- 1.1 PROS
- 1.2 CONS
- 1.3 Price
- 1.4 Design
- 1.5 Connection
- 1.6 Audio Quality Indicator
Sony’s WH-CH520 on-ear headphones are the least appealing in their seemingly infinite lineup. However, they merit consideration sometimes. If the company has a large product inventory, pricing and positioning don’t matter.
SONY – WH-CH520 Specification
| Finishes | x4 |
| Weight | 147g |
| Built-in mic and controls | Yes |
| ANC | No |
| Charging | USB-C |
| Battery Life | 50 hours |
| Codec Support | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
PROS
- Powerful, even in audio.
- Apps with dynamically configurable settings
- Bluetooth multi-point pairing is a hit.
- 50-hour battery life
CONS
- Bad noise suppression
- No 3.5mm audio jack
Price
The Sony WH-CH520 headphones cost £49 in the UK. One costs $59 in the US but $79 in Australia. This price is reasonable for a high-quality pair of on-ear headphones from a well-known company. Even market leaders like Sennheiser have competitors with things to advertise. When buying expensive on-ear headphones, keep your expectations in check, especially regarding build quality. The Sony WH-CH520 headphones are unsatisfying. They’re plasticky. What do you want with your fifty pounds? Despite not “feeling like anything special,” the WH-CH520 is high-quality and polished. The headband’s adjustment mechanism feels robust and works well. They seem durable.
Design
The Sony WH-CH520 headphones resemble the WH-CH500 series. Some people notice a slight pinching sensation on their earlobes when they initially put them on, but this goes away after a while. Like other on-ear headphones, the headphones can be adjusted to fit better over the ears. Its rough plastic exterior suggests durability.
It doesn’t feel cheap, but considering the price, it’s not high-quality. The right earcup’s underside controls playback, pause, and skip songs. Pressing play twice quickly activates your phone’s voice assistant. These headphones may not be ideal for larger heads because the headband clamps down on the sides. However, smaller-headed people will love them. If you’re searching for something to wear daily on your commute, keep in mind that they don’t offer any noise cancellation despite the cushioning.
Connection
The Sony WH-CH520’s Bluetooth 5.2 connection is good. It never drops connections or stutters in frequently frequented regions. Adjusting Bluetooth performance in the app can prioritize the connection if you have major troubles.
The WH-CH520 supports SBC and AAC, which are compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, but not LDAC, which improves audio quality. Sony’s website lists the WH-CH520’s battery life as 40 or 50 hours, despite Sony’s claim. Regardless, it will take three hours to fully charge again. You can listen to a Spotify playlist at medium volume for two hours and still have battery life. Broadcasting uses about 50% of the power. Sony’s single beamforming microphone eliminates background noise and focuses on speech. This ensures crisp, well-heard conversations.
The Sony Headphones app lets you update the WH-CH520 and access personalized equalization, playback and volume settings, and Bluetooth pairing. We’ve discussed the Digital Sound Enhancement Engine. Since most buyers will listen to low-quality audio streams, these headphones offer a quality-enhancing feature. Thus, DSEE detects compressed parts, fixes them, and adds more information to the music. Sony’s attempts to improve the system’s dynamic range recognition are appreciated.
Audio Quality Indicator
Even though it’s not award-winning for the price, I could listen to this sound all day. Sony’s efforts to increase sound quality are fine with me due to the cost. Last year, I evaluated the Sony WH-1000XM4, which pleased me with its robust sound and detail. In retrospect, its cheaper brother is just as effective. The WH-CH520 balances bass and enhances midrange and treble with DSEE. DSEE ensures audio quality. The bass gives electronic or dance music depth and control, increasing its possibilities.
Even thick mixes can be heard and appreciated, though with less fidelity than in more expensive models, because the mids isolate vocals and give them space to breathe. The trebles, which soar above the midrange, are also fine. However, more expensive versions feature clearer highs, deeper bass, and a wider dynamic range, making records easier to hear. Since this is the case, the music here is not as high-quality as with more costly headphones, but I am happy with the sound for the price. The sound quality is better than most headphones I’ve tried, regardless of price, but Sony’s Headphones app lets you customize the EQ.
Conclusion
The Sony WH-CH520 are superb on-ear headphones, but they can’t match the Beats Solo3’s clarity and detail while being almost as expensive. They offer a well-balanced sound at a reasonable price without the exaggerated bass of some of the cheapest headphones. Sony’s WH-CH520 lets users listen to more music for less. The WH-CH520 beats the competition with a low price, 50-hour battery life, and device switching. However, their outstanding features remain. The design’s tight fit and lack of professional audiophile extras don’t make them bad. The Sony WH-CH520’s inexpensive pricing, good call quality, great wireless performance, and Bluetooth multipoint for multitaskers make it a wonderful bargain.