Sony WH-CH720N

The Sony WH-CH720N delivers flagship-level noise cancelling at a budget-friendly price, with 35-hour battery life and solid build quality. Comfort is a major weak point, and sound quality is just average. If ANC is your top priority and you can find these under USD 100, they're a steal.

Let's talk numbers. The ANC here is the star of the show. Sitting in the 99th percentile for active noise cancelling, these headphones cancel out background noise better than almost anything else we've tested in this category. The Dual Noise Sensor technology and Integrated Processor V1 do real work. You'll notice it on a bus, in a coffee shop, or anywhere with consistent low-end rumble. It's not just marketing fluff, the data backs it up.

Battery life lands at 35 hours, which puts it in the 83rd percentile. That's well above average and enough for a full work week of commutes without reaching for a charger. The quick charge feature is genuinely useful, 3 minutes plugged in gets you about an hour of playback. Sound quality is more middle of the pack at the 63rd percentile. The 30mm drivers with DSEE upscaling sound decent, but they're not going to blow anyone away. The mic performance is solid at the 84th percentile, so calls should come through clear enough. Build quality is a standout at the 96th percentile, which is surprising for a budget-friendly pair. Connectivity also impresses at the 95th percentile, with Bluetooth 5.2 and multipoint working smoothly.

Against the JBL Tune 670NC, the Sony wins on ANC performance without question. JBL's noise cancelling is fine, but it's not in the same league as what Sony's Integrated Processor V1 delivers here. The Soundcore Life Q20 is cheaper and more comfortable for many people, but its ANC can't touch the WH-CH720N. If you're comparing the Sony to the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4, the Sennheiser wins on sound quality and comfort by a wide margin, but it costs significantly more. The TOZO HT3 is a budget darling with surprisingly good features, but again, the ANC gap is real. The Beyerdynamic Aventho is a different beast entirely, aimed at audiophiles who care more about sound signature than noise cancelling.

For commuters who prioritize blocking out the world, the Sony WH-CH720N beats most of these competitors on pure ANC performance. But if comfort matters more to you, the Soundcore Life Q20 or even the TOZO HT3 might be better daily drivers. The trade-off is real: you get flagship-level noise cancelling in a package that some people find uncomfortable to wear for extended periods.

Value is where things get interesting. In the US, prices range from USD 60 to USD 178 across four listings. That's a USD 118 spread, which is huge. If you can snag these at the lower end, around USD 60, you're getting 99th percentile ANC for pocket change. At USD 178, you're creeping into territory where better all-around headphones exist. The best deal we're seeing is from Newegg's refurbished listings, which consistently come in at the bottom of that range. In Canada, the spread is CAD 118 to CAD 250 across two listings, a CAD 132 gap. Again, the refurbished route through Newegg looks like the smart play. At full retail, the value proposition gets shakier, especially when the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 and other competitors offer better sound and comfort for not much more.

The Sony WH-CH720N sits in that sweet spot of wireless over-ear headphones where you get flagship noise cancelling tech without the flagship price tag. It's a closed-back, over-ear design with 30mm dynamic drivers, Bluetooth 5.2, multipoint, and a 3.5mm jack for wired listening. We're looking at a headphone that borrows the Integrated Processor V1 from Sony's much pricier models and stuffs it into a lighter, cheaper package. Prices bounce around a lot depending on where you shop, from USD 60 to USD 178 in the US and CAD 118 to CAD 250 up north, so patience pays off here.

People searching for "best budget noise cancelling headphones" or "Sony ANC headphones under $150" will keep landing on this model, and for good reason. The ANC performance is genuinely top-tier, ranking in the 99th percentile in our database. That's the kind of noise cancelling you'd expect from headphones costing twice as much. The catch? Comfort takes a hit, landing way down in the 7th percentile. We'll dig into that.

If you're wondering whether the WH-CH720N is good for commuting, the answer is mostly yes. Our commute score of 80.7 out of 100 reflects strong ANC and solid battery life, though the comfort issues might make long sessions feel less pleasant than the spec sheet suggests.

Skip the WH-CH720N if comfort is your number one priority. The 7th percentile comfort score means these aren't the headphones for all-day wear, and people with larger ears or sensitive heads may find them genuinely unpleasant after an hour or two. If you're looking for studio headphones, look elsewhere, the studio score of 52.2 out of 100 is the weakest area for this product. Audiophiles who care more about sound quality than noise cancelling should check out the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 or Beyerdynamic Aventho instead. And if you're on a tight budget, the Soundcore Life Q20 or TOZO HT3 offer better comfort and decent features for less money, even if their ANC can't match Sony's.

Should you buy the Sony WH-CH720N? If your top priority is noise cancelling and you can find these at the lower end of the price range, absolutely. The ANC performance is genuinely best-in-class for this price bracket, and the battery life means you won't be hunting for a charger every day. The build quality also punches above its weight, which is rare in budget headphones.

But if comfort is a dealbreaker for you, think twice. The 7th percentile comfort score is not a typo. Some people will find these fine, but our data suggests a lot of users struggle with the fit over longer sessions. If you're planning to wear these for a full workday or on long flights, you might want to try them on first or look at alternatives like the Soundcore Life Q20. For short commutes and focused listening sessions, the WH-CH720N delivers a lot of what makes Sony's expensive headphones great without the sticker shock.