If you have the money, we recommend buying the Sony WH-1000XM5 as it is the most balanced on the market right now in terms of feature offering, comfort, audio quality and price. In the review we published before we said it was disappointing but after a few months the opinion changed after the diaphragm matured after use. At a price of almost RM1800 a pair, many still feel it is too expensive.
The Sony WH-CH720N was launched in Malaysia a few days ago at a more pocket-friendly price of RM649. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the CH720N when compared to its more premium "brother"? Here's our full review for the Sony WH-CH720N.
SPECIFICATIONS
Sony WH-CH720N
Type Closed back earphones
30mm driver
Microphone? microphone
Battery 35 Hours ANC/50 hours without ANC
USB-C charging port
Wireless charging None
CODEC SBC, AAC
All operating systems are supported
Yes/Assistant, Siri and Alexa virtual assistant support
Physical control buttons
Waterproof ability No
Selling Price RM 649
DESIGN
The first view is not very positive because the entire body of the CH720N is made of plastic material that has a rough texture and does not look luxurious like the XM5 or WH-H910N h.ear on 3. This is because it is more concerned with lightness than these two more luxurious models. Weighing only 192 grams, it is the lightest wireless earphone with ANC ever offered by Sony.
Two plastic ear cups are connected to a small sized head cup. Only the top of the head cup has spam to provide comfort when wearing. The size of the sponge is also small when compared to the XM5 which has a large sponge on the entire surface of the head caliper.
The head caliper resizing mechanism is also of classic design with two metal rails under the plastic handle. The CH720N won't win any awards for beautiful design aesthetics. As we said earlier the CH720N is a headphone that focuses on reducing weight and cost. So this minimalist Spartan design should be expected for those who want to buy it.
The ear cups can only be rotated up to a 90 degree angle. No additional folding mechanism makes the size more compact for easy storage in a backpack. It's even more disappointing that Sony doesn't provide a special storage bag with every purchase of the CH720N. Throughout the review period we used the XM5's storage bag to prevent any damage to it.
With small rails, plastic head mounts and a plastic body we're not confident it's durable enough to put in a bag full of phones, laptops, tablets, chargers and other heavy stuff.
Not only the design of the head cup and ear cups of the CH720N is classic. The use of plastic and many physical buttons also reminds us of the design of Sony headphones from the previous generation.
On the right ear cup there are two audio control buttons that squeeze a button to pause/skip music. It also has a secondary function to call the virtual assistant Alexa, Siri or Assistant. Buttons to activate ANC and Ambient modes are also located on the right ear cup.
On the left ear cup, there is a power button together with a bluetooth tethering button, a power/BT status LED light, a USB-C charging port and a 3.5mm audio jack hole. All the key features you'd want in a BT headset are included in the CH720N.
What's missing is a touch pad that Sony currently only offers on more premium models. As with the XM5, Sony no longer includes tethering support using NFC which we've said is a much-missed feature.
We are less fond of the plastic buttons used because it is difficult to distinguish between the included buttons especially on the right ear cup. For example the audio adjust button and the pause/skip button are too close to each other. Many times we want to increase the audio volume but hit the pause button Because mistakes happen too often we raise the white flag and control the music on the phone only!
USE AND COMFORT
The size of the headphones is comfortable with both ear cups with 30mm drivers covering our entire earlobe. It doesn't look obvious in the picture but the ear cups of the CH720N are the same size as the XM5. The sponge part feels less premium even though it is actually quite soft. Once you get used to the more luxurious sponge of the XM5, all other headphones will feel "cheap" when they are not. When compared to other headphones in the same class, the CH720N offers a comparable wearing experience.
With it being light, we couldn't feel any pressure on the top of the head or like the head being pinched by two ear cups. Long-term use in the office or home is quite comfortable. We are only m
With it being light, we couldn't feel any pressure on the top of the head or like the head being pinched by two ear cups. Long-term use in the office or home is quite comfortable. We only experienced problems when using it outdoors.
Ears will sweat easily because there is no good ventilation. This is an issue with closed type earphones. It needs sealed ear cups for a good ANC experience but the ears get sweaty if used outside. This makes the CH720N not very comfortable to wear during exercise. These earphones also do not have any waterproof standards. Be careful if you are a person who sweats easily.
SOFTWARE
Turn on the headphones for the first time and the Google Fast Pair screen will appear on the Android phone screen after a few seconds. Follow the instructions provided to set up Google Assistant right away. Users are then advised to download the Sony Headphones application to find the latest software version. Once again we want to emphasize that we miss tethering using NFC because it allows direct addition from an inactive headphone directly to the phone using just one touch.
The Sony Headphone app is required for an optimal user experience. The features of turning off ANC mode, activating Ambience mode, adding to two devices simultaneously and tutorials are all accessible through this application. The app is offered in both Android and iOS versions so there's no need to worry about a different experience on your two chosen platforms.
The software also displays the battery level, DSEE mode, 360 Reality Audio, equalizer, codecs used and provides notifications when there is a new firmware. During the test period the firmware is only given once to increase the stability of the bluetooth connection.
AUDIO QUALITY
Let's start with the bad news first. The audio quality is not comparable to the XM5 and this is especially noticeable due to the lack of LDAC support. Only AAC and SBC codec support is provided. Not a big issue for iPhone users but frustrating for Android owners. The good news is that comparing the CH720N to the XM5 is extremely unfair. It's like comparing apples to oranges.
This review needs to be fair and subjective. So we looked for headphones at a relatively similar price in an online store. Our luck is good because a Sony WH-1000XM3 can still be bought for around RM700 in selected stores. The audio quality of the CH720N is in our opinion comparable to the XM3 if the LDAC mode is not activated.
This means a strong and solid bass sound but with slightly drowned mid audio. Vocals are drowned out especially if the music mix has a significant bass sound. Treble audio is clear and loud especially when listening to instrumental or acoustic music.
Actually we were quite surprised that the audio CH720N has an audio profile comparable to the XM3 because after seeing the super-plastic design our expectations were low. This also shows how Sony's audio technology has evolved. The XM3's premium audio can now be enjoyed on a budget-friendly mid-range headphone.
Because of the audio profile that gives more emphasis to the bass, the experience of using the CH720N is like a classic Sony phone during the Extra Bass era in the late 1990s. For fans of "Sony Sound" for centuries, this is not a negative thing because we have been using Sony headphones since 1983.
We don't recommend the CH720N to those looking for headphones with a flatter audio profile like the XM5. These are headphones that are more compatible with listening to rock, EDM and pop music.
We also found it compatible to use for video games because the advantage is given to the bass rumble. When matched to a PlayStation 5 surround audio can be accessed and tuned to taste. But as we said at the beginning of this review, make sure your room is cool because ears will sweat due to long gaming sessions.
ANC
ANC quality is average with conversation, vehicle rumble, keyboards, and music from a roommate's computer being suppressed fairly well. We got to fly the plane when reviewing the CH720N and its performance was satisfactory.
The roar of a jet engine is not as muted as the XM5. However, the ANC quality is much better than using Apple AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds2 Pro earphones. ANC on the CH720N is satisfactory in most everyday situations but still behind the XM5 and AirPods Max. There is no problem sleeping soundly on the plane because although it is not the best it is enough to prevent the roar of jet engines from hitting the ears.
MICROPHONE
The microphone used is better than initially thought. Phone calls can be made clearly with background noise reduced through the Precise Voice Pickup system. Two microphones are placed on each ear cup to make this noise canceling system work.
BATTERY
During about a week we only charged once. It is advertised to last up to 35 hours on a single charge if the noise cancellation is on and increases to 50 hours if it is off. Better usage life than XM5. The time taken to recharge it is 3.5 hours but there is a 3 minute charging feature for 1 hour of use. There is enough battery to do two round trips to Europe so we have no complaints about battery performance.
IN THE BOX
Here's what you get with every purchase in Malaysia.
1x Sony WH-CH720N
1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
1x 3.5mm audio cable.
Manual.
CONCLUSION
What are you willing to sacrifice for good audio quality but without breaking your bank account? If the answer given is that the build quality is lower and missing some more important features then we can recommend the Sony WH-CH720N to you. The build quality feels and looks cheap. It's all plastic in the name of wanting to make it the lightest wireless ANC headphone Sony has to offer.
The build looks cheap but the audio offered is more premium. In terms of audio profile, it is similar to an XM3 that is almost four years old. There is a DSEE feature, satisfactory noise cancellation, tethering to two devices simultaneously, comfortable on the head and quite excellent battery life.
At RM649 it is quite affordable for the audio quality on offer but let down by the build quality which tries too hard to cut costs and without a storage case provided. With the Sony WH-H910N h.ear on 3 offered at a comparable price (around RM700) we feel there are other more attractive options from Sony. The WH-H910N has LDAC support, a foldable design and a more premium finish. We can only recommend the Sony WH-CH720N to those who are looking for a pair of lightweight wireless ANC headphones with satisfactory audio quality.
Pro
Light and comfortable on the head.
Very satisfactory audio quality.
Good app support.
3.5mm connection is possible.
Very long battery life.
Cons
It feels cheap because it's too plastic.
No LDAC.
There is no special storage container.
Physical control buttons can be confusing.