Sony WH-CH520
Is the WH-CH520 right for you?
The WH-CH520 is Sony's closed-back wireless headphone, and it connects over Bluetooth 5.2.
Best for
- Long days away from a charger. Sony quotes up to 50 hours of battery life.
- Switching between a phone and a laptop. Sony's Help Guide says it can connect to 2 devices via Bluetooth connections simultaneously.
Skip if
- You want noise cancelling. Sony's WH-CH520 support specifications and Help Guide specifications don't list active noise cancelling.
- You need to shut out a noisy room. Two reviews found the noise isolation lacking: one called it poor, and another said it isn't the best.
What each headphone shape trades away is covered in our guide Over-ear, on-ear or in-ear: which headphone shape should you actually get?
Want to see it next to a keyboard and a mouse? Try it on the QuickDesker board and build a whole desk setup around it.
What does it cost, and what should you check first?
Prices change; check the one for the colour you want. Sony's UK product page lists it in Black, Blue, White, Beige, Pink and Yellow, and in One Piece Black and One Piece White editions. Sony lists the charging method as USB (Type-C), and its box list names a USB cable.
Sony's Help Guide says: "The headset is not waterproof."
How long does the WH-CH520's battery last?
Beyond the 50 hours, Sony says a 3-minute quick-charge can give you 1.5 hours of listening time. Sony's support specifications put a full charge at about 3 hours, and continuous call time at up to 40 hours.
What do you get over Bluetooth on the WH-CH520?
It uses Bluetooth 5.2 with the SBC and AAC codecs. A codec is how audio is compressed for the wireless link, and iPhones use AAC. Sony says it can be paired with two Bluetooth devices at the same time, and that when a call comes in, it knows which device is ringing and connects to the right one. What each kind of headphone connection trades away is covered in our guide Bluetooth, USB-C, 3.5 mm or 2.4 GHz: Which Headphone Connection?
What do reviewers say about the sound?
Two reviews praised the sound. One called it clear and well-rounded with excellent balance; another said the audio quality impressed in its testing. Sony lists 30mm drivers and a frequency response of 20Hz to 20,000Hz (44.1kHz sampling) over Bluetooth. There's more on what driver size and frequency response tell you in our guide: What do headphone specs actually mean? Frequency response, impedance and driver size.
Full specifications
| Active noise cancelling | Not listed on Sony's WH-CH520 support specifications or Help Guide specifications |
|---|---|
| Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Battery life | up to 50 hours |
| Weight | Approx. 147g |
| Back design | Closed |
| Transparency / ambient mode | No |
| Microphone noise reduction | noise suppression processing |
| Bluetooth version | 5.2 |
| Two devices at once (multipoint) | connect to 2 devices via Bluetooth connections simultaneously |
| Driver diameter | 30mm |
| Frequency response | 20Hz-20,000Hz (44.1kHz Sampling) (Bluetooth® communication) |
| Microphone | built-in microphone |
| Water resistance | The headset is not waterproof |
| Companion app | Sony | Headphones Connect (Help Guide) · Sony | Sound Connect (UK product page) |
| Charging port | USB (Type-C) |
| Quick charge, as quoted | a 3-minute quick-charge can give you 1.5 hours of listening time |
| Bluetooth range | 10m |
| In the box | USB Cable |
Sony's WH-CH520 support specifications and Help Guide specifications don't list dimensions.
Specifications from Sony's WH-CH520 UK product page, call quality page, support specifications, Help Guide, Help Guide specifications and Help Guide multipoint page, read 22 Sep 2026.