While the Apple AirPods were not the first fully wireless Bluetooth earbuds (that honor goes to either Onkyo or Bragi, depending on who you ask), they did usher in an era of mainstream acceptance of the seemingly futuristic devices. And while the market now offers a dozen or more contenders, Sony just debuted a pair of wireless earbuds at CES that still manage to bring further innovation to the category. The Sony WF-SP700N wireless earbuds not only do away with all cables, they also sport an IPX4 splash-proof rating—which means you can wear them worry-free in the rain or while sweating heavily. But the feature that sets them apart from rivals is their active, adjustable noise cancellation, making them the first ever wireless earbuds that offer both active noise-cancellation and a measure of splash-proofing. They’ll be a boon to anyone who prefers minimal distractions at the gym, and those who still want to hear their surroundings—when on a run outside, for instance—have the option to turn on the ambient sound mode so they can still hear some of the noise around them.
L to R: Sony WF-SP700N, the world’s first wireless, active noise-cancelling, splashproof headphones; the WI-SP600N wireless, noise-cancelling headphones; and the WI-SP500 wireless sport headphones.
Along with the WF-SP700N, Sony also debuted the WI-SP600N, which offer all of the same features, but in a “wired” wireless model(the earbuds are connected to each other by a wire, but still connect to your device wirelessly). Rounding out Sony’s new sport headphones are the WI-SP500 in-ear headphones, which offer a more basic wireless option, still with an IPX4 splash-proof rating, but without the noise cancellation.
All three of these models will be available this spring, with the WF-SP700N priced at $179.99, the WI-SP600N at $149.99, and the WI-SP500 at $79.99.
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