Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Headphones Review

What the Sony WH-CH520 Actually Is

This is Sony's entry-level wireless on-ear headphone, sitting at the bottom of the lineup well below the WH-1000XM5. It's small, plastic, and light at around 147 grams. No active noise cancellation, no folding hinges, no fancy app gimmicks beyond Sony's basic EQ. You get Bluetooth 5.2, multipoint pairing so it can hold two devices at once, and a battery that quotes 50 hours.

The price is the whole story. At roughly $40 to $60 on Amazon, it's competing with cables and gas-station earbuds, not premium cans. Judge it on that scale and it punches hard.

Battery Life Is the Real Headline

Fifty hours is not a typo, and owners broadly confirm it gets close in practice. That's roughly a full work week of audio between charges. A three-minute quick charge claims about 90 minutes of playback, which is the kind of spec that saves you on a morning you forgot to plug in.

Put it next to the AirPods or most true-wireless buds and the CH520 laps them on endurance. You charge over USB-C, finally, so you're not hunting for a micro-USB cable from 2016.

How It Sounds and Feels Day to Day

The sound is clean and slightly warm, leaning into bass and vocals rather than fine detail. For podcasts, audiobooks, YouTube, and most pop and hip-hop, it's genuinely pleasant. Push it with busy, detailed tracks and you'll hear the limits. The soundstage is narrow and the treble can get a touch sharp at volume. There's no app-free way to dodge that, but the Sony Headphones app EQ helps you tame it.

Comfort is the on-ear trade-off. Because the pads press on your ears instead of around them, long sessions can get warm and a little sore. The clamp is gentle and the weight is barely there, so most people are fine for a coument or two. Glasses wearers and anyone used to over-ear plush will notice the pressure first.

One honest knock: there's no noise cancellation and the open on-ear design lets the world in. On a quiet couch that's fine. On a plane or a loud train, you'll crank the volume and still hear the engine.

Who It's For, Who Should Skip It

Buy it if you want dependable, no-drama wireless audio for calls, commuting, working, or the gym, and you don't want to cry if it gets lost or sat on. Students and anyone gifting a first set of decent headphones will be happy here. The multipoint pairing alone makes it a smart pick for people juggling a laptop and a phone all day.

Skip it if you need real noise cancellation for flights, if you want over-ear comfort for marathon listening, or if you're a detail-obsessed listener. Spend up to the Sony WH-CH720N for ANC, or stretch to the WH-1000XM4 on sale if quiet is the priority. The CH520 is the smart budget choice, not the do-everything one.

The Verdict

The Sony WH-CH520 is one of the easiest cheap-headphone recommendations going. The battery is absurd for the money, the sound is better than the price tag suggests, and multipoint and USB-C cover the modern basics. The on-ear fit and the total absence of noise cancellation are the real limits, and they're predictable at this price. Set your expectations to 'great budget headphone' and it overdelivers.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Sony WH-CH520 have noise cancellation?

No. The WH-CH520 has no active noise cancellation, and its on-ear design lets in ambient sound. If you need quiet for flights or a noisy commute, look at the WH-CH720N instead.

How long does the Sony WH-CH520 battery last?

Sony rates it at up to 50 hours per charge, and real-world use lands close to that. A quick three-minute charge gives roughly 90 minutes of playback, and it charges over USB-C.

Can the WH-CH520 connect to two devices at once?

Yes. It supports Bluetooth multipoint, so you can stay paired to a phone and a laptop simultaneously and switch between them without re-pairing.