Sony recently launched its wireless Bluetooth headphones, the WH-CH710N, in India. With active noise cancellation its key feature, the headphones seem to be an affordable alternative to company’s premium WH-1000XM3s headphones. The new headphones from Sony look promising, but how does it fare in the overall scheme of things? Let's find out.
Design and build
The headphones weigh around 200 g, which is considered light weight in its segment. It is a treat for those who desist bulky headphones. Moreover, the headphones’ band has a comfortable fabric wrap with good amount of cushion that does not feel heavy when resting on head. The earcups have soft cushion, too. However, they are not the best and you might find them inconvenient in hot weather conditions. The headphones have matte finish, which looks impressive. However, the plastic built might not appeal to all.
Performance
While the headphones design is in-line with Sony’s premium offerings, performance seems to be the area where the company had cut corners to bring down its price. The headphones’ bass is good but lacks the punch. It boasts a massive 30mm drivers, yet it misses out on the sound quality.
The overall output is underwhelming, and the headphones’ do not do justice with the mids and highs. The treble seems a bit dull at times.
The headphones has near field communication (NFC) chip for quick pairing that adds to the convenience.
The battery life is impressive and we did not keep a count on charging cycles as the headphones barely needed charging, even after aggressive week long usage. Sony claims it can stay for up to 35 hours with noise cancellation on and we have no reason to doubt those claims.
The headphones has Bluetooth 5.0 and support sub-band codecs and advanced audio codecs. Unfortunately, the company’s proprietary LDAC codes support is missing here and the headphones does not support Qualcomm’s aptX and aptX HD codes, too.
Verdict
What makes it tough for WH-CH710N is the price point, which is Rs 14,999. This puts the headphones in direct competition with some premium headphones in the market. There is no denying the fact that they do offer a decent output and get the job done, however, from a user's point of view, spending so much for just that won't be a good deal.