In the ever-expanding market of headphones, there are a myriad of options for the consumer to choose from. I was that consumer not too long ago, as I browsed and researched extensively for a pair of headphones that suited my needs. That’s when I ended up with Sony’s WH-CH520 headphones. This article is a review of the Sony WH-CH520 headphones (for better readability, I recommend reading ‘WH-CH520’ as ‘whu-chu 520’), which might be the best pair of headphones under ₹4000.
Design and Usage
The Sony WH-CH520 has a premium feel to it. It is made of plastic and has an extendable headband, which is padded at the top. One thing to note is that unlike a lot of headphones around this price range, it does not fold. This means that storing the headphones in a small space is going to be difficult. Optimistically, the lack of a folding system may result in a sturdier build. I can safely say that this is meant to last. I say this so confidently because I have dropped the headphones two times as a part of my unintentional drop test, and it worked just fine.
The ear cups are comfortable, and using it at a stretch doesn’t cause any discomfort. The ear cups and the general design provide a very snug feel. Listening to music feels very nice with this design.
I mostly use these Sony headphones at the gym. While the Sony WH-CH520 does not have an IP rating, I have had no problem with a considerable amount of sweat in the ear cups as a result of working out. Besides, the headphones do not have a tendency to fall off while doing activities like walking, jogging, or weight-workouts, but I noticed the headphones did move a bit too much while running. The sweat accumulation is annoying, but it can be solved with a simple wipe with a cloth. I would recommend this if you are looking for a pair of headphones for use while sitting at a desk and for light workouts.
Despite the ear cups of the Sony WH-CH520 not being able to fold, a quirky feature is that the ear cups have the ability to rotate or swivel. This means that the headphones can lie flat, enhancing portability. This is particularly useful if you want to hang it around your neck—in that instance, you can simply rotate the cups. In this way, you can wear it comfortably without the ear cups touching your chin.
This is the highlight of this pair, and this allows you to transform this seemingly normal pair of headphones into something special—a pair of ear-free headphones. If you want transparency of the surroundings while simultaneously wanting to listen to something, you can just rotate the cups of your headphones, then crank the volume to the maximum (ignore the warning on your phones), then voila. You will be able to hear the music, and your ears will be free. This may have been something Sony did not intend for the swiveling ear cups to be able to do, but it does come in useful!
Moreover, you can get the Sony WH-CH520 in four beautiful different colours: the ever-so-perfect black, which is the one I have. Something you can never go wrong with. Beige, for a comfy aesthetic. Blue, which is as serene as the ocean and the sky, and finally, gorgeous white.
On the right side of the Sony WH-CH520 headphones, there are three buttons, a USB Type-C port, an LED indicator, and the mic. The controls are straightforward—press the middle button for more than 2 seconds to turn on, press once to play/pause, press twice to launch the digital assistant. Press the track up or track down once to control volume and longer to change tracks.
Battery
The battery is very impressive. Sony claims 40-50 hours of battery life with continuous use and 200 hours of battery reserve. But that ought to vary with the user’s use case. For me, the first time I charged it was after almost 1 month of usage. I would like to make it clear that my usage wasn’t very intense. I typically use the pair for about an hour or a half an hour per day. And for around a week, I didn’t even use it. The battery held surprisingly well. The Bluetooth settings on my devices did display the battery level as ‘70%’ for most of the days, and it stayed that way for a while.
Sony again claims that a full charge for the battery takes 3 hours. In my usage, the WH-CH520 did go from the supposed 70% to 100% in less than half an hour. Sony did, however, also state that a quick three-minute charge could give the pair 1.5 hours of battery life. So the battery part is absolutely solid, and this device is built to last all day.
Sound Quality and Companion App
Of all the audio gear I have used, which includes TWS’, neckband, and headphones, the Sony WH-CH520 unarguably has the best sound quality. Everything sounds nice. The bass, treble, and mid-ranges all sound phenomenal. You can even hear the soft, intricate details of the background music. So, when it comes to sound quality, this pair does not disappoint at all. It bears the torch of Sony’s magnificent sound quality.
To further enhance the listening experience and to fine-tune the audio, the companion app ‘Sound Connect’ is great. For starters, it has some preset equalizers, which include bright, excited, mellow, relaxed, vocal, treble boost, bass boost, speech, manual, and two custom slots. I am using the ‘Excited’ equalizer, as it gives, as the title says, an excited feel to the music. Of the ones I tested, the speech equalizer greatly improves the capability to hear words, making it perfect if you want to listen to lectures or podcasts.
The app also features an equalizer test, which plays some music and asks you to choose what you like best. Essentially, it helps you create the perfect equalizer for you. This feature is particularly useful if you are a budding audiophile. Further, it has a feature to analyze your ear shape, which is used for 360° Reality Audio. This basically makes audio jump from one ear to the other, as if you’re witnessing a live performance. The drawback is that it does not support any mainstream apps.
Another feature, which is one of the main reasons I bought this pair, is the multi-point connection, which allows you to connect the headphones to two devices simultaneously. This is absolutely game-changing if you actively use both your computer and phone. To illustrate with an example, say you are watching something on your computer, and you get a call on your phone. You can answer the call and talk directly from your headphones, because both the devices are connected at the same time. As soon as you end the call, you can hop back onto your computer and continue watching. When I came to know about this feature, I pulled the trigger on the purchase.
The app also has the ability to track your stats. You can track how long you use the headphones everyday, and the analytics look and work well. It even has certain achievements. One achievement is when you listen to music at the bus stop. To do this, you have to set the bus stop location, and you get the achievement. There are a lot more of such achievements. This might be the best audio companion app I have used till date!
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Good sound quality
- Durable design
- Impressive battery-life
- Rotating ear cups
- Excellent companion app
- Good unboxing experience
- Type-C port
Cons
- Cannot be used with an AUX cable; has no headphone jack
- No folding mechanism
Conclusion
The Sony WH-CH520 certainly bring a lot of good stuff to the table. In my usage of over a month, I have had no problems with this pair of headphones, and you won’t either. Under 4000, this checks most of the boxes for a good pair of headphones. If you’re looking for something you are mainly going to use at your desk, use multiple devices, and don’t mind portability much, then the Sony WH-CH520 is the pair of headphones for you.
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