Noise-cancelling headphones don’t come cheap, and these new Sony WH-CH710N are no different. At $349 retail they are in the premium range, but stop short of being up there in the realms of their sister products the outstanding WH-1000XM3.
In fact, the biggest challenge for these headphones is their $349 retail price – when the 1000XM3’s are available at under $400 in some retail stores. Bottom line, buy the 1000’s they are amazing.
The WH-CH710N headphones fall short in only a couple of areas, but they are critical.
Firstly, they are a cheap feeling plastic construction. They don’t look premium, they don’t feel it. From the padding on the over head and ear cups, to the chunky little buttons.
But, at $349 they are spot on for Noise Cancelling headphones at that RRP.
The Noise Cancelling isn’t top shelf, but it’s some of the most respectable on the market. It feels like Sony’s noise-cancelling of two years ago has been held for these devices to reduce the cost, along with the physical production of the devices.
All that said, these are extremely lightweight – something you often don’t get when all new and fancy materials are used in production. They feel comfortable with long-term use.
The click of a button gives you ambient sound around you – and you get 35 hours of playback time on a single charge.
Most importantly, these are Sony – they sound great. Really rich sound and I have no complaints about enjoying my music with these.
I’d expect that retail price to drop to the around $250 or so, it just doesn’t make sense for these to be just $30 or $40 cheaper than their higher-end siblings.
Bottom line, if you can find a deal, snap them up. But at their RRP they are a struggle to justify.