Sony WH-CH720N Headphones Offer Practical Noise Cancelling and All Day Comfort on a Budget

Sony WH-CH720N headphones, priced at $88 (was $180), tend to slip past attention in a market full of flashy flagships, yet they quietly cover the basics for anyone after a pair that simply works without demanding a premium outlay. Released a while back as a step up from earlier budget models in the CH line, they sit well below the WH-1000XM series while sharing some of the same processing ideas.

At roughly 192 grams, they feel much lighter on the head than most over-ear noise canceling headphones on the market, which is a wonderful blessing for those of us who become hot after a while. This lightweight design matches well with soft ear cushions and a comfortable, cushioned headband, allowing you to wear these things for hours on end without your head screaming for relief. The ear cups swivel flat for simple packing, even if the headband does not fold cleanly, and the rest of the plastic shell is adequate for daily usage.

The sound is produced by two 30 millimeter drivers, and it is warm, rich, and slightly bass-heavy, making it ideal for rock, hip-hop, and pop music that get you moving. Of course, the details become clear after you turn the level down a notch, as you begin to hear the true texture of the instruments and the subtleties of the vocalists. It’s worth mentioning that the default setting might sometimes push the low end a little too hard on certain tracks, but that’s fine because the Sony Headphones Connect app allows you to dial it back, with equalizer sliders, presets, and even a dedicated bass control all at your fingertips.

Of course, DSEE processing improves the overall sound quality of compressed streams. If you enjoy 360 Reality Audio, you’ll appreciate the addition of some interesting spatial settings. In terms of connectivity, the headphones use Bluetooth 5.2 to handle SBC and AAC codecs, and there’s even multipoint pairing, which allows you to connect it to both a phone and a laptop at the same time and swap between them without having to reconnect. For old-school types like me, there’s a 3.5 mm cable in the package for wired listening, and you can even run the cans without any power if necessary.

Noise cancellation uses a pair of sensors and an Integrated Processor V1 to eliminate mid-range chatter and other annoying high-pitched sounds. It does a good job of blocking out office talk, highway noise, and air conditioning in the background, allowing you to concentrate. Of course, low rumble from engines or planes would probably still get through, but to be honest, it’s a very good effort for everyday use, and there’s Ambient mode, which allows the outside world in when needed.

The call quality is decent for voice calls, but don’t expect crystal clear sound in noisy environments. The battery life is also impressive, at 35 hours with noise cancelling on and 50 hours without it, which is pretty close to what I got in real-world testing. If you’re feeling depleted after a while, a 3-minute USB-C charge will give you an hour of playback, so you can simply top up on the move and keep going.