Could a sequel to Sony's five-star budget headphones land in 2026? Here are 4 things we'd love to see

We first reviewed the WH-CH720N, Sony's entry-level noise-cancelling cans, in late 2023, and while they remain one of our favourite pairs of headphones at this price, we think the five-star over-ears are due an upgrade in 2026.

We originally tested the WH-CH720N at £99 / $129 / AU$259, but that price continues to drop even further (and not just during Black Friday sales), which makes us wonder if Sony could be paving the way for a new pair to land.

While the CH720N continue to offer outstanding value at their ever-dropping price, a new set could take their performance to new heights, even when constrained by a more restrictive budget than their flagship Sony WH-1000XM6 cousins.

Sony already proved that there was sufficient headroom for the bar to be raised significantly from one generation of its flagship cans to the next, and now we're hoping for a similar upgrade to grace its entry-level ANC over-ears.

The shape that upgrade takes remains to be seen, of course, but we have a few ideas on how Sony could make its affordable noise-cancelling cans even better value.

1. Rein in the bass

If we had one major criticism of the WH-CH720Ns' performance, it would be that they're just a little heavy with low-end frequencies.

You can make efforts to rectify that imbalance somewhat by adjusting your EQ settings in the Sony Headphones app, but you ideally don't want to be relying on equalisers to amend how your cans sound on the day-to-day.

It's something we noticed during our initial tests: "As we bounce across the Tidal-sphere... there’s no question that a pushy, bassy presentation is very much the CH720N’s default modus operandi."

For the sequel, we'd prefer Sony just to pull back on that bass a little, focusing more on precision and delicacy than sheer brawn.

The slightly more costly Austrian Audio Hi-X25BT (£129 / $179 / AU$269) don't have so much lower-end clout, but their focus on snap and tautness in those deeper registers is something we'd like to hear in an upgraded pair of Sony headphones.

2. Know when to fold 'em

Making the WH-1000XM6 foldable was probably one of the most welcome updates that Sony made to its flagship over-ears, and it's something we'd love to see emulated with their cheaper stablemates.

It doesn't sound like a huge thing, but having headphones which fold away is such a bonus to overall usability, especially for a pair of everyday companions which will accompany listeners anywhere from the gym to the rush hour commute.

The WH-CH720N are exactly the kind of cans that will spend half of their life crammed into a bag, so maximising their portability credentials makes a lot of sense.

3. Please sir, can I have some more features?

Modern users are a demanding bunch. You give them standard noise cancelling and they want more modes. Serve up the aptX Adaptive codec and they'll wonder why aptX Lossless isn't on the menu. Give them five colour options and they'll complain that you didn't include a nice teal option. That's the modern world for you.

The WH-CH720N were nicely appointed on the features front (especially given their budget price), but there are a few gaps in their arsenal that could do with being filled.

On-head wear detection would be a nice addition for those users who like their cans to automatically play or pause whenever they're donned/removed. Any trickle-down features from the XM6, such as any of its advanced processing technology – specifically the one for improving the digital-to-analogue process by reducing distortion – would be very welcome.

Many new rivals in this affordable price range are offering higher-quality codecs, so could we see LDAC added to the 720N's list of features? Sony tends to reserve its hi-res codec for its premium models, but it would be a nice addition in the next-generation of 720N.

4. Keep pushing the boundaries

At the risk of stating the obvious, while at the same time being incredibly demanding, we just want to see Sony continue to push the sonic boundaries.

This is the brand that took the WH-1000XM5 and improved them in almost every meaningful aspect with the much-awaited WH-1000XM6 – and that's not something that's easily done. The XM5 were Award-winning class-leaders, lest we forget.

That attitude towards seeking further sonic advances shouldn't be reserved to the flagship realm. The WH-CH720N are excellent affordable headphones, but are they as good as Sony can make them at this level? Could they squeeze out even more detail? Could they bring out dynamics with even more aplomb? Could they be even more open and spacious sounding?

We hope that in 2026, we'll find out.

Don't need ANC? Read our review of the cheaper Sony WH-CH520

Our pick of the best over-ear headphones

Bose QC Ultra Headphones 1st Gen vs 2nd Gen: which headphones are better?