We have tested hundreds of headphones here at What Hi-Fi?, and as much as we love the flagship offerings with all the bells and whistles, we’re just as big fans of a good budget pair.
Which is why we were delighted when we first reviewed the Sony WF-C510 – now only £28 at Amazon – back in September 2024.
Your expectations shouldn’t be too high at this price point, of course, but these earbuds deliver great sound with minimal fuss, along with a sense of fun and musicality. And, two years on, they are still the best budget earbuds in the business.
We have spent a good amount of time with the bargain buds since then; here’s what we’ve learned.
The sound is yet to be beaten at this price
If you’re after a pair of budget earbuds, the sound quality won’t be beaten at this price. They’re fun, engaging and musical, with a level of entertainment that belies the budget price tag.
“We test them with a range of genres and the Sonys just go about their business,” our Sony WF-C510 review reads.
“You can tell the WF-C510 are part of the Sony family, such is their musicality and rhythmic ability – even complex pieces of music don’t unravel and their sense of timing and ability to just get into the groove of a song works with any music you play through them.”
Admittedly there isn’t a lot of competition at this price, but while we are fans of the five-star EarFun Air, nothing else we have tested has come close in the two years since. The only way you’ll beat the sound quality is to jump up a level to the Sony WF-C710N, which are also Award winners but more than double the price.
The battery life beats most flagship earbuds
The WF-C510’s mighty 11-hour battery life will be more than enough for most people – it’s longer than that on most premium earbuds, including the flagship Sony WF-1000XM6.
Granted, those buds offer active noise cancelling and can hold more charge in their case, but if you need headphones that can go the distance without a pit stop, then the WF-C510 might be for you. With another 11 hours in the case, I often go several days of use without a need to recharge.
They’re supremely comfortable too, ideal for extended listening sessions.
There’s a surprising amount of features
While there is no active noise cancelling, there are still plenty of features, even at this price level.
Bluetooth Multipoint allows you to have two sources connected at once, while IPX4 water resistance will protect against splashes and raindrops. You can also listen to each bud independently, and there’s also Ambient Sound Control to allow some external noise through.
If you haven’t upgraded your earbuds for several years, you should be pleasantly surprised by the amount of features you can get for the price of a round of drinks.
The Sony WF-C510 won’t be beaten at the price of £28 at Amazon – but if you do have more of a budget, we recommend these step-up models:
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