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REVIEW: Sony WF-SP900 wireless headphones

It was really just a matter of time when truly wireless headphones started - to put it figuratively - flooding the market. Sony's latest WF-SP900 wireless headphones aim to make their mark in this segment, giving you sound enjoyment in any environment.
The SP900's size can be a hit-or-miss thing: while it's small enough to be considered handy, its body sticks out of your ears. Consider this for perspective: it's bulkier than Samsung's IconX, and even more so compared to Apple's AirPods.
The box comes with several goodies, including not three, but four each of earbud gels and arc supporters. Coming in small, medium, large and extra-large sizes, they guarantee sizing won't be a problem for any ear type (unless you're Godzilla or a mouse.). As usual, medium ones worked for me; I tried bobbing my head - even headbanging - to see if it would fall off. Fortunately, with the right size, you won't have that problem.
It also comes with a carrying case that doubles as a charging crib. There's an NFC point on the case, which is one way to connect to your device; the other, of course, being Bluetooth. I encountered no problems here. A USB-C port is located below the SP-900's case. Here, we'll diverge a bit to discuss battery life. Sony claims two life spans: one at 12 hours and another at 21 hours. Why? Because of the 4GB onboard storage on these headphones. At full strength, you'll be able to listen to music for up to three hours streamed from your device; add the three additional power-ups from a fully-charged carrying case, and that number goes up to 12. In other words, that's four three-hour cycles.
Now, if you want to enjoy your music coming from the media stored in the SP900, you can listen for up to six hours at a time, which goes up to 21 hours when you use up all the charges from the case. The numbers may not add up (you were expecting 6 x 4 = 24, right?), but that's still a good output on any day. The case's charging time takes about 2.5 hours to max out, with the 'phones inside.
Each bud comes with two buttons: the one on the left is for toggling ambient sound - you know, that trick that allows you to hear some of the sounds outside your world of music. The one on the right, meanwhile, is for controlling music playback and calls - you know the drill: tapping, double-tapping and holding it will give you all the control you need. The SP900's sound and performance is a non-issue, although I feel its bass levels are a bit on the softer side. The maximum volume also seems to not be at expected levels.
And now for the clincher: the SP900 comes with a set of swimming earbuds - yes, this baby is swim-proof. I took a dip in a pool just to test it. While it's great to be able to enjoy music with some waterproof headphones, the sound gets muffled out when you actually swim or go below the surface. I didn't consider that a big deal, since it's not as though you're going to be swimming for hours. The controls work well underwater, specifically the tapping.
There's also a round-the-neck leash cord included that you can use to hang the set around your neck. Even attempts to swim 'vigorously' couldn't wash them away and left my imaginary Olympic performance intact. They're even okay to use in saltwater!
AND SO.
The Sony WF-SP900 wireless headphones' biggest selling point is its underwater capabilities, but its price point and susceptibility to being overwhelmed by outside noise hold it back. Its in-built storage is good news, allowing you to be active even without your smartphone. And if you really want to make full use of these headphones, just hit the shower.
THE LOWDOWN
Build
Wireless earbuds (leash included)
Connectivity
Bluetooth 4.0 A2DP, NFC (case); USB-C (case)
Durability
IPX5/X8 (headphones only, with swimming buds), water- (up to 2m)/dust-proof
Storage
4GB
Sound modes
Noise-cancelling (passive), ambient
Audio types
MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, FLAC
Battery
Up to 6h single charge, 21h using case
Price
Dh1,199
Pros
Stand-alone music player; water-resistance rating; good battery
Cons
Sound gets overwhelmed easily by noise or muffled underwater; a bit expensive
Author's rating
3.5/5
alvin@khaleejtimes.com