Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless home/studio-style on-ear model provides good sound. Although it lacks active noise reduction, the closed design helps to reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment. The WH-CH520 has a volume control plus an integrated microphone and player function controls. Additional features include - Ear cups swivel to flat for ease of carrying and storage. Has button controls for play/pause/next/prev and call connect/disconnect, volume control. Has power on/off alert tone and voice announcements, Bluetooth connect/disconnect/battery level voice announcements. Supports Apple Siri, and Google Assistant digital voice assistants when used with mobile devices that have those features. Has quick charge feature: 3 min of Headphone charging will provide 1.5 hrs. of playtime. Headphones are compatible with Sony's 360 Reality Audio virtual surround sound on several streaming services (Deezer, Tidal, Nugs.net). Bluetooth connected Apple mobile devices using iOS Version 5 and above will show the battery level. The multipoint connection function allows two Bluetooth devices to be connected at once. Free Sony Headphones Connect app download for Apple and Android mobile devices can act as a audio program player and can provide tonal balance presets and equalization, provide earphone control customization, optimize the Sony 360 Reality Audio feature, disable the voice announcements, enable/disable the auto-pause function, enable/disable the adaptive volume level function, and update the earphone's firmware. Supports Google Fast Pair for Android devices and Swift Pair for Windows 10 and 11 computers. The WH-CH520 comes with USB-A to USB-C connector charging cable, Quick start, Warranty card.
Sound quality:We found the WH-CH520 delivers sound quality that falls in the middling range - it reproduces music and voice reasonably well despite the obvious shortcomings in its sound. With the Sony Headphones Connect app set with the Equalizer off and clear bass set to 0 (as received state of the headphone) the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but is somewhat boomy and a bit prominent. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is fairly even, but is somewhat hazy, congested (think sonic traffic jam), and grainy, and a touch constricted. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended, somewhat sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying) and a bit smeared, and the lower- and mid-treble is a bit subdued. The sound also has a decent sense of liveliness and is somewhat open--sound-wise it almost seems like you don't have anything plugging up your ears and does a decent job of recovering room ambience. Warmish character. The overall sound can best be summarized as somewhat hazy and grainy, and a bit bassy. The Sony Headphones Connect app EQ controls had a noticeable effect on the sound.
Comfort and Fit:We found that these headphones produce a sense of moderate pressure around the ears.
As typical of on-ear models the ear pads might feel hot and/or sticky after prolonged use.
Large
Users with larger heads might find that the headband does not have enough adjustment range to allow the ear cups to rest properly over the ears and/or that the headband presses uncomfortably on the top of the head and/or the ear cups not sitting properly on the ears; the less-than-ideal fit on the ears might interfere with the ear pad seal and may reduce the bass response of the headphone.
Some users may find that when they lean far forward the headphones feel unstable and shift forward.
When wearing this model while walking the muffled vibrations from each foot step can be heard slightly through the headphones.
