without noise cancelling; the C710N adds it, plus IPX4 and a 30-hour case. Each bud weighs about 4.6 g, and Sony rates them for 11 hours with Ambient Sound off and about 22 with the case. You still get Ambient Sound and multipoint, but no USB-C cable in the box.
Who it is for
- First-time buyers who want a small, light fit. Sony calls the C510 its smallest sealed earbuds, and each bud weighs about 4.6 g with the medium tips.
- People who walk city streets and want to hear traffic and announcements. Ambient Sound, which the WF-C500 didn't have, switches on and off from the bud.
- People who switch between a phone and a Windows laptop. Multipoint keeps both connected, and Swift Pair handles pairing with the PC.
Who should skip it
- Commuters and flyers who want quiet. The C510 has no noise cancelling; Sony's C710N adds it with Dual Noise Sensor and runs 8.5 hours on the buds.
- Listeners who stream high-resolution audio. The C510 sticks to SBC and AAC, with no LDAC.
- Android users who want Google Fast Pair. The C510 offers Swift Pair for Windows PCs instead; the C710N has Fast Pair.
What sets it apart
- Ambient Sound, new since the WF-C500, with up to 8 hours of music when it's on and 11 when it's off.
- A 6 mm driver, larger than the 5 mm units in the C710N and C700N.
- Sony's smallest sealed earbuds, by its own claim: buds about 21% smaller and a case about 23% smaller than WF-C500's.
- A 5-minute charge gives about 60 minutes of playback.
- Multipoint for two devices, 360 Reality Audio certification, and DSEE in the Sound Connect app.
Caveats
- There's no USB-C cable in the box, and the case charges only over USB, so you'll need a cable of your own.
- Calls run up to 5 hours per charge, whether Ambient Sound is on or off.
- Fit rests on three tip sizes, SS, M and LL; there are no wing tips to hold the buds in place on a run.
Key specs
In the same order on every earbuds page, so you can compare pairs.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Sealed in-ear; Sony calls it its smallest sealed true wireless model, compared with its earlier ones | Sony Japan specifications and product page |
| Fit / tips / wings | Hybrid earpieces in SS, M and LL, 2 of each; no wing tips | Sony Japan product page |
| Driver / acoustic architecture | 6 mm driver | Sony Japan specifications |
| Active noise cancellation | No; battery life is rated with Ambient Sound on and off instead | Sony Japan specifications and product pageIts noise-cancelling counterpart is the C710N. |
| Transparency / ambient | Ambient Sound, switched on and off from the buds (the WF-C500 didn't have it) | Sony Japan product page |
| Spatial / 360 audio | Certified for 360 Reality Audio | Sony Japan product page |
| Battery — buds | Music: up to 8 hours with Ambient Sound on, 11 with it off. Calls: up to 5 hours either way | Sony Japan specifications and product page |
| Battery — with case | About 22 hours including the case (AAC, with DSEE and EQ off and other settings at default) | Sony Japan product page |
| Charging | USB-C on the case, about 1.5 hours for a full charge; 5 minutes gives about 60 minutes of playback; cable not included | Sony Japan specifications and product page |
| Wireless charging | Not listed; the case charges over USB | Sony Japan specifications |
| Water / dust — buds | Drip resistant against sudden rain and sweat; no IPX number given | Sony Japan product pageThe C710N, by comparison, is rated IPX4. |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3, Power Class 1 | Sony Japan specifications |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | Sony Japan specifications |
| Microphones / calls | Hands-free calling; Sony promises long, clear calls but gives no microphone details | Sony Japan product page |
| On-bud controls | Ambient Sound on and off from the buds; Quick Access; full control map not given | Sony Japan product page |
| Multipoint / device switching | Yes, two devices at once; pairs with Android phones, iPhones and PCs | Sony Japan product page |
| Weight — one bud | About 4.6 g × 2 with M tips | Sony Japan specifications and product page |
| Dimensions — one bud | Not given in millimeters; Sony says about 21% smaller than WF-C500 | Sony Japan product page |
| Dimensions — case | Not given in millimeters; Sony says about 23% smaller than WF-C500's case | Sony Japan product page |
| Finishes | White and black | Sony Japan product page |
| Phone / OS compatibility | Bluetooth earbuds for compatible devices; works with Siri and the Google app's voice assistant; Swift Pair for Windows PCs | Sony Japan product page |
| Find / Fast Pair / UWB | Swift Pair only; no Fast Pair, Find Device or UWB listed for C510 (the C710N has Fast Pair) | Sony Japan product page |
| Companion app / firmware | Sony | Sound Connect, where you switch on DSEE | Sony Japan product page |
| US launch price | No US price; open price in Japan | Sony Japan product page |
| Price band | Entry-level sealed earbuds (open price in Japan) | Based on Sony Japan's open price and the model's place below the C710N |
| Availability | On sale in Japan as Sony's entry-level sealed earbuds, as of 19 September 2026 | Sony Japan product page |
Sony WF-C510 extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Versus WF-C500 | Buds about 21% smaller, case about 23% smaller, longer battery, and Ambient Sound, which the C500 lacked (Sony's claims) | Sony Japan product page |
| DSEE | Yes, switched on in Sound Connect | Sony Japan product page |
| USB cable | Not included; use your own USB-C cable | Sony Japan product page |
| In the box | Charging case; hybrid earpieces in SS, M and LL (2 of each); no USB-C cable | Sony Japan product page |
| Recycled material | Recycled material in part of the headset body | Sony Japan product page |
What you give up against the C710N
| Spec | WF-C510 | C710N |
|---|---|---|
| Noise cancelling | No; Ambient Sound only | Yes, with Dual Noise Sensor |
| Battery, buds | 8 hours with Ambient Sound on, 11 off | 8.5 hours |
| With the case | About 22 hours | 30 hours |
| Water | Drip resistant, no IPX number | IPX4 |
| Driver | 6 mm | 5 mm |
| Google Fast Pair | No | Yes |
| USB-C cable in the box | No | Yes |
Noise cancelling is the real dividing line. If your day includes a train, a bus or a plane, the C710N is worth the step up, and the IPX4 rating, Fast Pair and the bigger case come with it. If you mostly listen at home or on walks, the C510 gives you Sony’s smallest sealed earbuds and the larger driver for less.
Battery and charging
| Mode | WF-C510 |
|---|---|
| Music, Ambient Sound on | Up to 8 hours |
| Music, Ambient Sound off | Up to 11 hours |
| Calls | Up to 5 hours |
| With the case | About 22 hours |
| Quick charge | 5 minutes for about 60 minutes |
| Full charge | About 1.5 hours |
Leaving Ambient Sound on costs about three hours of music per charge, 8 against 11. Sony’s 22-hour total with the case assumes AAC, with DSEE and EQ switched off.
Price and colors
Sony sells the C510 at an open price in Japan, so there’s no Sony list price in yen or dollars, and what you pay depends on the retailer. Compare a couple of stores before you buy. It comes in white or black, and Sony says part of the headset body uses recycled material.
Sources
- Amazon — Sony WF-C510 — accessed 2026-09-20
- Sony Japan — WF-C510 product page — accessed 2026-09-19
- Sony Japan — WF-C510 specifications — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Does the WF-C510 have noise cancelling?
No. It has Ambient Sound, which lets the world in, but nothing that actively cuts noise out. Its noise-cancelling counterpart is the C710N.
Is the WF-C510 sweatproof?
Not officially. Sony calls the buds drip resistant against sudden rain and sweat but gives no IPX number. If you train hard, the C710N's IPX4 rating is the clearer promise.
Does the WF-C510 work with an iPhone?
Yes. Sony lists Android phones, iPhones and PCs, the buds work with Siri, and multipoint can keep an iPhone and a laptop connected at the same time.
How is it different from the WF-C500?
It's smaller and adds Ambient Sound. Sony says the buds are about 21% smaller and the case about 23% smaller, and that the battery lasts longer than the C500's.
Official product page: Sony WF-C510. Tech specs: Sony WF-C510 specs.