We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a wireless, sweat-resistant neckband you can wear for hours, choose Sony WI-C100; if you need wired USB-C earbuds with active noise cancelling, choose Keyronanc Active Noise Cancelling. Those two sentences basically decide it. Everything below is just me showing my work.
• Sony WI-C100 — biggest strength: up to 25 hours of battery life plus a 10-minute quick charge that gets you up to 60 minutes of playback, in a flexible neckband with an IPX4 splash- and sweat-proof rating.
• Sony WI-C100 — biggest trade-off: it's Bluetooth-only and has no noise cancelling at all, so it won't silence a bus engine or a noisy office.
• Keyronanc Active Noise Cancelling — biggest strength: it's wired USB-C with true active noise cancelling you toggle by double-tapping the control module, and it works with iPhone 15/16/17, Android, laptops and other USB-C devices.
• Keyronanc Active Noise Cancelling — biggest trade-off: it's a corded set, so there's no battery to speak of but also no freedom to walk away from your device, and there's no 3.5 mm jack option.
• Who each pick is for: Sony WI-C100 suits commuters, gym-goers and anyone who wants cable-free listening all day. Keyronanc suits people who want noise cancelling and a stable wired connection straight into a USB-C port.
The WI-C100 is Sony's minimal, behind-the-neck design. It's an in-ear model with 12 mm dynamic drivers, a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, 16 ohm impedance and 98 dB sensitivity. In plain terms, that's an easy-to-drive, familiar in-ear sound rather than an audiophile statement. It uses Bluetooth, so there's no cable running to your phone, and the range is listed at about 10 meters.
What it does best is endurance and convenience. Up to 25 hours of playback on a charge is the headline, and the quick-charge figure matters just as much: 10 minutes plugged in buys you up to 60 minutes of listening. If you're the kind of person who forgets to charge things, that's a real safety net. The IPX4 rating means splashes and sweat won't stop it, so it survives a rainy walk or a gym session. There are physical buttons for play/pause, skipping tracks, volume and calls, and Sony redesigned them with a more pronounced shape so they're easier to find by feel. There's also the Sony | Headphones Connect app if you want to fine-tune the sound, and DSEE, which restores high-frequency detail lost when music is compressed.
Who should skip it: anyone who needs noise cancelling. The noise control field on this model is explicitly "None." If your main problem is a loud train or a chatty open office, this isn't the tool — and if you specifically want a wired connection, it isn't either, even though the product details list a 3.5 mm jack field alongside its wireless Bluetooth connectivity, which is worth verifying against the listing if a cable is your priority.
One honest note from the specs: Sony itself flags that if the eartip size doesn't match your ear canals, or the headset isn't seated properly, you won't get the sound quality or call performance the headphones are capable of. So budget two minutes to try the different tips.
Keyronanc Active Noise Cancelling: Who It's For
The Keyronanc ANC-K20 goes in the opposite direction: it's a corded, USB-C in-ear set whose main selling point is active noise cancelling. You enable or disable ANC by double-tapping the control module — that's a deliberate two-tap gesture, not a single press, so it won't switch modes every time you brush the remote. Active noise cancelling is a different animal from passive isolation: it uses electronics to cancel background noise, which is why it's the feature people pay attention to on planes, trains and buses.
The connection is USB-C, and Keyronanc lists compatibility with iPhone 15/16/17, Android, laptops and more USB-C devices. That's the modern plug — no adapter needed on a USB-C phone or laptop, but also no option for older Lightning iPhones or anything with only a 3.5 mm socket. Sound is described as enhanced bass, crisp highs and balanced mids, with 32 ohm impedance. The enclosure is metal and the color is black, which gives it a slightly more substantial feel than the average plastic earbud.
The in-line remote handles play/pause, track skipping, call answering and ANC activation, and there's a noise-reducing mic for voice pickup. You get eartips in S, M and L, and the age range covers kids, teens and adults. Warranty is listed as two years with contact-based support.
Who should buy it: someone whose phone or laptop is USB-C, who wants noise cancelling, and who is fine with a cable because it means no charging, no pairing and no dropouts. It's also a natural fit for a laptop setup where you're plugged in anyway.
Who should skip it: anyone who wants to move around freely, or who needs to plug into a 3.5 mm headphone jack. And if you want long battery life, this product simply doesn't play that game — it draws power from whatever it's plugged into.
• Best for battery life → Sony WI-C100. Up to 25 hours per charge, plus a 10-minute quick charge for up to 60 minutes of playback. The Keyronanc has no battery spec at all because it's wired.
• Best for noise cancelling → Keyronanc Active Noise Cancelling. It's the only one of the two with ANC, toggled by a double-tap on the control module. The Sony's noise control is listed as none.
• Best for freedom of movement → Sony WI-C100. Bluetooth with roughly 10 meters of range means you can leave your phone on the desk and walk around.
• Best for a guaranteed connection → Keyronanc Active Noise Cancelling. Wired USB-C means no pairing, no codec negotiation and no interference. If you've ever had Bluetooth stutter on a crowded train platform, you know why this matters.
• Best for sweaty or rainy workouts → Sony WI-C100. IPX4 means splashes and sweat are covered. There's no water-resistance rating listed for the Keyronanc.
• Best for USB-C phones and laptops → Keyronanc Active Noise Cancelling. iPhone 15/16/17, Android, laptops and other USB-C devices are all named as compatible.
• Best for older devices with a 3.5 mm jack → Sony WI-C100. Its connectivity field lists a 3.5 mm jack alongside Bluetooth, so it's the more flexible of the two for legacy gear — though I'd confirm that against the listing before buying on that basis alone.
• Best for fit options → Keyronanc Active Noise Cancelling. It ships with S/M/L eartips, which matters a lot given how much tip fit affects both isolation and bass.
In my opinion, most people shopping these two should buy the Sony WI-C100, and the reason isn't sound quality — it's that up to 25 hours of battery, a 10-minute quick charge giving up to an hour of playback, IPX4 sweat resistance and a flexible neckband cover the widest range of everyday situations. It's the pair you can grab without a plan.
Buy the Keyronanc Active Noise Cancelling instead if noise cancelling is the whole point of your purchase, or if you want a wired USB-C connection you never have to charge or pair. That's a genuinely different job, and for that job the Sony can't compete.
how to wired headphones work
A wired headphone sends the audio signal from your device down the cable to the drivers in the earpieces, so there's no Bluetooth pairing or battery involved. The Keyronanc ANC-K20 does this over USB-C, which means the audio is carried digitally to the earbuds and also powers the active noise cancelling circuit. Because it's corded, it works the moment you plug it in.
how to use wired headphones with iphone
It depends on the port. The Keyronanc Active Noise Cancelling earbuds are USB-C and are listed as compatible with iPhone 15/16/17, which use USB-C. Older iPhones with a Lightning port aren't named in the compatibility list, so you'd need to check whether your model is supported before buying. The Sony WI-C100 is primarily a Bluetooth headphone, so for iPhone use you'd pair it wirelessly rather than plug it in.
how to fix wired headphones no sound
Start with the simple checks: make sure the USB-C plug is fully seated, that the correct output device is selected on your phone or laptop, and that the volume isn't at zero or muted on the device itself. If the in-line volume control has its own dial, turn it up. If you still get nothing, test the earbuds on a second USB-C device to work out whether the problem is the headphones or the source.
No. The listed noise control for the WI-C100 is none, so it relies on the eartip seal for any passive isolation. If active noise cancelling is a requirement, the Keyronanc Active Noise Cancelling is the one that has it, and you switch it on by double-tapping the control module.
The Sony WI-C100, in my opinion, because it carries an IPX4 splash- and sweat-proof rating and has no cable to snag on equipment. The Keyronanc has no water-resistance rating listed and a cord that can catch on things, so it's a better fit for a desk or a commute than a workout.
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See also: Amylove 48 vs Boean Active Noise Cancelling: Over Ear Noise, MIDOLA Active Noise Cancelling vs UKELALA U2C, Lakukom Sport vs CYBORIS Active Noise Cancelling