There is a new trend in the world - wireless headphones with active noise reduction. Recently, it has been built into many accessories, and for good reason: it helps a lot on the road.
I like this trend; it improves, if not the sound quality, then at least increases the comfort of using the device. Sony hasn't ignored this technology either.
I've had a week with the Sony WH-CH710N and I have a lot to say. For a budget device it is very well done. But first things first.
Fit great, no complaints
Sony WH-CH710N look quite simple, but at the same time quite modern. This is essentially a simplified version of the popular WH-1000XM3 or WH-1000XM4.
On topic : Review of Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones. Why are they so loved all over the world?
The bowls are oval in shape and each has a small company logo engraved on it. They are made of high-quality plastic, which does not feel like a Chinese craft from a basement, but on the contrary - one feels a monolithic body, devoid of flaws.
First of all, I liked the convenience of the headphones themselves. They weigh just over 220 grams, which improves comfort on both the head and neck. You often ask in the comments how it feels on a big head - great. They are light, almost weightless , so you forget about them literally in a minute. And after a few hours you don’t get tired of wearing anything.
This was achieved thanks to artificial leather ear pads with very soft internal filling. However, there is no foam effect, the headphones do not remember the shape of the ear and always remain the same as they were when purchased.
The adjustable temple, like the bowls, is made of plastic, but with a metal insert to strengthen the structure. And although plastic is used, it does not seem that the device will break at any moment or at least crack somewhere.
There is no play or squeaks . However, on the first day of wearing it, I noticed that while walking I could hear one of the parts of the temple clicking, even while playing music. However, on other days I stopped noticing it and the click disappeared.
The bowls rotate 90 degrees so you can easily hang them around your neck or put them in a compact case. It's a pity that it wasn't included in the kit.
The upper part of the headband is covered with artificial leather, and the part adjacent to the head has a soft lining. Thanks to it, there is no feeling that the headphones are trying to put any pressure on your head.
The headband itself is adjustable, the power reserve is up to 4 cm. The fixation in each position is reliable , nothing tends to move somewhere. The retractable part on both sides contains brief information about the headphones. Plus, the inside near the cups is finished with a carbon-look coating. It looks unusual and pleasant.
As for the controls, Sony decided not to make touch buttons here, but replaced them with physical analogues.
On the left cup there is a USB-C charging connector, a 3.5 mm audio output and power with an activity indicator. In addition, this part of the accessory contains a hidden NFC tag for quick pairing with Android devices.
On the right, the company placed four keys: volume+, volume-, play/pause, and noise reduction control. Plus, a hole for a microphone.
Included with the Sony WH-CH710N, the manufacturer carefully included a minijack to minijack cable for a wired connection to the playback device.
Disadvantages of Sony MDR-1000X
Despite a lot of advantages, the Sony MDR-1000X is still not ideal. If you find fault, you can find the weak points of the headphones. For example, the size adjustment clamps on the headband do not hold the selected position tightly enough, so when wearing headphones on the neck, simple turns of the head are enough to hear the characteristic clicks of the clamps behind the ear. Often you have to readjust the size before putting it on. However, it is possible that this problem only affects the non-commercial sample being tested, and in general I would call this a feature, and not a tragedy at all.
By the way, when putting on and taking off the headphones, I really missed the sensors, like in the Parrot Zik, which determine the position of the headphones in space and automatically pause them or start playback again. Therefore, you have to train yourself to use the touch pad to pause playback. And another fact that is worth considering is that due to the very large volume reserve, at some point the headphones begin to play noticeably outward. This should be taken into account by those who like to turn the sound up to maximum, but do not want to force others to become acquainted with their musical tastes.
Noise reduction is good, but strange
What I liked most was the built-in active noise cancellation mode. However, he has questions.
The device can operate in three modes: noise reduction, ambient sound and without them. The first is performed at a decent level - it drowns out approximately 80% of the surrounding space at a volume of approximately 60-70%. For a relatively inexpensive accessory, this is simply superb.
Just so you understand, I can hardly hear even old subway cars in these headphones. But there is one nuance that personally annoys me: when the music is not playing, and there should be complete silence in the headphones, I hear a barely noticeable ringing. Just so subtle that probably not everyone will hear.
However, when you turn on music or talk to another person, the unpleasant sound disappears. I don’t know what this is connected with, but a fact is a fact. He let other people listen, but not everyone noticed him.
There are no special complaints about the ambient sound mode, but it could have been a little better. In general, these Sony phones amplify external noise and make it clear what the other person is saying to you, but the volume leaves much to be desired. No, you can make out the words, but it doesn’t always work out.
I personally didn’t notice much of a difference with the two modes and ambient sound disabled.
Briefly about the design of Sony MDR-1000X
When choosing headphones, for me the decision is 60% design and 40% sound. Whatever one may say, this is a fairly noticeable accessory and it should first of all attract with its appearance and only then conquer with its high-quality sound. Sony MDR-1000X suits me one hundred percent. While retaining the Sony hear.on design concept, they have improved appearance and ergonomics. Now, instead of utilitarian plastic, even in very cool colors, a combination of different materials and textures is used. The finishing of the cups inside and outside is soft artificial leather, the headband is plastic, rubberized plastic and metal inserts. All this gives the feeling of very expensive and high-quality headphones from the premium segment. The Sony MDR-1000X is exactly this, but not all manufacturers of headphones costing 25-35 thousand rubles pay attention to design and materials, so a high price is not always a guarantee of a cool appearance or the feel of an expensive accessory.
As far as build quality goes, this one is great. Despite the convenient folding design that's easy to travel with, the Sony MDR-1000X doesn't have any loose parts or loose parts. The ergonomics are also excellent. The cups fit snugly, but do not press, and the headband is comfortable for long-term use. Full-size headphones themselves are always large, but the Sony MDR-1000X does not have excessive gigantism. They look great on both men and petite girls. The first, by the way, are the Sony MDR-1000X in graphite color, the second - cream.
They work for a really LONG time
It seems that Sony did not deceive and kept its promise. According to the company, the headphones last up to 35 hours.
And you know, this week I haven’t charged them even once . Although I listened to music in them constantly, at least 2-3 hours a day. Sometimes more.
True, it will take them as much as 7 hours to fully replenish their energy. But, to be fair, there is fast charging: 10 minutes at the outlet gives an hour of playback.
Appearance, build quality and materials
Sony designs its latest top-end headphones in black and copper (or red gold) colors. Black plastic, copper-look metal inserts.
It is curious that the left and right earphones are marked not only with the letters “L” and “R”, but also differ in the color of the font base. Right is red, left is gray. Evaluating the packaging, instructions and similar little things, we can conclude that the company has not bothered with usability. The desire to make not only a high-quality product, but also a convenient and easy-to-use product is very commendable; many people lack this.
The plastic of the headphones in our sample is black, matte, high-quality to the touch, with small glossy inserts, and there is even a soft-touch fragment. The brand logo is applied in the same copper color, and an internal LED blinks nearby, shining through the body. On the other side of the logo is a microphone.
As for the headphones themselves, everything is assembled perfectly. No uneven gaps, casting seams or burrs, even small inscriptions are perfectly legible.
In this sense, the case loses a little. It looks good too, but here you can already see neat thin seams. The lid, which hints at metal in color, turns out to be not cool enough when touched; you understand that it is still stylized plastic.
Under the cover there is an LED indicator and an NFC icon, hinting that the process of connecting to a smartphone can be very simple if your phone is equipped with the appropriate module. Sony logo on the cover.
On the back of the cover there is a USB Type-C connector for the charging cable.
The case has magnets, so the headphones literally jump into them when you put them away.
Sounds good, worth every penny
Now we come to the most interesting part - the sound. And here Sony is completely fine.
Engineers were able to achieve good results in relatively inexpensive headphones. The lows are thoroughly emphasized, which can create a feeling of deep bass. This is not entirely true, but the bass is really rich and doesn’t hit you over the head or cause irritation. At the same time, they vibrate pleasantly and complement the overall picture.
With mids and high frequencies everything is a little simpler. They are not so pronounced, but you can hear almost every instrument in the composition, even in hard rock. Thanks to good balance, the soundstage is soft and smooth.
There are rare dips, but they do not affect the overall listening experience. With a wired connection, I personally did not notice this feature. The sound becomes a little clearer, and the “jambs” disappear.
Application
Be sure to install the Sony Headphones Connect program. There is a software update, and a bunch of different settings, including changes to the “layout” of sensors on the cups, and determining the optimal attachments. Most of the features can only be activated from the program, so sooner or later you will install it anyway.
Honestly, I don’t use adaptive sound settings, since it’s easier for me to turn the noise reduction on or off myself. I recommend turning off DSEE Extreme, especially when paired with an iPhone. Also select sound quality priority in “Bluetooth Connection Quality”. I can’t say anything about 360 Reality Audio either - I tried it with the special Deezer application, it’s cool, but for me it’s entertainment for ten minutes.
Rating of the TOP 10 best wireless headphones Sony 2021-2022
| Place | Name | Price |
| TOP 10 best wireless headphones | ||
| 1 | Sony WH-XB900N | Find out the price |
| 2 | Sony WI-1000XM2 | Find out the price |
| 3 | Sony WH-1000XM3 | Find out the price |
| 4 | Sony WF-1000XM3 | Find out the price |
| 5 | Sony WI-C200 | Find out the price |
| 6 | Sony WH-CH510 | Find out the price |
| 7 | Sony WH-CH700N | Find out the price |
| 8 | Sony WI-C400 | Find out the price |
| 9 | Sony WH-CH400 | Find out the price |
| 10 | Sony WH-CH500 | Find out the price |
Specifications
| Headphone type: | dynamic, closed type |
| Speaker: | 6mm Dome Type (CCAW Voice Coil) |
| Magnet: | Neodymium |
| Frequency range: | 20–20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz sampling rate) |
| NFC: | yes (case) |
| DSEE HX: | Yes |
| Battery charging time, headphones: | 1.5 h |
| Battery charging time, case: | 3.5 hours |
| Battery life in playback mode: | Max. 6 hours (noise canceling) / max. 8 hours (no noise canceling) |
| Battery life (talk time): | Max. 4 hours (noise canceling) / max. 4.5 hours (no noise canceling) |
| Battery life (standby): | Max. 9 hours (noise canceling) / max. 15 hours (no noise canceling) |
| Bluetooth: | 5.0 |
| Working range: | within line of sight 10 m |
| 2.4 GHz band: | (2.4000–2.4835 GHz) |
| Profile: | A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP |
| Codec support: | SBC, AAC |
| Supported content protection: | SCMS-T |
| Headphone weight: | 8.5 g ×2 |
| Case weight: | 77 g |
