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At a time when we are spoilt for choice with gadgets , tech companies are working really hard to pamper us a bit more by bringing flagship-level features to mid-range products. Looks like that’s what Sony has attempted with its brand-new Sony WH-CH720N. Aimed at consumers looking to experience active noise-cancellation headphones in the sub-15K segment, this is how the device fares.
Design
The Sony WH-CH720N | Photo Credit: Siddharth MC
The Sony WH-CH720N has a smooth plastic exterior with faux leather earcups.
While comfort is subjective, especially with audio devices, the ear cups fit well and sit firmly, even on long walks. The headband is also flexible, and features soft padding on the top.
The lack of ear sensors - which automatically cuts off the music when I take the headset off and resumes playing once put back - is not quite as effective as I’d want it to be.
With physical buttons around the earcups, it is easy to control the volume, pause, and play tracks which have tactile, engraved patterns, all easily distinguishable.
The physical controls around the cups are easy to control the volume and pause and play music | Photo Credit: Siddharth MC
The power button along with a USB-C port and a 3.5 mm audio jack for wired connectivity rest on the left earcup. A physical volume control, pause button and noise cancellation/ambient sound toggle are on the right earcup.
Sony’s Headphone Connect app lets you access equaliser settings and set up a multipoint connection | Photo Credit: Siddharth MC
I fired up Sony’s Headphone Connect app to access equaliser settings and set up a multipoint connection. The app also lets me tweak adaptive sound control which lets me set audio profiles that I can use while walking, chilling at home etc. This feature is based on the app’s access to my location information.
Sound Quality
The Sony WH-CH720N renders low and mid frequencies well in Linkin Park’s Talking to Myself.
The WH-CH720N strikes a good balance between bass and treble, without being too bass heavy.
The Active Noise Cancellation is effective enough, but not the best one. It’s able to drown out voices nearby, but fails to filter out the faint, monotonous droning of the watercooler in the background and the occasional ear-splitting voice in the room.
The V1 chip from Sony’s WH-1000XM5 makes its way here and helps give WH-CH720N a set of premium features like great call quality and battery for its price.
Call quality is excellent, while on call, the person on the other end was able to hear me loud and clear. Noise cancellation of ambient sound while on call was a miss, with people being able to hear the background sounds like drilling. The one positive is that the voice comes through loud and clear, making this an ideal headset for attending MS-Teams calls.
If you are a keen audiophile, you can make use of the 3.5 mm aux cable to enjoy a wired audio experience.
Battery life
The battery life of the WH-CH720N is rated at 50 hours without ANC and 35 hours with ANC on. In the one week that I used it for the review, I found that it delivered over 30 hours with mixed usage with ANC on - attending hours of online classes on Google Meet, editing a video for 2-3 hours on Premiere Pro, and listening to music while on my daily walk.
The headband also features quick charge where a 3 minute quick-charge can give close to 1 hour of usage. Comes handy when you need a fast battery top-up before important work meetings or long commutes. If the headband’s battery is really low, you can make use of the aux cable to continue listening to music, but will lose out on the noise cancellation features.
Verdict
The WH-CH720N offers an enjoyable listening experience, aspects of which are close to a flagship-level offerings. With a likeable sound profile that captures the lows and the mids well, and a long battery life, the WH-CH720N headphone is an accesory that’s great value-for-money.
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