At a glance

Device: Sony WH-CH710N

Noise cancellation: Adjusts to your environment with Dual Noise Sensor technology

Sound details: Hear more detail with the 30mm driver units

Battery: Long-lasting listening with up to 35 hours of battery and quick charging

Price: Rs 9,990

The last few years have been good for Sony as it continues to deliver speakers, wireless earbuds and headphones that match (and at times outdo) those from Bose. That’s one side of the story. The other aspect involves how the company is delivering on that one advantage it has over wireless earbuds — noise cancellation. Agreed that the technology is evolving on wireless earbuds but headphones are headphones if you want to silence your surroundings. It’s just the device to use at a coffee shop. It’s something you can travel with.

One of the best noise-cancellation devices from Sony has been the WH-1000XM3, which still looks snazzy and an absolute pleasure on the ears. Of course, it comes with a heavy price tag, especially when one considers the state of the economy. Enter WH-CH710N, noise-cancelling headphones for the budget-conscious.

Right amount of padding

Let’s get one thing straight. This is obviously not the much-loved WH-1000XM3. Don’t expect the smooth glossy finish. Don’t expect swipe gestures. Yet, oodles of fun, comfort and, most importantly, sound quality, greet the user. Sony obviously has cut corners to make an affordable device. But what are these corners?

One look and you will realise that it’s the material. It’s plastic, yes. What Sony hasn’t compromised on is the padding or the sound. In other words, things that are really important. To the casual eye, the padding may not seem much but put it on and feel the comfort. One can wear it for hours on end and yet not feel any pain on the ears.

When it comes to folding, it’s possible to achieve a horizontal fold but not a vertical one. So there would be moments when you would have it around the neck. That’s fine. The question that is to be asked is whether it does make the right sounds.

Cancel that noise

The WH-CH710N is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, which ensures the range of connectivity is pretty good. As long as you are within 30-40 feet of the device streaming the music, it’s all good. Also a brownie point for the way it handles audio during video streaming. There are no stutters or lip-sync issues, which is usually the case with cheap headphones. This one is perfect.

To codecs. The earphone supports SBC and AAC codecs. Good work. It doesn’t seem to support LDAC, a proprietary audio coding technology developed by Sony. This is somewhat odd because having LDAC would allow better streaming. We guess, a price needs to be paid for the price point one gets to enjoy. But does it deliver on one of the big promises — noise cancellation? It does.

There is a noise-cancellation and ambient sound mode. With noise-cancellation on, I easily went off to snooze listening to George Michael’s live album Symphonica. It’s that good. Noise-cancellation also makes a lot of difference to people always on the move. Whether on the subway, on a plane or in the office, noise cancellation is a blessing.

There is also an ambient sound option, which uses built-in microphones to let you know what’s going around you. It’s a super useful feature.

Coming to music quality, we are absolutely fine with lows, mids and the highs. The vocal range of, say, George Michael or Mariah Carey gets clearly produced while the instrumentation on a Beach Boys album is crystal clear and the deeper notes remain intact.

Moving to the microphone while receiving calls. The sound is decent, better than the competition around this price point. Only, it would have been nice had the company provided a pouch to carry the earphones as it saves from scratches.

Who is it for?

Sony claims it will give you 35 hours of constant playback and a quick charge for 10 minutes offers 60 minutes of constant playback. The company is pretty much on the ball with battery life. It’s also a relief that we can use USB-C to charge. Pillow-y on the ears, the WH-CH710N sees you through long hours of music. In other words, music lovers can have enough bang for buck.