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I put in some serious flight time with Hori’s HOTAS Flight Stick Control System and enjoyed the surplus of inputs, but I’m stuck on its pricing
3:00 pm | April 20, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: | Comments: Off

Hori HOTAS flight control system: one-minute review

Hori HOTAS

(Image credit: Future)

If you want to take your flight sim experience to the next level, a HOTAS – hands-on throttle and stick – setup will make aviation a hundred times easier and more immersive than using a controller or mouse and keyboard.

Developed in partnership with War Thunder developers Gaijin, Hori’s HOTAS flight control system endeavors to provide exactly that solution. It’s marketed for combat flight sim pilots, but also just as useful for virtual commercial aviators who log their flight time in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and the like.

There’s a vast array of switches, buttons, hat switches, paddles, and dials here to play with and map to your preferred commands, so no one’s going to feel short-changed in functionality terms here. The included desk mounts for the throttle and flight stick are also very welcome additions, well-constructed and satisfyingly weighty, allowing a nice ergonomic angle once you’ve mounted the peripherals to the left and right of your seating position.

But there’s a really uneven feel to the actuation of all those inputs. Some feel great, others don’t come anywhere close to the $499 / £449 pricing. When there are such legendarily good alternatives out there for similar pricing like Thrustmaster’s Warthog HOTAS, that’s a real problem.

Ultimately the sensation of the flimsy plastics used at the contact points where your hands interact with them and the wobbliness of some inputs makes this Hori offering difficult to rationalize next to the Warthog HOTAS, or even Logitech G’s cheaper, more limited, but sturdier X56.

Hori HOTAS flight control system: Price and availability

  • $499 / £449
  • Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS now sells for less
  • Much more expensive than the Logitech G X56

The price is the Hori HOTAS’s major problem. It compares very unfavorably to Thrustmaster’s best-in-class Warthog HOTAS, nor does it blow cheaper models like Logitech G’s X56 out of the water. In all fairness, there are mounting brackets included in this model that aren’t in the others, and a huge number of inputs, but that doesn’t completely compensate for the flimsy construction feel.

For a more budget-friendly option, consider Turtle Beach’s $120 / £120 VelocityOne flight stick, which features two throttle inputson either side of the joystick itself.

Hori HOTAS flight control system: specs

Hori HOTAS

(Image credit: Future)

Hori HOTAS flight control system: design and features

  • Looks convincingly pro at a glance
  • Sensible ergonomic layout
  • Let down by cheap materials

So, what does the virtual aviator want from their HOTAS? Two things. Firstly you’re looking for a control layout that makes flying a plane easier than it would be when using a pad or mouse and keyboard. That’s fundamental.

Flight sims are among the most mapping-heavy pieces of software in existence, and it’s always been a challenge to even memorize the inputs required to get a plane off the ground, talk to ATC, engage autopilot and navigation systems, and control your view, let alone map them to a comfortable and intuitive layout.

Sim racers have racing wheels that offer just about a 1:1 recreation of the inputs and displays they’d have on a real racing car, but for pilots that’s not feasible unless you drop many thousands on a room-sized rig.

Secondly, you want to feel immersed in the experience. You can control a plane’s throttle input using an analog stick on your Xbox controller, just like Flight Sim 2024 expects you to by default, and in truth, the difference in precision that this Hori’s twin throttle allows is unlikely to ever be the difference between crashing or staying aloft.

Instead, it’s about creating a sensory environment that feels like flying a plane. A matter of passion for the enthusiasts, and a crucial point for aspiring pilots supplementing their real air time with a flight sim.

Hori HOTAS

(Image credit: Future)

It’s important to lay these two objectives out because Hori’s HOTAS is perfectly good at the first - making planes easier to fly by offering a sensible and numerous layout of inputs - but just can’t deliver what you’d expect for the price when it comes to immersion.

Let’s delve into those statements. You’ve got three modes on each peripheral, and a total of 61 different button functions. That’s… probably enough. In both War Thunder and Flight Sim 2024, I found I was able to map every input I’d conceivably need and have it within close reach.

In fact, the reality was that I’d mapped a bunch of inputs that I didn’t end up touching. There’s a surplus of functionality here, and it does indeed make flying planes much easier, in both a combat and commercial environment. We can put a giant tick in that box.

Immersion, though, is elusive when piloting with the Hori HOTAS. That’s because despite it looking the part from a distance, when you’re up close and interacting with the throttle and flight stick, it simply looks and feels closer to a toy than part of an aircraft. Certain inputs hold up their end of the bargain, specifically the metal toggle switches on the throttle’s base, the rudder paddles on the throttle and the one on the flight stick.

The two-stage trigger has a nice mechanical-feeling actuation to it too, which makes firing weapons very satisfying. Elsewhere though, the surfaces feel too light and flimsy to be believable and the buttons and hat switches have too much play to them. For over $400 / £400, it’s surprising and disappointing.

The throttle actuation also leaves a lot to be desired. I found that mine was prone to sticking at the 100% point, and along the plasticky track of its axis, there’s a juddering, notched feeling. It’s almost as though there’s a deliberate notch to help you find 50%, except there are two or three of these sticking points on my unit… and none of them are at 50%.

There’s a saving grace, though. The mounting brackets supplied with this HOTAS are top-notch and added a lot to the overall experience once I mounted the throttle and flightstick to them on my left and right. The clamps are adjustable, with four different heights on offer, and I must say once they were fitted to my ideal position and the green backlights of the inputs were gently glowing in my cockpit, the pricing started to make sense for a brief moment.

Then I put my hands on it and the moment went.

Hori HOTAS flight control system: performance

  • Hall effect sensors for precise joystick input
  • Useful backlit input controls
  • Useable default schemes in most sims

I enjoy the precise feeling of this Hori flight stick. There’s just enough resistance and centering spring strength for my tastes, particularly in War Thunder where inputs tend to be of a more severe nature since you don’t have passengers and the contents of their stomach to consider.

It’s a little trickier to achieve those tiny, delicate bank angles in a commercial flight setting due to the strength of that spring, but after a couple of hours of acclimation, I found myself flying a bit more smoothly. There are Hall effect sensors to keep track of exactly where the flight stick is on its axis, theoretically making for more precise input recognition. I’ll level with you - I haven’t busted into the game code to verify exactly what’s happening there or how, but I will say that the sensation feels immediate and smooth to track.

Fortunately, in a performance setting, the issues I have with the grainy throttle don’t translate to in-game problems with thruster operation, and the previously mentioned loose feeling on some buttons doesn’t actually affect them being registered as inputs when you press them. So when you’re up in the air, the underwhelming build quality isn’t a de facto disadvantage. Just a shame.

I’ve sung the praises of those mounting brackets previously in this review, but they really do hold each peripheral firmly in place and in an ergonomic position when you’re sitting in your cockpit. Anyone who’s used a HOTAS or joystick whose base is too light knows how irritating it can be for your inputs to translate as peripheral wobble instead of flight control, and happily, that just doesn’t happen here.

It’s a strong performer then, but that doesn’t go all the way towards negating the problems this HOTAS has competing against similarly priced but better-constructed rivals like the Thrustmaster Warthog.

Hori HOTAS

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Hori HOTAS flight control system?

Buy it if...

You usually fly in combat flight sims
It’s perfectly good at commercial flight, but you’ll get the most out of the control layout in dogfights. Plus there are bundled in-game bonuses for War Thunder.

You’re tired of mapping inputs to your keyboard
There are enough buttons, dials, hat switches, and paddles to keep you from having to reach back towards your mouse and keyboard.

You don’t want to buy mounts separately
The sturdy, adjustable metal mounts are a big bonus of this package and add a lot to the sensation of being inside a cockpit.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget
There are much cheaper options out there with comparable layouts and in some cases a better sensation, too.

You take flight on consoles too
This model’s a PC-only offering, so you’ll need to find a different peripheral for PS5 or Xbox piloting otherwise it’s back to the pad.

You want a compact setup
The HOTAS layout plus the mounts does take up space, so fairweather fliers might prefer a one-unit peripheral like Turtle Beach’s VelocityOne.

Hori HOTAS flight control system: Also consider

If the Hori HOTAS doesn’t make your heart soar, keep these cheaper alternatives on your radar.

Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One
A time-honored budget option with far fewer inputs than the Hori HOTAS, but nonetheless a great overall package for the price.

For more information, read our full Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One review

Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightstick
The throttle-on-joystick design is unusual and means dual-thruster operation can be tricky, but the great build quality, numerous inputs, and cool digital display on the joystick itself make this another stellar budget option.

For more information read our full Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightstick review

How I tested the Hori HOTAS flight control system

  • Several weeks of regular use during testing
  • Used on PC with and without mounts
  • War Thunder, Flight Simulator 2024, and Elite Dangerous all tested

Since War Thunder’s all over the box due to that Gaijin partnership, this dogfighting sim felt like a sensible place to start.

I also logged plenty of flight time in commercial jets and prop planes in Flight Sim 2024, and sauntered around the Milky Way in Frontier’s infinitely impressive Elite: Dangerous. Functionality was great out of the box in all three titles and required just a few re-binds in the latter two.

OpenRock S review: solid affordable open earbuds that are a bit weak around the edges
12:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: | Comments: Off

OpenRock S: One minute review

Audio brand OneOdio is back with its second-gen air conduction headphones – the OpenRock S are more affordable and longer-lasting than their predecessors the OpenRock Pro, but include quite a few extra features that unfortunately don’t work too well.

Air conduction is a tech intended to let you listen to music while exercising without impacting your awareness of your surroundings, and it features heavily in our guide to the best open earbuds (often called the best open ear headphones). While the AirPods Pro 2 have Transparency Mode to intentionally boost the sounds of your surroundings and Shokz has its bone conduction, OneOdio’s solution is to dangle a mini speaker over your ear, so it’s not blocking out all your surrounding noises but instead traversing a bit of open space and still getting the job done.

While air conduction hasn’t historically leant itself to fantastic audio fidelity, the feature works for its intended purpose, and you can enjoy music while also being aware of vehicles, people, aggressive dogs or other hazards. Too aware, perhaps, as one of the S’ big problems is that its max volume is just too low. Lots of the time during my testing, music was all but drowned out by noises such as cars, treadmills or, as my parkrun testing will attest, the sounds of other runners!

That’s doubly true if you’re riding a bike or somewhere windy, as the sounds of gusts of wind rushing past your ears will all but drown out your tunes.

If you can get around this volume issue (if perhaps you listen during a yoga class, say), then you may well be impressed by the OpenRock S. Like their predecessors, the OpenRock Pro, they have an incredibly comfortable fit that keeps them secure on your ear; they’re lightweight too, and it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them.

Plus, the battery life here is absolutely incredible. You can listen to music for 19 hours non-stop before you need to charge the earbuds, and when you factor in the charge of the carry case itself, that number goes up all the way to 60 hours. You’d be hard-pressed to find a rival sports earbud that comes even close to that figure.

These are some of the most affordable sports earbuds too, costing roughly half the price of some of the best-known rivals from the likes of Shokz. A great pick for people on a budget.

As you can tell from that description, these are some solid sports earbuds at heart. OneOdio has added quite a few features which don’t work too well – the touch controls perform poorly and the EQ modes seem to have little effect whatsoever – but if you can ignore these, the OpenRock S are decent buds for fitness fans.

OpenRock S review: Specifications

OpenRock S review: Price and availability

The OpenRock S bud being held in a hand.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Announced and released in October 2023
  • Cost $99 / £89 (roughly $150)
  • Some of the most buds with this kind of tech

The OpenRock S was announced in mid-October 2023 as the newest entry to OneOdio’s line-up of over-ear sports headphones.

You’ll pay just $99 / £89 (roughly $150) for them, which is a competitive price compared to rivals within and without of the company. This is the price that OneOdio announced them for, and that they’re selling for, but Amazon US lists this as a discounted cost down from $129. As far as we can tell, they’ve never actually sold for this price.

At this price, the S undercuts OneOdio’s own previous entry into the running earbuds space, the OpenRock Pro, which cost $119/£119 (around AU$185). For the most part, those are more premium, though in some areas (like battery life) the S is the better buy.

Most rivals cost more, like the Shokz Openfit which sells for $179.95 / £179.99 / AU$289. So you could well consider these budget options if you’re looking for air conduction earbuds, though of course, you can buy fitness earbuds for much cheaper if you don’t need this tech.

  • Value score: 4/5

OpenRock S review: Design

The OpenRock S's case, closed.

Yes, that's an earbuds case, not a reading glasses case…  (Image credit: Future)
  • Solid and light earbuds build
  • Temperamental touch controls
  • Carry case is big, bulky and heavy

There are two aspects to the OpenRock S’ design: the earbuds themselves and the carry case.

I’ll touch briefly on the carry case because you can't miss it: it’s a big sturdy plastic shell that charges the buds and keeps them safe when you’re not using them. However, it’s pretty long and wide, so it may not slip into your backpack’s side pocket like most other buds' charging cases will.

Now the buds: these are very comfortable. They’re lightweight at just 12g each, and have the hooked design common in sports earbuds that means they stay lodged on your ears whether you’re on a mountain bike or running around on an uneven surface.

The best testament to the design is to point out that not once during testing did they fall out. I will say, though, that the OpenRock Pro did feel even more robust on the ear, thanks to a tighter grip.

Ostensibly there are touch controls on the buds, but in testing these rarely worked reliably. You’re meant to be able to tap the OpenRock logo on the buds to control your music or calls, but I found it often failed to pick up touches. That was doubly the case if my hands were damp from rain or sweat, and I would sometimes end up just hammering at my ears trying to stop a track. I found it much easier to just use the paired phone to change tracks or hang up a call.

The OpenRock buds are IPX5 water resistant, which in theory means they’re protected from water jets and low-pressure streams. They’re certainly sweat-proof, which is the most important thing, but I wouldn’t recommend using them in heavy rain if you’re hoping to use the touch controls.

  • Design score: 4/5

OpenRock S review: Features

The OpenRock S bud in an ear

(Image credit: Future)
  • Air conduction makes sure you can hear your surroundings
  • Possibly the best stamina on the market
  • EQ modes have little impact

As was mentioned in the introduction, the OpenRock S are air-conduction earbuds. This means that a speaker on the bud hovers over your ear canal and ‘projects’ the music in – the whole point is that you can wear these and also hear surrounding sound, perfect for if you’re on a road or somewhere else where awareness is important.

For this purpose, the OpenRock S works really well – I could hear my music while also having situational awareness. The main issue would be that this is often too much the case – sometimes I couldn’t actually hear music, for reasons I’ll get into in the ‘Performance’ section.

There’s also fairly little audio spilling, so people around you aren’t going to hear you working out to an hour-long loop of Mambo No. 5 (unless you sing along, of course).

The best feature of the OpenRock Pro is back and even better for the S, and that’s the battery life. The Pro version of these sports headphones had incredible lasting power but OneOdio has turned that up to 11 for the OpenRock S.

The OpenRock S: a single bud

(Image credit: Future)

The OpenRock S buds last for 19 hours straight of music or calls, but when you factor in the battery in the case, you can get a whopping 60 hours of use time before you need to power them back up. That’s an incomprehensibly long battery life when you consider that many sports headphones only last for 10 hours or less before needing a boost.

With this one feature, the OpenRock S make themselves invaluable for people doing long expeditions and trips, who want to listen to music but might not have reliable access to a charging point.

Not all the features of the headphones are this commendable though. One I’ll flag is OneOdio’s attempt to utilize adjustable EQ: pressing and holding both buds’ touch controls at once will toggle you between ‘Rock’ and ‘Relax’ modes. Sounds useful for whatever kind of exercise you’re doing, right?

Not quite right. Ignoring what I’ve already said about the messy touch controls, the difference between these two modes is incredibly minor. What’s worse, is that you can’t actually change the mode when you’re on a call or listening to music – you have to turn that off before you change the mode, making it harder to perceive the EQ changes. An app would work so much better for this function, but the OpenRock doesn’t have one.

  • Features score: 3.5/5

OpenRock S review: Performance

The OpenRock S's two buds next to each other.

(Image credit: Future)
  • The design doesn't lend itself to great audio fidelity
  • OneOdio's TubeBass only succeeds ensuring there's any bass
  • Max volume is very low

Given the nature of air conduction technology, it’s understandable if you’d expect the OpenRock S to struggle in the audio performance department compared to other fitness bud rivals… and you’d be right.

The biggest issue I faced during the testing period is that the OpenRock S was just too quiet, even at max volume. The point of the tech is to let you hear surrounding sounds, but sometimes that’s all I could hear – for example at the gym, it was sometimes hard to hear parts of a song over the sound of surrounding treadmills, and when wearing the buds near a road, traffic could drown out a song. To be clear, this isn’t an issue I had with the OpenRock Pro to the same degree.

Of course, you don’t want to be deafened by earbuds, especially since air conduction tech could easily disturb people around you if it were too loud. But OneOdio would only have improved the buds by letting them crank out a few more decibels.

When you can hear them properly, the OpenRock S sound just fine – audiophiles won’t be impressed but with the drivers dangled close to your ears instead of directly in them you’re not getting the same treatment as you would for in-ear earbuds or headphones. Yes, the tech is improving a lot, but these earbuds aren't the best example of great sound in an open design.

OneOdio has a tech called TubeBass which offsets some of the issues of air conduction, as it’s designed to enhance bass. However its benefits can only go so far.

As I mentioned before, there are two sound profiles you can toggle between. Rock mode is the one I’d recommend – relaxed is just too tinny.

  • Performance score: 3/5

OpenRock S review: scorecard

OpenRock S: Should I buy them?

The OpenRock S's open case with the buds inside.

(Image credit: Future)

Buy them if...

Battery life is important to you

The OpenRock S battery life is so good that it makes almost all other sports headphones feel rubbish in comparison. An easy recommendation here.

A lightweight bud is important

Depending on your sport, lightweight headphones might be much more valuable than good-sounding ones. The OpenRock S are easily the former, not so much the latter.

You need to hear your surroundings

The central feature of air conduction works well here (if anything, too well). Using these, you'll be able to hear traffic and people around you.

Don't buy them if...

You care about music quality

If loud, booming tunes are all you need for a good workout, you'll find that the OpenRock S doesn't really impress in that regard.

You need a svelte carry case

If you prefer to travel light at all times, you might find the OpenRock S' carry case is a little unwieldy. It won't fit in clothes or bag pockets very easily.

You rely on touch controls

If you want earbuds with stellar touch controls, so you can ignore your phone on a workout, avoid the OpenRock. The touch controls are too unreliable.

Also consider

The OpenRock S bud next to the OpenRock Pro bud

(Image credit: Future)

OpenRock Pro

The OpenRock S' predecessor (and higher-end sibling) costs more and has a lesser battery life. However the audio sounds a little better, the fit is tighter (and therefore a little cosier) and the travel case is much smaller and lighter too.

Read our full OpenRock Pro review

Shokz OpenFit

These are perhaps the OpenRock Pro's closest rivals, as alternative air conduction headphones. They're smaller, lighter and better-sounding, but don't have as impressive battery lives and the fit isn't as customizable.

Read our full Shokz OpenFit review

How I tested

The full testing period for the OpenRock S ended up being well over a month, and while that was partly due to an illness which meant I couldn't test these buds for exercise purposes for the entire period, it does mean I got to use them a lot.

I tested the buds in the following ways: while cycling through a city along roads, while running in busy and quiet areas, while in gyms on various pieces of equipment, and also when at home in an otherwise-quiet area. I really put the OneRock S through their paces, with different activities and in different environments.

Mainly I streamed music through an Android smartphone, but I did test calling and video calls with them too. I also tested them side-by-side with the OpenRock Pro, to fully test out how they compare.

I've been writing for TechRadar for almost five years now, for several as a full member of team and several more as a freelance tester. I've tried various pieces of fitness equipment including earbuds, headphones, smartwatches, fitness trackers and sleep headphones and also tablets, smartphones, ereaders, speakers, scooters and a lot more.

I love the feel and performance of this Razer gaming mouse, but I’m not so sure everyone will get on with its shape
8:00 pm | April 19, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Mice Peripherals & Accessories | Comments: Off

Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed: Two-minute review

The Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is a wireless gaming mouse in Razer’s asymmetrical range with pro-level play in mind. It adopts a small and sleek form, with an offset shape that slopes away to the right, giving it a more ergonomic feel. It’s relatively small too, especially across its width, although it’s the same length as a typical full-size pointer.

At a mere 55g, the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is very light – but it’s far from flimsy: Razer’s typically high standards are adhered to, and it feels robust.

The chassis material feels premium too, and although it’s not textured, the finish offers just enough grip on its own without requiring grip tape – which is convenient since none is included.

The buttons and scroll wheel also feel solid yet are as easy to operate as any of the best gaming mice, providing satisfying feedback. The texturing on the latter is a particular highlight, with its dotted design appealing to me more than the linear grooves you typically find on many other gaming mice.

Underneath the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed are two large PTFE skates (no spares are included), which cover a large surface area and offer very smooth glides. They aren’t thick enough to use on hard surfaces – but stick to using it on pads and you’ll be rewarded with effortless movements.

Underneath of Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, with 2.4GHz USB dongle and keyboard in background

(Image credit: Future)

The USB-C cable included with the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is of a similarly high quality, although it isn’t braided like those included with some elite gaming mice. It’s also not long enough to be practical for wired play; and even if your setup allows for it, it’s not light enough to prevent drag, although admittedly the effect isn’t as severe as with other non-braided cables.

The DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed can be customized using Razer Synapse, the brand’s peripheral software. Here you’ll find many of the usual tweaks, with plenty of rebinding options for nearly every button, including the power and DPI selector underneath.

The left click isn’t rebindable unless you activate Razer’s Hypershift function, which allows you to designate one button as a modifier to give you access to a second layer of bindings.

Synapse also has some unique features for the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, such as Dynamic Sensitivity, which lets you customize the curve for cursor acceleration based on the speed of your flicks. There’s also a setting for rotating the mouse’s angle to match the natural way you hold it, in order to help straighten horizontal movements.

Both of these will be useful to certain gamers I’m sure, but it’s a shame other advanced tweaks for the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed are missing, such as a slam click filter, lift-off distance adjustments, and an angle-snapping toggle.

Regardless of these omissions, however, the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is still a joy to play with. It feels sharp and responsive, which combined with its smooth-as-silk gliding ability, allow for accurate aiming and frantic swipes equally.

Close-up of mouse buttons on Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed

(Image credit: Future)

I found the ergonomic shape comfortable as well, which I was pleasantly surprised by – I haven’t always gelled with mice of this ilk in the past, but the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed proved a natural fit for my hand and fingers.

What’s more, the mouse buttons were light enough for rapid clicks, yet stable enough to prevent misclicks. The side buttons were easy to access and actuate, while the scroll wheel felt easy yet secure to operate; I could middle click confidently without worrying about accidental flicks.

However, I did have an issue with the middle click, which felt a little awkward to press, failing to provide as much feedback as I would’ve liked. This resulted in inconsistent actuation, especially in the heat of the moment.

Thankfully, connectivity was consistent, and true to the HyperSpeed name, I experienced no issues with lag. It’s a shame, however, that there’s no Bluetooth option in addition to the 2.4GHz USB dongle, which would’ve improved its versatility for multi-device setups.

Razer claims the battery of the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed can last up to 100 hours when set to the maximum 1K polling rate (although 8K is possible with the optional HyperPolling dongle). Based on my tests, I can well believe this figure, as after several days, the battery dipped by only a few percentage points.

There’s no question the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is an expensive gaming mouse, but its build quality and gaming prowess are excellent, and while the shape might not suit everyone, others will find it comfortable. A Pro version is available, which has a few upgraded specs, but the same basic form. Naturally, it’s more expensive.

If you want an even lighter gaming mouse, the Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air is about the best in this regard. It’s a great performer and considerably cheaper than the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed – although it lacks wireless connectivity.

Close-up of side buttons on Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed

(Image credit: Future)

Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed review: Price & availability

  • $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.95
  • Available now in black only
  • Competitively priced

The Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed costs $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.95 and is available now in one colorway: black. It comes with a 2.4GHz HyperSpeed USB dongle and a USB-C-to-A cable. Razer’s HyperPolling dongle can be purchased separately to boost the maximum polling rate all the way up to 8K.

For a wireless gaming mouse, the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed veers towards the top-end of the market, but considering the quality on offer, it remains competitive. A Pro version is also available, which we rate as the best wireless gaming mouse overall, thanks to its performance and ergonomics – the latter of which it shares with the V3 HyperSpeed. It’s more expensive, though, and slightly heavier.

If you’re looking for an even lighter pointer than the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, the Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air is a great alternative, as it tips the scales at a mere 50g. It’s also much cheaper than, but lacks wireless connectivity. Still, you can’t do much better than the M4 Air if you want powerhouse performance in a featherweight package.

Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed review: Specs

Should I buy the Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed?

Buy it if...

You want something light
At 55g, the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is certainly light, yet still retains a full-size length. It’s a little narrower than other gaming mice, though.

You want a semi-ergonomic shape
The rightwards slope of the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is reminiscent of ergonomic mice, so some gamers might find it more comfortable to use.

Don't buy it if...

You want pro-level tweaking
Although Synapse is a capable piece of software, more advanced tweaks are missing for the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, such as a slam click filter and LoD adjustments.

You’re left-handed
The DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is asymmetrical and only suitable for right-handers, so lefties will have to look elsewhere.

Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed review: Also consider

Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro
The Pro version of the HyperSpeed has an upgraded sensor capable of a 30K DPI – 4K more than the HyperSpeed can manage. It also has faster IPS speeds and acceleration, although it’s almost 10g heavier and more expensive. Still, it’s simply the best wireless gaming mouse we’ve experienced. Read our Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro review.

Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air
The TUF Gaming M4 Air only weighs 50g, so if lightness is a priority for you, there aren’t many better. What’s more, we found its form very comfortable and its switches nice and responsive, if a little on the heavy side. We also rate it as the best mouse for CS:GO and CS2 in the lightweight category. What’s more, it’s considerably cheaper than the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, although it’s wired-only. Read our Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air review.

How I tested the Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed

  • Tested for several days
  • Played games and browsed
  • Plentiful PC gaming experience

I tested the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed for several days, during which time I used it for gaming and general browsing.

I played Counter-Strike 2, which is a stern test for any mouse, given it requires incredibly fast movements yet pinpoint accuracy when aiming.

I have been PC gaming for over a decade, and during that time I have experienced a great deal of mice ranging in price, size, and features. I have reviewed numerous models as well, including other Razer products.

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) review: An Oura alternative with good sleep insights – but it’s still finding its feet
7:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Trackers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Comments: Off

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1): One-minute review

Smart rings are having a moment, and the Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) wants in. While it’s not technically the brand's first ring, this version is being positioned as its first official release. It’s entering a space packed with competition, from premium names like Oura to value picks like the Amazfit Helio. So, how does it hold up?

The Luna Ring gets quite a lot right. It’s comfortable to wear day and night, tracks sleep and health metrics well, and offers genuinely helpful insights in the app – I liked the explanations of why scores or stats were outside of my usual range and a little “Health Monitor” dashboard gives you a quick glance at your key vitals.

But it also feels like a work in progress. The app is packed with info, but the copy and UI still need refinement. The design isn’t as sleek as some rivals – my gold version looked a little chunky and plasticky – and the battery life is a little less than rivals. There are also some quirks, like a clunky AI chatbot and occasional syncing glitches.

That said, Noise seems to know this. A second-gen version is already on the way, with promised upgrades to charging, battery, stress tracking, and design. I’m already feeling pretty confident it’ll enter our best smart rings guide in a strong position.

However, that leaves the Gen 1 I’m reviewing here in a tricky spot. Because I liked it, but with Gen 2 on the horizon and stronger rivals already on shelves, it’s hard to recommend right now – unless you’re specifically avoiding subscriptions and are happy to support an evolving brand.

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) review: Price and availability

A close up of someone holding the Luna Ring from Noise

(Image credit: Noise Luna ring)
  • Available now for $300 / around £234 / AU$500
  • Pricier than a lot of the competition
  • Comes in several colors

The Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) is priced at $300 / around £234 / AU$500, and comes in silver, gold, matte black, rose gold, and shiny black.

It’s cheaper than the Oura Ring Gen 4, which starts at $349 / £349, though premium finishes cost more – and Oura requires a monthly subscription for full feature access. The Samsung Galaxy Ring is more expensive than both at $399 / £399 / AU$749.

However, it’s significantly more expensive than budget-friendly rivals, like the Amazfit Helio Ring (around $199.99 / £169 / AU$269), which I recently tested and rated highly as a more affordable choice.

While not as expensive as the more premium picks, it’s still bold pricing for a new player. And while the Luna Ring holds its own in some ways, it’s hard to justify that price when refinement and hardware polish fall just a little short.

  • Value score: 3.5 / 5

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) review: Specifications

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) review: Design

Noise Luna Ring review

(Image credit: Noise Luna Ring review)
  • 3-4g depending on the size you get
  • A very comfortable fit
  • Felt a tad less refined than rivals

The Luna Ring is lightweight and comfortable, even for sleep tracking – and that’s no small thing. I wore it 24/7 during testing and rarely noticed it was there.

That said, it’s a little chunkier than rivals like the Oura or Amazfit Helio rings, standing off my finger slightly more despite being the correct size. Only ever so slightly, but that’s still significant on a ring this size. I ended up wearing it on my index finger for this reason, where it felt the most balanced.

A closeup of the Noise luna ring

(Image credit: Noise Luna Ring)

I was sent the gold version, and personally, I wasn’t a fan. The shiny gold finish cheapened the look and made the ring feel plasticky. I think other colorways would be a better bet for most people and there are plenty to choose from here – though be warned that matte finishes do tend to scratch more easily in my experience.

As ever, design is subjective. I know a lot of people like the bold, gold and shiny look. But Luna’s overall build feels just a tad less premium than the top smart rings on the market, especially considering the price. It’s worth mentioning here that the Noise team tells us the Gen 2 version will be smaller and lighter.

  • Design score: 3.5 / 5

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) review: Features

The Noise Luna Ring on its charging stand

(Image credit: Noise Luna Ring)
  • Loads of data tracked
  • LunaAI assistant needs work
  • Adequate workout tracking

The Luna Ring tracks a wide range of metrics from its tiny sensors, including sleep stages and sleep score, resting heart rate (RHR), respiratory rate, HRV (heart rate variability), blood oxygen (SpO2), temperature changes, stress, activity score, readiness score and more.

That’s everything you'd expect from a full-featured health tracker, and the Health Monitor dashboard is a particularly nice touch. It gives you a quick snapshot of how your core metrics are doing day to day, without needing to scroll through graphs. I found myself using it regularly, especially when I didn’t want to dive into the data.

The ring also includes basic workout tracking, with activity options like walking, running, cycling, football, and freestyle modes. It’s not built for serious training – no smart ring is yet – but the inclusion is still useful. You can also sync workouts from third-party apps via Google Fit and Apple Health.

Then there’s LunaAI, which is a chatbot-style assistant baked into the app. It’s clearly a flagship feature for the brand, but right now, it feels undercooked. It can provide explanations for sleep and recovery metrics, and even build basic workout plans. But when it told me I’d “exceeded my sleep by 27,690 seconds,” I wasn’t exactly blown away. Technically true, but not exactly meaningful, similar to the AI insights on Garmin Connect+. It’s more a glossary and content hub than a true AI assistant.

As for the app itself, I really liked it. The layout is intuitive, the calming colors are nice, and the home screen dashboard feels Oura-inspired in a good way. On the home screen you'll find everything you need to know about your day and how you’re doing. Then along the menu bar your data is divided into Sleep, Readiness and Activity, all of this is on the home page, but you can dig deeper in each of the dedicated sections.

My only bugbear with the app is the copy could use refinement. Some of the text sounds clunky and is oddly worded and also looks quite tiny, which takes the shine off what is otherwise a premium-feeling experience.

  • Features score: 4 / 5

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) review: Performance

A close up of the Noise Luna Ring

(Image credit: Noise Luna ring)
  • Good sleep tracking
  • Nice contextual insights
  • Disappointing 3-4 days battery life

Overall, performance was solid, especially when it came to sleep tracking, which is clearly a key focus for the Luna Ring. It accurately picked up my sleep and wake times, even on restless nights (which many trackers have missed). You get detailed sleep stage breakdowns, insight into what’s affecting your score, and helpful trends over time. The sleep planner is also a great addition, letting you set sleep and wake targets to build a more consistent routine – perfect if you’re trying to reset your sleep habits.

Activity tracking is more of a mixed bag. There are several workout modes available, but none dedicated to strength training or yoga – my two go-to workouts. That said, the freestyle mode delivers decent data, including duration, calories burned, max and min heart rate, and a well-designed bar graph showing your time in heart rate zones. If more activity types were included, you'd likely get more accurate calorie data, but as a general log, it’s fine. Syncing with Apple Health or Google Fit helps fill in the gaps if you’re already using another fitness platform.

Accuracy overall was strong. I tested the Luna Ring alongside several other smart rings and wearables, and the data for heart rate and sleep consistently matched up. Step counts were slightly underreported at times, but never dramatically so.

Connectivity was decent once things were set up. I ran into a few syncing issues during setup and when the battery was running low, but after that it was mostly smooth sailing. Bluetooth pairing worked reliably, and the app refreshed with new data quickly.

One feature I genuinely appreciated was the contextual insights. When, for example, my temperature deviated from its usual range, the app didn’t just flash a warning – it explained what might cause the change and how to address it. This kind of guidance makes the Luna Ring feel smarter than many other wearables, which often highlight problems without offering any helpful next steps.

That said, the in-app advice's tone and wording could use some polishing to better match the premium feel Noise is aiming for. At times, the wording felt slightly robotic or abrupt. For example, when some of my data synced, the app flagged it with a red alert that simply said “Pay attention”, which felt vague and a bit cold, especially in that context.

Luna Ring

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

Another time I received a “Proceed as planned” message after a strong readiness score. Technically accurate, but it lacked warmth or context, making the experience feel slightly jarring. I don’t expect emotional support from a wearable, but I do expect the language to feel well-considered and aligned with the rest of the experience. Right now, the tone just doesn’t quite land. Other wearables strike a better balance here.

Battery life, however, is one of the Luna Ring's weak spots. Luna claims 5–6 days, but I consistently got just under 4. That’s significantly shorter than the Oura Ring 4 (6 days), Ultrahuman Ring Air (6–7 days), and even the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Ring (up to 7 days). Battery life is crucial in a smart ring – the whole appeal is wearing it 24/7, and frequent charging breaks that flow. This is one of the areas the brand says it will improve in Gen 2, and it absolutely needs to.

Charging is handled via a small base, which requires placing the ring in a very specific position to connect. It’s not intuitive at first, but becomes second nature with regular use – still, a snap-on charger would be much easier.

  • Performance: 4 / 5

A closeup of the Noise Luna Ring

(Image credit: Noise Luna Ring)

Scorecard

Should I buy the Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1)?

Buy it if…

You’re looking for an Oura alternative without a subscription
It’s a little cheaper than the Oura, and you don’t need to pay to subscribe, which is a plus.

You want a ring that goes beyond basic stats
I felt like the explanations and info presented here could genuinely help me make positive changes rather than bombard me with stats.

You’re comfortable supporting a product that’s still evolving
Let’s be clear, it’s good. It just has that Gen 1 feel because, well, it is and a newer version is on the way soon.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re on a budget: There are cheaper smart rings that offer many of the same metrics and will give you a similar experience.

You’re not in a rush: A Gen 2 version is already on the way imminently with some design and feature upgrades that could address many of my issues with the Gen 1.

You expect premium hardware at this price: It doesn’t quite match up to the best rings on offer, but it’s not too far off.

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1): Also consider

Oura Ring 4

A more refined smart ring experience, with great app design, color options, and accurate tracking. But it’s pricier – and you’ll need a subscription to unlock all the features.

Read our full Oura Ring 4 review

Amazfit Helio Ring

A surprisingly capable smart ring at a lower price point. It lacks some of the health insights of premium rings, but it’s a great option for fitness fans on a budget.

Read our full Amazfit Helio review

How I tested the Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1)

Noise Luna Ring

(Image credit: Noise Luna Ring)
  • Paired with an iPhone 14 Pro
  • Wore the ring 24/7
  • Tested loads of wearables over 12+ years

I tested the Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) for several weeks, paired with an iPhone 14 Pro. I wore it 24/7 – through outdoor runs, gym sessions, long workdays in coffee shops, evenings at home, and while sleeping. The only time I took it off was for charging and showers (even though it’s waterproof, I didn’t want to risk soap and shampoo interfering with the sensors).

I’ve tested dozens of wearables over the past decade, including smart rings from Oura, Ultrahuman, RingConn, Motiv, and more. Having worn so many, I’ve got a strong sense of what makes a smart ring truly useful – from design and comfort to performance, app quality, and long-term wearability.

  • First reviewed in April 2025
I tested Sony’s cheap new ANC earbuds, and if noise-cancelling is king, you just found your new budget buds
12:31 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Sony WF-C710N: Two-minute review

Sony's WF-C710N earbuds find themselves in a similar spot to The White Album in 1968: you want to better the absolute barn-stormer that was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band a mere year later? Good luck. But of course, the Beatles managed it (was it transcendental meditation, or was it simply a clean mind?). So, has Sony done the same with its update on the WF-C700N? Yes and no, Dear Prudence. And given that Sony actually had two years to work on its follow-up, that may not feel enough initially.

The model the C710N are based on topped our pick of the best noise-cancelling earbuds in the budget space for over a year following their release, until Nothing's (a)-suffixed set of buds came in and did almost everything the Sony buds did just that little bit better – and looked slightly classier doing it. And although there are improvements here, a few in-app foibles and initial pairing issues left me struggling to find a reason to pick the Sony WF-C710N over the rivals… until I tested the ANC.

Here, Sony has truly upped its game. On a packed commuter train, I drifted off into my own happy bubble of music. I genuinely didn't expect the blissfully quiet backdrop they served up. The uptick in ANC efficacy is almost certainly aided by the extra mic in each earpiece, but however Sony achieved it, it's commendable.

Also, (because I'm still talking about those mics), call quality is very good for the money here, thanks to Sony's new AI-enhanced voice pickup technology. So, if you regularly take calls on your earbuds, there's an extra value add.

The overall sound profile and fit? It's still good despite the size increase – but it's not better than the outgoing model (Sony has essentially said that little about the driver and acoustic setup changed), so if you've picked up the older set for a discount, you may be tempted to stick with them unless you need that improved ANC.

In fact, other than the much-improved noise cancellation, it's a case of incremental upgrades rather than anything headline-grabbing or ground-breaking.

Yes, there's now a 'Find Your Equalizer' tab, but it works by asking you to pick from a selection of pre-made sound profiles rather than dishing out any otoacoustic tests or splodges to denote where your hearing might be lacking, unlike JBL's Personi-Fi or Nothing Ear's hearing tests (although it's true that you have to pay a little more to get those). The two basic 'Which do you prefer?' tests offered by the WF-C710N don't feel quite as comprehensive, detailed, or involved as those rivals.

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

See the wires in the case? (Image credit: Future)

Also back for 2025 is Sony's entry-level DSEE upscaler, so Spotify streams will sound better, plus there's that Sony-special 360 Reality Audio support. However, since Tidal parted ways with the format, your only source options for listening to this particular spatial-audio-adjacent offering now are Amazon Music Unlimited and Nugs.net.

Do I still like the new transparent blue colorway now that I've tested it? Not as much as I'd wanted to. The shiny plastic avidly collects fingerprint smudges, and at the risk of stating the bleedin' obvious (as these cases have almost always been plastic, dear reader), this one feels overly plastic. It's also a little bigger than the older model. That said, Sony's more traditional matte black, off-white and pink colorways are available too.

For sound, there's no addition of LDAC, but they're still a solid listen with good volume and energy levels, albeit sacrificing a modicum of dynamic nuance, detail and sonic placement to get there. They're still good for the level, but that's my point, good is simply no longer great in budget 2025 noise-cancelling earbuds.

To really hammer it home: in 2023, when the WF-C710N's predecessor made its grand entrance, earbuds bearing these kinds of features had never been seen at that level. But the competition really upped its game in the following 24 months, didn't it? One can even buy inexpensive open earbuds with excellent ANC now (see the Honor Earbuds Open), something unheard of, even considered impossible, until very recently. So, the fact that these Sony earbuds fit well, boast slightly better stamina and offer auto-off isn't quite enough to trounce the competition these days. But the ANC? If you prioritise noise-nixing, that'll make up the difference…

Sony WF-C710N review: Price & release date

  • Released on March 25, 2025
  • Priced $119 / £100 / AU$189

Yes, Sony has won this territory before (see the April 2023-issue Sony WF-C700N I keep going on about), but that was before the excellent Nothing Ear (a) arrived, a year later in 2024.

The fact that Sony released these follow-up earbuds at the same MSRP as their older counterparts is welcome but unsurprising news: we've seen it with everything from AirPods to Bluetooth speakers. Why? Because competition is rife, and once-flagship tech (comprehensive ANC, wearer detection, EQ tweaks, spatial audio tech, customisable on-ear functions, and so on) keeps trickling down to entry-level products.

If you've done even a little research into this end of the market, you'll know the current class leader is the Nothing Ear (a) mentioned above, with the insanely cheap $30 / £30 / AU$70 JLab Go Pop ANC or even the $69 / £59 / AU$110 (approx.) Earfun Air 2 NC not far behind.

So have the few extra perks offered by the new WF-C710N – slightly better battery, an auto-off feature, improved call quality, a rudimentary equalizer test and much better noise cancellation – trounced the Nothings? Depending on your priorities, yes, but it's all about that last point…

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

See the mesh over the mic? (Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Specs

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Features

  • Dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) for ANC
  • Auto-off is a welcome addition
  • AI-enhanced voice pickup for clearer calls

Let's start with the above bullet points: call-handling? It was good before, but it's even better now. That's thanks to the implementation of AI-enhanced voice pickup technology, which works a treat even on crowded, windy and rainy London Soho streets during rush hour (trust me on this one).

Wearer detection for auto-off is perhaps the biggest usability perk added this time around, which means music pauses when you remove one bud (or both) and resumes once you put it back in. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but once you're used to it, you'll always be reaching for buds that can do it.

OK, so Sony's 360 Reality Audio – 24 object-based channels arranged in a 360-degree soundstage (launched back in 2019) – isn't the big ticket feature it used to be, since few streaming platforms support it and Tidal waved goodbye to its support in July 2024.

As noted, Sony's Headphones Connect app is gone, but it's been replaced by the Sony Sound Connect app. Adaptive Sound Control still takes the wheel as far as noise profiles go, optimized according to what you're doing – yes, they know when you're 'Staying'. And although you can't manually up the noise cancellation levels on the fly (although you can tailor the ambient awareness on a slider from 1-20), if you tap the cog under 'Optimize switching for you', you can tailor each sound profile according to your actions. So if you want Adaptive ANC to kick in on your commute, here's how you do it.

That extra mic has paid dividends because the WF-C710N's dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) provides much more robust noise-cancellation performance. On a packed train from London to Dorset, I was struck by how cocooned in my music I felt.

Any omissions worth mentioning? Although there's multi-point to two devices now (you can toggle it off if you want, but why would you?), there's still no LDAC support. Why mention this? Because the WF-C710N's main rival, the Nothing Ear (a) do boast it.

Also, while there's now a 'Find Your Equalizer' tab in the app, it's a little basic compared to any hearing tests to create splodge-type graphs of your hearing profile you might have tried. Essentially, playing your choice of music, there are five profiles to pick from, and then a further four based on your initial pick. It's more than the older model offered, but given the lengths the competition is going to these days (see JBL, Nothing and Denon to name a few, and, of course, the AirPods Pro 2, for a surcharge), it feels a little basic. Yes, the WF-C710N are budget earbuds, but the Nothing Ear with their lengthy hearing tests are roughly the same price now…

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Sound quality

  • Agile, fun, energetic listen
  • Minor treble distortion if we're being picky
  • LDAC would be a great addition

The sound, as with the older option, is good for the money, but there are incremental gains to be had here. The opening keys in Grian Chatten's All of the People are textured and three-dimensional. There's a human quality to the depressing of each key that most entry-level earbuds cannot convey through the upper midrange.

Out of the box, the older WF-C700N feel just a little congested and treble-centric in direct comparison – although it took me a while to set up this comparative test, since once paired to either set of buds, my phone flat-out refused to pair to its siblings, and I'm still unsure why. Anyway, the Beatles' Helter Skelter is a great test of the stereo imaging, and with the C710N, drums sit dutifully in my right ear (until the fill, when the kick drum darts between each ear) as the driving bass sits in my left concha with pinpoint precision.

In more layered, complex and groove-heavy tracks (Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, for instance), timing and musicality are bang on across the frequencies. I can detect a minor shortfall in dynamic nuance to get all of that exuberance and volume – these are loud and proud earbuds, and for the most part, that's great news. There's just a small compromise to be made in the leading edges of lower-mids and bass notes, and just a shred of distortion through the treble, very occasionally.

Look, I'm nitpicking – and I'm better able to do it because the noise cancellation here provides such a glorious backdrop. Of course, you can tweak the sonic curve to your liking in the Sound Connect app, but it's important to note that, by default, these are zealous, unafraid earbuds. Compare them to the excellent Technics EAH-AZ100 and you'll get a greater rise and fall through each pensive, building musical passage in Dom Sigales' The Ghost is Me, with exhalations of breath, jagged keys, and waves of strings given an extra ounce of due diligence to be impactful. It's hardly a fair test given the price difference (the EAH-AZ100 retail for $299 / £259 / AU$479), but it's important to note that the sound is very good here for the money, rather than just very good, period.

  • Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N three 'Sound Connect' app screen-grabs on gray background

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Design

  • Bigger but still ergonomic earpieces
  • Case is a little bigger – and a little cheap?
  • Capacitive touch controls aren't very customisable

These are still some of the most comfortable earbuds I've had the pleasure of wearing (besides the aforementioned Technics), even though the buds and case are bigger this time around. While 4.6g to 5.4g may not sound like much of a size increase, it is noticeable. Given that the WF-C700N really were small, that's perhaps not such a bad thing, depending on your ears.

I still found them easy to fit. That said, the shinier plastic of my glass blue colorway did affect the in-ear security, and the right one fell out on a train. I don't think the fit was an issue, as they feel beautifully weighted and slipped easily into my ears with very little work. I think I just need a more matte, brushed plastic finish – and that is available.

Sony WF-C710N next to the Sony WF-C700N, side by side

See the difference in case (and earpiece) size, against the WF-C700N (Image credit: Future)

One potential bone of contention is the case: it's bigger – well, deeper – than the older WF-C700N case, and it feels a shade off high-end. Do I love the transparent finish? I'm not sure. Seeing the little red, yellow and black cables under the casework is novel, but the overall aesthetic feels a bit (dare I say it) cheap and cheerful, compared to the way Nothing has implemented transparent sections within its earbuds design language.

And the physical button is gone. I liked it, but it seems I'm in the minority. And to be honest, the new touch capacitive sensor is aided by a slightly larger concave top plate to help your finger find it, and it works fairly reliably.

My main gripe with this? You can now control volume in addition to playback, sound modes, and access to a virtual assistant, but a little more scope for customisation on what each tap does would be a huge bonus. Right now, the only way to up the volume a little is a quadruple press on the right earbud, and a quadruple press on the left lowers it just a tad. As you can probably imagine, these constant quick presses are hit-and-miss. Ah, well – and it hurts your tragus and external auditory meatus (the bit right before your ear canal) a little, after a while.

  • Design score: 4/5

Sony WF-C710N held in a woman's hand

The case is quite a bit deeper than the previous model (Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Value

  • For ANC, there's real value-for-money here
  • 360 Reality Audio isn't the draw it once was – LDAC would be excellent
  • Nothing's products look and feel more premium

Before the Nothing Ear (a) arrived, with their LDAC and great audio quality, I'd have no issue recommending the Sony WF-C710N above all else. But times have changed. Nothing's earbuds are here, and they are impossible to ignore.

The design of the Sony WF-C710N is fine rather than groundbreaking, and the feature set is good, although 360 Reality Audio support is not the big draw it once was.

Then again, here I sit at our shared table-slash-desk, my partner hitting the keys of his MacBook Pro keyboard heavily, because he's under a tight deadline and is stressed. Can I hear him? Not really. And there's the value, folks – because I've never heard ANC this good for this money…

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Sony WF-C710N?

Buy them if...

You need great ANC for budget money
These earbuds are some of the most gifted at noise-nixing as I've tried for the money, thanks to that new mic array.

You have an Amazon Music Unlimited account
Link Amazon Music Play Now (after taking photos of your ears, all guided by the app) and you unlock Sony's proprietary 360 Reality Audio for Sony's own spatial audio solution.

You like earbuds that pause the music when you take one out
The WF-C710N now have wearer detection, and you love to see it.

Don't buy them if...

You prioritize on-ear volume control
You can do it, but you still need to press each bud four times quickly to get an incremental increase or decrease. It's a bit much.

You're expecting buds the same size as the C700N
There's a difference: the C710N are a little bigger and heavier owing to that extra mic and capacitive touch plate

You want LDAC
No dice, sadly. You'll need to look to Nothing's Ear (a)

Sony WF-C710N review: Also consider

Nothing Ear (a)
The battery life isn't as good, and the ANC is close but no cigar. But if you need a better level of dust- and waterproofing and want LDAC audio support, these buds are oh-so-stylish and just slightly cheaper than the Sony WF-C710N.
Read our Nothing Ear (a) review for more information

Sony WF-C510
What if you want quality Sony sound in Sony's smallest earbuds (smaller than the WF-C710N) and even better battery life, because you don't care about ANC? This is the model you need, and you'll save money. But just to be clear, the noise cancellation is the WF-C710N is very good… 
See our Sony WF-C510 review for the full scoop

How I tested the Sony WF-C710N

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for two weeks, compared against the Sony WF-C700N and Technics EAH-AZ100
  • Used in the office, walking through London, on a train, and at home
  • Listened to Apple Music Lossless tracks, Qobuz, Deezer and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro and a MacBook Pro

As always when testing portable earbuds, the Sony WF-C710N became my musical companions for two weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period.

They accompanied me to work (walking brusquely to Weymouth station at an ungodly hour; boarding a train to London Waterloo; and at the office – yes, I really do this) and throughout a long weekend at Seaham, collecting sea glass from the stunning County Durham shoreline.

To better test the comfort and battery life claims of the Sony WF-C710N, I wore them throughout the working day on numerous occasions – and as you can see from the above over-share, my working days can be long.

To get through it all, I listened to various playlists (spanning everything from Korn to Dom Sigalas) on Apple Music and Tidal, but also to podcasts and albums on Qobuz and Deezer – and YouTube tutorials (mostly about making music on Cubase and using Cakewalk, since you ask) from my MacBook Pro.

I’ve been testing audio products for well over five years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in another life, sound quality, fit and user experience have always taken priority for me personally – but having heard how wonderful ANC can be when done well, I know what to look for.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: April 2025
I tested Sony’s cheap new ANC earbuds, and if noise-cancelling is king, you just found your new budget buds
12:31 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Sony WF-C710N: Two-minute review

Sony's WF-C710N earbuds find themselves in a similar spot to The White Album in 1968: you want to better the absolute barn-stormer that was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band a mere year later? Good luck. But of course, the Beatles managed it (was it transcendental meditation, or was it simply a clean mind?). So, has Sony done the same with its update on the WF-C700N? Yes and no, Dear Prudence. And given that Sony actually had two years to work on its follow-up, that may not feel enough initially.

The model the C710N are based on topped our pick of the best noise-cancelling earbuds in the budget space for over a year following their release, until Nothing's (a)-suffixed set of buds came in and did almost everything the Sony buds did just that little bit better – and looked slightly classier doing it. And although there are improvements here, a few in-app foibles and initial pairing issues left me struggling to find a reason to pick the Sony WF-C710N over the rivals… until I tested the ANC.

Here, Sony has truly upped its game. On a packed commuter train, I drifted off into my own happy bubble of music. I genuinely didn't expect the blissfully quiet backdrop they served up. The uptick in ANC efficacy is almost certainly aided by the extra mic in each earpiece, but however Sony achieved it, it's commendable.

Also, (because I'm still talking about those mics), call quality is very good for the money here, thanks to Sony's new AI-enhanced voice pickup technology. So, if you regularly take calls on your earbuds, there's an extra value add.

The overall sound profile and fit? It's still good despite the size increase – but it's not better than the outgoing model (Sony has essentially said that little about the driver and acoustic setup changed), so if you've picked up the older set for a discount, you may be tempted to stick with them unless you need that improved ANC.

In fact, other than the much-improved noise cancellation, it's a case of incremental upgrades rather than anything headline-grabbing or ground-breaking.

Yes, there's now a 'Find Your Equalizer' tab, but it works by asking you to pick from a selection of pre-made sound profiles rather than dishing out any otoacoustic tests or splodges to denote where your hearing might be lacking, unlike JBL's Personi-Fi or Nothing Ear's hearing tests (although it's true that you have to pay a little more to get those). The two basic 'Which do you prefer?' tests offered by the WF-C710N don't feel quite as comprehensive, detailed, or involved as those rivals.

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

See the wires in the case? (Image credit: Future)

Also back for 2025 is Sony's entry-level DSEE upscaler, so Spotify streams will sound better, plus there's that Sony-special 360 Reality Audio support. However, since Tidal parted ways with the format, your only source options for listening to this particular spatial-audio-adjacent offering now are Amazon Music Unlimited and Nugs.net.

Do I still like the new transparent blue colorway now that I've tested it? Not as much as I'd wanted to. The shiny plastic avidly collects fingerprint smudges, and at the risk of stating the bleedin' obvious (as these cases have almost always been plastic, dear reader), this one feels overly plastic. It's also a little bigger than the older model. That said, Sony's more traditional matte black, off-white and pink colorways are available too.

For sound, there's no addition of LDAC, but they're still a solid listen with good volume and energy levels, albeit sacrificing a modicum of dynamic nuance, detail and sonic placement to get there. They're still good for the level, but that's my point, good is simply no longer great in budget 2025 noise-cancelling earbuds.

To really hammer it home: in 2023, when the WF-C710N's predecessor made its grand entrance, earbuds bearing these kinds of features had never been seen at that level. But the competition really upped its game in the following 24 months, didn't it? One can even buy inexpensive open earbuds with excellent ANC now (see the Honor Earbuds Open), something unheard of, even considered impossible, until very recently. So, the fact that these Sony earbuds fit well, boast slightly better stamina and offer auto-off isn't quite enough to trounce the competition these days. But the ANC? If you prioritise noise-nixing, that'll make up the difference…

Sony WF-C710N review: Price & release date

  • Released on March 25, 2025
  • Priced $119 / £100 / AU$189

Yes, Sony has won this territory before (see the April 2023-issue Sony WF-C700N I keep going on about), but that was before the excellent Nothing Ear (a) arrived, a year later in 2024.

The fact that Sony released these follow-up earbuds at the same MSRP as their older counterparts is welcome but unsurprising news: we've seen it with everything from AirPods to Bluetooth speakers. Why? Because competition is rife, and once-flagship tech (comprehensive ANC, wearer detection, EQ tweaks, spatial audio tech, customisable on-ear functions, and so on) keeps trickling down to entry-level products.

If you've done even a little research into this end of the market, you'll know the current class leader is the Nothing Ear (a) mentioned above, with the insanely cheap $30 / £30 / AU$70 JLab Go Pop ANC or even the $69 / £59 / AU$110 (approx.) Earfun Air 2 NC not far behind.

So have the few extra perks offered by the new WF-C710N – slightly better battery, an auto-off feature, improved call quality, a rudimentary equalizer test and much better noise cancellation – trounced the Nothings? Depending on your priorities, yes, but it's all about that last point…

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

See the mesh over the mic? (Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Specs

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Features

  • Dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) for ANC
  • Auto-off is a welcome addition
  • AI-enhanced voice pickup for clearer calls

Let's start with the above bullet points: call-handling? It was good before, but it's even better now. That's thanks to the implementation of AI-enhanced voice pickup technology, which works a treat even on crowded, windy and rainy London Soho streets during rush hour (trust me on this one).

Wearer detection for auto-off is perhaps the biggest usability perk added this time around, which means music pauses when you remove one bud (or both) and resumes once you put it back in. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but once you're used to it, you'll always be reaching for buds that can do it.

OK, so Sony's 360 Reality Audio – 24 object-based channels arranged in a 360-degree soundstage (launched back in 2019) – isn't the big ticket feature it used to be, since few streaming platforms support it and Tidal waved goodbye to its support in July 2024.

As noted, Sony's Headphones Connect app is gone, but it's been replaced by the Sony Sound Connect app. Adaptive Sound Control still takes the wheel as far as noise profiles go, optimized according to what you're doing – yes, they know when you're 'Staying'. And although you can't manually up the noise cancellation levels on the fly (although you can tailor the ambient awareness on a slider from 1-20), if you tap the cog under 'Optimize switching for you', you can tailor each sound profile according to your actions. So if you want Adaptive ANC to kick in on your commute, here's how you do it.

That extra mic has paid dividends because the WF-C710N's dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) provides much more robust noise-cancellation performance. On a packed train from London to Dorset, I was struck by how cocooned in my music I felt.

Any omissions worth mentioning? Although there's multi-point to two devices now (you can toggle it off if you want, but why would you?), there's still no LDAC support. Why mention this? Because the WF-C710N's main rival, the Nothing Ear (a) do boast it.

Also, while there's now a 'Find Your Equalizer' tab in the app, it's a little basic compared to any hearing tests to create splodge-type graphs of your hearing profile you might have tried. Essentially, playing your choice of music, there are five profiles to pick from, and then a further four based on your initial pick. It's more than the older model offered, but given the lengths the competition is going to these days (see JBL, Nothing and Denon to name a few, and, of course, the AirPods Pro 2, for a surcharge), it feels a little basic. Yes, the WF-C710N are budget earbuds, but the Nothing Ear with their lengthy hearing tests are roughly the same price now…

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Sound quality

  • Agile, fun, energetic listen
  • Minor treble distortion if we're being picky
  • LDAC would be a great addition

The sound, as with the older option, is good for the money, but there are incremental gains to be had here. The opening keys in Grian Chatten's All of the People are textured and three-dimensional. There's a human quality to the depressing of each key that most entry-level earbuds cannot convey through the upper midrange.

Out of the box, the older WF-C700N feel just a little congested and treble-centric in direct comparison – although it took me a while to set up this comparative test, since once paired to either set of buds, my phone flat-out refused to pair to its siblings, and I'm still unsure why. Anyway, the Beatles' Helter Skelter is a great test of the stereo imaging, and with the C710N, drums sit dutifully in my right ear (until the fill, when the kick drum darts between each ear) as the driving bass sits in my left concha with pinpoint precision.

In more layered, complex and groove-heavy tracks (Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, for instance), timing and musicality are bang on across the frequencies. I can detect a minor shortfall in dynamic nuance to get all of that exuberance and volume – these are loud and proud earbuds, and for the most part, that's great news. There's just a small compromise to be made in the leading edges of lower-mids and bass notes, and just a shred of distortion through the treble, very occasionally.

Look, I'm nitpicking – and I'm better able to do it because the noise cancellation here provides such a glorious backdrop. Of course, you can tweak the sonic curve to your liking in the Sound Connect app, but it's important to note that, by default, these are zealous, unafraid earbuds. Compare them to the excellent Technics EAH-AZ100 and you'll get a greater rise and fall through each pensive, building musical passage in Dom Sigales' The Ghost is Me, with exhalations of breath, jagged keys, and waves of strings given an extra ounce of due diligence to be impactful. It's hardly a fair test given the price difference (the EAH-AZ100 retail for $299 / £259 / AU$479), but it's important to note that the sound is very good here for the money, rather than just very good, period.

  • Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N three 'Sound Connect' app screen-grabs on gray background

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Design

  • Bigger but still ergonomic earpieces
  • Case is a little bigger – and a little cheap?
  • Capacitive touch controls aren't very customisable

These are still some of the most comfortable earbuds I've had the pleasure of wearing (besides the aforementioned Technics), even though the buds and case are bigger this time around. While 4.6g to 5.4g may not sound like much of a size increase, it is noticeable. Given that the WF-C700N really were small, that's perhaps not such a bad thing, depending on your ears.

I still found them easy to fit. That said, the shinier plastic of my glass blue colorway did affect the in-ear security, and the right one fell out on a train. I don't think the fit was an issue, as they feel beautifully weighted and slipped easily into my ears with very little work. I think I just need a more matte, brushed plastic finish – and that is available.

Sony WF-C710N next to the Sony WF-C700N, side by side

See the difference in case (and earpiece) size, against the WF-C700N (Image credit: Future)

One potential bone of contention is the case: it's bigger – well, deeper – than the older WF-C700N case, and it feels a shade off high-end. Do I love the transparent finish? I'm not sure. Seeing the little red, yellow and black cables under the casework is novel, but the overall aesthetic feels a bit (dare I say it) cheap and cheerful, compared to the way Nothing has implemented transparent sections within its earbuds design language.

And the physical button is gone. I liked it, but it seems I'm in the minority. And to be honest, the new touch capacitive sensor is aided by a slightly larger concave top plate to help your finger find it, and it works fairly reliably.

My main gripe with this? You can now control volume in addition to playback, sound modes, and access to a virtual assistant, but a little more scope for customisation on what each tap does would be a huge bonus. Right now, the only way to up the volume a little is a quadruple press on the right earbud, and a quadruple press on the left lowers it just a tad. As you can probably imagine, these constant quick presses are hit-and-miss. Ah, well – and it hurts your tragus and external auditory meatus (the bit right before your ear canal) a little, after a while.

  • Design score: 4/5

Sony WF-C710N held in a woman's hand

The case is quite a bit deeper than the previous model (Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Value

  • For ANC, there's real value-for-money here
  • 360 Reality Audio isn't the draw it once was – LDAC would be excellent
  • Nothing's products look and feel more premium

Before the Nothing Ear (a) arrived, with their LDAC and great audio quality, I'd have no issue recommending the Sony WF-C710N above all else. But times have changed. Nothing's earbuds are here, and they are impossible to ignore.

The design of the Sony WF-C710N is fine rather than groundbreaking, and the feature set is good, although 360 Reality Audio support is not the big draw it once was.

Then again, here I sit at our shared table-slash-desk, my partner hitting the keys of his MacBook Pro keyboard heavily, because he's under a tight deadline and is stressed. Can I hear him? Not really. And there's the value, folks – because I've never heard ANC this good for this money…

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Sony WF-C710N?

Buy them if...

You need great ANC for budget money
These earbuds are some of the most gifted at noise-nixing as I've tried for the money, thanks to that new mic array.

You have an Amazon Music Unlimited account
Link Amazon Music Play Now (after taking photos of your ears, all guided by the app) and you unlock Sony's proprietary 360 Reality Audio for Sony's own spatial audio solution.

You like earbuds that pause the music when you take one out
The WF-C710N now have wearer detection, and you love to see it.

Don't buy them if...

You prioritize on-ear volume control
You can do it, but you still need to press each bud four times quickly to get an incremental increase or decrease. It's a bit much.

You're expecting buds the same size as the C700N
There's a difference: the C710N are a little bigger and heavier owing to that extra mic and capacitive touch plate

You want LDAC
No dice, sadly. You'll need to look to Nothing's Ear (a)

Sony WF-C710N review: Also consider

Nothing Ear (a)
The battery life isn't as good, and the ANC is close but no cigar. But if you need a better level of dust- and waterproofing and want LDAC audio support, these buds are oh-so-stylish and just slightly cheaper than the Sony WF-C710N.
Read our Nothing Ear (a) review for more information

Sony WF-C510
What if you want quality Sony sound in Sony's smallest earbuds (smaller than the WF-C710N) and even better battery life, because you don't care about ANC? This is the model you need, and you'll save money. But just to be clear, the noise cancellation is the WF-C710N is very good… 
See our Sony WF-C510 review for the full scoop

How I tested the Sony WF-C710N

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for two weeks, compared against the Sony WF-C700N and Technics EAH-AZ100
  • Used in the office, walking through London, on a train, and at home
  • Listened to Apple Music Lossless tracks, Qobuz, Deezer and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro and a MacBook Pro

As always when testing portable earbuds, the Sony WF-C710N became my musical companions for two weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period.

They accompanied me to work (walking brusquely to Weymouth station at an ungodly hour; boarding a train to London Waterloo; and at the office – yes, I really do this) and throughout a long weekend at Seaham, collecting sea glass from the stunning County Durham shoreline.

To better test the comfort and battery life claims of the Sony WF-C710N, I wore them throughout the working day on numerous occasions – and as you can see from the above over-share, my working days can be long.

To get through it all, I listened to various playlists (spanning everything from Korn to Dom Sigalas) on Apple Music and Tidal, but also to podcasts and albums on Qobuz and Deezer – and YouTube tutorials (mostly about making music on Cubase and using Cakewalk, since you ask) from my MacBook Pro.

I’ve been testing audio products for well over five years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in another life, sound quality, fit and user experience have always taken priority for me personally – but having heard how wonderful ANC can be when done well, I know what to look for.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: April 2025
I tested Sony’s cheap new ANC earbuds, and if noise-cancelling is king, you just found your new budget buds
12:31 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Sony WF-C710N: Two-minute review

Sony's WF-C710N earbuds find themselves in a similar spot to The White Album in 1968: you want to better the absolute barn-stormer that was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band a mere year later? Good luck. But of course, the Beatles managed it (was it transcendental meditation, or was it simply a clean mind?). So, has Sony done the same with its update on the WF-C700N? Yes and no, Dear Prudence. And given that Sony actually had two years to work on its follow-up, that may not feel enough initially.

The model the C710N are based on topped our pick of the best noise-cancelling earbuds in the budget space for over a year following their release, until Nothing's (a)-suffixed set of buds came in and did almost everything the Sony buds did just that little bit better – and looked slightly classier doing it. And although there are improvements here, a few in-app foibles and initial pairing issues left me struggling to find a reason to pick the Sony WF-C710N over the rivals… until I tested the ANC.

Here, Sony has truly upped its game. On a packed commuter train, I drifted off into my own happy bubble of music. I genuinely didn't expect the blissfully quiet backdrop they served up. The uptick in ANC efficacy is almost certainly aided by the extra mic in each earpiece, but however Sony achieved it, it's commendable.

Also, (because I'm still talking about those mics), call quality is very good for the money here, thanks to Sony's new AI-enhanced voice pickup technology. So, if you regularly take calls on your earbuds, there's an extra value add.

The overall sound profile and fit? It's still good despite the size increase – but it's not better than the outgoing model (Sony has essentially said that little about the driver and acoustic setup changed), so if you've picked up the older set for a discount, you may be tempted to stick with them unless you need that improved ANC.

In fact, other than the much-improved noise cancellation, it's a case of incremental upgrades rather than anything headline-grabbing or ground-breaking.

Yes, there's now a 'Find Your Equalizer' tab, but it works by asking you to pick from a selection of pre-made sound profiles rather than dishing out any otoacoustic tests or splodges to denote where your hearing might be lacking, unlike JBL's Personi-Fi or Nothing Ear's hearing tests (although it's true that you have to pay a little more to get those). The two basic 'Which do you prefer?' tests offered by the WF-C710N don't feel quite as comprehensive, detailed, or involved as those rivals.

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

See the wires in the case? (Image credit: Future)

Also back for 2025 is Sony's entry-level DSEE upscaler, so Spotify streams will sound better, plus there's that Sony-special 360 Reality Audio support. However, since Tidal parted ways with the format, your only source options for listening to this particular spatial-audio-adjacent offering now are Amazon Music Unlimited and Nugs.net.

Do I still like the new transparent blue colorway now that I've tested it? Not as much as I'd wanted to. The shiny plastic avidly collects fingerprint smudges, and at the risk of stating the bleedin' obvious (as these cases have almost always been plastic, dear reader), this one feels overly plastic. It's also a little bigger than the older model. That said, Sony's more traditional matte black, off-white and pink colorways are available too.

For sound, there's no addition of LDAC, but they're still a solid listen with good volume and energy levels, albeit sacrificing a modicum of dynamic nuance, detail and sonic placement to get there. They're still good for the level, but that's my point, good is simply no longer great in budget 2025 noise-cancelling earbuds.

To really hammer it home: in 2023, when the WF-C710N's predecessor made its grand entrance, earbuds bearing these kinds of features had never been seen at that level. But the competition really upped its game in the following 24 months, didn't it? One can even buy inexpensive open earbuds with excellent ANC now (see the Honor Earbuds Open), something unheard of, even considered impossible, until very recently. So, the fact that these Sony earbuds fit well, boast slightly better stamina and offer auto-off isn't quite enough to trounce the competition these days. But the ANC? If you prioritise noise-nixing, that'll make up the difference…

Sony WF-C710N review: Price & release date

  • Released on March 25, 2025
  • Priced $119 / £100 / AU$189

Yes, Sony has won this territory before (see the April 2023-issue Sony WF-C700N I keep going on about), but that was before the excellent Nothing Ear (a) arrived, a year later in 2024.

The fact that Sony released these follow-up earbuds at the same MSRP as their older counterparts is welcome but unsurprising news: we've seen it with everything from AirPods to Bluetooth speakers. Why? Because competition is rife, and once-flagship tech (comprehensive ANC, wearer detection, EQ tweaks, spatial audio tech, customisable on-ear functions, and so on) keeps trickling down to entry-level products.

If you've done even a little research into this end of the market, you'll know the current class leader is the Nothing Ear (a) mentioned above, with the insanely cheap $30 / £30 / AU$70 JLab Go Pop ANC or even the $69 / £59 / AU$110 (approx.) Earfun Air 2 NC not far behind.

So have the few extra perks offered by the new WF-C710N – slightly better battery, an auto-off feature, improved call quality, a rudimentary equalizer test and much better noise cancellation – trounced the Nothings? Depending on your priorities, yes, but it's all about that last point…

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

See the mesh over the mic? (Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Specs

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Features

  • Dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) for ANC
  • Auto-off is a welcome addition
  • AI-enhanced voice pickup for clearer calls

Let's start with the above bullet points: call-handling? It was good before, but it's even better now. That's thanks to the implementation of AI-enhanced voice pickup technology, which works a treat even on crowded, windy and rainy London Soho streets during rush hour (trust me on this one).

Wearer detection for auto-off is perhaps the biggest usability perk added this time around, which means music pauses when you remove one bud (or both) and resumes once you put it back in. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but once you're used to it, you'll always be reaching for buds that can do it.

OK, so Sony's 360 Reality Audio – 24 object-based channels arranged in a 360-degree soundstage (launched back in 2019) – isn't the big ticket feature it used to be, since few streaming platforms support it and Tidal waved goodbye to its support in July 2024.

As noted, Sony's Headphones Connect app is gone, but it's been replaced by the Sony Sound Connect app. Adaptive Sound Control still takes the wheel as far as noise profiles go, optimized according to what you're doing – yes, they know when you're 'Staying'. And although you can't manually up the noise cancellation levels on the fly (although you can tailor the ambient awareness on a slider from 1-20), if you tap the cog under 'Optimize switching for you', you can tailor each sound profile according to your actions. So if you want Adaptive ANC to kick in on your commute, here's how you do it.

That extra mic has paid dividends because the WF-C710N's dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) provides much more robust noise-cancellation performance. On a packed train from London to Dorset, I was struck by how cocooned in my music I felt.

Any omissions worth mentioning? Although there's multi-point to two devices now (you can toggle it off if you want, but why would you?), there's still no LDAC support. Why mention this? Because the WF-C710N's main rival, the Nothing Ear (a) do boast it.

Also, while there's now a 'Find Your Equalizer' tab in the app, it's a little basic compared to any hearing tests to create splodge-type graphs of your hearing profile you might have tried. Essentially, playing your choice of music, there are five profiles to pick from, and then a further four based on your initial pick. It's more than the older model offered, but given the lengths the competition is going to these days (see JBL, Nothing and Denon to name a few, and, of course, the AirPods Pro 2, for a surcharge), it feels a little basic. Yes, the WF-C710N are budget earbuds, but the Nothing Ear with their lengthy hearing tests are roughly the same price now…

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Sound quality

  • Agile, fun, energetic listen
  • Minor treble distortion if we're being picky
  • LDAC would be a great addition

The sound, as with the older option, is good for the money, but there are incremental gains to be had here. The opening keys in Grian Chatten's All of the People are textured and three-dimensional. There's a human quality to the depressing of each key that most entry-level earbuds cannot convey through the upper midrange.

Out of the box, the older WF-C700N feel just a little congested and treble-centric in direct comparison – although it took me a while to set up this comparative test, since once paired to either set of buds, my phone flat-out refused to pair to its siblings, and I'm still unsure why. Anyway, the Beatles' Helter Skelter is a great test of the stereo imaging, and with the C710N, drums sit dutifully in my right ear (until the fill, when the kick drum darts between each ear) as the driving bass sits in my left concha with pinpoint precision.

In more layered, complex and groove-heavy tracks (Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, for instance), timing and musicality are bang on across the frequencies. I can detect a minor shortfall in dynamic nuance to get all of that exuberance and volume – these are loud and proud earbuds, and for the most part, that's great news. There's just a small compromise to be made in the leading edges of lower-mids and bass notes, and just a shred of distortion through the treble, very occasionally.

Look, I'm nitpicking – and I'm better able to do it because the noise cancellation here provides such a glorious backdrop. Of course, you can tweak the sonic curve to your liking in the Sound Connect app, but it's important to note that, by default, these are zealous, unafraid earbuds. Compare them to the excellent Technics EAH-AZ100 and you'll get a greater rise and fall through each pensive, building musical passage in Dom Sigales' The Ghost is Me, with exhalations of breath, jagged keys, and waves of strings given an extra ounce of due diligence to be impactful. It's hardly a fair test given the price difference (the EAH-AZ100 retail for $299 / £259 / AU$479), but it's important to note that the sound is very good here for the money, rather than just very good, period.

  • Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N three 'Sound Connect' app screen-grabs on gray background

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Design

  • Bigger but still ergonomic earpieces
  • Case is a little bigger – and a little cheap?
  • Capacitive touch controls aren't very customisable

These are still some of the most comfortable earbuds I've had the pleasure of wearing (besides the aforementioned Technics), even though the buds and case are bigger this time around. While 4.6g to 5.4g may not sound like much of a size increase, it is noticeable. Given that the WF-C700N really were small, that's perhaps not such a bad thing, depending on your ears.

I still found them easy to fit. That said, the shinier plastic of my glass blue colorway did affect the in-ear security, and the right one fell out on a train. I don't think the fit was an issue, as they feel beautifully weighted and slipped easily into my ears with very little work. I think I just need a more matte, brushed plastic finish – and that is available.

Sony WF-C710N next to the Sony WF-C700N, side by side

See the difference in case (and earpiece) size, against the WF-C700N (Image credit: Future)

One potential bone of contention is the case: it's bigger – well, deeper – than the older WF-C700N case, and it feels a shade off high-end. Do I love the transparent finish? I'm not sure. Seeing the little red, yellow and black cables under the casework is novel, but the overall aesthetic feels a bit (dare I say it) cheap and cheerful, compared to the way Nothing has implemented transparent sections within its earbuds design language.

And the physical button is gone. I liked it, but it seems I'm in the minority. And to be honest, the new touch capacitive sensor is aided by a slightly larger concave top plate to help your finger find it, and it works fairly reliably.

My main gripe with this? You can now control volume in addition to playback, sound modes, and access to a virtual assistant, but a little more scope for customisation on what each tap does would be a huge bonus. Right now, the only way to up the volume a little is a quadruple press on the right earbud, and a quadruple press on the left lowers it just a tad. As you can probably imagine, these constant quick presses are hit-and-miss. Ah, well – and it hurts your tragus and external auditory meatus (the bit right before your ear canal) a little, after a while.

  • Design score: 4/5

Sony WF-C710N held in a woman's hand

The case is quite a bit deeper than the previous model (Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Value

  • For ANC, there's real value-for-money here
  • 360 Reality Audio isn't the draw it once was – LDAC would be excellent
  • Nothing's products look and feel more premium

Before the Nothing Ear (a) arrived, with their LDAC and great audio quality, I'd have no issue recommending the Sony WF-C710N above all else. But times have changed. Nothing's earbuds are here, and they are impossible to ignore.

The design of the Sony WF-C710N is fine rather than groundbreaking, and the feature set is good, although 360 Reality Audio support is not the big draw it once was.

Then again, here I sit at our shared table-slash-desk, my partner hitting the keys of his MacBook Pro keyboard heavily, because he's under a tight deadline and is stressed. Can I hear him? Not really. And there's the value, folks – because I've never heard ANC this good for this money…

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Sony WF-C710N?

Buy them if...

You need great ANC for budget money
These earbuds are some of the most gifted at noise-nixing as I've tried for the money, thanks to that new mic array.

You have an Amazon Music Unlimited account
Link Amazon Music Play Now (after taking photos of your ears, all guided by the app) and you unlock Sony's proprietary 360 Reality Audio for Sony's own spatial audio solution.

You like earbuds that pause the music when you take one out
The WF-C710N now have wearer detection, and you love to see it.

Don't buy them if...

You prioritize on-ear volume control
You can do it, but you still need to press each bud four times quickly to get an incremental increase or decrease. It's a bit much.

You're expecting buds the same size as the C700N
There's a difference: the C710N are a little bigger and heavier owing to that extra mic and capacitive touch plate

You want LDAC
No dice, sadly. You'll need to look to Nothing's Ear (a)

Sony WF-C710N review: Also consider

Nothing Ear (a)
The battery life isn't as good, and the ANC is close but no cigar. But if you need a better level of dust- and waterproofing and want LDAC audio support, these buds are oh-so-stylish and just slightly cheaper than the Sony WF-C710N.
Read our Nothing Ear (a) review for more information

Sony WF-C510
What if you want quality Sony sound in Sony's smallest earbuds (smaller than the WF-C710N) and even better battery life, because you don't care about ANC? This is the model you need, and you'll save money. But just to be clear, the noise cancellation is the WF-C710N is very good… 
See our Sony WF-C510 review for the full scoop

How I tested the Sony WF-C710N

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for two weeks, compared against the Sony WF-C700N and Technics EAH-AZ100
  • Used in the office, walking through London, on a train, and at home
  • Listened to Apple Music Lossless tracks, Qobuz, Deezer and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro and a MacBook Pro

As always when testing portable earbuds, the Sony WF-C710N became my musical companions for two weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period.

They accompanied me to work (walking brusquely to Weymouth station at an ungodly hour; boarding a train to London Waterloo; and at the office – yes, I really do this) and throughout a long weekend at Seaham, collecting sea glass from the stunning County Durham shoreline.

To better test the comfort and battery life claims of the Sony WF-C710N, I wore them throughout the working day on numerous occasions – and as you can see from the above over-share, my working days can be long.

To get through it all, I listened to various playlists (spanning everything from Korn to Dom Sigalas) on Apple Music and Tidal, but also to podcasts and albums on Qobuz and Deezer – and YouTube tutorials (mostly about making music on Cubase and using Cakewalk, since you ask) from my MacBook Pro.

I’ve been testing audio products for well over five years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in another life, sound quality, fit and user experience have always taken priority for me personally – but having heard how wonderful ANC can be when done well, I know what to look for.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: April 2025
One small hiccup stops the Oppo Reno 13 Pro from trumping Google at its own game
5:00 pm | April 18, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Oppo Phones Phones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Oppo Reno 13 Pro two-minute review

Before even picking up the test unit for this Oppo Reno 13 Pro review, I was ready to draft a headline comparing it to the recent Google Pixel 9a – after all, I spent much of my Reno 12 Pro review comparing that phone to the Pixel 8a, as their similar release window and price makes them natural Android rivals.

Last year, the victory easily went to Oppo, but in a surprise and potentially appeal-ruining blunder, the company has shot itself in the foot with the Reno 13 Pro.

First, some context: the Reno series of smartphones is the mid-range offering from Chinese manufacturer Oppo, and the 13 Pro is 2025’s top-end member of the family. It arrives alongside a non-Pro model, the Oppo Reno 13, and an even cheaper equivalent in the form of the Oppo Reno 13F. For all the flashy features of Oppo’s expensive Find X8 Pro or folding Find N5, I’ve long preferred its Reno models, given how often they've shaken up the mid-range Android market.

Unfortunately, that preference streak ends here: the Oppo Reno 13 Pro has seen a surprising increase in price over its predecessor – I’m not talking mere pennies, but a whopping £150 in the UK and AU$300 in Australia. Oppo sells full-blown phones in its A series that cost less than that price hike!

It’s hard, then, to compare the Reno 13 Pro to the Google Pixel 9a (which hasn’t seen a similar price hike this year), given that the Oppo device is significantly more expensive. This year’s victory goes to Google, it seems.

As a butchered Spider-Man quote goes, with great financial cost comes great expectations, and some of the budget trappings of the Reno family feel bizarre in a phone that’s now only a spitting distance from the Samsung Galaxy S25 in terms of price.

For instance, Reno phones are almost always stuffed with pre-installed bloatware, unwanted third-party apps, and games at first boot-up. That’s still the case in the 13 Pro, despite its shiny new price tag. Similarly, the lack of a microSD card is a notable omission for a phone that you may feasibly expect to use for professional work.

Lots of my issues with the Reno 13 Pro stem from this price-related disappointment, but in most departments, it's a great phone – it’d just be a Google Pixel-killer if it were cheaper.

In the camera department, for instance, the Reno 13 Pro has perhaps the best zoom capabilities of any mid-range phone, boasting 3.5mm optical zoom and three 50MP snappers (plus one 8MP ugly duckling). It brings some useful modes and features, too, including the novel underwater photography mode. If you like going swimming with your phone – and if you do, why? – this will be an interesting device for you.

The Reno 13 Pro is also really powerful, fast to charge (it boasts wireless charging), has a big and high-res display, and benefits from some of the best water resistance of any mobile on the market (as you’d hope, given the underwater photography feature).

There’s no doubt about it – this is a good smartphone. However, it could have been a great one if it wasn’t for the meaty price hike. I can see that high number putting some buyers off, and if you’re one of them, I don't blame you. Thankfully, the Reno 12 Pro is still being sold in most places.

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: price and availability

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Sells for £649 / $1,299 (around $830)
  • Big price hike over Reno 12 Pro
  • Available UK and AU, not US

Like most Oppo phones, the Reno 13 Pro rolled out slowly across the world, with this model first arriving in late 2024. In the UK and Australia, it went on sale in April 2025, but it hasn't been released in the US yet – and based on precedent, it likely never will.

You can pick up the phone for £649 / $1,299 (around $830), so it’s at the upper end of the mid-range Android phone market. The non-Pro model costs £499 / AU$899 (around $640), while the Reno 12 Pro went for £499 / AU$999 (around $640), so there’s a serious price jump between generations.

That price hike is quite a surprise, and it ruins the Oppo’s ability to honestly rival the Google Pixel 9a, which starts at $499 / £499 / AU$849. Long have the Reno Pro mobiles trounced their Pixel a-series contemporaries by offering better specs at a similar price, but that streak ends with the Reno 13 series, as it’s no longer comparable in terms of price.

And before you ask: the standard Reno 13 misses out on some of the best features of the Pro, like its zoom camera, big display, and wireless charging, so it’s not a viable Pixel rival.

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: specs

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: design

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Thin and light Android phone
  • Comes in lilac or black
  • IP69 protection

While the Oppo Reno 13 Pro doesn’t redefine the mid-range Android look that every manufacturer seems to trot out on autopilot these days, it does perfect it to a tee.

This is a thin and light device: its dimensions are 162.8 x 76.6 x 7.6mm, and it weighs just 195g, so it feels slender despite its big screen. The bezel is tiny, as is the front-facing camera cut-out, so the screen feels like it takes over the entire front of the device.

The back of my lilac model has a gently textured shine which blossoms in light (I didn’t test the other version, a black model). I like the look, even if most people will hide it in a case straight away.

The phone is so thin that you’d be forgiven for being surprised that it even has space for a USB-C charging port on the bottom – and there was apparently no room for a 3.5mm headphone jack or anywhere to put a microSD card.

On the right edge of the Reno 13 Pro, you’ve got a power button and volume rocker. Both were easily within reach for me, as was the in-screen fingerprint scanner, which worked reliably. The back of the phone has a camera bump for the three lenses and a fairly large flash module. It sticks out enough that the phone has no hope of staying flat on a table.

A pretty rare spec that Oppo has utilized in the Reno 13 Pro is IP69 protection. This standard has the same total dust protection that phones with the more common IP68 rating have, and also the same ability to survive being immersed in water for half an hour, but it has an additional assurance against high-pressure water jets and steam. Most devices that have an IP69 rating are intended to be used alongside medical or food preparation, and so few people will need it in their smartphone, but it’s certainly a nice layer of protection to have.

  • Design score: 3.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: display

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • 6.83 inches, 1272 x 2800 resolution
  • Gorilla Glass 7i provides protection
  • 120Hz refresh, high max brightness

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro has a 6.83-inch screen. That’s big, even by mid-range Android standards, and it’s one of the largest displays you’ll find on a phone without moving into Ultra or Pro Max territory.

The resolution is 1272 x 2800 or FHD+, which is pretty standard on smartphones these days. The refresh rate goes up to 120Hz, though by default it’s on an automatic mode that changes it based on your use, and I’d recommend sticking to this for battery life reasons.

Like its predecessor, the Reno 13 Pro has an AMOLED display with a nice, high 1,200 nits max brightness, support for HDR10+, and a color gamut of over a billion colors. Those are important specs for games and TV shows to look good on a mobile, for sure, and this device ticks all the boxes in that department.

Continuing the ‘protection’ theme from the Design section, the glass of the screen is Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. The unique selling point of this panel is that it’s more durable and scratch- and drop-proof, something which I (accidentally) tested quite a bit during the review period.

  • Display score: 3.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: software

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Android 15 with Oppo's ColorOS 15 over the top
  • Bloatware problem
  • Familiar interface to Android users

As with most of its contemporary Android phones, the Oppo Reno 13 Pro comes with Android 15 pre-installed. Oppo has promised that the phone will get at least 3 years of updates, a restrained number in the ‘Android updates arms race’, but it’s better than nothing.

Layered over the top is Oppo’s Android fork, ColorOS, or ColorOS 15 to give it the full name. This version’s unique features include a plethora of pre-installed tools with the suffix ‘AI’ slapped at the end, like an image clarity upscaler and deblurring, plus a few other features you’ve seen before, like AI summaries, AI text replies, and text-to-speak from web pages. The last of that number is, at least, a handy accessibility feature.

Mostly, though, this is an Android fork that’ll feel familiar if you use any other manufacturers’ equivalent – I don’t use an Oppo as my day-to-day device, but the Reno 13 Pro's software still felt easy to jump straight into; I knew where all the features, customizations, and settings were.

Usually in the software section of Oppo reviews, I start by complaining about the bloatware; the fact that I wanted to vary my structure up doesn’t mean that it’s not a huge problem here. When you boot up the phone, you’re faced with an ungodly number of pre-installed Oppo apps, third-party services, and random games. Cue ten minutes of frantic deleting if you want your new smartphone to feel yours.

Bloatware is an infuriating but stalwart aspect of cheap and mid-range mobiles, but when you’re paying a premium price for a phone, you’re allowed to expect better.

  • Software score: 3 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: cameras

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • 50MP main, 50MP telephoto and 8MP ultra-wide cameras, 50MP for selfies
  • Iffy AI features
  • Small but appreciated improvements over predecessor

The debate about whether the Reno 13 Pro still counts as a mid-range phone notwithstanding, Oppo has consistently dominated the market for inexpensive camera phones, and it’s continued its lead with this new model.

Specs-wise, the Reno 13 Pro is mostly the same as its predecessor: you’ve got a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP telephoto camera, and a 50MP selfie camera. The main improvement is in that second snapper: it now has a 3.5x lens, and given how rare any kind of zoom lens is on a budget phone, that’s an achievement.

Zoom lenses are primarily used to close the distance from a far subject without relying on digital zoom, which simply crops an image and loses resolution quickly. But they’re also popular for photographers thanks to the depth-of-field they create on closer subjects, and the Reno 13 Pro is great for photography like that as a result.

Smaller but noticeable differences abound in the Reno 13 Pro: images are just as bright and bold as you’ve come to expect from a Reno, but there’s a little more detail in darkness, a little less grain in low-light areas, and a little more dynamic range to differentiate similar colors. The presence of something called a ‘color spectrum sensor’ may help in this area, or it could be better optimization and post-processing.

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)

A few rough edges affect image quality slightly, and the more I used the Oppo, the more it became evident that this wasn’t quite a Samsung Galaxy or iPhone rival. The autofocus was rather unreliable, while Portrait mode returned mixed results in the bokeh department and zoomed-in images could sometimes lack quality.

I’m always excited to see the new photography modes introduced in camera phones, and the Oppo Reno 13 Pro didn’t let me down. It has an underwater mode which lets you utilize the mobile’s water protection for shots in the sea or a swimming pool (or in any other body of liquid, I suppose). It deactivates the on-screen button, so you have to use the volume rocker to take photos or videos, and when you’re done, it vibrates the phone to remove moisture. It’s a novel feature, and while it’s terrifying to dunk your phone into any kind of liquid, it did seem to do the job when I stuck my review sample in a container of water.

Beyond that, there’s the standard assortment of photo modes: standard, Portrait, night, and panorama. Video recording goes up to 4K/60fps and video modes include slow-mo, time-lapse, and dual-view.

The phone’s Photos app brings a few AI modes to help remove background people, remove reflections, and enhance clarity. The main one is obviously AI eraser, an answer to Google’s equivalent feature, but I wasn’t impressed by the results in the Oppo – it often failed to remove people, and when it succeeded, it did so by creating an obviously artificial background that looked worse than the offending photobombers.

  • Camera score: 4 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera samples

Image 1 of 8

Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A picture of blossom taken at 3.5x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 8

Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A picture of a flower taken at 1x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 8

Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A lake landscape taken at 0.6x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 8

Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

The previous lake landscape captured at 1x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 8

Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

The previous lake landscape photographed at 3.5x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
Image 6 of 8

Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A photo of two trees captured at 1x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
Image 7 of 8

Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A daffodil photographed at 1x zoom. (Image credit: Future)
Image 8 of 8

Oppo Reno 13 Pro camera sample

A selfie taken on the front-facing camera in Portrait mode. (Image credit: Future)

Oppo Reno 13 Pro: performance and audio

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Mid-range Dimensity 8350 chipset
  • 12GB RAM, 512GB Storage
  • No headphone jack, Bluetooth 5.4 and stereo speakers

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chipset, a nice solid mid-range chipset that marks a pronounced improvement over its already-decent predecessor.

Multi-core benchmark tests for the new Reno on Geekbench returned an average score of 4042, which is over twice as high as the scores achieved by the 12 Pro’s Dimensity 7300 Energy – that’s less an iterative update and more a much better chipset.

As a result, the Reno 13 Pro is a dab hand at gaming and handling photo editing apps. It’s not the most powerful phone on the market, with some budget gaming phones getting scores in the 6000s, but it’ll do everything you need it to with aplomb.

The version of the Reno 13 Pro on sale in the UK and Australia has 12GB RAM and 512GB storage; in some regions, you can also get 16GB and anything between 256GB and 1TB storage, but not in the regions we cover.

Briefly mentioning audio: there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, but the Reno 13 Pro supports Bluetooth 5.4. The on-board stereo speakers aren’t amazing, but they’re par for the course for phone speakers.

  • Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: battery life

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Big 5,800mAh battery
  • Lasts for about two days of use
  • 80W wired charging, 50W wireless

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro boasts a bigger battery than its predecessor, in line with market shifts that are making the 5,000mAh power packs of yesteryear look svelte. Instead, the 13 Pro has a 5,800mAh power pack, which roughly lasted for a day and a half during my testing, or two days if I used the phone sparingly.

The phone's charging speed is the same as last year's model, at 80W, which is nice and fast without being too fast (and by that I mean, speedy enough that you invariably damage your battery health by using it). Also back on the Reno 13 Pro is the ability to charge other gadgets by plugging them into your phone using a USB cable – this is really handy for people who need to charge their earbuds or smartwatch on the go.

New on the Reno 13 Pro is a surprisingly fast 50W wireless charging capability. That’s a premium feature that you don’t often see in mid-range mobiles, especially at such a high speed. However, a word of warning: the camera bump means you can’t put the phone totally flat on surfaces, which meant I could wirelessly power up the device on my charger.

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: value

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)

With the Oppo Reno 13 Pro, you’re basically getting what you pay for: decent specs at a mid-range price.

I’m sad to have to write that, though, because Oppo Reno phones usually knock it out of the park in the value section. Instead, the Reno 13 Pro gets a passing grade and nothing more.

You can get almost-as-good phones for much less, including the Reno 12 Pro. And given that bona fide flagship smartphones only cost a small amount less these days, people who aren’t on a tight budget don’t have to pay that much more to get better.

  • Value score: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Oppo Reno 13 Pro?

Buy it if...

You're a photographer on a budget
Want the best camera phone that won't break the bank? Look no further than the Reno 13 Pro.

You carry around multiple gadgets
The Reno's reverse charging feature is really handy for those who constantly forget to charge their earbuds.

You need a well-protected phone
Between its Gorilla Glass display and IP69 rating, this phone is well protected against the elements.

Don't buy it if...

You hate bloatware
There's no shame, we all do. If you don't think you can put up with it, the Oppo isn't the phone for you.

You're on a tight budget
If you're looking for a truly affordable phone, then you'll need to look elsewhere, because this mid-ranger is verging on the premium market in price.

Oppo Reno 13 Pro review: Also consider

If the Oppo Reno 13 Pro's price hike has given you cause for concern, here are some other handsets you could consider.

Oppo Reno 12 Pro
Oppo's last-gen mobile has a lesser zoom camera, a weaker chipset, and a smaller screen, but it's a lot cheaper and is very similar in many ways to the newer model.

Read our full Oppo Reno 12 Pro review

Google Pixel 9a
The Reno's natural competitor may have no zoom camera, a much smaller screen, and slower charging, but its software is cleaner and it costs a significant amount less.

Read our full Google Pixel 9a review

Samsung Galaxy S25
It's a little bit more expensive, but Samsung's newest flagship isn't that much pricier than the Reno 13 Pro, and it feels more premium by comparison.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 review

How I tested the Oppo Reno 13 Pro

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro

(Image credit: Future)
  • Review test period = 2 weeks
  • Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used = Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

I used the Oppo Reno 13 Pro for about two weeks before I started writing this review.

To test it, I used it as my normal phone. That means I played games, took photos, texted, and streamed lots of music with it, while seeing how well the battery performed as I did so.

I also tried some 'lab' tests, which included benchmarking, charging testing, and dunking the phone in a jug of water to see if it would take photos, or immediately get wrecked.

I come to this review having spent over six years writing and testing tech for TechRadar, with plenty of Oppo phones (including the first-gen Reno) among the devices I've reviewed.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2025

The Hori Racing Wheel Apex is a good budget option for PS5 sim racers, but don’t expect much in the way of compelling features
3:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Tags: | Comments: Off

Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation: One-minute review

I’m glad that the Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation exists. When it comes to the PlayStation 5, there just aren’t all that many budget PS5 racing wheel options available. But the Apex is one I can just about recommend for those not wanting to shell out on some of the best racing wheels including the pricey Logitech G923 or the Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel.

The Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation costs significantly less than either of those products. And while I was generally happy with the performance it provides - not to mention the ease of setup - the concessions made to hit its low price point are immediately apparent.

Much like the Nintendo Switch-facing Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe (with which the Apex has many similarities including its chassis and overall performance), build quality leaves much to be desired. You’re getting an overtly plasticky build here, exacerbated by a pair of unsatisfyingly weightless pedals.

Force feedback is also off the table, which will likely be a deal breaker for players looking to purchase a racing wheel for that added level of immersion and feel. But if you can get over these cutbacks and are just looking for an inexpensive steering wheel for Gran Turismo 7, F1 24, and more, you’ll still find an acceptable racing experience with the Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation.

Hori Racing Wheel Apex

(Image credit: Future)

Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation: Price and availability

The Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation is available to buy now at Hori’s website for $119.99 / £99.99. That’s just a touch higher than the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe ($109.99 / £89.99) and firmly places it in the budget category. Especially in the UK where it’s difficult to find a decent racing wheel under that £100 mark.

The key thing to note here is that while much more affordable than mid-range plug-and-play options like the Logitech G923 or the Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition, you can expect features to be decidedly stripped back here. If you can afford pricier options like these, they are worth considering if you’d like features like force feedback and better overall build quality.

Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation: Specs

Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation: Design and features

Hori has used the Apex’s chassis before, chiefly with the Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe for Nintendo Switch. If you’ve seen that wheel, then you’ve essentially seen the Apex, too. The key difference here, naturally, is that the Apex is emblazoned with PlayStation’s logo and has a PlayStation-adjacent button layout.

Some button placements have shifted, too. On the Switch wheel, the ZL and ZR trigger buttons were found on the steering wheel itself. On the Apex, the left and right shoulder and trigger buttons are all lined up above the D-pad and face buttons respectively. There are also dedicated L3 and R3 buttons on the Apex, too.

Hori Racing Wheel Apex

(Image credit: Future)

The wheel itself is the best thing about the Apex in terms of design. The textured grips feel nice in the hands and ensure sturdy, non-slip play sessions. The flappy paddle gear switches behind these grips are significantly less refined, though, with a flimsy plastic build that feels like they could snap easily after long-term usage.

That same flimsiness also applies to the pedals, which are the same here as they were with the Mario Kart wheel. While they mostly get the job done, they (alongside the included clip-on footrest) have an overtly plastic and lightweight build, meaning they can easily slide around on harder surfaces.

The wheelbase, thankfully, is much sturdier and has a nice weight to it. You’ve also got two options here when it comes to securing the base in place; a clamp and a set of suction cups. You should avoid using the latter unless you lack a surface that you can easily clamp the wheel to. As with the Mario Kart wheel, I found the suction cups offered little to no purchase for the wheel on my desk. The included clamp, meanwhile, gets the job done just fine.

Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation: Performance

Despite my quibbles with some design and feature aspects, I can’t fault the Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation much when it comes to overall performance. The experience you’re getting here is far from mindblowing, especially thanks to the lack of force feedback, but it’s still more than up to the task of providing a decent wheel feel for less, offering robust value for money

I tested the Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation across PS5 and PC racing games, including Gran Turismo 7, EA Sports WRC, and F1 24. It’s clearly designed for PlayStation consoles first, as when loading into GT7, the wheel was ready to go with a preset control layout in place.

Hori Racing Wheel Apex

(Image credit: Future)

On PC, via XInput, some customization was required in F1 24 as the wheel wasn’t recognized in-game by default. In cases like this, you will need to set your own custom control layout. Thankfully there were no issues here, with buttons and steering all recognized as inputs without fuss.

I do miss the wider rotations available on mid-range racing wheels. The Hori Apex caps out just 270 degrees, which means it’s not best suited to serious simmers like iRacing, Assetto Corsa EVO, or indeed Euro Truck Simulator 2. But you should get by just fine in more casual friendly racers like GT7 and F1 24.

Should I buy the Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation?

Hori Racing Wheel Apex

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

You’re on a budget or buying for a younger player
It’s as simple as that. If you can’t / won’t buy a more expensive mid-range to premium racing wheel - or you’re buying for a kid - the Hori Apex is good value for money.

You want an easy, plug-and-play experience
Many pricier wheels - particularly direct drive models - usually require a more setup. By comparison, the Apex just requires you to hook it up to a console or PC via USB and you’re good to go. It’s really as easy as that.

Don't buy it if...

You want a more immersive experience
A lack of force feedback is understandable given the Apex’s price, but it does mean that you lose a lot of that authentic racing feel here. A limited 270-degree turning angle also hurts in this regard.

Also consider...

If the Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation isn’t quite doing it for you, have a look at these two PS5-compatible alternatives.

Thrustmaster T248
A bit of an old dog as far as racing wheels go, but one that’s nonetheless reliable and another solid budget pick. While pricier overall, the T248 does offer basic force feedback and a novel on-wheel display. 900 degrees of rotation is also fantastic for a wide variety of sim racers.

Read our Thrustmaster T248 review

Logitech G923
Arguably the first name in PS5 racing wheels, the Logitech G923 rules the roost even years after its initial launch. With fantastic build quality and immersive force feedback, it’s the mid-range plug-and-play racing wheel we recommend first for PS5 players.

Read our Logitech G923 review

How I tested the Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation

  • Tested for one week
  • Tested across PS5 and PC
  • Compared with the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe

I tested the Hori Racing Wheel Apex for PlayStation over the course of a week. During that time, I hooked the wheel up to both PS5 and PC to test a variety of racing games including Gran Turismo 7, F1 24, and EA Sports WRC. While a lack of force feedback and a limited rotation means it’s not the most ideal for sim racers, I did find the Apex to be a good fit for arcade racers like Tokyo Xtreme Racer.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2025

OneOdio’s DJ headphones have two features non-DJs will love –but for most listeners, there are better-sounding options for the money
1:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones Wireless Headphones | Comments: Off

OneOdio Studio Max 1: Two-minute review

According to friends of mine who've tried it, and a quick Google check to see if they know what they’re talking about, the best headphones for DJs (and other kinds of live music performers, by all accounts) are wired ones. Why? Latency – going wireless incurs a lag, and that's just not OK when you're building a set or trying to keep to a beat. But all of this is something OneOdio seems set on challenging with its new Studio Max 1 DJ headphones.

These new wireless cans aren’t aiming for our list of the best wireless headphones, but instead aim to provide musicians with a tempting wireless rival to the current wired hegemony – with the option to go back to wired if you'd like to. So, a sort of best wired headphones hybrid proposition, if you will.

In many ways they work, with a range of useful features and some handy in-box extras that you don’t see in many rivals. However, TechRadar is first and foremost a consumer website and for everyday non-DJ cans – or even people who want an audio solution for work and for play – and the Studio Max 1 don’t cut the mustard I'm afraid.

The primary issue is that the headphones just don’t sound good. Audio is oddly crunchy and with overblown bass that drowns out most everything else, and treble is so weak that even spoken-word audio doesn’t sound great.

The Studio Max 1 are also a little tiresome to set up, with a Bluetooth pairing process that’s a bit confusing and a design that needs some untangling when you use them, despite the lack of cables.

But there’s a lot to like here. OneOdio isn’t just giving you a pair of headphones in the box but several different cables (the cans have multiple ports) as well as a wireless transmitter to give you much further range for Bluetooth. For many users, the inclusion of this transmitter is all that it’ll take to make the Studio Max a must-buy; cutting the cable gives DJs a lot more freedom anyway, and the transmitter gives you even longer range.

A further potential downside of wireless over wired DJ headphones is that they need recharging, unlike wired ones. However OneOdio has given the Studio Max 1 such a big battery life that it lasts a whopping 120 hours between charges, a figure so high that it dwarfs even its longest-lasting rivals. Honestly, if battery life is important to you and you’re not a DJ, it still might make these cans a great buy.

These fantastic features aren’t quite enough to offset the poor audio quality in terms of my star rating for this review, but they'll definitely give some buyers a reason to ignore my rating and pick up the OneOdio Studio Max 1 anyway.

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Price and release date

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 on a colored rug.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released in February 2025
  • Sell for $169.99 / £135 / AU$275

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 were announced in December 2024, and were released a few months later in February 2025.

You can pick up the headphones for $169.99 / £135 / AU$275, which is a little north of some of our favorite Bluetooth headphones but a reasonable price when you consider what comes in the box: there’s a carry bag, a USB-C to USB-C charging cable, 3.5mm-3.5mm audio cable, 3.5mm-6.35mm audio cable, 6.35mm audio adaptor and special Bluetooth transmitter. Yes, it's all included in that upfront cost.

The world of wireless DJ headphones features few competitors so far, and OneOdio’s offering is relatively affordable compared to, say, the AIAIAI TMA-2 which costs $300 / £250 (roughly AU$500). Of course, DJs or musicians can also find many worthy offerings by heading over to our list of the best headphones, but they won’t all have the full range of jacks and features.

Here's the thing: for accessories and functionality, there's value here. The problem is, headphones need to sound good first and foremost – ideally to anyone who listens, whether pro mixer or dedicated music lover. And as we'll see, that's the main issue with the OneOdio Studio Max: I don't think they'll appeal to either listener.

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Specs

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Features

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 on a colored rug.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Impressive 120-hour battery life
  • Myriad connectivity options
  • No ANC or app (but that's not really the point)

Let’s start with the OneOdio Studio Max 1’s best feature: its battery life. Stamina here stretches to a whopping 5 days of listening time. That’s right, days and not hours – OneOdio puts the figure at 120 hours.

That’s by far one of the longest battery lives you’ll find on wireless headphones, making this a fantastic pick for all kinds of users who may be unavailable to charge (or to remember to charge) their headphones regularly.

Certainly helping that battery life, but not helping all listeners, is the lack of any kind of noise cancellation in the Studio Max 1 (beyond the natural damping and passive isolating effect of the ear pads).

Given that you may want to use the DJ headphones in, say, busy music-filled halls where you’d want to cut away audience and reverb and projected music to hear just your turntables, it feels an odd choice in 2025 – although it's true that traditional DJ cans don't come bearing ANC. The thing is, it also makes these headphones a little less appealing for everyday listeners, although again, hybrid users will likely look to all the other things they can do that others can't.

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 on a man's head.

(Image credit: Future)

So back to the Studio Max’s unique features, then: in the box OneOdio has included something called the Transmitter M1. You plug this into your musical instrument or DJ deck to greatly extend the Bluetooth connection range, and I can see this being useful in many a professional or casual situation. It also lets you plug into devices that don’t have on-board Bluetooth like guitar pedals, certain DJ decks and, very usefully for me, custom-build PCs which don’t have Bluetooth adaptors.

Also helping connectivity is a feature which OneOdio calls Rapid WiLL+, and it’s basically an improved latency for everyday Bluetooth connection. That’s not its only connection option though as the headphones, as mentioned, have a 3.5mm and 6.25mm jack as well as in-box cables to use them. There are a plethora of connection options available, making these really adaptable headphones.

Bluetooth users beware though: I found the Studio Max hair-pullingly annoying to set up via the standard in the first instance, due to (as I found out later) the headphones defaulting to pairing in a different mode. I never normally say this, but you’ll need to keep two eyes on the in-box instruction manual to make sure you set this up properly.

If you’re using your Studio Max 1 alongside a smartphone or tablet, you might miss the lack of a companion app and any of the features it might bring (an equalizer, touch control customization, visual indicator of battery life, etc). Almost all the features of these headphones boast are musician-friendly ones, and although notable and niche, the Studio Max 1 do therefore lack certain perks mere mortals may have become used to – and I do mean those you'd find in an app.

  • Features score: 4/5

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Design

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 on a colored rug.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Bulky body
  • Many ports
  • Many more buttons

The Studio Max 1 are rather large 'I'm the DJ' headphones – as far as I can recall, they’re the first headphones I’ve ever tested which I could see in my peripheral when worn normally. So don’t expect svelte little things, these are industrial-strength and industrial-sized.

The Studio Max 1 are big over-ear headphones with a padded headband and thick padded cups that tip the scales at 350g. Something I grew to really appreciate about them is how moveable they are, making them easy to fold for a bag, fit on different heads or listen with just one ear pressed against the corresponding driver: each cup rotates across 90-degrees inward to fold as well as 180 degrees on the x-axis and almost a full 360 degrees of tilt.

This did get a little confusing sometimes when I wanted to quickly listen to music, yet had to spend ages fiddling about and rotating cups, but I’m still in support of it.

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 on a colored rug.

(Image credit: Future)

The OneOdio take quite a lot of getting used to, and that’s because of how many different ports and buttons the headphones have. On the left cup you’ve got the USB-C charging port and the 6.25mm jack – so far, so simple. However, on the right side we’ve got the 3.5mm jack as well as a volume up button, a power button, a volume down button and another icon which simply says ‘B’ that I constantly forgot the function for (it’s for changing pairing modes).

When listening to music, I’d find it impossibly hard to feel out which of these little plastic stumps was for volume, and I quickly decided to stick to my input device’s volume buttons instead.

I couldn’t find an IP rating for the Studio Max 1 – they’re not exactly streamlined enough for swimming, but it’s something to bear in mind if you’re DJing at, say, a pool party or foam party (in case you take a time machine back to the 90s).

  • Design score: 3/5

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Sound quality

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 on a colored rug.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tinny-sounding audio
  • Overwhelming bass
  • One issue better, one worse with wired audio

Given the range of features and the target audience of live musicians on a budget, you can begin to understand that perhaps connectivity was key and music quality wasn’t the most important aspect when delivering the OneOdio Studio Max 1 to meet a brief. I need to say that to get you in a forgiving mood, because these headphones don’t sound great.

The one thing going for the Studio Max 1 is a meaty amount of bass, so if that’s all you care about, then you might find the headphones acceptable. But it’s an indistinct and crunchy one-note kind of bass, so while you can feel your head shake, it’s hard to make out the actual strumming of a bass guitar or timbre of lower-register instruments.

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 on a colored rug.

(Image credit: Future)

I also struggled to enjoy vocals and other treble lines when they were barely audible behind the bass, a problem that also affects mid-register instruments and… well, anything that isn’t bass, really. Boy, did I wish that OneOdio had given these things some kind of equalizer I could use to reduce bass!

Another issue with the sound quality was simply that music sounds a little tinny, most notably in the usual suspects like drum hi-hats and rhythmic guitar riffs but apparent, per song, in everything from vocals to classical instruments. I say “a little” to indicate that it’s not as bad as in, say, cheapie $30 headphones, but it’s more than I’ve come to expect at this price.

It's worth noting that I did most of my testing in Bluetooth mode. When I connected the headphones via wires, the bass problem was noticeably diminished. However, the audio was inexplicably even crunchier across the frequencies, which put me off using cables.

  • Sound quality: 2.5/5

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: value

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 on a colored rug.

(Image credit: Future)

On their own, the OneOdio Studio Max 1 don’t quite justify their price, with the iffy audio quality making other headphones much more tempting.

However, OneOdio tilts the balance in its favor with all the in-box extras: the multiple cables, transmitter and carry bag and just their imposing size and meatiness all help the headphones to justify their cost.

  • Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the OneOdio Studio Max 1?

Buy them if…

You often struggle with Bluetooth range
If you're often wandering outside the Bluetooth range of your headphones, whether it's for specific use cases or you're just a pacer, the in-box transmitter with the Studio Max will stop your songs sounding patchy.

You have the worst memory for charging
Reliably forget to charge your gadgets for weeks at a time? The 120-hour battery life of these headphones means you don't need to.

Don’t buy them if…

You care about audio first and foremost
Audio isn't the most important aspect of headphones for everyone, but if it is for you, then the Studio Max 1 won't impress you very much.

You want lightweight headphones
There's no denying that the OneOdios are some pretty hefty headphones, and they won't win you fashion points.

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Also consider

OneOdio Studio Wireless C
These alternative headphones to the Studio Max from OneOdio have many similar features, including a very long battery life and 50mm driver, but without any of the DJ trappings. Oh, and they're much cheaper… 

AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless
If you want DJ headphones, the AIAIAI options here are much more lightweight options. The battery life isn't comparable but they also come with a wireless transmitter. (Our AIAIAI TMA-2 experiential is incoming, but until then, you can read more about the older TMA Studio Wireless+).

How I tested the OneOdio Studio Max 1

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 on a colored rug.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for two weeks
  • Tested with smartphone, computer and keyboard

I tested the OneOdio Studio Max 1 for two weeks before writing this review. For the most part I used them alongside my Android smartphone via Bluetooth but I also used them alongside my PC and plugged into a digital keyboard at several times too.

I listened to music and audiobooks with the headphones, both at home and about, and also watched a movie and several hours of TV with them at home. The keyboard I used them with was a cheapie one, and this part of the testing was largely to appreciate the versatility that the in-box wires provides.

I've been testing gadgets at TechRadar for six years, so have a wealth of knowledge to draw on for this review. I've been playing the keyboard for about 20, but that didn't help out here too much.

  • First reviewed in April 2025
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