Sony WH-CH720N Verdict

Who it fits

Sony WH-CH720N is the lightweight mainstream ANC over-ear for buyers who want the physical convenience of a 192g headset without giving up multipoint, ambient mode or a passive 3.5 mm fallback.

The exact record specifies 192g, up to 35 hours with ANC on / 50 hours with ANC off, a 3.5-hour charge, Bluetooth 5.2, SBC/AAC, multipoint and a detachable 3.5 mm cable with passive operation.

That combination is especially coherent for commuting, work and everyday use. It is not a premium codec or flagship-feature showcase; its strongest reason to exist is that it makes the over-ear format unusually light and straightforward.

Retailer prices

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Sony Australia

$149.95

Checked 7 Oct

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What changes the decision

One hundred and ninety-two grams is the headline that matters most

The WH-CH720N weighs 192g.

That is substantially lighter than many current ANC over-ears, including the 227g Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus and 230g Bose QC 2. Weight alone does not prove comfort, but this difference is large enough to matter for carry burden and long-session wear.

If you like over-ear isolation but dislike heavy headsets, this is the clearest reason to keep the Sony on your shortlist. If you need pocketability, however, even a 192g over-ear still occupies far more physical space than earbuds.

The practical implication is that CH720N can make sense for buyers who have already chosen the over-ear architecture but want to minimise one of its biggest penalties. That is a more meaningful role than treating it as simply a cheaper Sony.

Thirty-five hours with ANC on is a strong mainstream battery profile

Sony rates the CH720N at up to 35 hours with ANC on and 50 hours with ANC off, with a stated 3.5-hour full charge.

Thirty-five hours is comfortably beyond a normal day and can cover multiple commutes or work sessions. It is not the highest figure in the group, but it does not need to be if low weight is your primary reason to buy.

This is a good example of why PIQSY does not rank products by one specification. JBL Live 780NC and Soundcore Space 2 have longer stated ANC-on runtime; Sony is much lighter.

If you charge every night, the 35-hour figure is already ample. If you routinely travel for several days between charging opportunities, longer-running alternatives may be worth the extra mass.

Passive 3.5 mm operation makes it more useful when battery or Bluetooth is inconvenient

The information we checked verifies a detachable 3.5 mm cable with passive operation.

That matters on aircraft, shared source equipment, older devices or any moment when you want audio without depending on wireless state.

Passive operation is a practical fallback rather than a glamorous feature. For frequent travellers, that can be more useful than a long list of software features.

It also separates CH720N from products where the repository only verifies a cable or a wired capability without confirming passive behaviour. When battery independence matters, exact wording matters.

Multipoint is well matched to the work role

Multipoint is verified, so the CH720N can fit a phone-plus-laptop routine more naturally.

If your day moves between calls on one device and media on another, that reduces pairing friction. If you use one phone exclusively, it is simply a convenience.

The important point is that Sony combines multipoint with very low weight. That is the product's coherent everyday-work proposition rather than one isolated premium feature.

The codec set is intentionally simple

Bluetooth 5.2 is verified with SBC and AAC.

If you require LDAC or aptX for a specific source chain, this exact model record does not provide that capability. Do not assume the codec options of Sony's flagship XM6 apply to CH720N.

For many mainstream phone users, SBC/AAC may be perfectly adequate as a compatibility set. The decision depends on your source requirements, not whether a codec name sounds more premium.

Ambient mode broadens everyday use without changing the architecture

Ambient Sound Mode is verified. That gives you a way to bring more environmental sound into the same sealed over-ear form.

It is not equivalent to an open-ear architecture that continuously leaves the ear open. If awareness is a permanent safety or situational requirement, compare open-ear products later in this category rather than treating ambient mode as identical.

For office and commuting use, though, the ability to move between isolation and more awareness adds flexibility without asking you to carry a second device.

Who should choose something else

Move away from CH720N when another product changes a requirement you value more than low weight.

• Choose Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus when 50-hour battery, adaptive ANC and broader aptX codec support outweigh Sony's 192g advantage.
• Choose Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) when you prefer the Bose mainstream ANC route and 230g is still light enough.
• Choose Soundcore Space 2 when 50-hour ANC-on / 70-hour ANC-off battery and wired Hi-Res support matter more than minimising weight.

Change formats entirely for sport-secure use, pocketability or continuous open-ear awareness.

PIQSY conclusion

Sony WH-CH720N is a compelling mainstream choice when low weight is the recurring problem you want an over-ear headphone to solve.

At 192g, with 35-hour ANC-on battery, multipoint and passive 3.5 mm operation, it gives you a practical travel/work combination without flagship bulk.

Its trade-offs are a simpler codec set and shorter stated runtime than several competitors. If those do not affect your routine, the lighter Sony architecture may matter more every day.

If two products still fit after those checks, use current price and owner feedback at the end of the decision rather than treating either as permanent evidence of fit.