As someone used to premium tier stuff I have to say, I wasn’t really looking at the CH730N or the even cheaper CH530. Take the 530 for instance, it feels light and plasticky, it doesn’t have wired audio, and has barely any features compared to the premium Sonys, not even noise canceling or transparency modes.
The CH730N does have noise canceling and transparency, and it’s almost as feature rich as the premium tier Sonys, there’s even Spatial Audio in the form of Background Music Mode. But its build quality also feels light and plasticky, a little better than the 530 but it still feels less sturdy than the premium tier stuff.
They’re also both not Hi-Res capable and don’t support LDAC streaming, have the base-level DSEE upscaling not DSEE ultimate, and they don’t even have a carrying case of any sort in the box.
But hey, maybe in terms of performance, they’re going to blow me away, who knows? So I’m going to give them a chance, and by the end of this video you will know how they perform in various areas. So buckle up!
Microphone Quality
In terms of their microphone quality, both are pretty decent, but different levels of decent. When I was testing their mics in an actual noisy cafe, the CH530 did an okay job at reducing the background noise while keeping my voice intact, but I could still hear a hint of the background. On the CH730N it was a lot more silent, and my voice was filtered just as well, and amplified just as loudly.
👉🏻 Listen to the mic quality samples
WH-CH530’s passive noise reduction
The CH530 doesn’t have active noise canceling, and even in terms of passively blocking noise, they’re not as effective for me because the cushions are not covering the pinnae. This also means that leakage is an issue with them, so keep in mind that when you’re using them in a public place, the people next to you might hear what you’re listening to.
CH-730N’s Active Noise Canceling
As for the CH730N’s noise canceling, it’s… fine. Not the best noise canceling, but not terrible either. According to these frequency sweeps they cut a decent amount of the upper mids, so you can expect an okay level of noise canceling in most situations, but you’ll still be able to hear the upper harmonics of ambient noises, human voices, and traffic noise.
Also worth noting that they won’t be that effective against rumbling, droning noises so if you’re using them as in-flight noise cancelers, that kind of noise will get through.
👉🏻 Listen to the ANC quality samples
CH-730N’s Transparency Mode
The CH730N’s transparency mode is okay for general awareness, but not for face to face conversations because the microphones can’t seem to pick up my voice that well. Even in voice passthrough mode, my own voice when I’m speaking still feels very occluded. Better to just take the headphones off when conversing.
Sound Quality
As for sound quality, based on their default settings with DSEE turned on, I’ve got to admit, I wasn’t impressed by either of them. They were quite alright for music with lower BPMs, there was a good emphasis on natural-sounding mids, but for fast, intensive music they sounded muddy and messy.
Case in point, listening to synthwave, rock, and Attack on Titan theme songs by Linked Horizon, their track separation sounded very bad on both models. Between them, the CH730N did sound better because it had better bass extension, wider soundstaging, and at 50% volume it was louder than the CH530. No surprise there because the on-ear model isn’t sealing as well, and it isn’t covering the whole pinnae. Here are samples of how their sound quality compares side by side.
Thankfully, they’ve both got a 10-band graphic EQ which made it possible to salvage their sound. I’ve posted my settings on Instagram, go check it out, but in short, I’ve made them sound a lot crisper, improved their track separation and even cleaned out much of the muddiness.
Could I make it sound just as good as the premium Sonys? Nope, even with the right EQ, their resolving power and soundstaging is still not at that level, but it got pretty close.
Comfort
Sony WH-CH730N
Sony WH-CH530
As for their comfort, wearing the CH730N felt a little warmer than I’m used to, but I could still wear them comfortably for a few hours. It is the CH530 that felt less comfortable, partly because I’m not so used to the earcups clamping my ears directly, but also the clamping pressure is a little more firm than I’m used to.
Bluetooth Connectivity
As for Bluetooth connectivity, both the CH730N and CH530 was pretty reliable in different situation.
Conclusion
To be honest, I’m still leaning towards the premium models, but if you’re aiming for some nice budget headphones. They’re not bad actually, it is possible to get them to sound pretty good, but you do need to manage your expectations around build quality and performance in other areas.
Check latest price:
Sony WH-CH730N - https://amzn.to/4BzgCEW
Sony WH-CH530 - https://amzn.to/3WmZBxn
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