The Sony WH-CH520 on-ear headphones are no doubt one of many much less glamorous merchandise in Sony’s seemingly limitless catalogue of headphones. However it doesn’t routinely comply with that they’re undeserving of consideration – a product doesn’t must command a premium worth or sit close to the highest of an organization’s line-up to face out, particularly when the corporate in query has a line-up that goes on and on. Gems are typically hidden, in spite of everything…
Value
The Sony WH-CH520 are on sale now, and in the UK they’re yours for £49. In America they price an equally bargainous $59, whereas in Australia they’ll set you again AU$79. You don’t must know the headphones market inside-out to grasp this isn’t some huge cash for a well-specified pair of on-ear headphones from one of many greatest manufacturers round – however then once more, hitters as huge as Sennheiser have competing merchandise with which to tempt you. Sony doesn’t have the playground all to itself…
Design & consolation
It’s necessary to maintain your expectations life like if you’re spending comparatively little cash on a product like a pair of on-ear headphones – particularly the place supplies are involved. There’s no two methods about it, the Sony WH-CH520 don’t really feel something particular. The truth is, they really feel a bit of bit plasticky.
However actually, what are you anticipating in your £50? And in addition to, ‘not feeling something particular’ doesn’t imply the WH-CH520 are in any means badly made or completed – fairly the other, in reality. They’re put collectively effectively, and really feel constructed to final – the headscarf adjustment mechanism, for instance, is strong and strikes with reassuring solidity.
Sony WH-CH520 tech specs
Bluetooth? Sure
Codec help SBC, AAC
Battery life 50 hours
Charging USB-C
ANC? No
Constructed-in mic and controls? Sure
Weight 147g
Finishes x4
At every contact level, the Sonys really feel correctly constructed. There’s delicate padding on the within of the headscarf and the earpads, which helps no finish with consolation. An all-in weight of simply 147g doesn’t do any hurt on this respect both, and despite the fact that they’re pleather-covered, the earpads resist returning your physique warmth for fairly some time. The hinges the place the closed-back earcups meet the headscarf really feel sturdy, and the earcups themselves swivel a bit of. This helps each with getting a safe, snug match and with portability.
You get a barely wider alternative of end than is common, too. In addition to the predictable black or white, Sony additionally presents the WH-CH520 in fairly a vibrant blue or an understated/uninteresting (delete as relevant) beige.
Options
On the danger of repeating ourselves, we’re going to repeat ourselves: you must preserve your expectations life like. In the event you do, there’s each likelihood you’ll be fairly impressed with the function set the WH-CH520 are packing.
Wi-fi connection is by way of Bluetooth 5.2 (with ‘Quick Pair’ for Android units). The Sonys have multipoint connectivity, and there’s compatibility with SBC and AAC codecs – the corporate claims a connection vary of 10 metres, which appears achievable. When the digital audio content material is on board, it’s served up by a few 30mm full-range dynamic drivers and the claimed frequency response is 20Hz – 20kHz.
There are bodily controls on the correct earcup. The basic three-button strip takes care of ‘energy on/off’, ‘Bluetooth pairing’, ‘skip forwards/backwards’, ‘quantity up/down’ and ‘reply/finish/reject name’. A single mic offers with name high quality, assisted by some on-board noise-suppression processing.
After all, you could favor to manage your WH-CH520 utilizing Sony’s secure and helpful Headphones Join management app (free for iOS and Android). It’s barely truncated in comparison with the model that accompanies a few of Sony’s dearer headphones and earbuds just like the XM5 fashions – nevertheless it’s nonetheless a superior instance of the kind. In addition to controlling all the most important features, the app has some EQ presets, a five-band equaliser so that you can make some customized EQ changes, and a listening to take a look at that will help you discover your supreme sonic stability. It additionally options Sony’s DSEE (digital sound enhancement engine), which reckons it could upscale your lossy digital audio recordsdata, on the fly, to a higher-resolution customary.
A kind of bodily controls additionally wakes your supply participant’s native voice assistant. Google Assistant or Siri, that’s, however not Bixby – there are limits.
Battery life
Lastly, we’ve reached some extent the place your expectations can certainly be exceeded.
The Sony WH-CH520 can run for as a lot as 50 hours between expenses. That’s when listening situations are optimum, after all, however even if you happen to wish to hear at full quantity on a regular basis, 40 hours is yours with no downside. These are each spectacular figures, particularly when you think about that, ought to the worst occur, simply three minutes on the juice ought to maintain you for something as much as an hour and a half. Charging is achieved utilizing the USB-C socket on the sting of the correct earcup.
Sound
Fifty hours is a very long time to be listening to music – however we have now to begin someplace. And with a Tidal Hello-Fi stream of Soccer Mommy’s Soak Up The Solar enjoying, the Sony WH-CH520 don’t take lengthy to ascertain themselves as a properly balanced, fairly informative and pleasing hear.
They’re not probably the most expressive headphones you have ever heard the place low frequencies are involved, it’s true. However the low finish they generate is strong, deep and correctly managed on the main edges, so the WH-CH520 specific rhythms confidently. They hit moderately exhausting, and preserve bass firmly in its lane the place it could’t intrude with the midrange exercise above.
The midrange itself lacks final readability, however by prevailing worth requirements it’s informative and truly fairly eloquent the place vocalists are involved. It integrates properly with the frequency info each above and under, and initiatives effectively – the Sonys do good work, leaving a small, however particular, space of area wherein a singer within the midrange can function.
The highest of the frequency vary balances brightness with substance effectively, so treble sounds have a bit of physique to associate with their shine. Once more, there might be better tremendous element retrieval – however that’s actually to evaluate the WH-CH520 by the requirements of dearer headphones. And in addition to, we’ll most likely commerce the final shred of tremendous element for the dearth of rolling-off the Sonys take pleasure in – that basically is a trait numerous inexpensive headphones take pleasure in, however not these.
The place dynamic expression is worried, the WH-CH520 are just a bit inhibited. They’ll make the distinction between the quietest and the loudest moments in a recording obvious, however not obviously apparent. They simply don’t appear to have enough headroom. There’s no scarcity of animation to their sound, although, and their total tonality is convincingly impartial.
Verdict
We’ll exit the way in which we got here in: by saying you’ll be able to’t actually anticipate the Earth if you’re paying pennies lower than £50 for a pair of headphones. What’s outstanding in regards to the Sony WH-CH520 is how little compromise they demand of you, each when it comes to audio efficiency and ergonomics. They’re a bit of little bit of a cut price.
SCORES
- Sound 5
- Options 5
- Consolation 5
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