Sony WF-SP800N Earbuds Review: The Ultimate Sporting Earbuds

POSITIVES

✓ A snug fit

Won't move in the ear canals

✓ IP55 rating

Great for sports

✓ Great battery life

Up to 18 hours of playtime with ANC

NEGATIVES

✘ Large charging case

Not convenient for pockets

✘ Finicky connectivity

Sometimes won't pair

✘ Tinny sound

Average quality sound

Retail price: $58.50

Buy on Amazon

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When I first opened the Sony WF-SP800N earbuds, I immediately thought these were perfect to use for workouts and sports. Not only did the bright and vibrant coral color mixed with the water-splashed marketing photos allude to this, but the lightweight and modern looking earbuds themselves advertised exactly as a champion of active wear. I’ve been using the Sony WF-SP800N earbuds for quite some time now and these may very well be the best sporting earbuds.

Big and Bold

The charging case on these Sony earbuds are probably the largest I’ve seen yet. Made out of plastic and covered with a matte coating, the charging case is lightweight at 57 grams but has a bit of a cheap feeling to it. As a woman lacking purse space, I prefer smaller and more portable cases. The Sony WF-SP800N charging case is the apologetically bold and large. These aren’t meant to conveniently fit into a jean pocket, but they should fit fine without issues in a large gym bag or backpack. The charging case charges via USB-C cable located on the bottom. It features an indicator light on the lid of the case to inform the user of battery life. Each earbud also has its own indicator light as well that flashes blue and red. The earbuds match the case in color and are equally large and bold in design. There’s a rubber wing tip that faces up and can be used to adjust fit within the ear canal. I found the fit of these earbuds to be quite snug and the large design of the earbud appears to help with active noise cancelling as well. More on that later. Ultimately, when it came to fit, I was torn over how to rate these earbuds. They’re great for sports and outdoor activities like running or at the gym, but I would not consider them versatile to use for everyday errands or chores. If there was ever a pair of earbuds designed specifically for one job, it would be the WF-SP800N for sports.

The Sony WF-SP800N earbuds retail for about $60 and are also sold in blue and black colors. They connect via Bluetooth 5.0. A blue indicator light will let you know the earbuds are ready to pair. By no means were these earbuds easy for me to pair. I would rate them on the average scale when it came to pairing as they gave me some finicky experiences pairing it to my Google Pixel 5a. For some reason, they were significantly easier to connect to my Windows laptop than to any smartphone I connected to. The irony.

My accidental taps frequently confused the earbuds to my intentions and I constantly found myself having to reach for my phone or device in order to fix whatever (accidental) function I had just completed.

Full of Features

These Sony earbuds have a slew of enticing features that make it suitable for active usage. The IP55 rating makes it great for outdoor activities and you can also enable hands-free calling via voice. While not dust and water-proof, they are to an extent dust and water-resistant. Each earbud harnesses touch functionality allowing users to activate noise cancellation modes and playback settings. I can easily see these being taken advantage of during runs or while shooting around the horn with a basketball. Unfortunately, I had a disappointing experience with these headphones due to their sensitive touch. My accidental taps frequently confused the earbuds to my intentions and I constantly found myself having to reach for my phone or device in order to fix whatever (accidental) function I had just completed. This was probably one of the most frustrating features of these earbuds as it often felt downright impossible to use them correctly.

Impressive Battery Life

No stranger to the audio space, Sony touts up to 18 hours of playtime with the charging case while retaining noise cancellation on and up to 26 hours with ANC off. While I experienced just a little less playtime than advertised, I would say the battery life on these earbuds was pretty impressive. Although there were more hiccups than I would have liked dealing with connectivity, the battery stayed strong throughout my review period with these earbuds. Charging is also quick and easy and ten minutes of charging will get users about an hour of playtime. I was able to quickly recharge these earbuds in between Zoom calls and continue on for many days after without having to plug them in again.

Disappointing Sound Quality

To be honest, I was pretty hyped about these earbuds because they were Sony branded. I have multiple friends who use Sony products regularly and are always blown away by them so maybe my expectations were simply too high. This especially so with the WH-1000XM4 and previous generations of Sony’s signature headphones. The Sony WF-SP800N earbuds on the other hand provided a decently strong bass delivery, but although vocals were clear, I still couldn’t help but feel the sound emitting was tinny. Although I was impressed with the active noise cancelling functionality, that itself wasn’t anything extraordinary when compared with other products that are quickly flooding the market who also offer ANC. Don’t get me wrong here, the mids, highs, and lows are reproduced relatively accurately and there still is a little extra emphasis in the bass. I’m just not blown away by anything spectacular. This could be caused by my over expectations developed due to the wildly popular reputation of the XM headphones, but I just didn’t feel too positive coming out of my time with the WF-SP800N. I can’t say these are the XM4’s of earphones.

It is however, very convenient to activate ANC and turn it on and off but again, this feature comes standard in a lot of other earbuds as well. For those that want more customization, you can download the Sony Headphones Connect app that will let you adjust specific EQ yourself. I’ve had finicky success with pairing the WF-SP800N earbuds to the Headphones Connect app and although in theory it’s a great option to personalize your listening style, I was ultimately disappointed with its execution.

Final Thoughts

Nevertheless, I can see these earbuds attracting a more active crowd who want a dedicated use case scenario from a big brand. There are hundreds of quality earbuds flooding Amazon from Chinese makers, but Sony has long had a reputation for manufacturing quality products. If you can get connectivity to work for you and want well-fitted snug earbuds with decent bass, the Sony WF-SP800N earbuds are still an overall solid option. The IP55 rating makes them great for both indoor and outdoor activities and the easy access ANC function allows them to be adjusted on the fly for safety purposes. Even with all the positives they bring, these are still not my favorite pair of earbuds. To me, there are other comparable options to consider that we found more functional and had better value in the form of the Google Pixel Buds A-Series or the Beats Studio Buds. 

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