JOIN USSony WH-CH720N review: Decent budget headphones
The Japanese electronics major Sony is a pioneer in audio products in the industry. It has a wide array of products in different price segments.
It is one of the most popular brands of headphones in India. I loved the WH-1000XM5 for its exceptional Active Noise Cancellation features, battery life, and premium build quality.
Sony has an affordable headphone series WH-CH720N. I have been using it for a little more than a month and here're my thoughts on the budget over-ear headphones.
Design and build quality:
The WH-CH720N features a familiar over-ear headphone design. It has a soft leather-like comfy material lined around in sturdy earcups. The uni-size cup is just big enough and can fully cover the ears of most people and as far as sealing the noise outside, you can read about it in detail in the performance section.
Considering the price, the headband that holds the two earcups is really good. The band can stretch to fit any head size. I never left any discomfort during my daily commute between home and the office, which by the way I spend close to two and half hours a day.
The company does not offer any protective case with the retail box, but it can survive in the backpack, which I have been doing for several weeks. But, ensure you don't place it haphazardly and put any heavy stuff like water-filled metal bottle.
User interface
The right earcup features volume rockers with a pause button in the middle and the Noise Cancelling/Ambient Sound switch. On the left side, you will find a 3.5mm audio jack port, a Type-C USB port for charging, and a power button. The buttons are tactile and very responsive. Throughout the entire review period, they worked flawlessly. Also, I thank Sony for offering the 3.5mm audio cable with the retail box.
As far as setting up the device is concerned, it is really easy to pair and operate the WH-CH720N. Just install the Sony Headphones Connect app and turn on the Bluetooth on the phone.
Open the app and add the device to the list and you are good to go. It barely takes a few minutes to fully complete the process and it has to be performed only once. Every time, you turn on the earphones, they will automatically connect with the primary device. It should be noted that this device can pair with another device too. This will definitely come in handy if happen to use a phone and computer, or tablet. He/she can switch between the devices with ease.
Performance
With Headphones Connect app, the company is offering equaliser and users can customise the audio delivery to match their taste. There is Treble Boost, Bass Boost, Bright, Excited, Mellow, Relaxed, Vocal to deliver the singer's voice better and while the background music is kept a notch low. This way you can clearly hear the lyrics and sing along with the track.
There is also Speech mode, which is tailor-made for listening to podcasts. There is a manual option too, where users can adjust audio delivery as per their tastes. The app offers two additional custom options too.
Sony WH-CH720N houses 30mm dynamic drivers and when on Bluetooth, it supports a frequency response range of 20-20,000Hz. And, it also supports SBC (Low Complexity Subband Coding) and Advanced Audio Codec (ACC) formats.
I listened to all kinds of genres from classical M. S. Subbulakshmi to rocking Coldplay and even rapper Eminem. I had a really good time and had no issues whatsoever listening to them indoors.
I have to note that listening to music with the 3.5mm audio cable that comes with the retail box delivers even better compared to the wireless medium. The audio delivery is just top-class.
The only qualm is that the Noise cancellation feature is hit-and-miss. It works great in the office and private home spaces to cloud the chatter around, but outdoors, it used to leak the annoying vehicle horns. The only solution for me was to increase the volume and after a few minutes, I'd get used to minor distractions.
Similarly, the microphones in the WH-CH720N too, are average. I had to talk loudly for them to pick up my voice and send it across to the person listening on the other side of the phone call.
Besides the build quality, the noteworthy aspect of the headphones is the battery life. It goes on and on over several hours. With a full charge, it used to give me two weeks of battery usage. I used it during my commute (an average of two and a half hours a day) and an hour or two at home on the weekends.
On average, it can deliver 35 hours of battery life with a full charge,
Also, with the app support, I was always aware of battery life and whenever it was low, I used to charge it. With WH-CH720N, you will never have to face any battery anxiety as such.
Final thoughts
As noted in the headline, Sony WH-CH720N is decent pair of headphones, on par with most brands in its class. But, for obvious reasons, it pales in comparison to Sony's premium WX-1000XM series' ANC capability.
The noise canceling feature of the WH-CH720N series works just fine, in terms of controlling unwanted chatter around the user in an office environment or at home, but don't work effectively much outdoors, particularly when commuting in mass transit vehicles such as a bus in busy traffic. And, during the same scenario, the microphone, doesn't pick the owner's voice pretty clearly and has to raise the voice to ensure the person on the other side of the call hears it clearly. On the bright side, it works perfectly fine indoors even with a lot chatter in the background.
The best two aspects of the WH-CH720N series are the battery life and build quality. And, with Sony Headphones Connect app, users can customise the audio delivery.
Be it at home chilling on your favourite comfy sofa or at the office trying to isolate yourself to have a fine lunch with just good music or inspiring podcasts, WH-CH720N is a good option. Considering the overall aspects, it is worth the asking price.
Sony WH-CH720N costs Rs 9,990 in India and is available in all Sony authorised stores and major e-commerce websites.
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