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Photo: Courtesy Sony)
This year, inexorable improvement in true wireless earbuds took a sonic leap forward. Nearly every model we tested boasted impressive sound quality. What’s more, certain old annoyances difficulty in syncing, dropped connections have largely gone away. Meanwhile, prices have continued to drop. The Sony WF-XB700 is a shining example of how good things have gotten. Start with the design. A compact, three-inch-long charging case holds the buds in place magnetically. The buds sync flawlessly once you pop them out. An ergonomic wedge helps them slide in place in your ears and stay put. This, plus the fact that they’re incredibly light, means you’ll hardly know they’re there. The WF-XB700’s are also IPX4 water-resistant enough to handle sweat and rain, not a full dunk and hold nine hours of play time on one charge. Plug them into the case for ten minutes to get another hour. But what puts these over the top is the extra bass. Without crowding out high an