Sony WI-C100

By Sony · Budget Wireless Earbuds · Audio & Electronics

  • Up to 25 hours battery life
  • IPX4 splash-proof and sweat-proof
  • 9mm driver unit
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • 20Hz-20,000Hz frequency response

Lowest price seen
$23.00
from $23.00 at Abt · Checked Oct 10, 2026

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

Sony’s entry-level wireless neckband earbud pairs a 25-hour battery, IPX4 splash resistance and strong call quality with a price under $30. Check durability before buying: multiple owners report an earbud dying within 2–6 months.

Strengths

  • The 25-hour battery is real: Which? measured 1561 minutes (about 26 hours) in its UK test.
  • A 10-minute quick charge adds up to 60 minutes of playback.
  • Call quality draws consistent owner praise, and the microphone handles daily calls well.
  • At 20 g with a slim in-ear part, they stay comfortable through casual use and survive sweat, splashes and even a full washing machine cycle.
  • The Sony | Sound Connect app has working EQ controls, which Consumer Reports noted made a noticeable difference to the sound.
  • Fast Pair and Swift Pair cover Android and Windows 10/11, and Sony still ships firmware updates (v1.0.8, 12/09/2025).

Weaknesses

  • Durability is the open question: owners report earbuds dying within 2–6 months, and one says they break every 3 months or so.
  • The flexible neckband slips off easily, and Sony’s own review pages in Africa and Australia carry complaints that it drops unnoticed.
  • Ear tips fall off and get lost, and several owners call the cable heavy or too long.
  • There is no active noise cancellation, and codec support stops at SBC and AAC.
  • Maximum volume isn’t enough for some: one gym owner says it is “not quite loud enough”.
  • Consumer Reports found the bass “a bit prominent and boomy” on the default EQ, while some owners say it is weak instead.

Verified specifications

ModelWI-C100, in-ear with a flexible wire neckband rather than a rigid band.
Driver9 mm dynamic with a neodymium magnet.
Frequency response20 Hz–20,000 Hz over Bluetooth, 44.1 kHz sampling.
Bluetooth5.0; codecs SBC and AAC only, with no LDAC and no aptX.
Water resistanceIPX4, splash and sweat proof but not submersible.
Weightabout 20 g.
Batteryup to 25 hours of music playback and up to 15 hours of continuous communication.
Chargingabout 3 hours for a full charge; 10 minutes plugged in adds up to 60 minutes of playback, over USB-C.
Wireless rangeabout 10 m (30 ft) line of sight.
PairingFast Pair on Android and Swift Pair on Windows 10/11, voice assistant via button press; no NFC.
App supportSony | Sound Connect for EQ, presets and firmware updates (latest v1.0.8, 12/09/2025).
Colorsblack (WIC100/B), blue (WIC100/L), white (WIC100/W) and cream (WIC100/C).
In the boxearbud units, 3 pairs of ear tips, USB charging cable, reference guide and warranty card.
Warranty1-year limited, listed by Consumer Reports as 12 months parts and 12 months labor.
Full research notes and sources

Battery and charging

Sony rates the WI-C100 at up to 25 hours of music playback and 15 hours of continuous calls. Which? measured 1561 minutes, about 26 hours, a Reddit owner reports that “the battery really does last 24 hours”, and a Walmart reviewer noted over 17 hours of nonstop use. A full charge takes about 3 hours, and 10 minutes on the cable returns up to 60 minutes of playback. There are no subscriptions to buy and no running costs, since the Sony | Sound Connect app is free.

Sound, calls and the neckband

Consumer Reports rated the sound quality “very good” with good bass impact, though “a bit prominent and boomy” with the EQ off, and found the app’s EQ made a noticeable difference. HT Tech scored performance 7.5/10 and call quality 7/10 in its 2022 review. Call quality is the most-praised feature in owner feedback, though the microphone cannot suppress much background noise outdoors.

The neckband is a flexible wire, not a rigid band. It keeps the weight at 20 g and tucks into a pocket, and a Reddit owner likes that “the part that goes into the ear is slim”. But it polarizes: owners on Sony’s Asia Pacific, Australia and Africa pages report the neckband slipping off easily, and complaints about the cable being heavy or too long show up across Sony’s regional review pages.

Durability and reliability

The reports cut both ways. One CDW reviewer ran a pair for 5 years of daily use, including sauna visits and welding, with the buttons worn flat and the backs cracked, and they still work. A Sony Asia Pacific owner has used the same model since October 2023 and calls it tougher than case-style earbuds. Two owners report pairs surviving full washing machine cycles.

Against that: a CDW reviewer bought two pairs and both lost the right earbud within 2 months; another CDW reviewer lost their last 2 pairs after 6 months; a Reddit owner says they “break every 3 months or so”. Nobody has published a failure rate, so treat this as a pattern to weigh rather than a measured defect.

There are no user-serviceable parts, so if an earbud dies the whole unit goes back. Sony sells replacement ear tips but lists no other parts for this model. The warranty is one year, and a firmware update as recent as v1.0.8 (12/09/2025) suggests Sony still supports it.

Is it worth it?

At $25 or less, the WI-C100 is an easy call for podcasts, calls and gym sessions where battery life comes first — a pair that dies within months is cheap to replace at that price. Sony direct lists them at $24.99, down from $39.99 (October 2026); Best Buy has them at $24.99–$29.98 and Sweetwater at $28.00. Above about $30 the case thins: Consumer Reports listed from $38.00 in July 2026, B&H shows $38.00, and Sony’s truly wireless WF-C510 is $48 at Walmart. At the $39.99 list price, skip it.

Which model this is

The WI-C100 has sold since mid-2022 and remains in Sony’s US catalog as of October 2026. Sony sells four colors with identical hardware, and no hardware revision is documented — the latest change is firmware v1.0.8 (12/09/2025). The US Amazon listing is ASIN B09YLFHFDW.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Buying guides for this category

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