Sony WF-C510 (Black) review

The Black Sony WF-C510/B is a sealed in-ear wireless earbud for listeners who want a tip fit, ambient sound and multipoint without active noise cancellation. Sony’s product FAQ is explicit on that point: the C510 does not offer ANC. Its Ambient Sound Mode lets outside sound in; it is not another name for noise cancelling. This assessment draws on the US listing, Sony specifications and the YY2982 Help Guide. It does not claim a personal wear trial, sound test or measured battery result.

No ANC is a defining feature, not a missing footnote

The C510 has a closed tip-based design. It is not an open-ear bud, and a tip may reduce some outside sound by physical fit, but Sony does not describe active cancellation on this model. If your requirement is to remove active ANC from the shortlist, the C510 has a documented no-ANC status; if you want a more open relationship with your surroundings, compare an open design instead. Ambient Sound Mode is useful for a different purpose: it uses the earbud’s listening mode to pass environmental sound through while audio plays.

Sony identifies a 6 mm driver and supplies hybrid silicone tips in SS, M and LL sizes, with M attached. That three-size kit gives a little flexibility, but it cannot predict whether the bud will stay secure or feel comfortable in a particular ear. Tip condition also matters when buying a used or open-box item. A return period is worth checking because the product documents cannot establish your fit or how much passive isolation you will get.

Battery depends on codec even without ANC

The help guide lists SBC and AAC over Classic Audio. With Ambient Sound Mode on, Sony estimates up to 7 hours using SBC and 8 hours using AAC; with the mode off, those values are up to 9 hours and 11 hours respectively. A broad spec-sheet headline can hide that SBC is lower than AAC in the detailed table. Sony also says Equalizer, DSEE and Service Link can shorten operating time, and a five-minute charge can provide about an hour of music under its stated conditions. These are manufacturer maxima, not a promise about daily playback.

For switching, Sony supports multipoint to two Bluetooth devices. Its manual describes being able to keep two devices connected and receive calls while listening to one source; that is not simultaneous playback of both audio streams. The product supports AAC and SBC, but Sony does not offer a combined runtime table for a specific codec while multipoint is engaged. This assessment therefore does not attach the single-source runtime to a two-device plan. If you depend on automatic switching between a work laptop and phone, check the exact host behavior and instructions rather than treating “multipoint” as a guarantee about every app or call scenario.

Package details and the case’s limits

Sony’s support specification lists the charging case, hybrid silicone rubber earbuds and reference guide; the model manual names the SS/M/LL tip pairs. The checked Sony package list does not name a USB charging cable. A USB charging method is specified, so confirm the offer’s included contents and make sure you have a compatible cable instead of assuming one is in the box. The case itself weighs about 1.09 ounces, while each earbud is listed at about 0.16 ounces.

The earbud units have an IPX4 rating, but Sony says the charging case is not water resistant. The guide says the buds are not intended for use in water and distinguishes splashes from immersion or other liquids such as pool or seawater. Remove moisture and let parts dry before storing or charging. This distinction is easy to miss when a listing summarizes the set as “water resistant.” The rating belongs to the earbud units, not the charging case.

Where it fits in a comparison

Compared with Sony’s WF-C710N, the C510 omits active noise cancellation while preserving a sealed fit, ambient mode, SBC/AAC and multipoint. That makes it a better match for a documented no-ANC preference, but not necessarily for someone who wants a more comfortable bud or a stronger fit: neither is established without an individual trial. The C710N’s ANC-on runtime figures should not be used to estimate the C510, which has no ANC and instead has separate ambient-mode runtimes.

Before purchase, match the black WF-C510/B suffix, confirm the tip kit and case, check whether a charging cable is included in the specific offer, and make sure the codec and two-device behavior suit your host devices. Sony lists a total of up to 22 hours with the case, but that summary is not the same as the per-earbud table: AAC can reach 11 hours per charge with ambient mode off, while SBC is listed at 9. If ANC is essential, compare a different model rather than reading ambient sound as a substitute.

Other documented finishes

Sony’s US listings identify Blue WF-C510/L, Butter Yellow WF-C510/Y and White WF-C510/W. Best Buy labels its exact /Y listing simply “Yellow,” while Sony calls the same /Y finish “Butter Yellow”; the shared suffix is the identity bridge. The photos below are appearance references, not evidence about package contents or finish-dependent operation. The Butter Yellow listing image shows the closed case only; the White image also shows only the case.

For the exact finishes, compare Sony’s US Blue, Butter Yellow and White product pages with the corresponding Blue, Yellow and White appearance listings.

Sources: Sony’s Black US listing, WF-C510 specifications and YY2982 Help Guide.