By aspect — in detail
Broad agreement on the shape, not the verdict: every measurement and listening source hears a warm, bass-forward, energetic V rather than a neutral tuning — essentially Sony's house consumer sound at a budget price, and very responsive to the app's EQ. Whether that voicing is a strength or a flaw is where sources split (see bass and mids below).
“an energetic bass-heavy, V-shaped signature with a lot of emphasis in that 80-200Hz midbass region”
audioreviews.org (Loomis T. Johnson)
“Punchy, solid, energetic performance”
What Hi-Fi?
Measured
SoundGuys' bench shows the classic consumer shape everyone describes: a boost between roughly 100Hz and 400Hz, upper mids pulled down between about 900Hz and 4kHz, and a treble lift between 5kHz and 10kHz. The tuning is DSP-dependent — used passively/wired (a high 325-ohm load), reviewers and owners report it sounds noticeably thinner.
Genuinely split, and it's the most-discussed axis. Everyone agrees the low end is elevated; they divide on whether that's a feature. One camp hears it as warm, punchy and fun; the other hears it as boomy, loose and prone to overwhelming the mids, with some noting the true sub-bass is actually a little light beneath the mid-bass hump.
Measured
SoundGuys measures the bass overamplified versus its preference curve, with the boost centered roughly 100-400Hz; audioreviews.org places the emphasis in the 80-200Hz mid-bass. Multiple listeners note the deepest sub-bass is comparatively subdued, so the lift is mid-bass warmth more than sub-bass slam.
Where it splits
Warm, punchy and fun — a lively highlight, especially for bass-lovers.47%
“The bass is warm and boosted for a lively and fun listening experience.”
TechGearLab (Chris McNamara)
Boomy and loose — the exaggerated low end overwhelms the mids.53%
“delivers bass-heavy sound with exaggerated low frequencies that overwhelm the mids”
SoundGuys (Jasper Lastoria)
Split along the same fault line as bass. One camp finds the midrange clear, forward and well-balanced (a few rate it near far pricier open-backs); the other hears it as recessed and congested, pushed back by the elevated bass — a reaction that tracks a measured dip in the upper-mid region.
Measured
SoundGuys measures reduced upper-midrange volume between about 900Hz and 4kHz, and loudnwireless heard a similar dip around 3-4kHz versus the flagship Sonys — an objective anchor for the 'pushed-back / congested' reports, even where the mids themselves are described as clean.
Where it splits
Clear, forward and pleasing — vocals come through well.42%
“The middle range is forward-sounding, and the vocals are pleasingly energetic.”
TechGearLab (Chris McNamara)
Recessed and congested — pushed back by the bass.58%
“Vocals come through clearly but sound slightly congested”
SoundGuys (Jasper Lastoria)
Lightly contested but mostly mild: the top end sits a little elevated in the 5-10kHz region. Most reviewers hear it as smooth, easy and non-fatiguing (some even call it slightly rolled-off), while a minority find that same lift can turn tiring at higher volumes.
“The high-end is smooth and slightly rolled-off”
Major HiFi (Gabby Bloch)
“boosted treble can become fatiguing during longer sessions”
SoundGuys (Jasper Lastoria)
Measured
SoundGuys measures the treble exaggerated between 5kHz and 10kHz; in passive/wired mode the same bench shows the treble cut and the lows and mids boosted, so how hot the top end sounds shifts with how you listen and how loud you play it.
Its most consistently praised sonic trait: reviewers single out an energetic, propulsive sense of drive and rhythm that belies the price — the quality that makes the tuning 'fun' — even as lab data flags distortion as a relative weak point.
“Great sense of drive and rhythmic propulsion”
What Hi-Fi?
“they have that elusive quality of PRAT that more polite peers lack”
audioreviews.org (Loomis T. Johnson)
Measured
SoundGuys' MDAQS panel scored Distortion 2.9 of 5 — the lowest of its four sub-scores — a measured caveat sitting beneath the widely praised sense of drive.
Soundstage
Moderate · 5 srcBetter than expected for a sealed budget headphone, if not deep. Several sources call the stage surprisingly wide and open for the price — one measurement panel makes space its standout trait — though others temper that with 'shallow,' and one hears it as outright narrow.
“one of the most expansive soundstages in its price range”
TechGearLab (Chris McNamara)
“Soundstage is wide, but shallow”
audioreviews.org (Loomis T. Johnson)
Measured
SoundGuys' MDAQS panel scored Immersiveness 4.7 of 5 — its highest sub-score by far — and TechGearLab rated the soundstage 7.3 (versus a 6.4 field average). One dissent: loudnwireless heard the stage as 'narrow and compact' beside the flagship Sonys.
Lightly covered but consistently positive: reviewers who address placement and separation call it surprisingly good for a budget closed-back, with a solid, enjoyable sense of where things sit; depth is the softer spot.
“instrument separation and placement is surprisingly good”
audioreviews.org (Loomis T. Johnson)
“a solid sense of sound location, which makes it very enjoyable”
TechGearLab (Chris McNamara)
Adequate for the money, not a strength. Reviewers who praise it frame the resolution as good 'for this price'; those comparing upward are clear that pricier Sonys and rivals pull ahead, and the DSP-reliant tuning caps how revealing it gets.
“Plenty of detail and textures revealed, for this price”
What Hi-Fi?
“the XM4s are clearly richer and more detailed”
Pete Matheson
One of its two pillars of agreement: near-everyone calls it exceptionally light and easy to wear for hours, and it's routinely named among the comfiest budget over-ears. The consistent caveats are shallow ear cups that can touch larger ears and pads that warm up over long sessions.
“No pinching, no sore spots, just easy all-day wear.”
Pete Matheson
“Comfortable to wear, good amount of cushioning on headband and earpads”
What Hi-Fi?
Measured
Cited at about 192 g (Sony/SoundGuys/What Hi-Fi) and measured at 186 g by TechGearLab — Sony's lightest wireless ANC headband. The recurring physical caveats: the ear cups are on the shallow side and the pads can heat up, which several owners feel after roughly half an hour.
A real disagreement. It's all plastic, non-folding and ships without a case; from there sources split on whether that reads as 'light and reassuring for the price' or 'cheap, creaky and brittle.' A scatter of owner reports of creaking pivots, peeling coatings and failures over a year or two pulls the balance toward the critical side.
Measured
SoundGuys rates Durability/Build 6.0 of 10; TechGearLab notes the low weight comes straight from the all-plastic construction, so it 'doesn't feel very high-end.' It doesn't fold (the cups swivel flat) and comes with no carrying case.
Where it splits
Simple but sturdy and reassuring — fine for the money, and the lightness is the point.42%
“Simple but sturdy build quality – decent at this level”
What Hi-Fi?
Cheap, creaky plastic that can feel brittle.58%
“Edges along the plastic housings feel unrefined, and the headphones’ seams are raised”
SoundGuys (Jasper Lastoria)
Isolation
Contested · 10 srcThe other big debate. To many editorial and owner voices the noise cancelling is impressive for the price — a few even reach for 'near-flagship.' To the measurement outlets and the harsher critics it's below average, leaning heavily on the passive seal and weakest exactly where it matters: low-frequency rumble and voices.
Measured
SoundGuys measures the ANC hovering around 20dB of reduction, peaking near 28dB at 80Hz; TechGearLab measures 13.0 / 19.0 / 31.3 dB across low/mid/high bands — an average around 21dB versus its ~24dB test-fleet average, and weakest in the low band. Owners add that it does little against high-frequency noise and voices, and some report a firmware update that made it worse.
⚠ vs. listeners — The 'great for the price' camp judges the ANC against budget peers and ease of use; the lab data shows below-fleet-average attenuation, especially of low-frequency noise — anchoring the 'weak' camp's complaint about rumble and voices leaking through.
Where it splits
Great for the price — near-flagship to some.46%
“Active noise cancellation (ANC) is great for this price”
What Hi-Fi?
Below average and weak — barely beyond the passive seal.54%
“The active noise cancellation (ANC) on the CH720N is below average”
TechGearLab (Chris McNamara)
Contested and price-dependent. At street and sale prices near or below $100 it's widely called a genuine budget bargain — Sony ANC, big battery and featherweight comfort for the money. Judged at full list (and against cheaper rivals), critics argue the middling sound, ANC and build don't justify it. The verdict largely tracks what each reviewer actually paid.
Measured
The split tracks price directly: sources that bought in around $30 used or $129 on sale land on 'bargain,' while TechGearLab — benching it against its field at a $180 list — ranks it #15 of 26 and calls cheaper options a better buy.
Where it splits
A genuine budget bargain, especially on sale.60%
“the WH-CH720N offers a truly budget bargain”
What Hi-Fi?
