So today we’re going to be comparing the new Sony WH-CH710N to the Sony WH-XB700’s…
now normally I wouldn’t compare these two headphones cause the 710N’s are over ear
headphones and the XB700’s are on ear headphones so I would just say go with the over ear headphones.
But since Sony really likes to put both of these headphones on sale for ridiculous prices
on major shopping holidays I thought that we should still compare them.
Now the XB700’s have a retail price of $130 but on prime day and other major shopping
holiday’s they went on sale for $78. Now the WH-CH710N’s have a retail price of $200…
but their predecessors, the Sony WH-CH700N also used to retial for $200 when they first
came out but they would go on sale for $100 on prime days and during the holiday season.
So I do expect that the new 710N’s will also get the same treatment. So if you want
to pick either of these headphones up they’ll be linked down below.
Now first off I do want to point out that neither of these headphones come included
with a carrying case or even a pouch. Which is a real shame specifically for the 710N’s
cause they’re one of the few $200 ANC headphones out there that don’t come included with
any kind of case. And if you do plan on commuting a lot with either of these headphones or use
them at the gym… I do advise that you invest in a hardshell carrying case. Even though
these headphones do have decent build quality, they still feel a little delicate.
Now like I just said, both of these headphones have decent build quality. They’re both
using decent plastics, they both have stainless steel headbands that have a good click to
them when you handle them and they both stay silent when ever you handle them. Which was
actually a very big problem for the out going 700N’s cause these headphones like to crack
and squeak a lot when ever you would flex them or even handle them. But one area where
the XB700’s are noticeably better than the 710N’s build quality wise is when it comes
to their leatherette. The leatherette on the XB700’s feel much smoother than the leatherette
found on the 710N’s. So for me the 710N’s can get a little itchy sometimes.
Now when it comes to over all comfort, keep in mind the XB700’s are on ear headphones
where as the 710N’s are over ear headphones. So the over ear headphones are going to be
inherently more comfortable. But even though the 710N’s are over ear headphones their
ear cups are still a little shallow. So if you’ve got larger ears or ears that stick
out a lot then they’ll might still press down on your ears a little bit. Even though
my ears aren’t all that big… the 710N’s still press down on my ears a little bit.
Now when it comes to the XB700’s even though they’re on ear headphones… they’re still
fairly comfortable cause the padding on these ear pads is very soft and these headphones
have very little clamping force. So I can actually wear the XB700’s for a long while.
The XB700’s aren’t uncomfortable like some other on ear headphones out there like
the Beats Solo Pro who’s padding is a little stiffer and they have significantly more clamping
force. Making them not big head approved. Where as both of these Sony headphones are
big head approved. Both of these headphones fit fine, but the 710N’s are a little more
comfortable than the XB700’s. But if you need something with large ear cups then you’ll
might want to look into the Sony XB900N.
Now when it comes to tech specs, both of these headphones charge via a USB C port which is
great if you’re an android user. And both of these headphones have long battery lives…
the XB700’s have and advertised battery life of 30 hours where as the 710N’s have
an advertised battery life of 35 hours. And they both have decent fast charging numbers…
the 710N’s will get you one hour of playback time from a 10 minute charge from a dead battery
but the XB700’s will get you an hour and half from the same 10 minute charge.
Now when it comes to bluetooth connectivity, both of these headphones can only be connected
to one device at a time. You can’t easily hot swan from one device to another like you
can with a lot of other headphones out there. Which could be important for some power users
out there.
Now when it comes to audio codecs… the XB700’s have both APTX and AAC support where as the
710N’s top out at AAC. But more importantly when it comes to watching movies or videos
on your phone. Both of these headphones have zero latency when you use apps like Netflix,
Disney plus or HBO now. And the XB700’s have zero latency on both iPhone and android
devices when you watch YouTube videos. Where as the 710N’s have a slight latency to them
when you try to watch YouTube video on either device. Now that latency is little more prominent
on iPhone than on android devices but you can always get rid of the latency on an android
device by turning off AAC. But hopefully that gets fixed on the 710N’s cause XB700’s
used to have that issue but not anymore.
But
now lets talk about listening to music with these headphones cause these headphones are
very different from one another. First off I gotta point out that the 710N’s no longer
connect to Sony’s headphones app like their predecessors do. So now you cant customize
their sound. Where as the XB700’s do connect to Sony’s app but you can only raise or
lower the bass on them… you can’t change their mids or highs. Which personally I think
that stupids cause you can change the sound positioning or add these other affects to
make it sound like you’re in an arena or concert hall which ultimately are just gimmicks
that I never use. Now the 710N’s have a bass heavy sound signature to them which personally
im not a fan of cause these headphones sound a little shallow cause its very hard to hear
the mids and vocals on these headphones. These are a pair of headphones that you gotta raise
their volume all the way up or else their bass is going to over power everything else.
And even though these headphones have a bass heavy EQ… they aren’t going to physically
rattle your head all that much, the bass on these headphones is mostly audible. If you
like headphones with a bass heavy EQ then these will might do but if you prefer a neutral
sound signature or clarity than these aren’t the headphones for you. But then there’s
the XB700’s… now these headphones are a part of Sony’s Extra Bass Headphone line
up, hence the XB in their name. If you want to increase the bass on these headphones you
can do that through their app that I mentioned earlier. But even though these are extra bass
headphones… their bass still isn’t going to physically rattle your head all that much
like the bass on the XB900N does. But nonetheless I do prefer how the XB700’s sound over the
710N’s cause even though these headphones have a lot of bass to them… their mids and
highs are much more pronounced then the 710N’s. So the XB700’s don’t sound as shallow
as the 710N’s and you can actually hear the vocals and instrumentals on these headphones.
My only critique about the XB700’s is that their highs might be a little too bright sometimes…
and Sony is obviously doing that to compensate for the extra bass on the XB700’s. But yeah,
here I actually prefer the XB700’s over the 710N’s when it comes to sound.
Now besides the 710N’s being a pair of over ear headphones another major difference between
these two headphones is that these headphones have active noise cancelation while the XB700’s
don’t. Now even though im not the biggest fan of how these headphones sound… I can’t
deny that they have very impressive active noise cancellation for a pair of $200 entry
level ANC headphones. But so that you can see for yourself we’re going to jump into
an ANC test.
So like you may have just seen, the 710N’s block out quite a good amount of noise for
$200 headphones. But they don’t block out nearly as much noise as the 1000XM3’s which
is to be expected… but I included them in this ANC test to tapper expectations. Nontheless
the ANC on the 710N’s is usual for like when you’re on a buss, in a chatty office,
or in a mess hall. And over all the ANC on these headphones is decent cause they don’t
have any hissing in the background and more importantly they don’t have any cabin pressure.
So the ANC on these headphones shouldn’t give you headaches like some other cheaper
or older ANC headphones out there.
And also the 710N’s have an ambient mode where these headphones will pump in some of
the ambient sound around you so that you can still be aware of your surroundings when you’re
walking around the city or if you’re watching Disney plus at home you can still hear when
someone calls your name. Just keep in mind that you can’t customize how much sound
these headphones let in like you can with their more premium counterparts.
and finally here’s the microphone test… and this has always been Sony’s weak point.
The XB700’s sound very shallow and muffled.
Where as the 710N’s have a lot more amplification to them… but they still sound shallow. Over
all sony really needs to make some major changes when it comes to their microphones.
So with all that being said, both of these headphones are decent… but the better value
here are the WH-CH710N’s cause they have very impressive active noise cancelation for
a pair of $200 entry level ANC headphones and they also have an ambient mode. They’re
also over ear headphones so they are going to be a little more comfortable than the XB700’s.
But for me personally, im just not a fan of how they sound and their leatherette could
be better. And then there’s also the XB700’s which are very good for on ear headphones.
And if you like a little bit more bass to your music, or if you’re just looking for
a pair of headphones cheap to rough up at the gym while you work out… these are a
good option as well.