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It might have become a mainstream feature in headphones but the quality of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) often fluctuates depending on their price. While you can get headphones with ANC for as little as Rs 2,000, the ANC on them often cancels out very little noise. If you really practical ANC – the type that blocks out a fair amount of external noise – then you generally need to spend in excess of Rs 10,000. Well, until recently. For, thanks to a price cut, the Sony WH-CH720 headphones are now available for well under Rs 10,000, a drop of almost fifty per cent from their original price.
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Sony launched the WH-CH720 in 2023 as its budget ANC offering. While the headphones were initially available at a price of Rs 9,990, their price shot up substantially in the days that followed, going up to Rs 14,990. And Rs 14,990 remains their official price even today. However, they are often available at much lower prices, going down to almost Rs 7,000 – Rs 7,500 on many e-retailers, most notably Amazon. At the time of writing this piece, the Sony WH-CH720 were available on Amazon for Rs 7,551 and at Rs 7,994 at Croma, which is close to half their official price and also come with bank offers that further reduce their price.
Although made mainly of plastic, they have a very premium look to them. (Express Image)For instance, at the time of writing, the WH-CH720 came with a Rs 1,000 flat discount on all bank cards on Amazon, making their price effectively Rs 6,500. We think that even at their official price of Rs 14,990, the Sony WH-CH720 are a pretty good deal. At almost half that price, they get into the steal category.
And that is because even more than two years after their release, these headphones pack quite a punch. Their design has remained totally unchanged, although Sony has recently added a very eye-catching pink colour to the existing options of black, blue and white. Although made mainly of plastic, they have a very premium look to them and have a design very similar to the ULT range of bass heavy headphones Sony released in 2024 – round cups connected with a headband.
The WH-CH720 delivers the kind of ANC that we are used to at much higher price points. (Express Image)
At 192 grams, these are among the lightest ANC headphones we have ever used – some might say they are even too light, although they have a solid feel to them. Both earcups and headband have padding on them, although we would call it adequate rather than generous. The headband does not exert too much pressure on your head, allowing you to wear these for hours without any discomfort. Controls are through buttons (no touch touches) with volume and ANC controls on the left earcup and on/off controls on the right (with a USB Type-C port for charging and 3.5 mm audio jack as well).
All in all, the WH-CH720 cut a very smart figure (the pink ones look stunning) and thanks to their light weight and cushioning, are very comfortable to wear. Mind you, there is no carrying case in the box, and as the earcups can only rotate 90 degrees, they cannot fold totally inwards, which makes them a little bulky.
Good audio, very good ANC, excellent battery
The Sony WH-CH720 sound very good too, if you are mainly seeking clarity and a relatively balanced output. The headphones come with 30 mm drivers, and while they do not have the bass-centric sound that many Sony headphones have (you can tweak this using the equaliser options available in the companion app), they sound pleasant enough for most mainstream hearing tasks, whether it is casual listening to music, podcasts and watching films and shows. The sound stage is not the widest, but for their current price, they are comfortably among the best wireless headphones out there in terms of audio quality, although they do not come with support for Sony’s own LDAC format (they support the more mainstream AAC and SBC).
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This is not audiophile level sound, but then you do not get that from any set of ANC headphones at this price point. Volume levels are very good, with quality not getting compromised even at high volumes (we generally found ourselves using these at about 75 per cent volume). There is support for 360 degree sound, but that is available only through limited (and paid) apps.
It has a design very similar to the ULT range of bass heavy headphones Sony released in 2024. (Express Image)
While their audio quality is good, the best reason for investing in the Sony WH-CH720 is their noise cancellation. Most sub-Rs 10,000 ANC headphones come with very basic ANC that cancel out some noise, but are of little use in really noisy conditions. The WH-CH720, however, deliver the kind of ANC that we are used to at much higher price points, and are close to what you get from premium flagships. They largely removed regular traffic noises and the hum of the metro and even killed a lot of the chatter in the cafes where we worked. What’s more, they come with Adaptive Sound Control, which changes the level of ANC, depending on your location and activity.
They come with Adaptive Sound Control. (Express Image)
This detects four conditions – staying, walking, running and riding a vehicle and adjusts the noise cancellation accordingly: ANC is turned on in staying, and riding a vehicle, while it is reduced or removed altogether and ambient sound mode is activated when you are walking or running, letting external sounds come in. You can even change settings for different locations using the very handy companion mode. The ambient sound mode is very good too, and actually quietens other sounds and keeps voices louder. As we said, this is the kind of facility you get in flagship phones.
Sony claims 35 hours of battery life with ANC and 50 hours without. (Express Image)
Another highlight of the WH-CH720 is their battery life. Sony claims 35 hours of battery life with ANC and 50 hours without, and the headphones deliver that. We found ourselves getting through a week easily on a single charge with 4-5 hours of daily usage, even while using ANC. Charging them does take time, though – a 33W charger took about three and a half hours to charge them fully after they got drained.
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An absolute steal for ANC fans
They are not perfect, but the Sony WH-CH720 do deliver a lot at their current price of around Rs 7500. Audiophiles might wish for a more pristine sound, and even those who like to work on the move might expect a case to carry them, or greater foldability. Their being light is also a bit of a mixed blessing – we have been a little terrified that they might break, although they have been around for more than a year.
But all of those quibbles fade into insignificance when you consider what these headphones deliver – very good audio quality for mainstream users, excellent battery life and best of all, superb ANC, which is comfortably the best in not just its price segment but even up to Rs 15,000. If you are looking for headphones with great ANC and are on a relatively tight budget, grab these. If you play your cards right (pun intended), you could even get them for Rs 6,500- Rs 7,000, which makes them staggering value for money!
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