This story is part of Amazon Prime Day, CNET’s guide to everything you need to know and how to find the best deals.
I’ve been a fan of Apple’s AirPods since I got my hands on the first-generation wireless earbuds. I vividly remember using stock trackers and online alert systems to be notified when they came back in stock, and then I drove 2 hours to pick them up. It started with the originals, then I upgraded to the AirPods 2, then the AirPods Pro and even tried (but didn’t really like) the AirPods 3. Amid all that I’ve tried other types of headphones, mainly for work purposes but also sometimes to see if they’d work better for me, and the only one I find myself regularly using is the Shokz bone conduction headset when I’m out running or walking in places where I want to be able to better hear my surroundings.
This year, I went into Prime Day not really anticipating buying anything because there wasn’t much I thought I needed. Given the nature of my job, though, I’ve been looking at deals for weeks and some of them have been tempting, and this deal on Sony’s WF-C500 earbuds ended up getting me. Right now, the popular earbuds are down to just $58 at Amazon — a match of the all-time low from late last year. Normally, these spend most of their time priced at $100, so you’re saving an easy $42 with this Amazon Prime Day deal.
So what was it about this deal that made me bite? Well, first off, the price was pretty appealing. It’s a large discount, and at $58 they are definitely in impulse-buy territory as earbuds go. Next up is the battery life. The earbuds are said to last for up to 10 hours of usage, and the charging case offers another 10 hours. I do wish the carrying case had slightly more reserve power in it, but the case itself is quite small, which was another big appealing factor for me.
The headphones are IPX4-rated and splash-proof, so I don’t have to worry about getting caught out in the rain with them or how much I sweat while doing yard work in the heat of the South. Overall, it was a pretty compelling package of features for my needs, and the price really pushed me over. I’m quite excited to give these a go when they arrive. I’m no audiophile, and don’t make many calls, so I think the quality will be solid enough for me to enjoy my music from anywhere with ease.
This Prime Day deal is set to end tonight, so if you want to pick up a pair also you’ll want to get your order in before they go back up to $98.
