If you want an open, wired listening setup for quiet rooms and longer music sessions, choose Sennheiser HD 599; if you need wireless noise canceling and built-in microphones for kids, choose SONY WH-CH720N. The Sony is the more practical everyday pick for a child moving between music, videos, and calls; the Sennheiser is the more focused choice for listening at home.
Sennheiser HD 599 vs SONY WH-CH720N at a Glance
• Sennheiser HD 599 strength: open-back presentation, velour ear cushions, and two detachable cables; trade-off: wired, with no noise control.
• SONY WH-CH720N strength: Bluetooth, active noise canceling, ambient sound options, and up to 35 hours of battery life; trade-off: it relies on a rechargeable battery.
• Choose the Sennheiser for a child who mostly listens at home and benefits from a comfortable wired setup.
• Choose the Sony for a child who needs wireless freedom, noise canceling, or hands-free calls.
• For a noise canceling wireless headset for kids, the Sony fits the request more closely; for a simple wired listening routine, the Sennheiser is the clearer match.
The HD 599 is an around-ear, open-back wired headphone built around relaxed home listening. Its design aims for a natural tonal balance and a spacious presentation, while the padded headband and velour-covered ear cushions are intended to support longer sessions without pressing hard on the ears. The product information lists a 250 g weight, but the practical distinction here is its open-back construction: it is designed for listening rather than isolating the wearer from nearby sound.
How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-20 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
I would skip the HD 599 if wireless listening, noise canceling, or built-in calling features are priorities. It has no noise control and connects by wire. The open-back design also makes it a less suitable choice when the goal is to block out surrounding sound. Its comfort and cable options are meaningful strengths, but they do not make it a portable, all-purpose headset.
The WH-CH720N is the practical option for a child who wants to listen without staying tethered to a device. It connects over Bluetooth and includes active noise canceling, adjustable ambient sound, and adaptive sound control. Ambient Sound mode has 20 settings, so a listener can choose to let more outside sound through rather than treating noise canceling as an all-or-nothing choice.
Sony lists up to 35 hours of battery life and quick charging that provides up to an hour of playback from a three-minute charge. That can be useful when the headphones are needed for a trip, a long stretch of homework, or a video call and the battery has run low. The built-in beamforming microphones are designed for clearer voice pickup during hands-free calls. The headphones can also pair with two Bluetooth devices, making it easier to switch between them.
The Sony is the stronger fit if a family wants a with mic head phones for kids for calls or online activities, along with wireless convenience. It is not the right pick for someone who wants a permanently wired headphone that never needs charging. Its listed battery life is “up to” 35 hours, not a guarantee for every pattern of use, and noise canceling does not mean the wearer will hear nothing around them.
• Best for wireless listening → SONY WH-CH720N. Bluetooth removes the cable between the headphones and a compatible device, while the Sennheiser is wired.
• Best for an open-back listening experience → Sennheiser HD 599. Its open construction is designed to provide a spacious presentation, but it does not offer noise control.
• Best for noise canceling → SONY WH-CH720N. It has active noise canceling and Dual Noise Sensor technology; the Sennheiser lists no noise control.
• Best for long sessions without frequent charging → Sennheiser HD 599. Its wired design does not require battery power for listening, unlike the Bluetooth Sony.
• Best for battery life and quick charging → SONY WH-CH720N. Sony specifies up to 35 hours of playback and quick charging through USB Type-C.
• Best for hands-free calls → SONY WH-CH720N. Its beamforming microphones are designed to pick up voices for calls; the Sennheiser’s listed features do not include a built-in microphone.
• Best for flexible cable connections → Sennheiser HD 599. It comes with detachable 3-meter and 1.2-meter cables, with 6.3 mm and 3.5 mm plugs respectively.
• Best for switching between two paired devices → SONY WH-CH720N. It can connect to two Bluetooth devices at once, a useful convenience for moving between a computer and another device.
For kids, the daily setting should guide the decision. At a desk or in a quiet room, the Sennheiser’s wired connection avoids charging and its two cables offer different lengths and plug sizes. For travel, calls, or moving between devices, the Sony’s wireless connection and built-in microphone make it more versatile.
One caution applies to both: the product information describes adult headphones, and neither sheet provides a child-specific fit range or a volume-limiting feature. A parent choosing headphones for a child should not assume either model has those protections or sizing adjustments. The Sony does list a kid and teen age range in its product details, but that alone does not establish fit for every child.
My Verdict
For a child’s everyday mix of music, videos, and calls, I would choose the SONY WH-CH720N. In my opinion, Bluetooth, active noise canceling, ambient sound options, and built-in microphones make it the more adaptable package for that routine. The Sennheiser HD 599 is a more appealing choice for quiet, mostly stationary listening where an open-back wired design is the priority. If I were choosing headphones for kids without a known preference for open-back listening, I would go with the Sony.
For wireless use, calls, and noise canceling, the Sony fits more needs. The Sennheiser makes more sense for a child listening at home who prefers a wired, open-back design. Neither product sheet specifies a volume limiter.
The Sony has active noise canceling and adjustable ambient sound. The Sennheiser has no noise-control feature and uses an open-back design, so it is not the choice for reducing surrounding noise.
It includes beamforming microphones designed for hands-free voice pickup. The Sennheiser’s listed features do not identify a built-in microphone, so it is not the stronger match if calling is a priority.
Choose the wired Sennheiser HD 599. It connects through detachable cables and does not depend on Bluetooth battery life for listening. The Sony offers up to 35 hours of playback but needs charging.
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