Design & Construction

The Sony WH-CH700N are the 2018 step-up model to replace the MDR-ZX770BN released 2 years ago. It is Sony's most affordable over-the-ear headphone. Having a revamped range of colours to a more sophisticated, classy look, Sony is targeting consumers of today's modern and fashionable world. The left earcup has the (From Front-Back): NC button, LED indicator, 3.5mm input, Micro-USB port and Power button. Controlling the rest of the playback functions are on the right earcup, Volume controls and a playback rocker; push backwards for next track, press to play/pause and push forward for the previous track. A red LED will light up when it is left to charge. It takes about 7 hours to charge from a dead battery. Pairing via both NFC and bluetooth is simple and quick. A Blue LED light up once in 3 seconds during wireless usage. The power button allows you to check for battery status by pressing once. The NC button can be used to switch on/off the noise-cancelling manually. Both sides of the headband bear the Sony logo and the left earcup has the NFC. The headphones have thick cushions which is meant for providing a comfortable experience. The headband is very light and will not cause discomfort to those who wear spectacles. On the headband, there is also cushioned headrest which provides a good amount of comfort. The exterior of the headphones gives off this matte colour scheme and resists fingerprints smudges very well. On the top, the headband holding the structure is made of metal and the earcups pivot left and right and folds flat for easy storage. The earcups are still boast a wide opening so that it encases your ears and causes absolutely no wearing fatigue. Overall, the headphone is super light-weight and definitely suitable for long commutes.

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Sound Quality

The 40mm headphone drivers certainly up to average users standards. They produce an extremely clear sound signature to provide for a very immersive experience. Based on user experience, the noise-cancelling is comparable to other headphones in this price point. I could not hear much of my surroundings when there was no music on. Unfortunately like other headphones in this price range, high frequency noises like voices do leak in. Sony also added the Headphones Connect app support for this model, which are available for download on the Play Store and App Store. Inside the app, you will find customisation abilities like Virtual Surround Sound, equalizer, DSEE HX support. The first function is Virtual Surround Sound which include presets like outdoor-stage, club, hall, or arena style sound. However, the presets did not really enhanced the sound and I personally do not use it as it makes my music output rather unnatural and artificial. It is also good to know that the app has an internal equalizer to enable the best output of music. With a large category ranging from Bright, Excited, Mellow, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Speech Etc. You can also choose to customize your own too! This makes the headphones great for all genres of music ranging from soothing jazz to bass-heavy EDM tracks. Highs, mids and bass come off as balanced and none of the frequency spectrum jumps out at me as truly boosted or emphasized. Call quality was great, the caller manage to hear me on the other end and didn't know that I was using the mics on the headphones.

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Connectivity & Portability

The headphone operates both passively and wirelessly. From my test, it was surprising to know that the volume of the headphones drop significantly while using the wired mode. The maximum volume in wired mode was only equivalent to about 65% of the volume in wireless mode. In wireless mode, it supports AptX HD, AptX, SBC and AAC codecs and Bluetooth Version 4.1 for clear audio transmission. The mic and controls on the earcups are disabled in wired mode and users cannot charge the headphone and use it at the same time. Listening via the Micro-USB cable is also unavailable. Users can put the headphone in Bluetooth pairing mode by holding down the power button for 7 seconds when its switched off. The battery life peaks at a whooping 35 hours.  It is also worth noting that the headphones only requires 10 minutes of charging for 60 minutes of playback. The headphones' connectivity to the app is perfect as I never experienced it being unable to detect my headphones when its already connected via Bluetooth. The headphones swivel flat into a more compact profile and comes with a micro USB cable for charging, a 1.2m 3.5mm cable for wired use. Unfortunately, Sony didn't throw in at least a soft carrying pouch to protect the headphone from scratches when being stowed away.

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PROS

• Clear, Bright Sound Signature

• Snug & Comfortable

• Long Battery Life

• Easy Controls For Music Play & Calls

• Equalizer In App

• AptX HD & AptX Codecs Support

• Folds Flat For Stowing

• Quick Charging

• Stable App Connectivity

• A Range of Colours

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CONS​​

• Lack Of Carrying Pouch

• Mic and Controls Not Available In Wired Mode

• Volume Difference In Wired Mode

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The Bottom Line

The Sony WH-CH700N is a definitely an affordable noise-cancelling headphone housing wide ear cushions, 40mm clean-sounding drivers, long 35 hours battery life and easy to use controls. ]t is highly recommended for daily commutes and long listening sessions. A range of three colours are available to fit users of different gender and personalities; Black, Blue and Grey.