At a price of less than $150, Sony WH-CH720N is impressive for its lightweight and comfortable experience, excellent noise cancellation effect and good sound quality. However, the workmanship need to improved – the earmuffs are bumpy and the gap can fits eight banknotes.
Sony WH-CH720N specs and features:
- Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC/AAC codec
- 35-50 hours playback of per charge (ANC on/off)
- Support DSEE digital sound enhancement engine
- Support 360 REALITY AUDIO
- Supports multipoint connection
- $148 – Check latest price on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany or other Amazon countries
Design and Comfort
The shell, head beam and earmuffs of Sony WH-CH720N are the same color, and the overall appearance is very high. Moreover, the packaging of Sony WH-CH720N and some headphone materials are made of renewable materials, which is also in line with Sony’s long-standing environmental protection concept.
The WH-CH720N does not use the common inward-folding storage structure, but uses a storage structure in which the headphones are turned over and placed flat. The advantage of doing this is that it can greatly narrow the volume of the connection structure between the head-beam and the headphone, and the weight can also be greatly reduced. It is the lightest wireless noise cancellation headphone of Sony so far – only weighs 192g, and can be used for a long time. (Apple AirPods Max’s weighs 384g)
The smooth and comfortable earmuffs and synthetic leather pads are one of the secrets of the Sony WH-CH720N for long-term wear without getting tired. The internal structure of the earmuffs has been newly designed, which is lighter and also brings more ear space, which is very friendly to people who wear glasses like me. The lightweight, slim head-beam provides better stability, and you can adjust the length at will according to your head circumference and wearing habits.
On the left headphone are 3.5mm audio jack, Type-C charging port and power switch. On the right headphone are volume +/- buttons, multi-function button and NC/AMB switch button (Noise Cancellation and Ambient Mode). By single-tap, double-tap, triple-tap and long-press, you can adjust the volume, play/pause, answer/end calls, switch songs and wake up voice assistants without using your phone.
Noise Cancellation and Calls
The Sony WH-CH720N uses the V1 integrated processor from the 1000X series to absorb and improve the noise cancellation performance of the HD noise cancellation processor – not only better in performance, but also lower in power consumption.
With the use of the Headphones Connect APP, the noise cancellation can also be adjusted in more detail. 20 ambient sounds quickly adapt to various usage scenarios. If you choose “Focus on Voice”, you can also focus on voice conversations.
I prefer the adaptive sound control scheme of WH-CH720N, which can automatically detect my activity status and location, and then automatically switch the preset ambient sound and noise cancellation scheme. For example, in a quiet study room, the noise cancellation level will be reduced, while in a noisy shopping mall, the noise cancellation level will be increased.
The noise cancellation function of the Sony WH-CH720N is more intelligent – its adaptive noise cancellation function can effectively filter the mid-low frequency noise from the outside on the bus even when only the noise cancellation mode is turned on and the audio is not played. Once the music is played, I can fully immerse myself in the world of music, and the voices of people and wind in the subway, bus or cafe can no longer disturb me.
WH-CH720N also uses internal and external dual feedback microphones that can collect environmental noise from different directions. Among them, the external feedback microphone uses a newly developed wind noise reduction structure, which can reduce the influence of wind noise as much as possible when the noise cancellation or ambient mode is turned on.
In general, the noise cancellation experience of the Sony WH-CH720N is a bit beyond my expectations. Whether it’s traffic noise or wind noise while running, it can be effectively filtered – and the adaptive noise cancellation mode is very accurate in recognizing the scene. It is really commendable to have such a noise cancellation experience at this price, even close to the WH-1000X series.
The Sony WH-CH720N integrates a call microphone near the mouth. Through beamforming technology, it is possible to collect and pick up human voices in a straight line from the mouth – and the wind noise reduction structure can further reduce the impact of wind noise during calls. When I take online classes or conduct video conferences, the other party can get clear and accurate voice. If you have two bluetooth devices, it can also maintain a connection with two devices at the same time (multipoint connection). When there is an incoming call, the headphone will automatically switch to device B, and switch back to device A when the call ends.
Connectivity, Control, APP and Battery Life
Sony WH-CH720N uses Bluetooth 5.2 technology and supports AAC and SBC codec. It is a pity that LDAC codec is not supported. In addition, WH-CH720N also supports “Windows Swift Pair” fast pairing and “multipoint connection” functions, which can keep connected with two bluetooth devices at the same time.
All basic control functions can be done on the headphone – very nice! Multiple functions such as volume adjustment, play/pause, answer/end calls, switching songs and waking up voice assistants can be realized by single-tap, double-tap, triple-tap and long press.
- Single-tap volume+ to up
- Single-tap volume- to down
- Single-tap multifunction button to play/pause, answer/hang up
- Double-tap multifunction button to nest song
- Triple-tap multifunction button to previous song
- Long-press multifunction button to activate voice assistant
- Single-tap NC/AMB to switch noise cancellation or ambient mode
Sony officially claims a battery life of up to 35 hours (ANC on) and 50 hours (ANC off). But through the actual test, I feel that the official is still conservative. I haven’t turned off the ANC mode in the past few days, and I have actually used it for more than 20 hours – but there is still 60% of the headphone remaining. In addition, WH-CH720N supports fast charging – charging for 10 minutes, listen to music for 4.5 hours.
Sound Quality of Sony WH-CH720N
In terms of sound quality, Sony WH-CH720N has DSEE digital sound enhancement engine technology and 30mm drive unit. DSEE can restore part of the lost high-frequency sound through the long-term deep technical precipitation of Sony’s music library, so as to increase the sound quality to close to the original audio – it is to bring the lossy audio as close as possible to the level of lossless audio.
The sound field of Sony WH-CH720N is still very wide, and the high frequency is transparent without losing density, which not only brings realistic restoration, but also is not bland. In terms of low frequency, I listened to many pieces of music such as “Crime Of Passion” and “Tetsujin” – the drums resounded loudly, rebounded quickly, and the quantity sense of the low frequency was sufficient.
Sony WH-CH720N supports “360 REALITY AUDIO“, which is like being surrounded by music after it is turned on. There is music flowing all around, full of presence, as if you are in a vast space outside the room, and the band is playing for you alone beside you.
In addition, through the SONY Headphones Connect App, you can also adjust the custom equalizer to achieve the style you want. In addition to 8 kinds of preset EQ, it also provides two kinds of two-way 10-level adjustable custom tuning for selection. Friends who like bass can also choose the Clear Bass function, which can further enhance the atmosphere and low-frequency flexibility of the sound. For me, 8 preset EQs are enough for my daily music listening needs.
Conclusion
At a price of less than $150, Sony WH-CH720N is impressive for its lightweight and comfortable experience, excellent noise reduction effect and good sound quality. If you have ever hesitated to buy the Sony WH-1000XM5, when the WH-CH720N comes out, I think you should be like me – there is no reason to say no.
Check the Sony WH-CH720N price:
- Check latest price on Amazon US
- Check latest price on Amazon UK
- Check latest price on Amazon Germany
- Check latest price on other Amazon countries
