Cheap thrills! These five-star Sony headphones have dropped to just £33 – a stellar bargain

Over-ear headphones: Sony WH-CH520
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

If you want to buy a pair of wireless headphones and you have a big budget, the world's your oyster. After all, you can buy premium audiophile models costing £1000 if you and your wallet are so inclined.

It's a bit like eating out – you could go for a pub meal or splash the cash and hit a Michelin-star establishment.

This Sony WH-CH520 deal is more of the former and highlights a great saving on one of the cheapest pairs of five-star wireless headphones we've tested.

We are huge fans at their full price of £49, but they're now available for £33 at Amazon, which is only £1.50 shy of the lowest price we've ever seen them at – you won't get a better sound for anywhere near this ultra-budget price.

Sony WH-CH520was £49now £33 at Amazon (save £16)Lowest price on black finishPrice check: £35 at John Lewis
Five stars

Sony WH-CH520 was £49 now £33 at Amazon (save £16)
Sony has managed to sacrifice as little quality as they possibly can with the CH520, and the results are truly impressive, meaning you won't get such a balanced, engaging sound anywhere else at this price. If you have the tightest budget and can live without noise-cancelling, this is the one to consider.
Lowest price on black finish
Price check: £35 at John Lewis

The Sony WH-CH520 won us over thanks to their great combination of decent build quality, impressive features and very good sound quality.

Obviously, you have to keep the price at the forefront of your mind. Yes, they do feel a bit plasticky, but that's to be expected at this end of the market. They're built to last, though, and we found them comfortable to wear during testing.

While there's no active noise cancellation (ANC), we wouldn't expect it at this price. And you do get Bluetooth multipoint for pairing to multiple devices at a time and switching between them seamlessly, which is handy.

You get voice controls too, and the battery lasts an extremely impressive 50 hours. Suddenly, the lack of ANC doesn't seem to matter as much.

It's the sound quality that really impressed us. Their bass is deep and controlled. "They hit reasonably hard, and keep bass firmly in its lane where it can’t interfere with the midrange activity above," we wrote in our Sony WH-CN520N review.

The midrange lacks a little clarity, but it handles vocals with eloquence, and the treble doesn't sound shrill or harsh. Yes, they could do with a bit more of everything, but what headphones at this price couldn't?

If you want a pair of wireless over-ear headphones that are cheap and cheerful, have all the basic features you need and sound great, the Sony WH-CH520 at just £33 at Amazon are a serious no-brainer.

MORE:

Check out the best wireless headphones you can buy

Amazon Spring Deal Days: the best TV, hi-fi, home cinema and audio deals

They’re official! Sony finally takes the wraps off its WF-C710N budget wireless earbuds

TOPICS
Harry McKerrell
Senior staff writer

Harry McKerrell is a senior staff writer at What Hi-Fi?. During his time at the publication, he has written countless news stories alongside features, advice and reviews of products ranging from floorstanding speakers and music streamers to over-ear headphones, wireless earbuds and portable DACs. He has covered launches from hi-fi and consumer tech brands, and major industry events including IFA, High End Munich and, of course, the Bristol Hi-Fi Show. When not at work he can be found playing hockey, practising the piano or trying to pet strangers' dogs.

With contributions from

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.