REASONS TO BUY
Affordable
Clear calls
Lightweight
REASONS TO AVOID
Small earcups
Poor noise-blocking
No ANC
Meh sound
Sony WHCH520 Review
Below average sound, no ANC, and an uncomfortable on-ear design make these budget headphones unappealing, even if the calls are good
A no-frills, entry-level pair of on-ear headphones that provide good value for the price for the right buyer.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
By Genaveve Bradshaw ⋅ Senior Review Analyst ⋅ December 12, 2025
Contributions From: Rachael Lamore & Lissette Velasquez
RELATED: Best Wireless Headphones of 2025
Our Verdict
The Sony WHCH520 is a below-average headphone that ranked near the bottom of our lineup after testing. While the app is helpful and the battery life is phenomenal, the sound quality is only okay, and it lacks any functional noise-blocking abilities. They are also uncomfortable for most, with a listening time hovering around only two hours. While they are comfy compared to other on-ear headphones, they can't compete with most over-ear headphones. They offer a good sound mix that complements a variety of musical tastes, but it lacks space and dimensionality. Even for those on a budget, we don't see a compelling reason to consider these Sonys. In this price range, there are several more enjoyable wireless headphones to choose from.
Our Analysis and Test Results
We thoroughly assessed the WHCH520. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Our Sony WHCH520 Headphones Experience
The Sony WHCH520 are a low-end Sony headphone, and they look and feel like it. They don't include a carry case or even a cheap drawstring bag, and they only include a charging cord, but no audio cable. So much is lacking that it makes us feel like the price is mainly for the Sony name, rather than a product worth the price. There is no transparency mode, no active noise cancellation, no playback when the battery dies, and no detection feature to indicate when you're wearing them.
The WHCH520 establishes a reliable Bluetooth 5.2 connection with Apple and Android devices, maintaining a stable connection across a remarkable 165-foot range in an unobstructed outdoor environment. The Multipoint feature is easy to use on any operating system and flawlessly switches audio streaming between two connected devices. If you're an Android user, you'll appreciate added frills like Google Fast Pair for frustration-free pairing and Find My Device for locating lost headsets, but it lacks an audio jack.
Generally, we don't love on-ear headphones and find the design increases the potential for ear fatigue and hot spots to form. While the clamping force isn't extreme and they feel okay at first, we could only wear them for a maximum of three hours before needing a break. They also didn't perform well for most activities, and even a slow back stretch resulted in them falling off.
The WHCH520 comes with a useful app for customization, but the lack of active noise cancellation is still a bummer, and there is no hear-through mode, which means we had to remove them to talk to friends. We like the app and think it is well laid out with some helpful equalization adjustments and presets.
Calls don't get much better than the WHCH520. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Real-world calls with the WHCH520 are impressive and pretty dang clear. The voice volume is precisely where you want it to be, even when calling near traffic or trains. If phone calls and online meetings are a primary goal for using headphones, we think that could be the one use case where these headphones are a potential choice.
The battery life of over 50 hours is noteworthy, and something to praise, but the lack of comfort means it's unlikely anyone is wearing them for longer periods. For us, these headphones lasted for days' worth of use because we didn't wear them much each time. We'd love to see better comfort paired with impressive battery life.
It almost isn't fair to compare these budget Sony headphones to the XM series. The XM series are premium headphones with high-end prices. They all offer better sound, with the Sony WH-1000XM6 and the Sony WH-1000XM5 coming in close to the top of the competition. They also offer significantly better noise blocking with active noise cancellation. However, these over-ear headphones will cost you more than four times the price of the WHCH, making them unlikely alternatives to the budget Sonys.
The WHCH520 is one of the lowest-scoring headphones in our lineup of popular choices. While we understand why a budget pair of Sonys could be compelling, the allure is diminished when you hear their average sound, experience their lack of active noise cancellation, or feel their uncomfortable on-ear design. Even for the lower price, we wouldn't recommend these over higher performing options in the Budget headphone price range.
If you'd prefer over-ear noise-canceling headphones, consider 1More SonoFlow. These over-ear headphones have a more comfortable fit, better noise cancellation, and significantly improved sound. The SonoFlows have a more broadly appealing musical profile and offer greater clarity. If your budget is tighter, the Tozo HT2 costs less than the Sonoflow and the Sony but offers better sound quality and comfort, though their noise cancellation isn't as good as the 1More.
For the same price point, we have some better over-ear recommendations. You'll sacrifice some call quality, but you'll gain greater comfort and ANC. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Sound Quality
For an on-ear set, these little headphones pack a great punch. The sound mix is mostly balanced, and the textures have adequate separation. However, it falls short of the average sound quality due to a lack of a fully immersive feel and crisp detailing. That said, we suspect many budget shoppers might find the listening experience enjoyable for an on-ear design with an affordable price.
The WHCH520's greatest quality is its rich bass and warm mids. The bass has a strong presence but doesn't overpower Hip-Hop and EDM tracks like “Panini” by Lil Nas X. Still, bass heads looking for that extra oomph will appreciate the Clear Bass feature, which adds more thump. The mids are full and forward, letting vocals and instruments shine in singer-songwriter tracks like “Let the Good Times Roll” by Harry Nilsson and “I Can't Breathe” by Parker McCollum. The highs are decent but have a darker coloring that sometimes feels a bit dull. On the plus side, they never sound harsh or piercing, even with high-hitting cymbals, violins, and vocalists.
Staggered between the pleasing lows and mids and adequate highs, there is an overall lack of clarity. They offer a decent sound portrait, showing the full picture well, but it is somewhat blurry around the edges. We noticed a slight improvement in the muddiness using the Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) in the Sony app, which restored liveliness to low-quality, compressed sound files.
The frequency response of the WHCH520 gives a bird's eye view of the sound signature. Peaks in the bass and lower treble range follow the general shape of our Target Response Curve, indicating that the sound profile appeals to the average listener. However, the treble peak is not as wide as we like, with a drastic dip in the mid-treble range. This confirms our expert listener's impression that some highs recede in the mix and could benefit from extra sparkle.
The mids also lie relatively flat instead of dipping down, which emphasizes the mids, explaining why acoustic and R&B tracks sound particularly delightful. The bass isn't as elevated as our Target Curve, indicating that heavy bass lovers may require more thump than the built-in profile offers.
Soundstage
The 520s provide adequate space to locate instruments, differentiate textures, and feel the difference between a densely layered studio track, an intimate acoustic performance, or a stadium banger.
You won't be transported to a multi-dimensional experience, but it's not terrible for an on-ear design. The smaller earcups don't provide the seal to block external sounds that can overshadow fine musical details. The size limits dimensionality and doesn't allow the music to flow around and dance within your ears like it would in a vast, open space.
Even our testers with earrings and glasses found the clamping force comfortable. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Comfort and Fit
The WHCH520 are not comfortable compared to over-ear headphones, but they aren't as uncomfortable as other on-ear models. At a mere 144 grams, the WHCH520 is feather-light and barely noticeable across the head.
Our panel of experts listened closely to our carefully curated playlist to make thorough assessments of sound quality. Credit: Matt Lighthart
The earcups are sufficiently cushy, resting on the ears, but over time, the pressure on the outer pinna of the ear is tiring. The cups are wrapped in a plasticky material that feels cheap and doesn't breathe well, which can lead to sweating. The clamping force is low, so we could wear them for a couple of hours without significant sensitive spots.
These headphones turn the volume down on human chatter and clanky dishes in a cafe, but low machine hums are still clearly audible. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Noise Cancellation
The on-ear design of the WHCH520 limits potential passive noise cancellation, and it also doesn't offer active noise cancellation (ANC) technology.
Through passive cancellation (achieved by physically blocking the ear), these Sony headphones block 33 decibels of noise in the treble range, decreasing things like emergency sirens and yelling children.
There's also a subtle 8-decibel attenuation in the mid-range, which lowered nearby conversations to a mumble, reminiscent of adults in Charlie Brown cartoons. Overall, you can expect to be aware of your surroundings.
The Sony app has some of our favorite preset options to impact the sound. Credit: Matt Lighthart
App and Controls
One of our favorite features of the WHCH520 is the intuitive Sony Headphones Connect app. It has sound profile adjustments to find a blend that best suits your musical tastes. We loved the EQ presets, especially the Clear Bass setting. There's also a five-point manual EQ slider, but it isn't as effective at changing the sound profile as the presets.
For improved sound quality, we highly recommend turning on the DSEE function. Credit: Matt Lighthart
The headphones support Sony's 360 Reality Audio and can tailor the sound to your ear shape for an extra cinematic feel. However, spatial audio can only be used in conjunction with compatible streaming services like Amazon Music Unlimited or 360 Reality Live. Plus, with the on-ear design, spatial audio can only do so much.
Despite their tactile, surface texture, the buttons are packed too closely together to easily distinguish them Credit: Matt Lighthart
Controls
The all-button controls are reliable, but it's hard to distinguish them by feel. While not a deal-breaker, wider spacing would have been nice. The headphones support hands-free calling with Google Assistant or Siri, allowing you to respond to emails, call friends, or change your playlist without your phone.
Battery
The WHCH520 has a 51-hour battery life, outlasting most other headphones in our lineup.
While it does not support passive playback when the battery is dead, the manufacturer claims that three minutes of charge provides 1.5 hours of listening. Three hours plugged in will buy you a full charge.
Listen in to hear the quality for yourself. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Call Quality
Sony did not compromise on the WHCH520's call quality. With crisp, clear calls, it outperforms most competitors. The WHCH520 features one microphone for voice detection, but it is more than sufficient when combined with Sony's stellar voice isolation technology. In simulated and real-life phone calls from ideal, quiet conditions, the WHCH520 performs well. Noisy environments impact the call quality, but the WHCH520 still performs above average.
Here's the recording from a simulated office. Credit: Matt Lighthart
In our calls from a booming subway, some background noise seeps through, but our male caller's voice remains loud and clear. Our female caller's voice breaks up slightly, but is still understandable. In an office, the background noise is reduced, though not entirely blocked, and the caller's voice is clear. In phone calls from an ideal quiet environment, the caller's voice has a natural quality that's pleasant.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Sony WHCH520 versus top competing products:
—Genaveve Bradshaw, Rachael Lamore and Lissette Velasquez
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