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Sony’s new wireless headphones, the WH-CH520, cost only $60, £60, or AU$99, making them very cheap. They’re on-ear Bluetooth headphones, and as you might expect at this price, they don’t have active noise canceling or support for Hi-Res Audio. However, they’re still a great deal because they focus on sound and have a few useful tricks. We don’t mind at all when the makers of the best cheap headphones put everything into the sound quality. Even though the sound here isn’t going to blow your mind for the price, we could listen to it all day.
After turning on DSEE , we can’t find anything wrong with the balance between bass, mids, and treble. Each is clear and well-represented, and the Sony WH-CH520 give a nice amount of information. The bass gives things a good foundation. It adds depth while staying in check, so you can have fun with electronic or dance music. The mids can let vocals breathe and give dense instrument mixes a chance to stand out, but they lose more detail than higher-end versions.
Sony WH-CH520: Design
The Sony WH-CH520 is an updated version of the WH-CH500. They’re comfortable at first, but after around 15–20 minutes, they start to pinch your earlobes. The on-ear headphones can be positioned anywhere you like for optimal comfort.
The clamping force of the headphones is strong enough that they don’t budge much when you move around with them on your head. While not foldable, the earcups can be rotated to find the most comfortable position. You can buy this headphone from its official website
Sony WH-CH520: Sound Quality
The Sony WH-CH520 on-ear headphones sound pretty good thanks to their 30mm driver. Even with DSEE turned on, they have a smooth sound, but instruments and voices aren’t as clear and sharp as I’d like, and the picture is more crowded than I’d like.
It means the soundstage has less room to move around, which means the sound isn’t as clear and defined as it is on the SoundMagic P23BT. The P23BT uses aptX-HD Bluetooth to send more information and clarity to your ears, while the Sony WH-CH520 uses AAC. The SoundMagic is the better and more accurate of the two.
Price and availability
The CH520 are made for people on a tight budget because they only cost $60, £60, or AU$99. For the same price, you can get the Anker Life Q30 or the JBL Tune 710BT, both of which are well-known names. Amazon is obviously full of cheaper options from brands you just heard of.
Given the price, none of these products have a lot of bells and whistles, and neither does the Sony CH520. However, the app gives you some nice control and extras.
Final Words
Most of the requirements for on-ear headphones are met by the Sony WH-CH520, and in some ways they are better than their price point. The design is light and mostly easy to wear, the call quality is clear, they have more features than their more expensive competitors, and the audio quality is good, but there are cheaper headphones that sound better.
Sony WH-CH520 review: The good and The bad
The Good
- Very well-balanced sound
- 50-hour battery life
The Bad
- No 3.5mm jack
FAQS
The built-in rechargeable battery gives you up to 20 hours of playing time and up to 200 hours of standby time. You can charge it with the USB cord that came with it.
Plug the headset into the wall. Use the USB Type-C cord that came with your device and a USB AC adaptor that you can buy at a store. The orange light on the headset turns on. After about 3 hours, the battery is fully charged, and the indicator light goes off by itself.