Sony WH-CH720N Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones

Bought for like 6.8K during the Republic Day sale. Worth every penny you pay for. Used these for a week and here’s the experience:

Pros:
1) Beautiful quality bass despite the price point.

2) Sony is just Sony, sound quality is 100% even at the highest of volumes.

3) Insane battery life, even with the ANC on.

4) Super light-weight (approx 190g) and extremely comfy foam pads. Easily can listen for hours together.

5) Figuring it out how to connect took me a few minutes, but after that no issues at all. Just instant Bluetooth connection with any device.

The only con:
1) ANC is kinda poor, and it’s understandable cause they have to differentiate the XB910N from the CH720N. So it doesn’t really affect my rating.

Bottom-line, if you’re looking a pair of excellent headphones below 10K just go for these. You can’t wrong with a pair of Sony headphones.

SECOND UPDATE – 11/9/2023

OK, so I have been living with these for a couple of months now and I feel I can say some things with more confidence.

1. Comfort is still a bit hit or miss. I will say the choice to put those microphones or whatever those things that stick out on the insides of the earcups was not great. I don’t always feel them pressing on my ears but the earpads are not very thick and if you don’t have them on in exactly the right way (assuming you can find a way that works for you) then the pads will flatten a bit and you’ll feel them on your ears. It’s not exactly painful. Just unpleasant.

2. And I feel the need to come back to the ear cushions themselves. Again, they just barely fit over my ears. And I wear glasses so this is a big issue with most headphones. I can sometimes get the cushions just right so they don’t smash the tips of my ears against the arms of my glasses too much but it sometimes takes a bit of extra fiddling around with them that can be annoying when I’m not in the mood for it. Again, not too much of a knock against Sony since this is a widespread issue with headphones in general. Manufacturers just seem to think if they make the cushions soft, they will be comfortable. Nope. If it smashes your ears, it will start to hurt after a while no matter how soft it is.

3. The battery life is decent but I do find myself having to charge them more often than I expected. Prior to these, I had an inexpensive pair of Jlab headphones and although their sound quality and features were lacking, the battery life was outstanding and I was just used to not charging for days and days. I pretty much wear headphones all day every day and I generally find that these will be at 50% after a couple of days. Of course that’s with noise cancelling on. But also, these are noise cancelling headphones so they were designed to be used with it on for long periods. Or should have been. I don’t know what the capacity of the battery is in these but the battery packs they use in wireless headphones are not expensive items anymore. You can buy a set of $30 wireless headphones now with a huge capacity battery. So, yes. These are lower end Sony but they’re still well above the price you pay for really basic wireless headphones. They shouldn’t have skimped on the battery capacity.

That said, though I haven’t actually kept track of how many hours, it probably does meet the stated runtime. I had just hoped they were being conservative with the numbers. But also, you can’t use them and charge them at the same time so if you use your headphones constantly, that can be annoying. I don’t like to run lithium batteries much below 50%. I don’t know that it’s bad for them exactly but all of my lithium batteries have lasted me for many years using that policy so that’s what I do. When I see 40-50% I charge the battery. I know they have the quick charge feature but I like to charge and forget for many hours. It would be more useful if I could plug into a power bank for 15 minutes and still use the headphones while it’s charging. But nope. You plug into a charger and the headphones turn off.

Everything said, I’m reasonably happy with them but I paid the $150 asking price they were selling for when I bought them. Knowing all I know now, I would not pay that price again for these. These are $70 headphones. Tops. They’re not that comfortable. The battery life is easily matched (or surpassed) by the least expensive wireless headphones on Amazon. The stock sound quality is not impressive at all. (I will say they sound pretty good if you tweak the EQ). The only things I have been really happy about is once I got them paired with my PC, they always connect right away when I turn them on. That’s something that is hit or miss with most bluetooth devices. And can be incredibly annoying when you have to fight to get something connected every single time. I’ve also been pretty satisfied with the noise cancelling. Which they’re the first NC headphones I’ve ever owned so I have nothing to compare them to.

I’m not really understanding what Sony was trying to do with these. Their top of the line ANC headphones might be some of the best ANC but are they really $400 good? Well, if they’re anything like these, they are good but significantly overpriced.

UPDATE – 9/25/2023

I realize my original review is a bit long and probably most people don’t want to read all that so after living with these for a week or so, here are some key points that I think people will want to know.

1. Comfort is just OK for people with small or medium ears that don’t stick out too far. Beyond that, the comfort might be anything from uncomfortable to painful.

2. The ANC is good enough for me. I don’t fly. I don’t use them on a bus or train or anything. I use them at home. They block out things like computer fans and voices in adjacent rooms. I have a fan right by my head and although I can still hear it, the ANC really tames it to a very gentle hiss. If voices or TV are in the same room with you, it will cause them to seem to recede quite a bit but you will still probably hear them (especially TV). The ANC works better on some frequencies than others. It almost eliminates some noises but (for example) the sound of water running nearby is something you will definitely hear.

3. I use these 90% with my Windows 10 PC and I have not experienced any of the disconnection issues that many have reported with them as long as I am only using them with my PC. However, when I do connect them to my Android phone, if I leave them connected for a while, things can get glitchy and if I then turn off the bluetooth on my phone, it will sometimes make weird things happen. Like if I have the ANC turned on on the headphones, it will turn off and forget the EQ settings I have chosen. Also, sometimes when I try to disconnect them from the phone by simply turning off bluetooth, they don’t make the disconnect sound. I don’t know. I’m glad I didn’t buy them to use exclusively with the phone. I have a different set of headphones for that. I just wanted to include this in my review to note that I did indeed notice some issues when I left them connected to my phone for a while. I will be keeping them because PC is all I care about.

END UPDATE
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ORIGINAL REVIEW

Things that mattered to me in choosing these headphones…

1. I’m not going to try and sugar coat this too much. I don’t have money to burn. But a set of headphones that check all my boxes without doing anything I hate for a price I can handle is a tall order. Good headphones have never been cheap. ANC is still a premium feature (though this is changing fast). These headphones were just barely in my price range at $150. And frankly, although I like everything about them (so far) I think $100 would have been closer to the price these should be selling for. This segment of the market is crowded and if I was willing to gamble even more than I did, I could have probably gotten something I was happy with for significantly less than that $150. I went with Sony because I’m an old guy and I know that you usually don’t pay more for a Sony product for no reason.

2. Comfort. Of course, we’re talking perceived comfort. Comfort involves a lot of guesswork. For these, it appears that I mostly guessed right. These just fit my ears with a little pressure here and there. My ears are not small but also not that large. If you have large ears, you should probably go somewhere where you can try the headphones on before you buy. I probably should have done this myself because comfort is always my top priority (other than price). Most likely the pads on these will not be difficult to replace should the need arise. And it usually does with headphones. Sooner or later, the pads will always wear out.

3. ANC – Of course. This is my first pair of ANC headphones and it’s everything I want. The transparency mode is slightly quieter than I would like but it’s acceptable. I’ve seen some people complaining about the ANC not being effective on these. Not sure what they’re talking about but maybe they’re coming from much higher end ANC. For me, the first day I had them, I had some people come to see me and they were banging on my door. I heard absolutely nothing. They were freaked out because they thought something was wrong. So….my verdict on this is if you want perfect ANC, maybe shop around. I’m not here to tell you it’s the best. I don’t have anything to compare it to. I can only say it leaves me wanting nothing and I’m happy with it.

4. Sound quality – Out of the box, I found the factory sound to be lacking. But that usually happens with me when I have new headphones. I can’t say for sure if the burn in effect is psychological or real but all I can say is a new pair of headphones takes some getting used to for me. At least the EQ is sufficiently adjustable in the app and I managed to get them to sound very nice. It’s nice that the settings you choose in the app will be stored in the headphones so the same settings will apply on other devices. I mostly use Bluetooth headphones on my Windows 10 PC so I’m not going to be fiddling around with the app much.

These can go pretty loud and have decent bass. The drivers can provide good clarity for mids and highs if you fiddle with the EQ. The stock EQ sounds muffled. But that also might be a result of them not having been burned in.

CONS – It’s really nitpicking for me to find many cons. These are great headphones (at least initially).

1. The buttons could be a bit more tactile. In particular, I find the play/pause button a bit difficult to find and always find myself hunting for it. It is right between the Vol +/- buttons and should stick out a little more than it does to make it obvious. Also, the ANC button is nearly flush with the earcup and still makes me hunt for it a bit more than I like. I think I’ll get used to these buttons eventually but I don’t love them.

2. The shortest timer for the auto off that’s available in the app is 15 minutes. I was really kind of surprised that there was no option for a shorter time.

3. The headband is adjustable by clicks. So if the size you need is between two clicks, you might have to have them slightly too tight or slightly too loose. The higher end Sony headbands with no clicks seem like they would be better in this way.

4. Although (as I said) the comfort is pretty good, it’s not great. But this is not terribly unusual for lower end headphones. I strongly prefer over ear (earcups that surround the ears rather than sit on them and smash them) and I’m very picky about it. I don’t like it if my ears are not completely inside the earcups and I don’t think it’s asking much since my ears are not enormous. I find that these do kind of smash the tops of my ears. It’s not something I notice right away but after about half an hour or so, it starts to become something I’m almost constantly aware of. It’s not exactly painful but it isn’t really pleasant either.

To make matters worse, there is a seam in the fake leather that runs all the way around the inside where your ear is probably gonna be if your ears are just slightly larger than the ears of a child. I find that many of these types of earpads have that seam and I don’t know it’s purpose but I know that ones that don’t have it tend to be easier on your ears even if your ears don’t fit perfectly. So all I’m saying is this isn’t some upstart company. This is Sony. These are low end Sony headphones but they’re still not really cheap and they’re still made by an enormous company that’s been around for many decades. I don’t know what it is. Almost every company that makes headphones of this sort makes the earcups too small for even slightly larger ears. I guess they think people with larger ears don’t use headphones. Of course my ears could be really large. In which case, I probably wouldn’t be able to wear them even if they were a little larger.

5. Also, I have to kind of agree with all the other reviews that mentioned the little plastic part that sticks out from the area where the driver is on the inside of the earcup. I am not sure if it actually pushes on my ears or not but it seems like it might. I kind of feel something and it does stick out far enough to where I can see how it could rub your ears.

I think these pieces are the place where the microphones are mounted so if that’s the case, they kind of have to be there but they probably don’t have to be as poorly designed as they are. I feel like I might be able to trim some of the plastic off if I really wanted to but I’m not going to start working on a brand new set of $150 headphones. It doesn’t bother me (yet) so maybe I’ll change my mind later on. I think this could have been avoided if the padding were a bit thicker on the earpads.

Estou satisfeita com o fone. Ele é leve, emparelha com todos os meus dispositivos e carrega rapidamente. A redução de ruídos é muito boa também. Contudo, fiquei um pouco frustrada mesmo por ele não vir com o estojo para viagem, que é vendido de forma avulsa e custa quase R$200,00. Se eu tivesse me atentado a esse detalhe, teria pagado um pouco mais em um modelo mais avançado. Outro ponto que para mim é negativo é que ele pesa um pouquino e sinto os maxilares travarem no início, mas depois de algum tempo me adapto e não sinto mais incômodo.
Enfim, é uma boa opção de fone, mas se estiver disposto a pagar um pouco a mais é melhor comprar um modelo mais recente.

I recently invested in the Sony WH-CH720N Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones, and I must say, they have exceeded my expectations on multiple fronts. As an avid music lover and someone who appreciates a good pair of headphones, these have quickly become my go-to choice for a premium audio experience.

1. Comfortable Ear Coverage:

One of the standout features of these headphones is the generous size of the ear cups. They provide excellent coverage, enveloping my entire ears in a cocoon of sound. The over-ear design not only enhances comfort during long listening sessions but also effectively isolates ambient noise, allowing me to immerse myself completely in the music.

2. Superior Noise Cancelling:

The noise-cancelling technology on the WH-CH720N is simply outstanding. Whether I’m on a noisy commute or working in a bustling cafe, the headphones create a tranquil listening environment by effectively blocking out external disturbances. The adaptive nature of the noise cancellation ensures a seamless transition between different environments, providing a truly immersive experience.

3. Impressive Battery Life:

Battery life is a crucial factor for any wireless headphone user, and Sony has delivered in this department. The WH-CH720N boasts an impressive battery life, providing hours of uninterrupted music playback on a single charge. This is perfect for long flights, road trips, or simply when you don’t want to worry about constantly recharging your headphones.

4. Seamless Wireless Connectivity:

Setting up the wireless connection was a breeze, thanks to the seamless Bluetooth pairing. The headphones quickly connect to my two devices, and the connection remains stable even at a distance. The freedom of movement that wireless functionality offers adds to the overall convenience of these headphones.

5. Crisp Sound Quality:

Of course, none of these features would matter if the sound quality wasn’t top-notch. Fortunately, the WH-CH720N delivers crisp and clear audio across various genres. The bass is punchy without being overwhelming, and the mids and highs are well-balanced, providing a rich and detailed listening experience.

6. Enhanced Experience with the Headphones App:

What sets the WH-CH720N apart is the fantastic user experience provided by the Headphones app. The app allows for easy customization of sound settings, enabling me to tailor the audio profile to my liking. Additionally, firmware updates and additional features are seamlessly delivered through the app, ensuring that my headphones stay current and optimized for the best performance.

In conclusion, the Sony WH-CH720N Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones have proven to be an excellent investment. The combination of comfort, noise cancellation, battery life, connectivity, and sound quality makes them a standout choice in the crowded market of wireless headphones. If you’re in the market for a reliable and immersive audio experience, these headphones are definitely worth considering.