Sony introduces the new WF-SP800N (update)

Sony has expanded its truly wireless headphones range with today's announcement of the WF-SP800N. The new headset replaces the WF-SP700N and brings many new updates and features.

Update:

The WF-SP800N is up on Amazon for those interested. The US site is showing end of May availability, while Germany is June 2020, and UK is July 2020.

The headset features a new design with 4 colour options, black, white, blue and orange, and an improved battery life. With noise cancellation on, the WF-SP800N can provide up to 9 hours of playback from the earbuds, and another 9 hours in the case for a total of 18 hours. Turning off NC, total playback is up to 26 hours, which means NC off playback is up to 13 hours on a full charge. A 10 minute recharge provides up to 60 minutes of use.

Pricing will be €180/£150 and availability will start from July 2020. So far these have been announced for Europe and Australia, but I expect more regions to have these, like North America and other parts of Asia. The headset features an improved water/dust resistance now, IP55, up from IPX4 on the older model, but the case has no water/dust resistance.

The press release mentions the WF-SP800N borrows the Bluetooth chip from the WF-1000XM3, so this means the Mediatek MT2811S is on board. It is unknown if the NC will come from the MT2811S or a standalone NC chip like the WF-1000XM3's QN1e. DSEE HX is missing on the WF-SP800N. Borrowing from the newly announced WF-XB700, the WF-SP800N have Extra Bass which should provide a beefier sound.

Will be interesting to see a teardown of these once they become available.

Like the WF-1000XM3, support for 360 Reality Audio is present for those interested. The new headset also features Ambient Sound Mode and Advanced Adaptive Sound Control found in the WF-1000XM3. Both functions can be accessed using the Sony | Headphones Connect app.

The headphones do feature a touch sensor on each earbud, Sony calls this Smart Control technology. By simply placing your finger over the right earbud, you can control play, stop, skip through music or adjust the volume. On the left side, by placing a finger on the earbud, the the volume is turned right down and ambient sound is let in to hear your surroundings. Likewise, when one earbud is removed, the music stops playing, and putting it back resumes the music.