Since the first true wireless headset with active noise reduction function went online, Sony has shown their dedication to the “noise reduction” function here.
They have to do noise reduction on head-mounted, neck-mounted, and truly wireless headphones, as well as noise reduction on sports wireless headphones. There were a lot of noise-canceling headphones released during that period, which gave me the illusion that “N” has become the regular suffix of Sony headphones.
Here WF stands for true wireless headphones, SP is a series specifically for sports scenes, and N stands for noise reduction. The combination of these letters is Sony’s first true wireless headset with active noise reduction.
WF-SP800N Sony Noise Cancelling Earphone
Sony finally launched the updated WF-SP800N noise-canceling earphone.
Thanks to Sony’s latest chips and solutions, WF-SP800N also has the same connectivity as WF-1000XM3, and noise reduction performance has also been improved. Coupled with a comprehensively improved battery life and a newly designed IP55 waterproof body, the WF-SP800N is also a fully upgraded version.
In terms of accessories, WF-SP800N is almost the same as before.
Compared with the previous generation of translucent packaging, WF-SP800N uses a fully enclosed packaging with an envelope, the texture will be much better than before.
In addition to the charging box and the earphone body, Sony also comes with large, medium, and small and ultra-small rubber plugs and large-size silicone rubber arc-shaped brackets.
There are also USB-C short cables for charging. Although there are not many accessories, it can also meet basic needs.
WF-SP800N comes with four colors
Sony this time gave up pink and the previous main yellow, replaced with orange and blue.
The paint surface and texture on the headphones have also changed. The WF-SP800N charging case is matte, and there will be a certain sense of friction when you get it. The body is very clean, except for the Sony logo on the top.
The charging interface of the box adopts a design similar to WF-1000XM3. They made a gap for the USB-C interface and pretended to hide the charging port. The charging box also has an indicator light for charging status, the size of the lamp will be smaller than that of WF-1000XM3.
Sony Noise Cancelling Earphone comes without NFC
Unlike WF-1000XM3, WF-SP800N does not come with the NFC module.
For users who want to use Android phones or WALKMAN for quick pairing, WF-SP800N without NFC is not as convenient as WF-1000XM3.
Portability & Design of an active Earphone
The WF-SP800N charging case is okay overall, although this volume is still larger than other real wireless headphones for sports.
However, considering the improvement of Sony’s battery life, and the WF-SP800N fortress import pocket is not much problem, it is still acceptable.
WF-SP800N gave up the broad bean-like design used on WF-SP700N. The round body shell will narrow to both sides, and it will look more compact than WF-SP700N.
The matte white body is covered with a glossy touch trackpad, which also makes the WF-SP800N look good.
Inside design of the WF-SP800N
WF-SP800N Sony Noise Cancelling Earphone is similar to the WF-1000XM3. On the side of the in-ear structure is a sensor for detecting the distance. The in-ear structure also comes with an inside microphone for noise reduction.
The in-ear structure of WF-SP800N will be relatively long. Here, it is mainly reserved for the silicone arc brace used to enhance the wearing stability. This is also the difference between WF-SP800N and WF-1000XM3 that relies on the three-point structure to fix the headphones.
In terms of wearing, WF-SP800N can obtain good stability through rubber plugs and braces. Even in the event of head and body movements, WF-SP800N can be firmly fixed on the ear.
Also, Sony has used a slightly softer silicone to make the brace, which can improve the stability of the wear when worn, and the brace itself will not bring more pressure to wear.
While Running it Won’t add much burden to you
I also tried to use WF-SP800N in daily scenes, and I feel that this brace does not add much pressure to daily wear. If you are already accustomed to in-ear wearing users, the wearing feeling of WF-SP800N will not add much burden to you.
However, before you wear it, you must choose the right size bracket and rubber plug. Otherwise, some looseness when wearing WF-SP800N will still affect the experience.
Portable, protected and with all the power you need
With noise reduction turned on, the WF-SP800N headset supports 9 hours of playback. If noise reduction is turned off, the headset can achieve 13 hours of playback. Sony official said that the charging box can provide a full charge for the headset, then the WF-SP800N combined with the charging box can make 18 hours to 26 hours of battery life.
Although this performance is not exaggerated from the 32-hour endurance WF-1000XM3, like a headset specifically for sports scenes, the endurance performance of the WF-SP800N is very good. To cope with daily use, 9 hours with noise reduction and 13 hours Pure playback is also very reasonable No Delay in Sound While playing an online game
Although it is a sports headset, to test the stability, I also used WF-SP800N to play one or two sets of “Peace Elite”.
It feels like WF-SP800N is connected to the mobile phone to play shooting games. The performance is good. The footsteps and shooting sounds of the characters can keep up. Playing games in a fixed scene, the connection between the headset and the mobile phone There will also be no problems with disconnection and delay, and the overall performance is still acceptable.
Of course, WF-SP800N is a product positioned on “sports headphones”. In sports scenes, it is enough to ensure a stable connection. Low latency is not just a need, so it is understandable without low latency.
Noise Reduction of the WF-SP800N
In terms of noise reduction, WF-SP800N inherits the characteristics of WF-1000XM3, and the overall noise reduction performance is not bad. The WF-SP800N can cover the fans, air conditioners, and regular equipment sound in the gym or office. WF-SP800N can also alleviate the music played by large speakers.
However, the noise reduction of the WF-SP800N is not as strong as the WF-1000XM3, and it is not the product that focuses on strong noise reduction. Therefore, when dealing with particularly loud ambient music, the WF-SP800N has not been completely covered, and the playback volume needs to be adjusted to match.
Like the previous Sony noise reduction headphones, WF-SP800N also supports three modes of noise reduction, ambient sound mode, and off.
As long as you press the touchpad of the left earphone, the WF-SP800N can also directly enable the ambient sound mode. When this mode is turned on, the volume of music playback will also be quickly turned down, so that the wearer can hear the current environment. The response of this function is quick, the startup and volume adjustment are very fast, it is a small function that is convenient for daily communication, and the interaction here is done with great care.
Also, the headset can set the playback state through the Headphone Connect application launched by Sony, including ambient sound intensity, sound equalizer, etc. These can be customized adjustments. Headphone Connect can also do adaptive monitoring for WF-SP800N that supports 360RA audio. The functions you need to use will be concentrated on this software.
In terms of sound, Sony did not specifically describe the unit specifications used by the WF-SP800N this time but mentioned that it supports EXTRA BASS subwoofer sound effects like the WF-SP700N. You can also turn on the flexible sound adjustment function through the Headphone Connect application.
If you listen to it, the performance style of the WF-SP800N is somewhat similar to the previous WF-XB700. The main EXTRA BASS exerts a force on the low-frequency output, increasing the strength and flexibility of the headphones when restoring the drumbeat. It sounds natural and rhythmic. Strong, more suitable for sports scenes that need to affect emotions.
However, the overall sound of the headset still prefers mid- to high-frequency, and the performance of the human voice is also very prominent. It’s just that Sony didn’t pay too much attention to the details this time. At the same time, the high and medium frequencies are prominent, and they also bring out a rough feeling. It sounds relatively dry. If you listen carefully in a non-sports scene or are a little unaccustomed.
Although EXTRA BASS focuses on low-frequency performance, sports headphones do not need to pay attention to performance details, but if you want to balance daily use and sports scenes, the sound of WF-SP800N can continue to be polished.
Good Performance, but Still Polishable
In general, WF-SP800N is also a product with great progress.
Switching to a new design and new appearance, it erases the sense of cheapness brought by the previous-generation plastic shell. Sony has also successfully demonstrated the design power of a new generation in sports headphones.
In terms of function and experience, WF-SP800N also inherits the strength of Sony’s “third-generation” true wireless headphones. The battery life, stability, and delay control have been upgraded to varying degrees, plus the noise reduction performance of this generation itself is good. WF-SP800N can be regarded as a sports headset with good overall performance.
In the past, we laughed and said that WF-SP700N is “the hope given to the future by the past”. There is the idea of “two in one for daily use of sports”, but there is no experience that supports the ideal.
Now, WF-SP800N has been able to wipe away the “tears of the times” of WF-SP700N, becoming a unique sports noise-reducing headset under Sony. From this point of view, Sony’s upgrade this time is still worthy of recognition.
Of course, WF-SP800N still has a lot of room for polishing. For example, it needs a simpler and direct pairing operation, the sound completion needs to be improved, and the battery life can be increased based on 26 hours… after all, this is a truly wireless headset with the same price as the original 1000X.
