Audio review
Sony WH-CH720N Review: 192 Grams, and an Argument About LDAC
Two sources say these support only AAC and SBC. One says LDAC is in there too. What nobody disputes is that they are the lightest noise cancelling over-ears you can buy.
By Paulo GerchonPublished 2 min read
Sony
Sony WH-CH720N
Good · researched from 3 sources
If you have ever taken headphones off after two hours because your neck ached, these solve that at 192 grams and last forty hours doing it. What you give up is materials, isolation on a train, and possibly a codec depending which review you believe.
- Buy if
- Long wearing sessions where weight is the limiting factor · Offices and moderate street noise · Anyone who wants forty hours between charges
- Skip if
- Aircraft and underground trains, on Headphone Curve's finding · Anyone who needs a durable-feeling build or a case · Frequent calls, which Trusted Reviews rates average
We don’t list prices, because Amazon’s change hourly.
The number that sells them
192 grams.
Headphone Curve calls that the lightest wireless noise cancelling over-ear available, 25 to 35 percent lighter than competitors, and reports users forgetting they have them on during long sessions.
For comparison, elsewhere in this catalogue the AirPods Max weigh 386 grams and scored 4.6 out of 10 for comfort in TechGearLab's testing, with glasses wearers managing under an hour. These weigh half as much.
If the thing that ends your listening sessions is neck and ear fatigue rather than battery or sound, this is the answer, and nothing else in the category comes close on that specific measure.
The codec argument
Headphone Curve: AAC and SBC only, LDAC absent despite the Sony name.
Trusted Reviews: SBC and AAC over Bluetooth 5.2.
SoundGuys: LDAC, AAC and SBC.
Two against one. Sony positions this well below the 1000X series, and omitting LDAC is exactly the kind of segmentation that would explain the price. If LDAC is why you are buying, check the retailer listing rather than trusting any single review, this one included.
Cancelling, measured and assessed
SoundGuys recorded around 20 dB of attenuation across most lower frequencies, peaking near 28 dB at 80 Hz.
Headphone Curve translates that into advice: enough for an office and moderate street noise, not enough for a subway or an aircraft. Trusted Reviews found it handled bus engine rumble well and struggled with individual voices.
That is a fair description of 20 dB. It is a real reduction and it is roughly ten decibels behind what the flagship models in this catalogue measure.
Forty hours
Sony claims 35 with cancelling on. SoundGuys measured 40 hours 11 minutes.
Beating a manufacturer claim by five hours is unusual, and Headphone Curve independently cites the same result at roughly 15 percent over specification.
Three minutes of charging returns about an hour.
Where the money was saved
Headphone Curve is blunt: the plastic is toy-like and flexes noticeably when twisted. SoundGuys calls it plasticky. Trusted Reviews is kinder, noting the recycled plastic frame feels resilient in daily use.
The earcups do not fold and there is no carrying case, so packing these means putting them in a bag as they are.
And SoundGuys measured a response that lifts bass between 100 and 400 Hz and treble between 5 and 10 kHz, which they describe as somewhat wonky. Trusted Reviews hears the same thing as energetic and lively. The app has an equaliser if you disagree with Sony.
How it scored
The overall 7.8 is the weighted average of these five criteria — we never adjust it by hand.
Sound quality
SoundGuys measured over-emphasis between 100 and 400 Hz and again from 5 to 10 kHz, calling the response wonky. Trusted Reviews finds it energetic and lively with limited bass extension.
Value
Trusted Reviews scored 4.5 out of 5 and calls them solid value under a hundred pounds. SoundGuys scored 7.1 out of 10 and calls them a sensible mid-tier option.
Build quality
Headphone Curve calls the plastic toy-like and notes it flexes when twisted. SoundGuys calls it plasticky, and no carrying case is included.
Comfort
192 g, which Headphone Curve calls the lightest wireless noise cancelling over-ear available and 25 to 35 percent lighter than rivals.
Noise cancelling
SoundGuys measured about 20 dB across most low frequencies with a peak near 28 dB at 80 Hz. Headphone Curve says that is not enough for a subway or an aircraft.
Pros and cons
What we liked
- SoundGuys measured 40 hours 11 minutes with noise cancelling on, against a 35 hour claim
- 192 g, the lightest wireless noise cancelling over-ear per Headphone Curve
- SoundGuys measured a peak of about 28 dB of attenuation at 80 Hz
- Multipoint for two devices, plus 20 levels of cancelling in the app
- Three minutes of charging returns about an hour of playback
- Trusted Reviews notes the frame uses recycled plastic and feels resilient
What we didn’t
- Two of three sources say there is no LDAC, only AAC and SBC
- Headphone Curve says the cancelling is not enough for a subway or an aircraft
- SoundGuys measured a bass lift from 100 to 400 Hz and a treble lift from 5 to 10 kHz
- Headphone Curve calls the plastic toy-like and says it flexes when twisted
- The earcups do not fold and no carrying case is supplied
- Trusted Reviews rates call quality merely average, with weak wind reduction
Specifications
| Noise cancelling | About 20 dB across low frequencies, peaking near 28 dB at 80 Hz per SoundGuys |
|---|---|
| Battery | 40 hours 11 minutes with cancelling on per SoundGuys, against 35 claimed |
| Quick charge | Three minutes for about an hour |
| Weight | 192 g |
| Codecs | AAC and SBC per Headphone Curve and Trusted Reviews; SoundGuys also lists LDAC |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 with multipoint for two devices |
| Cancelling levels | 20, adjustable in the app per Trusted Reviews |
| Extras | 360 Reality Audio, DSEE upscaling, adaptive listening |
| Folding | The earcups do not fold, and no case is supplied |
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How we researched this
We have not had this unit on the bench. This review synthesises the manufacturer’s published specifications, independent measurements and owner reports listed below. Every figure on this page comes from one of those sources rather than our own measurement.
3
sources reviewed
SoundGuys is the only source that measured on a test fixture, supplying the noise cancelling attenuation by frequency, the frequency response finding and the measured battery, and scored them 7.1 out of 10. Headphone Curve supplies the weight comparison against rivals, the codec listing that contradicts SoundGuys, the build criticism and the assessment of where the cancelling falls short. Trusted Reviews supplies the listening impressions, the real-world battery drain, the call quality assessment and the portability criticisms, and scored 4.5 out of 5. The three disagree about LDAC support, which the FAQ reports rather than resolves.
What we read
Common questions
Do the Sony WH-CH720N support LDAC?
How good is the noise cancelling?
How long does the battery last?
Are they comfortable?
What does the low price actually cost you?
The bottom line on the Sony WH-CH720N
If you have ever taken headphones off after two hours because your neck ached, these solve that at 192 grams and last forty hours doing it. What you give up is materials, isolation on a train, and possibly a codec depending which review you believe.
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