Sony WH-CH720N

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?

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.

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.

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)

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)

Better 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)

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?

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.

The 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.

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.