Sony WH-1000XM4 vs WH-CH710N | Is Budget ANC Enough?

There are several quality ANC headphones available for those interested in blocking out background noise. While the Sony WH-1000XM4 is one of the best options for active noise cancellation, it’s not Sony’s only offering. The Sony WH-CH710N is positioned as a much more affordable substitute. In our comparison of the WH-1000XM4 and WH-CH710N, we review these Sony headphones to see exactly how they differ. Is the Sony WH-1000XM4 price worth the extra features and premium active noise canceling? You’ll find a summary of the comparison below followed by a more extensive explanation.

Sony WH-1000XM4 vs WH-CH710N: Key Factors

Battery Life and Charging

With active noise cancelling headphones, battery life can be as important as ANC. Travelers and commuters will want long battery life out of their Bluetooth headphones. Both Sony headphones offer comparably long battery life. The Sony WH-1000XM4 can achieve 30 hours of battery life with active noise cancelling enabled. That’s edged out by the WH-CH710N headphones that can last 35 hours when utilizing ANC. While that’s about what you can expect from many noise cancelling headphones, there are competitors that offer significantly more. For example, the Soundcore Space Q45 battery can last 55 hours in ANC mode.

The Sony WH-CH710N disappoints on the quick charging front only providing 60 minutes of playback after a 10-minute charge. A 10-minute charge of the WH-1000XM4 gives a more impressive 5 hours of battery. While the WH-1000XM4 does a better job with quick charging, I’m not sure it outweighs the WH-CH710N’s extra 5 hours of overall battery life.

Verdict: Sony WH-CH710N

Connectivity and Features

Both the Sony WH-1000XM4 and WH-CH710N have NFC pairing, Bluetooth 5.0, and wired connections. The usual SBC and AAC codecs are available on both Sony headphones. The WH-1000XM4 also adds support for LDAC. That brings us to the first of two big omissions for the Sony WH-CH710N. LDAC, Sony’s proprietary high-resolution audio codec, is not supported by the WH-CH710N headphones. While it’s possible your headphones sound good without LDAC, they can provide better sound quality for high-bitrate streaming. Wireless streaming is only gaining in popularity. As streaming services like Tidal add lossless audio, it’s a surprise Sony would neglect this feature.

That brings us to Sony’s 2nd and worst omission on the WH-CH710N. The Sony Headphones Connect app is a companion app for several models of Sony headphones. It can be downloaded on an iOS or Android device. The Sony WH-CH710N is unfortunately not compatible with the Headphones Connect app. The companion app, among other things, is used to update many of Sony’s wireless headphones. The best ANC headphones often use these updates to add features. The Sony WH-1000XM4 is compatible with Headphones Connect app. It can be used to customize the EQ, adjust ANC, update the headphones, and more. Both devices can be charged with a USB type C cable.

Bluetooth multi-point is only available on the Sony WH-1000XM4. This allows the XM4 to connect and switch between two devices simultaneously via Bluetooth. A few other notable features of the WH-1000XM4 include wear detection and speak-to-talk. Neither is available on the WH-CH710N. Wear detection uses sensors on the wireless headphones to pause playback when the headphones are removed. Playback will resume once the headphones are put back on. With Sony’s Speak-to-talk, placing your hand on the right ear cup will all amplify outside noise. This functions as a temporary ambient mode when users actually want to hear background noise.

Verdict: Sony WH-1000XM4

Design and Controls

The premium design of the Sony WH-1000XM4 really stands out in comparison to the WH-CH710N. It’s to be expected, as one device retails at a much higher price. While the WH-CH710N has solid build quality, the plastic material isn’t as sturdy as WH-1000XM4. The XM4 hinges and headband give a much more reassuring feeling. The metal portion of the WH-CH710N headband reminds me of Sony’s old XB950 headphones, which didn’t hold up well. While the WH-CH710N might be fairly durable, the Sony WH-1000XM4 clearly has better build quality. Both Bluetooth headphones are comfortable with ample padding on their headband and ear cups. While the ear pads on both devices are sufficient, they are a little shallow. I don’t expect most people to have any issues with long listening sessions with either pair of over-ear headphones. Neither of these over-ear headphones is water resistant or very light making working out possible, but not ideal.

While the Sony WH-1000XM4 has touch controls, the WH-CH710N has physical buttons. Both are comprehensive enough and simple to learn. The XM4’s touch controls should be familiar to anyone whose used any of Sony’s recent headphones. There is a custom button on the left ear cup to control ANC or activate your voice assistant. The power button, which can also be held to pair devices, is also on the left ear cup. All the below WH-1000XM4 touch gestures are for the right ear cup.

Sony WH-1000XM4 Touch Controls:

• Swipe Forward – Skip to Next Song
• Swipe Back – Go To Previous Song
• Double Tap – Pause/Play Audio and Answer/End Call
• Swipe Down – Decrease Volume (hold to continue reducing volume)
• Swipe Up – Decrease Volume (hold to continue increasing volume)
• Cover Entire Ear Cup – Activate speak-to-talk mode

On the left ear cup of the Sony WH-CH710N, there’s only a power/pairing button. There are several buttons on the right ear cup of the Sony WH-CH710N. There is a dedicated ANC/Ambient mode button. This button allows users to switch between active noise cancellation, ambient or transparency mode, or completely disable both. There are 2 separate buttons to increase (+) and decrease volume (-). The volume buttons surround a single multi-function with the below functionality:

Sony WH-CH710N Multi-Function Button:

• Press 1x – Pause/Play Audio
• Press 2x – Skip to Next Song
• Press 3x – Go To Previous Song
• Hold For 2 Seconds: Activate Voice Assistant
  

Verdict: Sony WH-1000XM4

Which Sony Headphones Have The Best Sound Quality?

When it comes to sound quality, there are so many different ways to achieve higher-quality audio. It’s hard to understate how many more of those boxes the Sony WH-1000XM4 checks compared to the WH-CH710N. Let’s start with their default EQs. The Sony WH-1000XM4 maintains the typical detailed and dynamic sound profile of the XM line. Bass is definitely overemphasized, but mid-range and treble aren’t often muted or lost in the mix. That’s because the WH-1000XM4 has great imaging and a pleasing frequency response. Users that do want to adjust the bass have the option through the app’s equalizer. Despite the bass-heavy sound profile, higher frequencies are reproduced accurately with impressive clarity. There’s some thump provided with low frequencies along with crisp vocals and instrumentation that makes for an enjoyable listening experience.

While not to the same extent as the WH-1000XM4, the Sony WH-CH710N does have a bassy sound quality. They may perform well for those who listen to a lot of bass-heavy music. But these definitely aren’t the optimal headphones for bassheads. Despite the tamer bass, there’s not a completely neutral frequency response here. The treble on the WH-CH710N can sound somewhat muted at times when listening to music. This can cause some vocals to sound less present and instruments like snare drums to lose that crisp quality. It also can’t match the detail and imaging of the Sony WH-1000XM4. The Sony WH-CH710N can provide an enjoyable listening experience, but more critical listeners will notice these imperfections.

To compound the better sound quality of the Sony WH-1000XM4, the Sony WH-CH710N is basically hamstrung in other ways. Unlike the Sony WH-1000XM4, there are no options to customize EQ or dial in the Clear Bass. That’s because the Sony WH-CH710N can’t be connected to Headphones Connect app. Add the WH-CH710N’s omission of LDAC, which the WH-1000XM4 has, and this becomes even more lopsided. The Sony WH-1000XM4 is just significantly more equipped than the WH-CH710N to deliver high quality.

Verdict: Sony WH-1000XM4

Sony WH-CH710N vs WH-1000XM4: Which Has Better Noise Cancellation?

When it comes to active noise cancelling headphones, the Sony XM line has a deserved reputation. The Sony WH-1000XM4 simply has top-tier noise cancellation even with the release of the improved WH-1000XM5. But users looking to purchase the WH-1000XM4 still have to spend a lot of money even with its reduced price. Many just want to know if they can purchase the more affordable Sony WH-CH710N and still get good ANC performance.

Here’s the deal. For the price of the WH-CH710N, you’re getting solid active noise cancellation. You’ll hear some effective reduction of lower frequencies sound like an airplane engine. This can be value-added for commuters and travelers. When it comes to higher frequencies, the performance difference between the Sony WH-1000XM4 and WH-CH710N widens. You’ll notice higher-frequency sounds like nearby chatter from co-workers will cut through more easily with the WH-CH710N.

Your use case is always important when it comes to active noise cancellation performance. When listening to music at moderate levels, these differences will matter less. There are also users who often won’t be listening to any content or maybe podcast at low volume. These are the times when you’ll most need to mitigate background noise. If you desire those moments when you want all sounds to cease, a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones will be worth the extra money. Its software and noise cancelling microphones are just that much better. The Sony WH-CH710N is a better choice for those new to ANC who don’t need the best performance.

Both of these Sony headphones can be used for phone calls. Actual microphone performance is nothing to write home about though. The microphones on the Sony WH-1000XM4 and WH-CH710N are just acceptable for the occasional zoom meetings and phone calls. Neither does a great job of recording your voice clearly or blocking background noise.

Verdict: Sony WH-1000XM4

Conclusion & Alternatives to Sony Headphones

These headphone comparisons often provide users with an interesting choice. While the Sony WH-CH710N can’t match all the features of the WH-1000XM4, it still offers solid noise cancellation and good sound quality for its price. For users in search of an affordable pair of noise cancelling headphones, the Sony WH-CH710N makes sense. Especially if you can catch them on sale for under $100. Despite the value presented by the Sony WH-CH710N, the WH-1000XM4 are the better wireless headphones overall. Users who opt to purchase the Sony WH-1000XM4 are getting a more premium design, better connectivity, and superior sound quality.

For those in search of affordable ANC headphones, the Soundcore Life Q35 and Space Q45 come to mind first. The Soundcore Life Q35 fared better when compared to the WH-1000XM4. It also has a great companion app and LDAC support in addition to better battery life and ANC performance than the WH-CH710N. Most importantly, the Soundcore Life Q35 can often be found on sale for less. While we like the Space Q45 too, it’s a little more expensive. The Sony WH-XB910N also compared more favorably with the WH-1000XM4. Unlike the Sony WH-CH710N, the WH-XB910N supports LDAC and can connect to the Headphones Connect App. It’s also the better pick for bass lovers who want another boost in low-frequencies.