Sony Ult Wear vs. Sony WH-CH720N: Which budget wireless headphones are best?
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This article is part of our series Battle of the Brands, in which we compare category-leading products to their counterparts to determine which are actually worth your money.
You don’t have to splurge on the $400 Sony WH-1000XM5 to enjoy the brand’s stellar sound quality. Sony sells plenty of other headphones that provide the Sony listening experience for much lower prices — with the $199 Ult Wear and $150 WH-CH720N being two of the most noteworthy examples.
Both pairs of headphones share identical features, including active noise cancellation, Bluetooth multipoint, voice activation and Sony’s various sound-enhancing technologies. They’re also two of the longest-lasting ANC headphones on the market.
Before you go adding the Ult Wear or WH-CH720N to your shopping cart, you’ll want an in-depth comparison between the two affordable over-ear headphones, which we’ve prepared below. Keep reading to see which model best suits your needs.
Sony Ult Wear vs. Sony WH-CH720N at a glance
Sony Ult Wear
The debut of Sony’s new Ultimate (Ult) headphone line is a noteworthy release highlighted by an expansive feature set and robust sound with skull-rattling bass.
Sony WH-CH720N
Entry-level headphones with near-flagship performance, the WH-CH720N have ANC and sound quality that are surprisingly close to what the WH-1000XM5 produce.
$110 at Amazon
$130 at Best Buy
Specs comparison
Bass blasters with dynamic sound presence
Brand enthusiasts who want bassy audio will gravitate towards the Ult Wear. Enabling the Bass Boost mode adds more oomph to drums and synths, though the effect doesn’t always work well; mids and highs drown out on recordings with excessive low end. The good news is you can tweak sound to your liking through different features (more on that later). Sony’s standard EQ is also sufficient for music listening and stabilizes frequencies to help you hear instruments and vocals more clearly.
The WH-CH720N have a flatter sound signature that delivers impactful, well-balanced lows with striking mids and clear highs. Bass is less aggressive, but it still knocks when rocking out to contemporary tracks. Many of the Ult Wear’s sound-enhancing perks are carried over to the WH-CH720N.
TL;DR: Choose the Ult Wear for booming sound and the WH-CH720N for more natural sound
The WH-CH720N have better ANC for the price
It’s shocking to hear the WH-CH720N are better at noise-canceling considering the Ult Wear’s more powerful spec sheet. They handle low- and mid-frequency sounds just as well as their in-house competitor, and they do a better job of fighting off loud noises. The Ult Wear struggle big time with high-frequency sounds. Furthermore, Sony’s 20-level transparency mode demonstrates greater vocal capture on the WH-CH720N. We were able to have clear-sounding conversations from across the room and eavesdrop on chatty pedestrians from across the street. Voices sounded muffled on the Ult Wear.
TL;DR: ANC on the WH-CH720N surpasses that of the Ult Wear.
Similar features and battery life
Each pair of headphones comes with upscale Sony features like 360 Reality Audio for immersive sound and DSEE to improve clarity and depth on poorly engineered tracks. The customizable EQ can be used to adjust frequencies manually or create a sound profile tailored to your hearing via Find Your Equalizer. Other notables are access to firmware updates, multipoint technology to pair to two devices simultaneously and the ability to prioritize sound or connectivity.
LDAC is only available on the Ult Wear and produces hi-res audio at the transfer rate of 990kbps.
Another area where the Ult Wear have more going for them is operation. They support four different control methods: motion detection, physical buttons, touch input and voice activation. Everything works well. Quick Attention even made the cut and lowers volume down to 10% whenever you cover the right earcup. The WH-CH720N are limited to physical buttons and voice assistance.
Standard playtime is equal: 50 hours. The WH-CH720N lasts slightly longer in ANC mode (34 hours versus 30 hours). Quick charging is stronger on the Ult Wear, netting 5 hours of use on a 10-minute charge, whereas the WH-CH720N generates 1 hour of playtime on a 3-minute charge.
TL;DR: The Ult Wear have more firepower to work with, but the WH-CH720N are just as serviceable.
Lackluster designs
As stated in our review, the Ult Wear look better in advertisements than they do out of the box. The overly large buttons and mic grilles are eye sores, and the predominantly plastic frame feels flimsy. Much of the same can be said about the WH-CH720N, except that these cans are less sturdy and won’t survive spills onto the concrete.
TL;DR: At least these two models perform better than they look.
Bottom line
Truthfully, you can’t go wrong with either purchase. Both sets of headphones come with superb audio output that can be personalized in the companion app, granted the Ult Wear unleash more bass. DSEE and spatial audio perform extremely well. You’ll also receive lengthy playtimes and reliable connectivity across multiple devices.
There are certain trade-offs to consider when comparing these models. For instance, the Ult Wear present more control options and the WH-CH720N neutralize noise at a higher level. It’s all a matter of preference.
If you want lively sound with monstrous bass and a fully loaded feature set, then claim the Ult Wear as your own. Just know that the WH-CH720N can be as aurally satisfying and more peaceful in loud settings for a lower price.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
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