Last year we reviewed the Sony WH-1000XM5, which are the best money can buy in the premium segment of over-the-ear (OTE) headphones. And now, Sony is out with a new pair of OTE headphones in the mid-range segment called the Sony CH720N. We spent almost 3 weeks with them to understand its ins and outs and this is the Sony CH720N headphones review you should not miss if you are in the market to buy a new pair of OTE headphones.
Sony CH720N headphones review: Design
As always, let’s first talk about the form factor of the device. Sony is one of the earth-conscious companies, which is going the way of committing to less carbon emissions by producing bio-degradable packaging amongst other things. On the same lines, the Sony CH720N headphones come out of a fully recyclable box made of cardboard and paper. The wrap these headphones are cocooned in is also made of bio-degradable materials.
Out of the box, these headphones do look like their elder brother, the 1000XM5, but do have distinct features. While the earcup’s design might look the same, the headband is very different. It makes a perfect semi-circle when worn, unlike the 1000XM5, which is tighter in its approach and hugs the head.
The Sony CH720N headphones have a lot of good padding all around, which can be found nicely on the ear cups as well as the headband. We got the whiteish-grey version to play around with. There are two more colours available – Black and Navy Blue. For easy storage and lugging the ear cups can swivel 45 degrees (approx.) forward and can without problems slide into your backpack or can stay stable on your neck.
There are plenty of keys and ports on the Sony CH720N headphones, which can be found on the right and the left ear cups. These include volume, play/pause, power, USB Type-C (for charging) and a 3.5mm audio port. A special separate key is also the right ear cup that controls active noise cancellation (ANC). Yes, these headphones cut down the noise actively. For that two microphones can be found on the top of the ear plates. Do they work well? Let’s find out in the next section.
Also in the box, you will get a USB Type-C charging cable and a 3.5mm audio cable, but sadly a carry case is missing.
Read Also: Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro earbuds with ANC unveiled
Sony CH720N headphones: Performance
Let’s move to the performance bit of the Sony CH720N headphones. Right off the bat, these impressed us. We took them on our short work trip to Vietnam and they were a spectacular partner at the airport and in the plane. The sound is superb with great bass and pretty good mids and lows. Highs were good too, but 1000XM5 have spoilt us, so we kept comparing it to those. But for the price, these are not bad at all.
We tested the ANC to its maximum and yes for the price they do a good job. Again, we have had better. But for first-timers and people who are on a budget, these will prove great. To enable the ANC you can just tap the ANC button on the earphones and ambient noise is cancelled to a considerable level. Tap them again and you will be able to hear the ambient sounds and will not miss the airport announcements, without taking them off. We loved the fact that we had them in the aeroplane, as with ANC turned on, all you hear is great resonance, keeping all the plane noises out.
Over that, it also supports Adaptive sound controls that automatically senses where you are and adjusts the audio according to the ambience. For this, you need to have the Sony Headphones app installed on your smartphone and turn on the setting.
You can control all the audio functions easily with the supplied keys as well. You will not need to bring out the mobile phone from your pocket for it. Double tapping the hyphen key (located between volume keys), will skip a track and triple pressing it will take you to the previous one. You can also fast-forward by tapping the same key and then holding it. If you double-tap and keep holding it, it will fast reverse the audio.
The Sony CH720N headphones support multi-point Bluetooth 5.2. This means the headphones can connect to two devices with Bluetooth at the same time and you need not manually switch between them. Over that, voice assistants from Google and Alexa are supported and work decently. Call quality is also good and the other side was able to hear us clearly.
Moving to its battery life. Sony CH720N headphones charge fully in just over 3.5 hours. You can get 1 hour of playback with just 3 minutes of charge. With ANC on we got over 33 hours of music playback. This is incredible and by far one of the longest. We also loved the fact that these headphones are very light to wear and stay comfortable, even on long journeys.
Read Also: Sony WH-1000XM5 review: The sound speaks for itself
Verdict
All in all, we loved what Sony had to give at Rs 9,990. The sound is super good and ANC works well, even though we have had better. Again we say, 1000XM5 have spoilt us. They are lightweight and comfortable for long hauls and physical keys cater to all your musical needs. Overall, a good pair of OTE headphones in the mid-segment, which you can effortlessly consider.
Sony CH720N headphones pros
Good sound
Comfortable to wear
Very good battery life
Sony CH720N headphones cons
No carry case in the box
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