Sony WH-CH730N review

Talk about big shoes to fill.

The Award-winning WH-CH720N may not have been Sony’s most premium over-ear wireless headphones, but these budget cans proved that great sound and stellar noise-cancelling were available at a sensible, affordable price. For pure sound-for-pound value, few contemporaries came close.

Following such excellence is like walking on stage after Jimi Hendrix has just played his iconic Woodstock set, or donning the famous Number 10 jersey after Lionel Messi bade farewell to that peerless Barcelona side. That is the task of the WH-CH730N, Sony’s successors to the excellent CH720N and the brand’s most affordable headphones to feature active noise cancellation.

Thankfully, the new Sony WH-CH730N appear to be up to the task. With a new look, an expanded feature set and a fine-tuned sound, they appear to have everything that it takes to pick up the gauntlet laid down by their predecessors and really run with it.

Price

We have some bad news for our US readers: the WH-CH730N are more expensive than their predecessors. The WH-CH720N launched at $129, whereas the WH-CH730N have arrived at $180, making them around $50 more if you’re in the States.

Don’t be too glum, as it’s not all bad news. If you live in Australia, the WH-CH730N are actually cheaper than before, dropping from AU$250 to AU$230, while UK readers can rest easy knowing that the new cans are priced at £100, the same initial RRP as their forebears.

At this level, the WH-CH730N are reasonably short on competition. The excellent Austrian Audio Hi-X25BT remain a quality pick at £129 / $129 / AU$255, but they don’t offer active noise cancellation (ANC). If you want to go cheaper, the new budget WH-CH530 on-ears are now available at £50 / $70 / AU$100, but also don’t have ANC, while the step-up Sony WH-1000XM4C have launched at £219 / $300 / AU$450.

Build & comfort

This is where we thought the WH-CH720N could stand to be improved, and lo and behold, this appears to be where Sony has been putting in the hard yards.

The new cans’ more premium look and feel belies their modest outlay, with their predecessors' basic plastic ear cups replaced by larger, more oval alternatives that have a greater air of quality about them. The on-cup button controls still feel a little cheap and plasticky, but they do their respective jobs just fine, and that’s what really matters at this kind of money.

Better still, the new budget Sonys are more ergonomic to live with thanks to their new folding capabilities, a talent that was lacking in the rigid WH-CH720N. We’ve spent time taking the WH-CH730N out and about on our travels – on a train to the office, in a bag on the way to work, on dog walks – and we haven’t perceived any glaring points of weakness or concern.

Even those hinges, which swivel from side to side and now up and inwards, feel like they could repeat such motions for many years before giving up the ghost.

Comfort-wise, we’re in good hands. Both the headband and ear cushions are reasonably forgiving and well padded for headphones of this type and price, while a reasonably slim profile and light overall weight of just 207g means they’re not much of a burden during extended wear. The clamping force is nicely judged, too, with our sample pair clinging nicely to our skull as we take them for a brisk walk with Juno the What Hi-Fi? hound in tow.

The WH-CH730N are a little heavier than before, yet not to the extent that your head suddenly feels like Atlas straining to hold up the heavens. Plus, their ear cushions are now fuller and plusher, which aids comfort and improves passive noise isolation.

Internally, not much has changed from one generation to the next. The CH730N retain the same 30mm dynamic drive units as the last-gen model, with Sony promising improved sonic tuning to squeeze out even more performance from an Award-winning formula.

Features

Modest price, monster battery life.

The WH-CH730N boast a huge 50 hours of battery life when ANC is in play, which extends to a gigantic 75 hours with noise cancelling switched off – which certainly surpasses the previous generation’s figures. Better still, a three-minute quick charge will grant around an hour of playback, a useful facility if you’ve run out of juice and need to get your headphones back in action in a hurry.

Despite their modest outlay, the new over-ears also pack the kind of extra – dare we say premium – features to make a money-conscious buyer feel positively spoiled. Bluetooth Multipoint lets you stay connected and switch between two devices on the fly, whereas Sony's ever-helpful DSEE sound upscaling algorithm cleans up low-quality, heavily compressed audio files.

There’s even support for 360 Reality Audio, Sony’s own take on spatial sound, from supported streaming services such as Amazon Music Unlimited, a feature we wouldn’t expect to find for a pair of over-ears at this kind of money. Add active noise cancelling into the mix, and you’ve got a set of headphones that do a lot for not much cash.

The only thing that might raise a few eyebrows is the absence of any higher-quality codecs, such as aptX HD or LDAC, but given the budget price at which we’re operating, the omission is understandable.

Delve into the comprehensive Sony SoundConnect app, and you’ll find even more tricks and treats to enjoy. Aside from an intuitive 10-band equaliser and ANC mode toggling, you can set up a shortcut to the likes of Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music via a ‘Quick Access’ button, or use a ‘Battery Care’ setting to extend your headphones’ lifespan by stopping charging before the battery gets completely full.

ANC & call quality

Sony has claimed clearer voice calls for the WH-CH730N thanks to its updated AI noise reduction algorithm, which seeks to enhance human speech while dampening the clamour of the outside world.

The new headphones’ noise cancelling has been improved, too, with a refined V1 processor and ‘Dual Noise Sensor' technology working alongside an array of four beamforming microphones and thicker, more isolating ear cushions to keep environmental noise at bay.

As far as noise cancelling goes, we’re granted a satisfactory experience. Naturally, the flagship WH-1000XM6 cans are more powerful, but the WH-CH730N keep the general background hum of life – distant chatter, buzzing light fittings, passing traffic – nicely subdued.

The barrier they provide, however, isn’t impenetrable, and while this is a good sound-per-pound performance, blind spots arise. Sit in an office with a few chattering co-workers, and you’ll soon realise that, while nearby voices are softened, speech is still often discernible.

If you don’t want the full details of your colleagues’ plans to redecorate their downstairs bathroom or their kids’ upcoming school play, it might be worth saving up for a more premium and capable ANC pair.

What about voice calls? In this regard, Sony’s wallet-friendly noise cancellers are excellent, with human speech conveyed in a clear, natural and emotive manner. We get a firm sense of the headphones pushing voices to the fore, all while effectively minimising intrusive background noise as we conduct our testing next to a busy road.

Sound

For a few brief, sickening moments, we fear that Sony has taken a good thing and ruined it. Out of the box, the new WH-CH730N don’t seem to have the energy, presence or clarity of their Award-winning predecessors, and that’s enough to make a grown man shed salt tears.

Thankfully, our fears are soon allayed. The new-gen headphones’ default tuning is a little muffled and bass-heavy, but once we dive into the Sony app and switch them to the ‘Clear’ equaliser setting, things quickly sound far more open and revealing. We’d urge you to do the same, and while you’re there, make sure DSEE upscaling is up and running, because for us at least, it wasn’t switched on right off the bat.

After making the aforementioned tweaks, and giving them plenty of running-in time to really loosen up, our consternation turns to elation as it becomes clear that Sony has done it again – the WH-CH730N are stellar cans and then some.

Let’s be clear that this is evolution rather than wholesale reinvention, with the WH-CH730N taking everything we liked about the WH-C720N and refining it to superb effect. The newer headphones are clearer, more natural-sounding and a little more full-bodied than before, offering a presentation that expertly rides the line between punch and precision.

Like the brand’s best offerings, the WH-CH730N just seem to tune straight into the emotional intent of each song they play and then reveal it with enthusiastic élan. From artist to artist and track to track, Sony’s budget noise cancellers sound effortlessly involving regardless of what is played through them.

Feeling sad? The WH-CH730N bring a rich, sombre melancholy to Johnny Cash’s Hurt. Need a pick-me-up? Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal is as sharp and snappy as Jacko’s pristine white suit. Want to headbang until your nose bleeds? Trivium’s Like Light To The Flies pulses with thrilling intent.

Admittedly, these are headphones that slightly prioritise entertainment over out-and-out insight, but at this level, that’s both understandable and expected. That said, instrumental textures are still conveyed with power and depth, with the Sonys capably filling in the gaps to prevent music from sounding blocky or unsubtle.

Best of all, Sony’s budget belters have a double-sided trump card. Dynamically, they’re hugely expressive, while rhythmic patterns are revealed with all of the agility of a Border Collie at Crufts. Put the two together, and Tool’s progressive Forty Six & 2 becomes a three-dimensional powerhouse as the WH-CH730N convey every subtle dynamic variation while tracking interlocking bass and guitar strands with zealous precision.

Verdict

These Sony headphones are a delight. If your budget doesn’t stretch to the upper echelons of the market’s premium players but you still want decent noise cancelling and an expressive, deeply engaging sound, these are great-value headphones.

The Sony CH730N retain the same articulate, entertaining character that we so admired in their highly recommendable predecessors and elevate it to new heights, while still keeping it at a price that is acceptable to many. For a budget pair, these come highly recommended.

Review published: 2nd October

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

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Read our review of the Austrian Audio Hi-X25BT

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