Sony WH-CH700N Wireless Headphones Review

The Sony CH700N look very similar to the Sony MDR-ZX770BN, though they have slight differences and a sturdier build quality that doesn't creak as much. The hinges are a little wider, and the pads are a bit softer and more comfortable. They're available in matte grey or blue, and overall their design isn't particularly flashy, which some may prefer over some other Sony headphones like the Sony WH-H900N.

The Sony WH-CH700N are comfortable over-ears with a lightweight design and decent padding. They're not too tight on the head and the ear cups are large enough to fit most ears, although they're not very deep so they won't be the most spacious. The headband isn't as well-padded as the rest of the design, but overall they're comfortable headphones that you can wear for a bit longer than the original Sony MDR-ZX770BN.

The CH700N have a simple and efficient control scheme. The well-designed buttons are located on the bottom of the ear cups. These headphones provide volume, call/music, and skip controls, as well as the power and noise cancelling enabling buttons laid out across the two ear cups. They take a little time to get used to, but once you're accustomed, they're efficient and easy-to-use. Many people will also likely prefer their tactile, clicky buttons to the touch-sensitive controls of some other options, like the Sony WH-1000XM3.

The Sony WH-CH700, like most closed-back headphones, don't have the most breathable design. They create a decent seal around your ears which prevents a lot of airflow and will make your ears fairly warm during longer listening sessions. They won't be the most suitable option for intense workout routines (see our recommendations for the best over-ear headphones for working out), but like most over-ear headsets they're fine for casual listening.

The Sony CH700N aren't the most portable headphones but should easily fit into a bag. While the ear cups swivel to allow the headphones to lay flat, they don't fold into a more compact format like some of the other over-ears we've tested.

The Sony WH-CH700N don't come with a case.

The WH-CH700N have a decent build quality. They feel sturdy enough to handle a couple of drops without any damage. The ear cups are relatively dense and shouldn't break or crack easily. However, they're mostly made of plastic and don't feel as durable as some higher-end headphones. The metal frame that reinforces the headband is thin, and the swivel joints seem susceptible to breaking under moderate physical stress.

The WH-CH700N are decently stable headphones that should easily maintain their position during casual listening sessions. They have a wireless design that prevents the headphones from being yanked off your head due to the audio cable getting hooked on something. However, they aren't sports headphones and aren't tight enough on your head to stop the ear cups from swaying and slipping off your ears when used while running.

• Sony WH-CH700N headphones
• Audio cable
• Micro USB cable
• Manual
• Carrying pouch

The Sony WH-CH700N have an excited, V-shaped sound profile. While it doesn't follow our target curve perfectly, the bump in both bass and treble means they still sound fairly balanced and will be suitable for a wide variety of genres. If you want something that follows our target curve a bit more accurately, check out the JBL TUNE 750BTNC Wireless.

The frequency response consistency of the WH-CH700N is sub-par. Glasses-wearers will likely notice decreased bass response due to not being able to get a proper seal. You may also have to adjust the headphones on your head to achieve proper treble reproduction.

The bass accuracy of the CH700 is good. There's a bit of extra thump to the bass, but it won't sound muddy or overpowering. Low-bass, responsible for the body of bass guitars and the punch of kick drums, is flat and balanced. High-bass, responsible for warmth, is also flat and balanced. Overall, the bass of the Sony is deep, balanced, and thumpy, without sounding boomy or muddy.

However, their bass delivery is quite sensitive to the quality of fit/seal achieved between the headphones and the ears, so if you wear glasses or have a lot of hair around your ears, you may experience a drop in bass.

The mid accuracy of the Sony CH700N is excellent. Almost the entire range is flat, with only a bit of low-mid and high-mid being slightly overemphasized. Instruments and vocals will be well-balanced and present.

The treble accuracy of the WH-CH700N is mediocre. Though most of the range is overemphasized, thanks to these headphones' slightly pumped-up bass range, it shouldn't sound too piercing or harsh.

The peaks and dips performance of the WH-CH700N is decent. Most of the bass and treble ranges peak upwards, with the mid-range dipped for most of the range. This will result in an excited sound profile. There's a fairly large dip in high low-treble which may cause some brighter sounds to appear slightly dull and lispy.

The imaging of the Sony WH-CH700N is great. The GD graph shows that the group delay response barely crosses the audibility threshold, ensuring a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Additionally, the L/R drivers of our test unit were very well-matched, which is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video game effects), in the stereo field.

The soundstage of the WH-CH700N is mediocre. The PRTF graph shows a decent amount of pinna interaction with decent accuracy. This PRTF response and the closed-back design of these headphones results in a relatively large soundstage, but it'll most likely be perceived to be located inside the listener's head, as opposed to in front.

The WH-CH700N use Sony's Virtualphone Technology (VPT) to create a virtual surround effect. We don't test for the effectiveness of this feature.

The weighted harmonic distortion of the WH-CH700N is decent. There may be some distortion when listening at moderate levels, though it likely won't be noticeable by most.

These are the settings used to test the WH-CH700N. These results are valid only for these settings. It's worth noting that we tested these headphones over Bluetooth and several users have reported their sound profile varying when used wired, though we don't test this.

The isolation performance of the WH-CH700N is bad. In our test, they didn't provide any isolation in the bass range, which means they'll let in all the thump and rumble of airplane and bus engines. However, since the bass isolation of these headphones is dependent on their seal and fit, some people may notice slightly better results, though it likely won't be enough to make much of a difference. While they do a decent job at blocking out high frequency sounds like AC units, they're only mediocre at isolating out background chatter. If you want headphones that perform similarly overall but have better active noise cancelling, check out the JBL CLUB 950NC Wireless.

The leakage performance of the WH-CH700N is decent. The overall level of leakage isn't very loud. With the music at 100dB SPL, the leakage at one foot away averages just above the noise floor of an average office. If you're looking for headphones that leak less noise, check out the Sony WH-CH710N Wireless.

The Sony WH-CH700N have an integrated microphone in the ear cups.

The microphone of the WH-CH700N has an average recording quality. Speech recorded/transmitted with this microphone will be a bit thin and will sound noticeably muffled and lacking in detail. Overall, however, speech will still be relatively understandable.

Update 12/16/2021: These headphones have been updated to test bench 1.5. In this update, we made changes to the way we test noise handling. We now use a subjective evaluation of our audio clips. This new method has resulted in different results than what we had reported in our previous test bench. As a result, the scoring of this box has changed, and we have updated our results.

The noise handling of the Sony WH-CH700N's microphone is okay. They're best suited for quiet environments as they struggle to fully separate speech from ambient noise, even in moderately loud places. It can also be difficult to understand your voice clearly in loud environments.

The Sony WH-CH700N have an excellent battery life, easily lasting a day, but they take over six hours to charge, which is one of the longest we've ever tested. If this is too long for you, we suggest taking a look at the Plantronics Backbeat Go 810 with their advertised quick charge feature that gives you 3 hours of playback for only 15 minutes of charging, though we don't test for this. On the bright side, The WH-CH700N support passive playback, so they can be used when the battery is dead, though they won't have wireless audio while charging like some of the other wireless over-ears we've tested.

The Sony CH700N work with the Sony | Headphones Connect app, available for iOS and Android. The app is well-designed and intuitive and offers a good selection of features. It gives you access to a graphic EQ as well as presets and room effects can also be added or adjusted to change the soundstage to your personal preference. The noise cancelling feature can also be controlled but not to the extent of other Sony headphones like the WH-1000XM2. There are also no customization settings for the standby feature, which is a shame.

Update 12/17/2021: These headphones were updated to Test Bench 1.5 and their latency values have changed. Our previous Test Bench 1.4 measurements reported 'iOS Latency' at 263 ms. However, our new test bench uses an average of three measurements instead of one, resulting in 151 ms on iOS. As a result, we have updated our text to better reflect test bench 1.5 measurements.

The Sony WH-CH700N don't have simultaneous multi-device pairing like many other options, including the Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018. On the upside, they do support NFC, making pairing with compatible smartphones a bit easier. While their PC latency is quite high and their iOS latency may be noticeable, their Android latency falls within good levels. When streaming video on Android devices, your audio and visuals should stay in sync. It's worth noting that some apps seem to compensate for this, so your mileage may vary in actual day-to-day use.

These headphones only connect wirelessly via Bluetooth.

The Sony WH-CH700N come with a regular audio cable that doesn't have an in-line remote/microphone or a USB adapter.

The Xbox One doesn't support Bluetooth headsets, so you can't use the WH-CH700N wirelessly. You can use them wired by plugging them into the controller, but you won't be able to use their microphone.

The WH-CH700N don't have a base/dock. If you want a versatile headset with a base that you can also use wired, check out the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless.