Sony WF-C510: problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-05

Summary

The WF-C510 is a 4.6 g button-operated earbud whose sound is widely rated above its price, and its main limitations are the charging case, which adds only one extra 11-hour charge, and a stripped feature set with no active noise cancellation and no high-resolution codecs. The stock tuning is poor until you change the EQ in the Sony app, and the physical buttons push the buds into the ear. With no consumables beyond eartips, running cost is near zero, and it is a strong buy below about $40 or in the $40-55 band.

Common problems and fixes

The case adds only one extra charge — Sony’s total of 22 hours is 11 hours in the buds plus 11 from the case, and both PCMag and TechRadar single the single-charge case out as the main weakness against rivals that supply at least two charges. Carry a power bank or top up before long days. [7][8]
Poor stock tuning until you change the app EQ — the loudest theme in the owner thread is that the out-of-box sound is poor and much better after EQ changes in the Sony app, and TechRadar notes DSEE has to be enabled there for the intended sound. Treat the app as part of setup. [7][8][10]
Stripped feature set — there is no active noise cancellation, only Ambient Sound Mode, and no wear detection, no low-latency mode, no wireless charging and no find-my feature. [7][8]
Physical buttons push the buds into the ear — PCMag reports that pressing the buttons pushes the earbuds further into the ear canal, which can be uncomfortable, and that they need a harder push than the reviewer would like. [7][9]
No high-resolution codecs — audio is SBC and AAC over Bluetooth 5.3, with no LDAC. [1][7]
Water resistance is limited and conditional — IPX4 covers the earbuds only, explicitly excluding the sound tube, and the charging case carries no rating at all. [1][2]
A charging cable may not be included — PCMag reports none in the box, while Sony’s own support article tells users to charge with the supplied USB Type-C cable and warns that generic cables may not work; treat a cable as possibly absent. [3][7]
Documented failure modes — Sony publishes model-specific troubleshooting for charging failure, pairing or connection failure, and no-sound or one-sided audio, with reset then initialize as the recovery path. [3][4][5][6]

Parts and consumables

Eartips — three pairs ship in the box and tips are user-replaceable in normal practice, but no replacement part number or price was found. [1][7]
Internal battery — Sony states batteries are consumables whose capacity degrades with age and does not guarantee their lifespan; no replacement battery pricing was found. [2]
Charging cable — may or may not ship, and Sony warns that commercially available cables may not charge the unit. [3][7]

Yearly running cost

Close to zero, and not enough data for a figure. There are no proprietary consumables and the earbuds run off a rechargeable case, so eartips are the only routinely replaced item, and no tip or battery pricing was found. Electricity for charging is unquantified. [7]

When it is a good buy

The evidence supports a band. Under about $40 it is strong value, $40-55 is the core value band, $56-70 is fair to good, and above $70 the missing features make a step up easier to justify. Sony’s US store listed the black pair at $69.99 in October 2026, TechRadar linked $68 at Sweetwater, PCMag linked $68 at Walmart, and a third-party deal page reported $48 in April 2026 against a typical price near $59. [1][7][8] Named alternatives:

Tribit FlyBuds 3 — PCMag’s cheaper pick at about $39.99 when budget decides. [7]
EarFun Air Pro 4 — PCMag’s step-up choice at about $89.99 when you want active noise cancellation and high-resolution codecs. [7]