We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-18 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
If you want active noise cancelling, wireless freedom and all-day battery life, choose Sony WH-CH720; if you need an open-ear wired pair that lets you hear the room around you and comes in two ear sizes, choose Avantree Resolve -3.5mm. They are not really rivals. One is a wireless over-ear headphone built around silence and long listening. The other is a wired open-ear earbud built around awareness and comfort. Your job is to figure out which problem you actually have.
• Sony WH-CH720 — biggest strength: Digital noise cancelling with a 20-level ambient sound adjustment, plus up to 35 hours of battery life on a single charge.
• Sony WH-CH720 — biggest trade-off: It is a wireless over-ear headphone, so it covers your ears and costs you awareness of what is happening around you.
• Avantree Resolve -3.5mm — biggest strength: The open-ear hook design rests outside your ear canal, so you stay aware of your surroundings with zero in-ear pressure.
• Avantree Resolve -3.5mm — biggest trade-off: It is wired only, with a 3.5mm AUX plug, no noise cancelling, and lighter bass than a sealed earbud.
• Buy Sony WH-CH720 if you want to block out noise on commutes, flights or a loud office and hate charging cables.
• Buy Avantree Resolve -3.5mm if you want to keep an ear on your environment — walking, cycling, working at home, or listening for family — and you have a 3.5mm jack to plug into.
The WH-CH720N is Sony's lightweight over-ear noise canceller. The core of it is Dual Noise Sensor technology paired with the Integrated Processor V1, which together drive the digital noise cancelling. That same processor also handles sound tuning, working alongside Sony's Digital Sound Enhancement Engine to lift compressed audio back toward something closer to the original recording. In practice, that means a fairly balanced, vocal-forward presentation rather than a bass-heavy one.
The flexibility is the interesting part. Through the Sony Headphones Connect app you can adjust ambient sound across 20 levels, which is a genuinely wide range — from fully sealed off at one end to nearly transparent at the other. You also get EQ control and 360 Reality Audio support if you want to go deeper into personalisation. Connectivity is Bluetooth 5.2 with Multipoint, so you can pair two devices at once and jump between a laptop and a phone without re-pairing. There is also a 3.5mm jack and a cable in the box, so you can go wired when the battery runs down.
Comfort matters here because the whole point is long sessions. Sony describes an ergonomic, lightweight construction designed to make the most of the 35-hour battery life, and the over-ear fit with around-the-ear earpieces spreads pressure across the side of your head rather than into your ear canal. A three-hour charge time is slow by modern standards, but with that runtime you are not charging often.
Buy it if you commute, travel, study in noisy spaces, or take a lot of calls and want the background pushed down. Precise Voice Pickup Technology, a wind noise reduction structure and beamforming mics are all aimed at clearer calls, which is a real consideration if you spend hours on video meetings. Easy button operation, Swift Pair and Fast Pair round out the everyday-usability story.
Skip it if you need to hear traffic, colleagues or your kids while you listen, or if you dislike the sealed-in feeling of over-ear cups. Also skip it if you specifically want an open, airy fit — that is simply not what this headphone is designed for.
The Resolve takes the opposite approach. It is a wired, open-ear earbud that hangs on an earhook and rests lightly on the outside of your ear instead of inside it. Because nothing enters your ear canal, there is no pressure and no fatigue build-up, which is exactly the complaint that pushes people away from traditional earbuds after a few hours. Avantree says the hook holds the earpiece firmly over your external ear so it stays put as you move.
The headline feature is awareness. You listen to calls, music, podcasts or videos privately, but you can still hear what is going on around you. That makes it a natural fit for an office where people walk up to your desk, for walking the dog, for cycling or outdoor errands, and for home use where you want to keep half an ear on the house. It is a safety and practicality feature more than an audiophile one.
The SET version ships with two sizes: Small-Medium for ears under 2.5 inches and Large for ears over 2.5 inches. That is a smart move, because open-ear hooks live or die on fit — and it also makes the set easy to share with a family member. Controls sit in-line on the cable: play/pause, volume up and down, track skip and replay, answer and reject calls, and voice assistant activation, all without touching your phone. There is a built-in in-line microphone for hands-free calling.
Two honest limitations. First, this version is 3.5mm AUX only — it works with laptops, PCs, older smartphones and some tablets, but not with USB-C or Lightning ports, so check your device before you commit. Second, Avantree itself notes the bass is lighter than a standard sealed earbud because of the open design. The treble is deliberately emphasised for clarity, and the 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range and 16-ohm impedance mean it is easy to drive from a phone or laptop headphone jack without an amplifier.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for noise cancelling → Sony WH-CH720. Digital ANC with Dual Noise Sensor tech and 20 ambient levels. The Resolve has no noise cancelling at all.
• Best for battery and wireless freedom → Sony WH-CH720. Up to 35 hours per charge, Bluetooth 5.2, Multipoint for two devices, plus Swift Pair and Fast Pair.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → Avantree Resolve -3.5mm. The open-ear design lets ambient sound in by default. It is the safer pick for walking, cycling and shared spaces.
• Best for all-day comfort with no in-ear pressure → Avantree Resolve -3.5mm. Nothing enters the ear canal, so there is no pressure or pain to build up over long sessions.
• Best for fit versatility and sharing → Avantree Resolve -3.5mm. The set includes Small-Medium and Large sizes, so it covers a wider range of ears and can be passed around.
• Best for calls in wind or noisy places → Sony WH-CH720. Beamforming mics, Precise Voice Pickup Technology and a wind noise reduction structure are built for that job.
• Best for devices with a headphone jack and no charging routine → Avantree Resolve -3.5mm. Wired, powered by your device, nothing to top up.
• Best for bass-heavy music → Sony WH-CH720. The Resolve's open design means lighter bass by design, not by accident.
• Best for deep personalisation → Sony WH-CH720. App EQ, 20-level ambient control and 360 Reality Audio support.
In my opinion, most people reading a comparison like this should buy the Sony WH-CH720. It does more jobs: it silences a commute, it handles calls, it runs 35 hours wirelessly across two paired devices, and it can still go wired over 3.5mm when you want. The Resolve is excellent at one specific thing — staying aware and staying comfortable — and if that is your actual priority, buy the Resolve instead and do not look back. But if you are torn, the Sony covers more of daily life.
They are not comparable, because the Resolve has no noise cancelling at all. The Sony WH-CH720 has active noise cancelling with Dual Noise Sensor technology and 20 adjustable ambient sound levels. If blocking noise matters, the Sony is the only one of the two in that conversation.
No. This version uses a 3.5mm AUX plug and works with laptops, PCs, older smartphones and some tablets. Avantree states it is not compatible with Lightning or USB-C ports, so check your device's port before ordering, or look for the matching version of the Resolve.
That depends on what bothers you. The Resolve avoids ear-canal pressure entirely because it rests outside your ear, which many people find easier for long stretches. The Sony is a lightweight over-ear design built for extended listening, but it does enclose your ears. If in-ear pressure is your main complaint, pick the Resolve.
Avantree is upfront that the bass is lighter than a regular sealed earbud, because the open-ear design does not seal your canal. The treble is tuned for clarity instead. It is fine for music, calls and general listening, but do not buy it expecting thumping low end — that is the Sony's territory, and even there it is balanced rather than bass-heavy.
I cannot quote prices here, and I would not want to guess. Both products have their own listing pages, so check the current price on Amazon for each and compare at the moment you buy — the page has a button for exactly that.
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.