How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a familiar, Apple-friendly on-ear headphone with marathon battery life and a foldable frame, choose Beats Solo3; if you need active noise cancelling, an over-ear fit, and app-based sound tuning, choose Sony WH-CH720N. Both are among the most recognized headphones on the planet, and that popularity is exactly why buyers keep stacking them against each other. The catch is that they solve two different problems, so the "better" one depends entirely on how you listen.
• Beats Solo3 — biggest strength: The Apple W1 chip plus Class 1 Bluetooth and up to 40 hours of listening time, with Fast Fuel giving 3 hours of playback from a 5-minute charge.
• Beats Solo3 — biggest trade-off: It's an on-ear design with no active noise cancelling, and the listed weight is a hefty 1.41 pounds.
• Sony WH-CH720N — biggest strength: Active Noise Cancellation, an over-ear build, a lightweight ergonomic construction, and a rated 0.41 kg weight, with 35 hours of battery life.
• Sony WH-CH720N — biggest trade-off: Battery life is rated lower than the Beats, and its quick charge is slower — 10 minutes for 60 minutes of playback.
• Who Beats Solo3 is for: iPhone and iPad owners who want simple pairing, long battery, and a compact foldable headphone.
• Who Sony WH-CH720N is for: Anyone who wants to quiet a noisy room and tune their sound with an app.
The Solo3 is built around convenience. The headline feature is the Apple W1 chip, which is the piece of hardware that makes pairing with Apple devices feel almost automatic — you're not digging through Bluetooth menus every time you sit down. Class 1 Bluetooth is the other half of that story: it's the higher-power Bluetooth class, which in practical terms is about holding a stable connection at longer distances than a standard Class 2 link. If you've ever had a cheap pair of headphones stutter when you walk into the next room, that's the difference Class 1 is designed to address.
Then there's battery. Beats rates the Solo3 at up to 40 hours of listening time, and Fast Fuel means 5 minutes on the charger returns 3 hours of playback. That combination is genuinely useful for people who are bad at charging things — a quick top-up before a commute is often enough to get through the day. The frame is described as sleek, streamlined, durable, and foldable, and the ear cups are adjustable with comfort cushioning, so it's meant to be tossed in a bag and used daily. It works with both iOS and Android.
Sony WH-CH720N: Who It's For
The WH-CH720N is aimed at a different job: controlling what you hear. It's an over-ear headphone with Active Noise Cancellation, so the cups surround your ears rather than pressing against them, and the electronics actively work to reduce ambient sound. That matters on planes, trains, buses, and in shared workspaces where the noise floor never really drops. Sony also rates it at 35 hours of battery life with noise cancelling on, which is a strong number for a headphone that's also running ANC the whole time.
Sound-wise, this is the more tweakable of the two. Sony describes it as having natural vocals, crystal clear sound, and balanced tuning, powered by the Integrated Processor V1 and Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE). More importantly for a lot of buyers, you can adjust the EQ in the Sony Headphones Connect app, and it's certified for 360 Reality Audio, which analyses your ear shape through the app to build a more immersive presentation. If you like fiddling with bass and treble rather than accepting whatever the factory tuned, this is your headphone.
The rest of the feature list is about daily practicality. Multipoint Connection lets it hold two Bluetooth devices at once, so you can jump between a laptop and a phone without repairing. Swift Pair and Fast Pair make setup quick on compatible devices, and there's easy button operation plus voice control. For calls, Sony points to Precise Voice Pickup Technology, a Wind Noise Reduction Structure, and beamforming mics. The build is a lightweight, ergonomic construction at a listed 0.41 kg, designed to stay comfortable over long sessions. It also includes a stereo mini jack for wired listening, Bluetooth 5, and a 10-metre wireless range.
Who should buy it: commuters, remote workers, students in libraries, and anyone who takes calls in imperfect conditions. Who should skip it: people who want the absolute longest possible runtime and the fastest emergency top-up, since Beats wins both of those on paper.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for battery life → Beats Solo3. Up to 40 hours versus up to 35 hours with ANC on, plus a 5-minute charge that returns 3 hours.
• Best for Apple device owners → Beats Solo3. The W1 chip is designed specifically to smooth out pairing with iOS and macOS.
• Best for long listening sessions → Sony WH-CH720N. Over-ear cups, a lightweight ergonomic build, and a listed 0.41 kg weight suit marathon sessions.
• Best for sound customization → Sony WH-CH720N. EQ settings in the Sony Headphones Connect app and 360 Reality Audio support.
• Best for frequent calls → Sony WH-CH720N. Beamforming mics, Precise Voice Pickup Technology, and a wind noise reduction structure.
• Best for portability → Beats Solo3. It's explicitly described as foldable and durable for life on the move.
• Best for wired use as a backup → Sony WH-CH720N. It includes a stereo mini jack; the Beats sheet lists wireless Bluetooth only.
I'd buy the Sony WH-CH720N. Active noise cancelling, an over-ear fit, app-based EQ, multipoint pairing, and a genuinely light 0.41 kg build cover more of the situations where people actually wear headphones — commuting, working, and taking calls. The Beats Solo3 is still the smarter pick if you live inside Apple's ecosystem and want the longest runtime with the fastest emergency charge, and its foldable design travels better. But if I had to own one pair for everything, in my opinion the Sony does more jobs well.
what is the best selling headphones
There's no single verified answer, because sales figures aren't published in a way that settles it. What I can say is that both the Beats Solo3 and the Sony WH-CH720N are widely recognized, mass-market models — Beats through its Apple connection and Sony through its noise-cancelling range. If you're asking which of these two sells more, that's a question the public data doesn't answer.
what is the best selling headphones of all time
No public dataset ranks all-time headphone sales, so any specific claim would be guesswork. What made models like the Beats Solo3 endure is a mix of brand recognition, long battery life, and broad device compatibility, while Sony's noise-cancelling line built its reputation on ANC and app features. That's the honest answer.
what are the best selling headphones in the world
Again, worldwide sales data isn't publicly broken down per model. What I can compare is what each one offers: the Beats Solo3 leans on 40 hours of battery and the Apple W1 chip, while the Sony WH-CH720N leans on Active Noise Cancellation and 35 hours with ANC on. Popularity aside, they're built for different buyers.
what is the most popular brand of headphones
There's no objective ranking I can point to, but Beats and Sony are both among the most visible names in the category. Beats is closely tied to Apple devices and the W1 chip, while Sony is strongly associated with Active Noise Cancellation and the Headphones Connect app. Between these two products, brand preference usually comes down to whether you value Apple integration or noise cancelling more.
One last note before you decide: prices on both of these move around, and the specs above are the stable part of the comparison. Check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page, and weigh that against which features you'll actually use — the 40-hour battery and Apple pairing, or the ANC and over-ear comfort.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: Pyle PRO Over Ear vs Headset Advisor Over-Ear Cushions Compatible, chalvh Ear buds vs Yubeaahn Headphones, JLab Audio JBuds Pro vs Kinboofi WAN'ER S.G II: 10mm Driver, Mehomeli Kids Headphones vs HBYCDSTF RGB