Sony WH-CH720n Review: Best Budget Noise Cancelling Headphones?

If you have been shopping for noise cancelling headphones on a budget, you have probably noticed the pattern: the cheapest models promise flagship numbers on the box and deliver something much thinner in real life. The Sony WH-CH720N is the exception that built its reputation the slow way — by being the budget headphone reviewers kept recommending, year after year, because its core specifications actually hold up. It is Sony’s lightest noise cancelling over-ear headphone, it carries the same Integrated Processor V1 that sits inside the flagship WH-1000XM5, and it does the everyday jobs — commuting, office work, study sessions, calls — without the bulk or the battery anxiety of bigger rivals.

This review is a research-based assessment. We verified every specification against Sony’s published data and the live Amazon listing, and weighed the WH-CH720N against the published measurements and long-term verdicts available for it. Where it cuts corners — and it does — we will name those corners plainly.

Sony WH-CH720N Specifications at a Glance

Here is the verified specification sheet. Every figure below comes from Sony’s published data for the WH-CH720N — not the newer WH-CH730N, which is a different headphone with a different driver, a heavier folding design and a newer Bluetooth generation. Keeping the two apart matters, because the names differ by a single digit.

Design and Comfort: 192 Grams Changes Everything

The single most important number on that spec sheet is 192 grams. Most budget ANC rivals land somewhere between 230g and 300g, and Sony’s own flagships weigh roughly a quarter more. Weight is the comfort specification people underestimate: clamping force and cushion softness matter for the first twenty minutes, but it is total weight that decides how a headphone feels in hour three of a workday or hour five of a study session.

The trade-off is in the materials. The frame and earcups are plastic, the headband padding is thinner than on Sony’s premium models, and the overall feel is light rather than luxurious. The earcups swivel flat, which helps them sit comfortably around your neck and lie flatter in a bag, but the headband does not fold — there are no collapsing hinges — and Sony does not include a carry case in the box. If you travel constantly and crush your headphones into a packed carry-on, that matters. If you mostly move between a desk, a commute and a sofa, it matters much less, and the weight saving is the better bargain.

Controls are physical buttons on the earcup rather than touch panels. That is a deliberate budget choice we approve of: buttons work with gloves, they do not misfire when you adjust the fit, and the separate noise cancelling button makes it easy to switch between ANC and Ambient Sound without opening the app.

Noise Cancelling: Real Sony ANC, One Tier Down

The WH-CH720N uses Sony’s Dual Noise Sensor technology — microphones on the outside of each earcup feed the Integrated Processor V1, which generates the anti-noise signal. That V1 chip is significant: it is the same processor family Sony uses in the WH-1000XM5, adapted here for a simpler, single-processor design without the flagship’s second chip and larger microphone array. If you want the background on how these systems work, our guide to how noise cancelling headphones work explains the feedforward and feedback principles in plain language.

What does that mean in practice? Based on published assessments, the CH720N’s ANC is at its best against the steady, low-frequency noise that dominates daily life: train and bus rumble, air conditioning, office HVAC, engine drone. It takes the edge off those sounds convincingly and makes music listenable at lower, safer volumes. Voices, sudden clatter and higher-frequency noise are reduced less — the passive seal of the earcups does part of that work, and the fit of those cups on your head will affect your results. Frequent flyers chasing near-silence in a cabin should still look at flagship models; our best noise cancelling headphones for travel roundup covers that tier. For commuting, open-plan offices and cafés, the CH720N’s cancellation is honestly matched to the job.

Ambient Sound mode is adjustable in the Sony app, so you can let in announcements and traffic noise when you need awareness, and Adaptive Sound Control can switch settings automatically based on your activity and location. These are flagship software features that Sony did not strip out of the budget model, and they are a real part of why the CH720N feels more complete than spec-sheet rivals with similar hardware.

Sound Quality: Lively, Bass-Forward, and Fixable

Inside each earcup is a 30mm dynamic driver — smaller than the 40mm drivers common in this class — tuned with a clear emphasis on the low end. Out of the box, the WH-CH720N sounds lively and energetic, with bass that sits forward in the mix. For pop, hip-hop, electronic music and podcasts, that default tuning is engaging and forgiving. For listeners who prefer a flatter, more natural presentation, the good news is that the Sony Headphones app carries a proper custom equaliser, and pulling the bass shelf down a couple of steps produces a noticeably cleaner, more balanced sound.

Two pieces of Sony processing help. DSEE upscaling works to restore some of the high-frequency detail that compressed streaming files lose, and the headphones are certified for 360 Reality Audio for listeners using compatible services. What you do not get is LDAC or aptX: wireless codecs top out at SBC and AAC. AAC is well implemented and sounds perfectly good from phones and laptops, but Android listeners who specifically want hi-res wireless streaming should treat that omission as a genuine limitation, not a footnote. A wired connection is included in the box for the moments that matter — the detachable 1.2m cable also means the headphones keep working, passively, when the battery is flat.

Battery Life: 35 Hours With ANC, and an Honest Safety Net

Sony rates the WH-CH720N at up to 35 hours of continuous playback with noise cancelling on, and up to 50 hours with it off. In a budget class where 25 to 30 hours is common, 35 hours of ANC playback is a strong verified figure: it covers a full working week of desk listening, or several long-haul travel days, between charges. The quick-charge figure is equally practical — roughly three minutes plugged in returns about an hour of playback, which is the difference between a dead headphone at the gate and music for your flight.

A full charge takes around three and a half hours over USB-C, which is slow by modern standards — worth knowing if you do not habitually charge overnight, in which case it will never bother you.

Calls, Multipoint and Everyday Use

For calls, the CH720N combines beamforming microphones with Sony’s Precise Voice Pickup technology, which uses signal processing to isolate your voice from surrounding noise, plus a wind noise reduction structure around the microphones. Published call assessments consistently rate it as a dependable work-from-home and commuting headphone: your voice comes through clearly in indoor and moderately noisy settings, though very loud street noise will still compete, as it does on every headphone in this class.

Multipoint Bluetooth is the other everyday feature that punches above the price tier. The CH720N stays connected to two devices at once — a laptop and a phone, typically — and switches between them as audio starts. If you are new to the feature, our explainer on what Bluetooth multipoint is covers how it behaves in daily use. Add Fast Pair for Android, Swift Pair for Windows and voice assistant access, and the daily-use package is complete in a way many cheaper rivals are not: they tend to offer ANC or multipoint or an app with EQ, rarely all three.

Sony WH-CH720N vs WH-CH730N: Should You Step Up?

Sony has since released the WH-CH730N as the direct successor to this model, and since both are on sale at the same time, the comparison matters. The two are easy to confuse and genuinely different. The CH730N is heavier, uses a folding design that suits travel better, stretches battery life to a rated 50 hours with ANC on, and moves to a newer Bluetooth generation with updated call processing. The CH720N counters with the things that made it popular: it is lighter, simpler, and — as the older model — usually the cheaper way into Sony ANC when both are listed.

Our full Sony WH-CH730N review covers the newer model in detail. The short version: choose the CH720N if low weight and value are your priorities and you mostly listen at a desk, on a commute or around the house. Choose the CH730N if you fold your headphones into a bag every day, want the longer battery, or take enough calls in noisy places to value its updated voice pickup.

It is also worth placing the CH720N in the wider budget field. In our best noise cancelling headphones under $100 roundup, it is the model we point to when a reader wants an established brand’s tuning, app and ANC rather than a longer feature list from a lesser-known name. Rivals often beat it on a single specification — a bigger driver, a longer battery claim, an extra codec — but the CH720N’s combination of light weight, proven ANC processing and software support is the more balanced package.

Pros and Cons

Who Should Buy the Sony WH-CH720N?

Buy it if you want your first serious ANC headphone, you wear headphones for long stretches at a desk or in transit, or you are sensitive to headphone weight and clamping pressure. Students, commuters and remote workers are exactly the audience this specification set was built for, and the multipoint-plus-ANC-plus-app combination serves all three groups unusually well.

Skip it if you fly very frequently and want the strongest cancellation money can buy, if you need a headphone that folds into a case, or if hi-res LDAC streaming from an Android phone is a must-have. In each of those cases the step up — to the CH730N for folding and battery, or to Sony’s 1000X flagship line for ANC depth and codecs — is money spent on something you will actually use.

Final Verdict

The Sony WH-CH720N has survived several years of newer, louder budget rivals for a simple reason: its fundamentals are right. The verified specification sheet — 192 grams, Dual Noise Sensor ANC on a proven Sony processor, 35 hours of ANC battery, multipoint, a real EQ in a mature app — describes a headphone with no weak pillar. Its flaws are cosmetic or niche: plastic that feels ordinary, hinges that do not fold, codecs that stop at AAC. For the majority of budget buyers, those are the right corners to cut.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Sony WH-CH720N worth it?

Yes, for most budget buyers. Its combination of effective ANC, a very light 192g design, 35-hour ANC battery life, multipoint Bluetooth and Sony’s app support is unmatched as a complete package in its class. It is worth it if comfort and everyday features matter more to you than premium materials or hi-res codecs.

How long does the Sony WH-CH720N battery last?

Sony rates the WH-CH720N at up to 35 hours of continuous playback with noise cancelling on and up to 50 hours with noise cancelling off. A quick 3-minute charge adds roughly an hour of playback, and a full charge takes about 3.5 hours over USB-C.

Does the Sony WH-CH720N have multipoint?

Yes. The WH-CH720N supports multipoint connection over Bluetooth 5.2, so it can stay connected to two devices at once — for example a laptop and a phone — and switch between them as audio starts on either device.

What is the difference between the Sony WH-CH720N and WH-CH730N?

They are different models, not colour variants. The WH-CH720N weighs about 192g, uses a 30mm driver, Bluetooth 5.2 and a non-folding design, and is rated for 35 hours with ANC on. The newer WH-CH730N is heavier, folds for travel, uses a newer Bluetooth generation and is rated for up to 50 hours with ANC on. The CH720N is the lighter, usually cheaper option; the CH730N is the travel-friendlier step-up.

Is the Sony WH-CH720N good for phone calls?

Yes. Beamforming microphones and Sony’s Precise Voice Pickup technology isolate your voice from background noise, and published call assessments rate it as clear and dependable for work calls and commuting. Very loud street environments will still challenge it, as they do every headphone in this price class.

Does the Sony WH-CH720N fold?

No. The earcups swivel flat, which helps the headphones rest comfortably around your neck and lie flatter in a bag, but the headband does not fold and no carry case is included. If folding matters, look at the WH-CH730N instead.