WH-CH520 Review

Design and Comfort

The WH-CH520 is an on-ear headphone rather than an over-ear one, and that shapes how it wears. At about 147 g it is among the lightest wireless headsets in its class. RecordingNow weighed its unit at 144 g and calls it the lightest headphone it has covered. Reviewers describe a light plastic build with a leatherette feel. SoundGuys scores build quality 6.0 out of 10, while Tom's Guide calls it sturdy. There are no exposed hinges, but there is also no folding mechanism and no case in the box, so it takes more room in a bag than a collapsible model.

Comfort reports are mixed. SoundGuys gave it 7.2 out of 10 and says it is easy to forget you're wearing it, though the pads build heat. Tom's Guide found it comfortable for hours but noted slight ear ache after roughly two. RecordingNow mentions firm clamping. Because on-ear pads rest on the ear instead of surrounding it, fit depends heavily on ear shape and glasses. Controls are physical buttons on the right cup. SoundGuys finds them easy to use but says pressing them can shift the fit.

Sound Quality

Reviewers don't fully agree here, which is typical of on-ears where seal varies from head to head. The consensus is a moderately warm, mid-focused sound with controlled bass and soft treble. RTINGS describes bass and mids as well balanced and somewhat punchy, with a dark default treble and some distortion at moderate and high volumes. SoundGuys hears a boost in the low mids and says that with a poor seal the bass falls away and the mids and highs turn grating. What Hi-Fi? calls the bass solid and controlled, and Trusted Reviews finds the soundstage a little distant and congested.

It is not a bass-heavy tuning. RecordingNow judged it less bassy than the JBL Tune 520BT, preferring the JBL's livelier sound but rating the Sony's mids as more natural. The Sony Headphones Connect app helps: it offers a graphic EQ with presets, and RTINGS says the EQ can correct the dull treble. The app also includes DSEE upscaling and 360 Reality Audio, though SoundGuys notes the latter depends on fit. Codecs are limited to SBC and AAC, which is normal at this price and fine for streaming from either phone platform.

Isolation, Microphone and Calls

There is no noise cancelling and no ambient mode, so everything comes down to passive isolation. SoundGuys measured roughly 10-30 dB of attenuation above 1 kHz with a good fit, and says that won't dull engine or airplane rumble. It also lists a difficult seal as a drawback, and RTINGS lists poor isolation as a con. Tom's Guide says the cushioning blocks some outside noise during calls. In practice these are fine for a quiet office or home but not for a loud commute.

The microphone is serviceable rather than great. Tom's Guide found it clear but tinny and echoey, with callers hearing background noise. RTINGS says it sounds better than the JBL Tune 520BT's, and a work-from-home owner quoted on Reddit said no one had trouble understanding them. Latency has not been published, and this is not a gaming headset.

Battery and Connectivity

Battery life is the headline. Sony rates the headphones at up to 50 hours on AAC and 45 hours on SBC, and SoundGuys recorded just over 55 hours in its own test. Owners describe it lasting several days between charges. Fast charging is strong too: three minutes gives about 1.5 hours and ten minutes about 5.5 hours. A full USB-C charge takes about three hours.

Bluetooth 5.2 is Class 1 with a rated range of about 10 meters. Two-device multipoint and Google Fast Pair are both supported, which is unusual for a headphone at around $60. There is no wired fallback: no 3.5mm jack, and the USB-C port is charge-only.

Who Should Buy the WH-CH520

• Budget shoppers who want a simple Bluetooth headset with excellent battery life.
• Home and office users who switch between a phone and a laptop and don't need ANC.
• People who like to tweak the sound and will use the EQ in Sony's app.
• Anyone who dislikes heavy headphones and gets along with on-ear designs.

Skip it if you commute on trains or planes. The Sony WH-CH720N adds noise cancelling and a more comfortable fit, and the 1More SonoFlow and Anker Soundcore Space Q45 offer ANC with very long battery life for a bit more money.

Final Verdict

The Sony WH-CH520 does a few things well and doesn't pretend to do more. It is light, lasts for days, connects to two devices at once and comes with a proper EQ app, all for roughly $60. The compromises are real: isolation is modest, the on-ear fit can tire your ears, the mic is average, and there is no folding hinge or case. As a cheap everyday headset for quiet environments it is a sensible buy. If you can stretch the budget, ANC models make a bigger difference to how much you enjoy your music.