Sony WH-CH720N Review: lightweight noise-cancelling headphones that get the basics right

I’ve been using the Sony WH-CH720N for a while now, mostly for working at home, commuting, and the odd train or plane trip. I didn’t buy them expecting top-tier audio like the WH-1000XM5, more something that’s comfortable, has decent noise cancelling, and doesn’t die halfway through the day. In that sense, they do what they’re supposed to do. Nothing mind-blowing, but very solid for everyday use.

The first thing that stood out to me is how light they feel. At 192 g, you really notice the difference compared to heavier over-ear models. I can keep them on for a few hours at a time before I start feeling any pressure. For working in a library, open office, or just at home with some background noise, they’re honestly pretty practical. I’m not constantly adjusting them or thinking about them, which is what I want from headphones.

Sound-wise, I’d say they’re in the “good enough for most people” category. If you’ve used cheap on-ears or basic earbuds before, you’ll probably find these a clear step up. If you’ve owned high-end stuff from Sony, Bose, or Apple, you’ll hear the difference and you’ll know this is a more budget-friendly line. The Sony app helps a lot, though – with a bit of EQ tweaking you can get a sound that’s fairly satisfying for everyday listening.

Overall, my first impression after a few days was: comfortable, decent noise cancelling, very good battery, slightly plasticky feel. After longer use, that opinion hasn’t really changed. They’re not perfect, there are a couple of annoying details, but for the price they sit at, I’d say they’re a pretty solid option if you just want practical wireless headphones and not a status symbol.

In terms of value for money, the WH-CH720N sit in a pretty sweet spot. They’re clearly cheaper than Sony’s high-end XM series, but they still borrow some of the tech (like the V1 processor and decent ANC) and a bit of that Sony sound profile. For a student or anyone who doesn’t want to drop big money on headphones, they offer a nice balance between price, comfort, and features. You get solid battery life, working noise cancelling, a good app with EQ, and multipoint Bluetooth connection, which is handy if you swap between laptop and phone a lot.

Are there cheaper headphones that can compete? Yes. There are plenty of lesser-known brands with similar specs on paper for less money. But from what I’ve seen, those often cut corners on app quality, call quality, or long-term support. With Sony, you at least know the app is stable, firmware updates exist, and the Bluetooth connection is generally reliable. Also, the design here is more compact and less bulky than many budget over-ears, which some people care about more than they admit.

Where the value is a bit weaker is if you compare them to something like AirPods Pro 2 or the more expensive Sony XM line, and you already own those. Once you hear higher-end sound and better ANC, you clearly notice that the WH-CH720N are a step down. So if you’re an audio nerd, spending more might make more sense. But for most people who just want comfortable, wireless, noise-cancelling headphones that look decent and last all day, these justify their price quite well.

One thing to factor in: there’s no included hard case, and they don’t fold. If you end up buying a separate case, that’s an extra cost. Still, even with that, the overall package is solid. I’d call the value good, not mind-blowing – you’re paying a bit for the Sony name and ecosystem, but you also get a reliable, no-drama product in return.

Design-wise, Sony went for something pretty simple and clean with the WH-CH720N. The blue version I tested looks nice in real life – not flashy, more like a muted blue that doesn’t scream for attention. The earcups are a classic oval/circular shape, and the headband is fairly slim. They don’t fold inwards, but the cups do rotate flat, so you can wear them around your neck without them digging into your jaw. That’s practical when you’re moving between classes or meetings.

The flip side is the build feels quite plasticky. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall apart, but when you touch the buttons or flex the headband a bit, you can tell this is a mid-range product, not a premium one. The buttons on the earcups are very clicky and a bit cheap-feeling. They work fine, but the tactile feel is more “budget remote control” than “nice gadget”. If you care a lot about that premium, soft-touch feel, you’ll probably notice this right away.

Functionally, the layout is logical: volume, playback, power, and ANC/ambient mode switches are all on the earcups. After a day or two you know where everything is by touch, so you don’t have to keep taking them off. The Sony app (Sony | Headphones Connect – the listing says Sound Connect, but it’s the usual Sony app) also helps, because you can mostly ignore the buttons and control things from your phone if you prefer. I ended up using a mix of both: buttons for quick ANC/ambient toggles, app for detailed settings.

The main design compromise for me is the lack of folding hinges. For travel, this is annoying: you either wear them around your neck or you throw them in a bag and hope they don’t get crushed, or you buy a separate case. They’re light and not bulky, but still, folding would have made them much easier to carry. So in short: nice simple look, decent practicality, but clearly built to a price and not very compact.

Battery life is where these headphones really shine. Sony claims up to 50 hours with noise cancelling off, and while I didn’t sit there with a stopwatch, in real use it’s clearly in that ballpark. I charged them to 100%, used them on and off for a few days (a few hours per day, mixed ANC on/off), and the battery percentage dropped very slowly. You don’t feel like you have to babysit the battery or plug them in every night, which is a relief compared to some true wireless earbuds.

With ANC on, the battery life is obviously shorter, but still very good. I used them for a full workday with ANC on most of the time, plus a commute, and I still had plenty of charge left. For long trips – like a multi-hour train or a long-haul flight – they’re more than capable of lasting the whole journey if you start with a full charge. That makes them pretty practical for travel, especially given how light they are.

The fast charging is also handy: a quick 3-minute charge gives you around an hour of playback. In practice, that means if you forget to charge them and notice they’re low right before heading out, you can plug them in while you get ready, and you’ll have enough juice for a decent chunk of your day. The USB-C port is standard now, so at least you’re not stuck hunting for some weird proprietary cable.

Basically, on battery side there’s not much to complain about. They don’t die quickly, they charge reasonably fast, and you can easily go several days of normal use between charges if you’re not using ANC nonstop. If you’re the kind of person who hates constantly thinking about battery levels, these are very low-maintenance in that area.

Comfort is honestly one of the strong points of these headphones. At just under 200 g, they feel light on the head, and you really notice that during long sessions. I used them for several three to four-hour work blocks, and I only needed short breaks mainly because my ears got warm, which is normal with over-ear headphones. The headband padding is soft enough, and I didn’t get that heavy pressure spot on the top of my head like I do with some bulkier models.

The clamping force is moderate. They sit secure enough that you can walk, take public transport, and even jog lightly without them flying off, but they’re not crushing your skull. For very intense workouts with lots of head movement, I wouldn’t trust them to stay perfectly in place, but that’s not really what they’re made for. Around the house, commuting, studying in a library or at a café – they’re comfortable for that kind of use.

Now, it’s not all perfect. One thing I noticed, and it matches what some users say, is there’s a bit of hard plastic inside the earcup that can sometimes press against the outer ear, depending on how you position them and how big your ears are. It’s not constant, but every now and then I had to slightly readjust the cups to avoid that little pressure point. If you have larger ears, this might be more noticeable. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s a small design flaw that keeps them from being truly “forget you’re wearing them” comfortable.

For people who wear glasses or a head covering (like a hijab), these seem relatively friendly. The clamping isn’t insane, and the pads are soft enough that they don’t crush your frames into your skull. Obviously, comfort is personal, but compared to other over-ear headphones I’ve tried in this price range, the WH-CH720N are among the easier ones to wear for long periods, as long as that inner plastic bit doesn’t hit your ear in a bad spot.

Durability is always a bit hard to judge without years of use, but from what I’ve seen and from how others treat them, the WH-CH720N seem sturdy enough, but clearly plastic-focused. The headband and earcups are all plastic, no metal visible on the outside. That’s part of why they’re so light, but it also means they don’t give off that “built like a tank” feeling. That said, I’ve thrown them in a backpack more than once (without a case), and they’ve come out fine – no cracks, no loose parts, just a few light marks that you really have to look for.

The earcups twist flat, which reduces the risk of snapping something when you put them down on a desk or hang them around your neck. However, because they don’t fold inward, they’re more exposed in a bag. If you’re rough with your stuff, I’d honestly invest in a cheap hard case; otherwise you’re just relying on the plastic not to flex too much. Some users mentioned they’ve been stuffing them in bags for months and they’re still fine, so clearly they’re not ultra fragile, just not bulletproof either.

The buttons are a weak point in terms of feel. They work, but they don’t give that impression of long-term robustness. They’re clicky and a bit cheap, like the buttons on a low-cost TV remote. I haven’t had any of them fail, but long term, I’d be more worried about those than about the headband snapping. The faux leather on the pads feels okay and hasn’t peeled on me yet, but that’s something that usually shows up after a year or more, so that’s hard to judge right now.

Overall, I’d say durability is acceptable for the price. If you treat them with average care – not babying them, but also not sitting on them – they should easily last a couple of years, especially since there are no hinges to break. If you’re expecting rugged, metal-frame toughness, this isn’t that. They feel like mid-range plastic headphones that can handle everyday life but don’t like abuse.

In terms of sound, these are what I’d call “good, but clearly mid-range”. Out of the box, the tuning is fairly balanced with a bit of extra bass, which most people will like. Voices come through clearly, and there’s enough low end for pop, hip-hop, and electronic music to feel punchy without drowning everything. If you install the Sony app and play with the 5-band EQ, you can easily push the bass or clean up the mids to your taste. I found a slightly boosted bass and a small treble lift made them more fun without turning them into a muddy mess.

If you’ve never used higher-end headphones, you’ll probably think these sound great. If you’ve used something like AirPods Pro 2, Sony XM4/XM5, or higher-end Bose, you’ll notice that the WH-CH720N don’t have the same level of detail or soundstage. After switching back from better gear, the sound here feels a bit flatter and less precise. It’s not bad at all, just clearly not on the same level. For Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, and casual listening, they get the job done very well. For critical listening or if you’re really picky about audio, you’ll feel the limits.

Noise cancelling is solid for the price. It handles constant background noise like traffic, air conditioning, and the hum of a bus or train quite well. When I used them in a garden with neighbour noise, most of the low-level stuff dropped off nicely. Voices, especially close ones, are reduced but not fully removed. So if you’re hoping to completely erase people chatting right next to you, you’ll be disappointed. But for libraries, offices, public transport, and general daily noise, they cut enough to make a clear difference.

Ambient mode works as it should: press the button and you hear more of your surroundings. It’s handy for quick chats at the checkout or when walking near traffic. One thing to note: some people (me included) can get a slight pressure or headache feeling with ANC on for very long sessions. When that happened, I just switched to ambient or standard mode and it went away. Calls are decent on your side, but they don’t block background noise much for the person you’re talking to – they’ll still hear your environment pretty clearly. Overall, as a daily-use pair for music, podcasts, and commuting, performance is more than acceptable, just don’t expect high-end magic.