Sony WH-CH730N Review

Sound Quality

Headsets will sound different to everyone, so my experience will not be universal.

The overall sound profile seems a bit bass heavy, which will be great news for some users. I first tested the sound with no EQ adjustments, and then with EQ on. On account of the heavier bass profile, using the 10-band EQ, I was able to increase the upper mids and highs, and slightly lower the bass. This balanced out the sound in my opinion, and improved the sound quality by a good margin. While I like bass, too much is never a good thing. I tested a variety of genres, like rock, classical, pop and EDM.

Compared to the WH-CH720N, the WH-CH730N sounds more balanced, it is a slight difference but it was noticeable when testing with the EQ off. With the EQ on, I am able to achieve a similar level of balance on both models. But even with EQ on, the WH-CH730N is tuned ever so slightly better, pushing it ahead of the older model.

The 10-band EQ on the new model provides for much more control of the sound quality when compared to the 5-band EQ in the WH-CH720N.

I would recommend checking out the headset in store once it goes on sale. If you own a WH-CH720N, bring for comparison, as that will help make any upgrade decision that much easier.

Specifications

As this model is unreleased, we do not have the full specifications and details. I can only provide what is on the retail packaging, the reference guide, and what I could discover myself.

The battery life is rated up to 50 hours with noise cancellation, this is 15 hours more than the outgoing model. This on AAC/SBC. I suspect we might see a battery life up to 70 or even 75 hours with noise cancellation turned off, which would be impressive. But it could be less. Update, the official figures are up to 75 hours with NC off for AAC/SBC, so I was close with my estimate.

There is support for LC3, but no LDAC. Selecting LC3 in the app was not enough, as I had to go into the Bluetooth settings of the headset on my phone and turn on LE Audio. It did not connect right away, as there were some problems with the app, it crashed a few times. Eventually it did connect through LC3 without any issues on the third try. Perhaps the Sound Connect up will get an update once the headsets are released to sort out any issues.

Update: The official LC3 battery life is rated at up to 45 hours with NC on, and up to 70 hours with NC off. The communication time has not changed from the old model, with NC on, up to 35 hours, and NC off, up to 40 hours.

As I mentioned earlier, the internal battery is replaceable. The reference guide mentions 3 suppliers, Springpower, Highpower/TH. and VDL.

I do not have any information on what Bluetooth version the headset is using, it could be 6.0, but it could also be 5.3. The previous model supported version 5.2.

There is no wear detection on the new model. While not a deal breaker, I think Sony could have added wear detection for their mid range over-ear model, like they added it to their mid range WF-C710N earbuds.

Sony has switched from the Mediatek MT2822, used in the previous model, to an Airoha AB1585 (thanks MrWalkman) in the new model. This chip is technically similar to the Sony V2 (MT2833), which from my investigating is a custom Airoha AB1588 (1585). The new chip may be one of the reasons we have improved ANC performance. and a longer battery life. I do not think the battery capacity has gone up in the new model, as the battery looks to have the same dimensions as in the older model. But we will need to wait for the internal photos to confirm this.

To upgrade or not to upgrade? That is the Question

Is the new WH-CH730N worth it? Should WH-CH720N users upgrade? This is a difficult answer.

The new model is an improvement, improved battery life, slightly better noise cancellation performance, added support for LC3, and can now foldable. But the ANC and sound improvements are not significantly better in my experience when compared to the WH-CH720N, so upgrading is not a necessity for WH-CH720N owners.

The addition of LC3 is one of the main factors when considering whether to upgrade, as this will improve the microphone sound quality significantly, especially on Windows.

If your device lacks LE Audio, then the next factors for the upgrade are the slightly improved noise cancellation performance, and the much improved battery life with ANC on, up to 50 hours. Even if real world battery life is less impressive, it is still more than enough when travelling, especially air travel.

Thee new model is an improvement in terms of the design. Sony will most likely mention the addition of LE Audio/LC3 in the press release, as it is a first for Sony’s mid range. Whether Sony adds LC3 to the WH-CH530, I do not know, but I hope they do. But the ‘new’ Xperia 10 VIII lacks LE Audio support, so no benefit for the new 10 VIII owners.

The ability to fold them does help when putting them away in a bag, and any previous model’s case (1000X, ULT wear, etc), should fit the new model. The WH-CH730 adds the ability for users to replace the internal battery, but this was always technically possible on most of Sony’s over-ear models, assuming you could get your hands on a replacement battery, and were brave enough to open up your headset.

I will keep testing the new model for the next few weeks, for a longer term update. I suspect Sony could push out a new firmware once the headset launches, but that is not guaranteed.

For those curious, I paid around 95 Euros for my model. You can support my work through the banner below or by purchasing products through my Amazon affiliate links.

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