Sony WH-CH720N WHCH720N

The ANC on the Sony WH-CH720N is a knockout, landing in the 98th percentile and rivaling flagship models. But the comfort is a dealbreaker, scoring in the dismal 2nd percentile. It's a one-trick pony with an incredible trick, but only worth it if you find it at the very bottom of its $60 to $250 price range and don't plan on wearing them for long.

The Sony WH-CH720N lands in a weird spot. On paper, the noise cancelling is best-in-class, sitting in the 98th percentile of our database. That's flagship-level ANC in a budget-friendly package, and it's the main reason you'd even look at these. But the comfort score is a brutal 2nd percentile, which means almost every other pair of headphones we've tested feels better on your head. It's a head-scratcher of a product that gets one critical thing incredibly right and another shockingly wrong.

Let's talk about that ANC, because it's the star of the show. Hitting the 98th percentile puts it up there with cans that cost two or three times as much. The Dual Noise Sensor tech and Integrated Processor V1 do some heavy lifting, making it a standout for drowning out office chatter or the hum of a plane. The sound, driven by 30mm dynamic drivers, is solidly in the 71st percentile. It's not going to blow any audiophiles away, but with support for DSEE upscaling and a customizable EQ in the app, you can dial in a pretty enjoyable sound. The frequency range tops out at 7kHz though, which is a bit of a head-scratcher and explains why the high-end detail isn't going to compete with something like the Sennheiser Momentum M4AEBT. Connectivity is another high point, landing in the 97th percentile thanks to Bluetooth 5.2 and solid multipoint support. The battery life is a strong 35 hours, putting it well above average, and a quick 3-minute charge gets you an hour of playback. The mic quality is decent for calls, falling into the 79th percentile, so you won't sound like you're in a tin can.

Pricing for the WH-CH720N is all over the map, with a spread from $60 to $250 across different vendors. At the low end of that range, the value proposition is incredible. You're getting noise cancelling that competes with $300+ headphones for the price of a nice dinner. At the higher end, the value falls apart completely. You'd be much better off spending that money on a more well-rounded pair. If you can find these on sale or from a vendor at the bottom of that price range, the performance-per-dollar ratio is hard to beat, just be ready for the comfort trade-off.

Stacked against the competition, the Sony is a specialist, not an all-rounder. The Sennheiser Momentum M4AEBT will give you a far superior sound profile and much better comfort, but you'll pay a premium for it. The JBL Live 770NC and Soundcore Space One are more balanced options that don't have the same glaring comfort issues. The Sony's ANC is the clear winner here, trouncing the JBL and Soundcore, but its 59.2 commute score tells the real story. For actually wearing them on a long flight or train ride, the poor comfort makes that amazing ANC almost irrelevant. You're choosing between a one-trick pony with a world-class trick and several other horses that can actually finish the race.

Anyone who values comfort should look elsewhere. The 2nd percentile comfort score isn't just a number, it's a warning. If you plan on wearing headphones for more than an hour at a time, whether for work, travel, or just relaxing, these will likely become painful. Commuters and travelers should be especially wary, as the commute score is a low 59.2 out of 100. The amazing ANC is wasted if you can't stand to keep them on your head. You'd be much happier with the Soundcore Space One or JBL Live 770NC for a similar price.

The Sony WH-CH720N is a deeply frustrating product. It has genuinely elite noise cancelling that makes it one of the best on the market for pure silence. But headphones are meant to be worn, and the abysmal comfort score in the 2nd percentile makes them hard to recommend for long listening sessions. If your absolute top priority is blocking out the world on a tight budget and you have a high tolerance for discomfort, these are a data-backed steal. For everyone else, the trade-off is just too severe. We'd point you toward the Soundcore Space One for a much more comfortable and balanced experience.