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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Profile: Target Compliance
    5. Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
    6. Treble Profile: Target Compliance
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation - Full Range
    2. Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
    3. Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
    4. ANC Wind Handling
    5. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Wired Connection
    2. Bluetooth Connection
    3. Wireless Connection (Dongle)
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PlayStation Compatibility
    6. Xbox Compatibility
    7. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless vs Sony WH-CH520 Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated Nov 26, 2024 09:02 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Jan 03, 2025 05:38 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Picture

Variants

  • WH-CH720N (Black)
  • WH-CH720N (Blue)
  • WH-CH720N (White)
  • WH-CH520 (Beige)
  • WH-CH520 (Black)
  • WH-CH520 (Blue)
  • WH-CH520 (White)

Our Verdict

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless

Sony WH-CH520 Wireless

The Sony WH-CH720N Wireless and Sony WH-CH520 Wireless use the same companion app with access to the brand's virtual surround sound and EQ. Their construction is alike, but the over-ears fit of the WH-CH720N Wireless is a bit more comfortable. These have ANC to make noisy environments more tolerable. In addition, they have optional wired connectivity alongside their Bluetooth connectivity. Lacking the battery hog of ANC, the WH-CH520 Wireless' battery lasts longer, and they connect via Bluetooth only. They fit on-ears and are smaller overall. They also  have a less bass-heavy sound out of the box. Choosing between them depends on how much you want to cut out your environment because the WH-CH520 Wireless have poor isolation compared to the WH-CH720N Wireless.

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Notice: Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable. Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our headphones test methodology.

Main Differences for

Threshold 

0.10

Neutral Sound 

6.5
7.4

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

7.5
9.1

Peaks/Dips 
 

5.3
7.7

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

7.4
8.8

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.4
6.5

Imaging 
 

5.8
8.3

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Design Picture 2
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
On-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic

Show text

Comfort 
 

7.5
7.0

Comfort Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Comfort Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.41 lbs
0.32 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0.8 lbs
0.6 lbs

Show text

Controls 
 

7.7
6.8

Controls Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Controls Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Good
Good

Feedback  

Good
Good

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

On/Off
No

Talk-Through 
 

On/Off
No

Additional Controls  

Voice Assistant
Voice Assistant

Show text

Breathability 
 

Breathability After Picture  

Avg.Temp.Difference  

Portability 
 

6.0
6.4

Portability Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Portability Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Portability Picture

 

7.9" (20.0 cm)
7.1" (18.0 cm)

 

7.5" (19.0 cm)
6.7" (17.0 cm)

 

2.0" (5.0 cm)
1.6" (4.0 cm)

Volume  

103.81 in³ (1,701.10 cm³)
70.23 in³ (1,150.80 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No

Show text

Case 
 

0.0
0.0

Case Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Case Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Case Picture

Type  

No case
No case

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

Volume  

N/A
N/A

Build Quality 
 

7.0
6.5

Build Quality Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Build Quality Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Build Quality Picture

Show text

Stability 
 

7.0
6.5

Stability Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Stability Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Stability Picture

Show text

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Angled Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Side Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Front Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Rear Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Top Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless In The Box Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless In The Box Picture

Show text

Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Normalization Frequency 
 

450 Hz

Bass Amount 
 

5.4 dB
-0.53 dB

Treble Amount 
 

0.6 dB
-2.53 dB

Show text

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

6.2
7.2

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.84 dB
0.57 dB

Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

7.4
8.8

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

5.6 dB
1.52 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

20 Hz
31.29 Hz

Low Bass 
 

4.09 dB
-2.02 dB

Mid Bass 
 

5.79 dB
1.37 dB

High Bass 
 

7.11 dB
1.01 dB

Show text

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

7.5
9.1

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

2.39 dB
1.2 dB

Low Mid 
 

2.49 dB
0.1 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

0.61 dB
0.3 dB

High Mid 
 

-2.1 dB
-0.48 dB

Show text

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.4
6.5

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

2.28 dB
5.16 dB

Low Treble 
 

-0.65 dB
-1.69 dB

Mid Treble 
 

2.2 dB
-3.57 dB

High Treble 
 

-14.54 dB
-6.97 dB

Show text

Peaks/Dips 
 

5.3
7.7

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

2.32 dB
1.38 dB

Dips 
 

5.84 dB
1.53 dB

Show text

Imaging 
 

5.8
8.3

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.8
0.3

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

269.98
6.4

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.24
0.47

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.84
2.61

Show text

Passive Soundstage 
 

2.9
3.5

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

4.6 dB
5.11 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

1.17 dB
1.46 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

2.55 dB
-0.01 dB

Openness 
 

2.8
7.0

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

2.9
3.2

Show text

Virtual Soundstage 
 

4.1
4.1

Virtual Soundstage  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Virtual Soundstage
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Speaker Modeling 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

360 Reality Audio
360 Reality Audio

Show text

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.6
6.4

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.346
0.961

WHD @ 100 
 

0.136
0.337

Show text

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

1.0.9
1.0.1

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0

Codec 
 

SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
PCM, 16-bit, 44.1kHz

Test Instrument  

Audio Precision APx517B

EQ 
 

No EQ
No EQ

ANC 
 

On
No ANC

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

Integrated
Integrated

Show text

Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

7.2
3.3

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Noise Cancelling  

Yes
No

Overall Attenuation 
 

-18.65 dB
-9.24 dB

Isolation Audio 
 

Bass 
 

-10.71 dB
0.01 dB

Mid 
 

-18.69 dB
-4.69 dB

Treble 
 

-28.26 dB
-23.27 dB

Show text

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

4.9

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

See details on graph tool

Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

-10.91 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

-11.77 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

-13.00 dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Show text

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling 
 

Female Voice 1 
 

Male Voice 1 
 

Female Voice 2 
 

Male Voice 2 
 

ANC Wind Handling 
 

ANC Wind Handling Graph  

See details on graph tool

ANC Wind Noise 
 

Show text

Leakage 
 

7.5
7.2

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

36.61 dB
38.66 dB

Show text

Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes

Recording Quality 
 

7.2
7.7

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

85.99 Hz
261.43 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

3.41 dB
2.43 dB

HFE 
 

6,933.79 Hz
6,358.31 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

36.525
0.119

Gain 
 

3.1 dB
6 dB

Show text

Noise Handling 
 

6.5
6.9

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SpNR 
 

25.25 dB
16.46 dB

Noise Gate 
 

Always On
Always On

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

6.5
7.5

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

6.5
6.0

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show text

Active Features

Battery 
 

8.5
8.2

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

38.4 hrs
52.8 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0.0
0.0

Total Battery Life 
 

38.4 hrs
52.8 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.5 hrs
1.9 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Standby mode
Standby mode

Audio While Charging 
 

No
No

Passive Playback 
 

Yes
No

Charging Port  

USB-C
USB-C

Show text

App Support 
 

8.0
7.5

App Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless App Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless App Picture

App Name  

Sony| Headphones Connect
Sony| Headphones Connect

iOS  

Yes
Yes

Android  

Yes
Yes

macOS  

No
No

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

Graphic + Presets
Graphic + Presets

ANC Control 
 

On/Off
No

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

Yes
Yes

Button Mapping  

Yes
No

Surround Support 
 

Yes
Yes

Show text

Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

6.7
0.0

Cable Picture  

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Cable Picture
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
No

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable 
 

Yes
No

Length 
 

4.13 ft (1.26 m)
N/A

Connector 
 

1/8" TRS
No Wired Option

Latency - Analog 
 

34.4 ms

Latency - USB 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Connection  

Analog

Show text

Bluetooth Connection 
 

8.1
8.3

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.2
5.2

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
2 Devices

NFC Pairing 
 

No

Quick Pair (Android) 
 

No

Quick Pair (iOS) 
 

No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

334.65 ft (102.00 m)
334.65 ft (102.00 m)

Latency - SBC 
 

290 ms
312 ms

Latency - aptX 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality) 
 

N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) 
 

N/A

Latency - LDAC 
 

N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Codec  

SBC

AAC Support 
 

Yes

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A

iOS Latency 
 

137 ms

Android Latency 
 

135 ms

Show text

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

0.0
0.0

Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - Dongle 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PS5 Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
0.0

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
No

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

Check Price

 

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless

Sony WH-CH520 Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison

Sony WH-CH720N Wireless vs Sony WH-CH520 Wireless: Main Discussion

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