Sony brings ANC chip from flagship WH-1000XM5 headphones to an affordable alternative
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Sony brings ANC chip from flagship WH-1000XM5 headphones to an affordable alternative
Sony announced two new mainstream wireless headphones for the Singapore market today (22 February 2023), bringing us the WH-CH720N on-ear and the WH-CH520 over-ears, both packing flagship-tier features at an affordable price point.
Sony WH-CH720N
The WH-CH720N on-ear wireless headphones come with the Sony Integrated Processor V1, giving it Dual Noise Sensor technology to provide active noise cancellation (ANC). Sony fans would know that the V1 is one of the two noise-cancellation processors inside its highly-coveted WH-1000XM5 (review here).
This makes the WH-CH720N an accessible alternative to flagship-grade ANC, on top of having the same 20-step ANC controls via Sony Headphones app. Unlike its flagship counterpart, the WH-CH720N uses only two microphones in each earcup to aid its ANC accuracy and effectiveness.
Sony also saw to the WH-CH720N’s durability and ergonomics, with synthetic leather and urethane as key ingredients for its 192g lightness and wearability. The headphones themselves contain 35 hours of battery life with ANC turned on, on top of offering DSEE (digital sound enhancement engine) tuning to help bring out details in lossy tracks closer to its original recording.
Other perks are its beamforming microphones helping offer clearer phone calls and a new Wind Noise Reduction Structure around those microphones to reduce background noise to ensure clarity. The cups have one-click buttons for picking up these voice calls, on top of Multipoint connection for multiple source devices (e.g. connect to both a tablet and a phone).
The Sony WH-CH720N is available at select retail shops and online stores from March 2023 at S$249. Here are all the authorised Sony dealers, and here sits Sony’s very own online store.
Sony WH-CH520
Don’t care for on-ears or ANC? Just want a wireless pair that lasts for days? Sony's other option is the WH-CH520 wireless over-ear headphones, offering 50 hours of battery life, DSEE, Multipoint, and Sony Headphones app compatibility.
It has an adjustable headband padded for extra ergonomics and comfort, and noise-suppression microphones to give clear voice calls when needed.
Sony WH-CH520 also retails at the same authorised Sony dealers and Sony’s online store. It goes at S$139, also starting in March 2023.
