Short answer: the Sony WI-C100. It ranks #516 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.9/5, at $38; the Tin HiFi C5 ranks #545, rated 3.8/5, and costs $39, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Sony WI-C100 does well: The median of 3 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 72 with a 1.94 dB spread. Watch for: Presence sits about 3.4 dB low with an 8.1 dB dip near 10.3 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Why pick the Tin HiFi C5: The median of 13 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 72 with a 2.05 dB spread. The catch: Presence sits about 3.4 dB low with an 8.2 dB dip near 10.3 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the Sony WI-C100. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Tin HiFi C5 and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
The median of 3 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 72 with a 1.94 dB spread.
Amazon $38.00 Lowest Sony $39.99 eBay
The median of 13 hobbyist measurements gives it a solid Harman preference score of 72 with a 2.05 dB spread.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Sony WI-C100 | Tin HiFi C5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $38.00 | $39.00 |
| Ranked | #516 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #545 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 72 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 72 (median of 13 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.94 dB standard deviation | 2.05 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.49 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.58 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.2 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wireless | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Hybrid (1 flat plate dynamic + 1 balanced armature) |
| Drivers | 1 x 9mm dynamic | 1 x 10x10mm flat plate dynamic + 1 x balanced armature |
| Weight | 0 lbs (20 g) | - |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Active Noise Cancelling | No | - |
| Battery Life | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | - |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | - |
| Impedance | - | 9 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 101 dB |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the Sony WI-C100 from aquaphobic, kazi and soundignity; the Tin HiFi C5 from aftersound, arn, bedrock, csi-zone, eplv, hbb, ianfann, pw, soundcheck39, soundignity, superreview, timmyv and vsg, all via squig.link.
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