You’re probably looking at these because you want the fancy Sony noise-canceling magic without having to explain to your spouse why you just dropped $400 on the flagship WH-1000XM5. I get it. The Sony WH-CH720N noise cancelling wireless headphones occupy this weird, middle-child space in the market. They aren’t the cheapest pair at the airport tech kiosk, but they aren't the luxury leather-clad status symbols either.
Honestly? They’re better than they have any right to be.
But there’s a catch. Or a few. If you expect them to feel like a tank, you're going to be disappointed. These things are light. Like, "did I forget to put the batteries in?" light. That weight—or lack thereof—is actually their secret weapon, even if it makes the plastic feel a bit like a toy when you first pull them out of the box.
The V1 Chip Trick
Most people don't realize that Sony basically performed a heart transplant here. They took the Integrated Processor V1 from the top-tier XM5 and shoved it into the Sony WH-CH720N noise cancelling wireless headphones. This is the same silicon that handles noise cancellation and signal processing in headphones that cost triple the price.
It’s a bold move.
Because of that chip, the Dual Noise Sensor technology actually works. It isn't just marketing fluff. When you're sitting in a crowded Starbucks and that one guy starts a Zoom call on speakerphone, the CH720N reacts faster than almost anything else at the $150 price point. It’s not going to give you that "silent vacuum" feeling of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but it definitely dulls the world down to a manageable hum.
The sound profile is classic Sony. Out of the box, the bass is a bit thick. It’s punchy, maybe a little crowded in the low-mids, but the V1 chip keeps it from becoming a muddy mess. If you’re a purist, you'll hate the default tuning. If you like feeling the kick drum in a Metallica track or the sub-bass in a Kendrick Lamar verse, you’ll probably be smiling within thirty seconds.
Real Talk on Build Quality
Let's be real: these are plastic.
Everywhere.
The headband, the earcups, the sliders—it’s all a matte polycarbonate. Sony calls it "recycled plastic," which is great for the planet, but it does mean they lack that premium "thud" when you set them on a desk. They don't fold up either. That’s a major gripe for some people. If you’re a "toss them in a backpack" kind of traveler, you have to be mindful that these take up a fixed amount of real estate.
But here is why that plastic matters. 192 grams.
That is incredibly light for a pair of over-ear cans. You can wear the Sony WH-CH720N noise cancelling wireless headphones for an entire eight-hour workday and forget they're on your head. Most high-end headphones start to feel like a lead weight on your crown around hour three. These don't. The clamping force is moderate—enough to stay on while you’re walking to a bus stop, but not so tight that it feels like your skull is in a vise.
Battery Life and The "Oops" Factor
Sony claims 35 hours with Noise Canceling (NC) on. In my experience, that’s actually a conservative estimate if you aren't blasting volume at 100%. If you turn the NC off, you can push it toward 50 hours.
The "Oops" factor is the quick charge. We've all been there. You're heading to the gym, your headphones are dead, and you have three minutes before you have to leave. Plug these in for just three minutes, and you get about an hour of playback. It’s a lifesaver.
Why the App is Mandatory
Don't just pair these via Bluetooth and walk away. You absolutely have to download the Sony Headphones Connect app.
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Why? Because the "Clear Bass" slider is where the magic happens.
Standard EQ presets are usually garbage, but Sony’s manual 5-band EQ is actually responsive. I usually recommend dropping the 400Hz range by a couple of notches to clean up the "boxiness" and then bumping the 6.3kHz and 16kHz sliders to bring out some detail in the cymbals and vocals. It transforms the Sony WH-CH720N noise cancelling wireless headphones from a "budget" sound to something that punches way above its weight class.
The Microphone Situation
If you’re planning on using these for professional client calls, listen up. Sony used Precise Voice Pickup technology here. There's a beamforming mic and a dedicated wind noise reduction structure.
In a quiet room? You sound great.
In a windy park? It’s... okay.
The software tries really hard to strip out the wind, which can sometimes make your voice sound a bit digital or "compressed." It’s a trade-off. It’s much better than the older CH710N, which basically just let the wind scream into your caller's ears, but it’s still not quite "studio quality."
Comparing the Rivals
You’re probably looking at the Sennheiser Accentum or maybe the Soundcore Space Q45.
The Sennheisers have a more "refined" sound out of the box. They sound wider, more "audiophile." But their app is clunky and they aren't as comfortable for long sessions.
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The Soundcore Q45 offers more features—like a hard shell carrying case and even stronger ANC in some specific frequencies—but their sound signature is inconsistent.
The Sony WH-CH720N noise cancelling wireless headphones win on the "it just works" factor. The multi-point connection (pairing to your laptop and phone at the same time) is seamless. You can be watching a YouTube video on your MacBook, get a call on your iPhone, and the headphones switch over without you touching a single button. That logic is powered by the V1 chip, and it's noticeably smoother than the competition.
Nuance and Limitations
It isn't all sunshine.
The ear pads are synthetic leather. They will get sweaty in the summer. They will eventually peel after a year or two of heavy use. That’s just the nature of the material at this price point. Also, there is no "wear detection." If you take them off and leave them on your neck, the music keeps playing until you manually hit pause or they auto-power off after a period of inactivity. It’s a small thing, but once you’ve had headphones that auto-pause, you miss it.
Also, let’s talk about the "Ambient Sound" mode. It has 20 levels of adjustment. It’s very good at letting you hear your surroundings, but it can sound a bit "hissy" at the higher levels. It’s not the natural "transparency" you get with AirPods Max. It sounds like a microphone is pumping sound into your ears—which, well, it is.
How to Get the Most Out of Them
If you just bought these, or you’re about to, do these three things immediately:
- Update the Firmware: Sony pushes updates that actually improve the ANC stability and Bluetooth Multipoint.
- Set up DSEE: Digital Sound Enhancement Engine. It tries to "restore" high-frequency sounds lost in compression. It’s subtle, but it makes Spotify tracks sound a bit more "open."
- Analyze Your Ear Shape: The app has a feature where you take photos of your ears to optimize 360 Reality Audio. It sounds like a gimmick, but for supported apps like Tidal or Amazon Music, the spatial effect is actually pretty wild.
The Verdict
The Sony WH-CH720N noise cancelling wireless headphones aren't trying to be the best headphones in the world. They’re trying to be the best headphones for the person who has a budget and wants something reliable.
They are the "Honda Civic" of headphones. They’re mostly plastic, they’re very efficient, and they’ll get you exactly where you need to go without any fuss. If you can handle the lack of a folding hinge and the lightweight feel, the internal tech makes them a powerhouse.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your sources: If you use Spotify, go into settings and make sure your "Streaming Quality" is set to "Very High." These headphones are good enough to reveal the difference between low-bitrate and high-bitrate audio.
- Invest in a third-party case: Since Sony doesn't include a hard case in the box—only a simple USB cable—grab a generic hardshell over-ear headphone case on Amazon for $15 to protect the hinges in your bag.
- Use the 3.5mm jack: If you're on a plane and want to watch a movie, or if your battery dies, keep the included cable handy. These sound surprisingly decent even when powered off via the wire, though you lose the EQ and ANC.
- Tweak the EQ: Move the 400Hz slider down to -2 and the 2.5kHz slider up to +2. This "V-shape" correction usually balances out the factory tuning for a more "vivid" experience.
The reality is that most people don't need to spend $400 on headphones. The jump from $50 headphones to the CH720N is massive. The jump from the CH720N to the flagship XM5 is much smaller. You’re getting about 80% of the performance for about 40% of the price. That is a trade-off worth making every single time.