Sony's next-generation true wireless earbuds, the WF-SP700N, continues to embark on a more unconventional design path. Unlike other designs, Sony clearly wants to stand out from the rest, and after reviewing the WF-SP700N, I feel that Sony is once again carving its own unique design…

Sony WF-SP700N review: The biggest advantage that the Sony WF-SP700N is that it comes with noise cancelling, which is still very unique...

I'm no audiophile but the sound is pretty good. More importantly the fit is good and the ear pieces feel secure in. I like how you can choose to switch on or off noise cancelling. My main dislike is that when you are answering calls, the sound only comes through the left ear.

As noted in our recent review of the Xperia Ear Duo, it’s difficult to think of any company - aside from maybe Jabra - that’s playing as deeply into the fast-growing true wireless earbuds space as Sony is. Between the experimental Ear Duo and last year’s WF-1000X, it’s clear that Sony are looking to cater to more than just that core customer looking to make the jump to true wireless. Thus far, Sony’s approach hasn’t been about offering one-size fits all true wireless products but instead opted for more-specialized fare.

The Sony WF-SP700N sports earbuds take the strengths of last year’s WF-1000X and mold them to a very different cause.

Noise-cancelling; Solid durability;

Battery life lags compared to competition; First-gen connectivity dropouts;

We've seen a lot of new truly wireless earphones hit the market in 2018, all trying to compete against the most well-known member of the breed, Apple's AirPods . Sony's latest, the WF-SP700N, retails for $180 (£180, AU$300) and is essentially the sports version of Sony's earlier WF-1000X .

Fits comfortably and securely and sounds good for truly wireless headphones; Built-in noise cancelling helps muffle ambient sound; An included charging case delivers two additional charges

Battery life is only OK at 3 hours; It's a little awkward to get the earbuds into their charging case; Some audio delay when using certain streaming video apps

Despite some small downsides, the Sony WF-SP700N is one of the better truly wireless headphones currently available.

Fits comfortably and securely and sounds good for truly wireless headphones; Built-in noise cancelling helps muffle ambient sound; An included charging case delivers two additional charges.

Battery life is only OK at 3 hours; It's a little awkward to get the earbuds into their charging case; Some audio delay when using certain streaming video apps.

We've seen a lot of new truly wireless earphones hit the market in 2018, all trying to compete against the most well-known member of the breed, Apple's AirPods.

Despite some small downsides, the Sony WF-SP700N is one of the better truly wireless headphones currently available.

Fits comfortably and securely and sounds good for truly wireless headphones; Built-in noise cancelling helps muffle ambient sound; An included charging case delivers two additional charges.

Battery life is only OK at 3 hours; It's a little awkward to get the earbuds into their charging case; Some audio delay when using certain streaming video apps.

Average for mixed usage. They're compact, easy to carry around and have a decently comfortable in-ear fit. They also have a decent if slightly too bass-heavy sound and unique design that's decently durable and will stand out when compared to other truly wireless in-ears.

Stable fit for sports; Compact and decently sturdy design.

High latency; Poor noise isolation.

They fit well and sound great, but the Sony WF-SP700N fall short on battery life, and that's a deal breaker.

Extremely comfortable; Clear sound with potent bass response; Sweat-proof

Battery 40 percent less than competition; Poor noise-canceling

Sony's WF-SP700N true wireless earphones are a rare misstep from a company that typically has much higher standards.

Secure in-ear fit; Solid noise cancellation for the price

Poor audio performance; Short battery life; Low IP rating for gym-focused earphones