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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a pair of noise-cancelling over-ear headphones with app-based tuning, multipoint Bluetooth and voice pickup for calls, choose Sony WH-CH720; if you need a protective hard case for your existing soundcore over-ear headphones, choose Soundcore Anker.
• Sony WH-CH720 — biggest strength: It's a complete audio product — digital noise cancelling, 35-hour battery life, app EQ, 360 Reality Audio and multipoint connection in one lightweight over-ear design.
• Sony WH-CH720 — biggest trade-off: It's headphones only. There's no hard case included in the spec sheet, so you'd be carrying it loose or buying protection separately.
• Soundcore Anker — biggest strength: It's a purpose-built protective case with an 80-hardness EVA shell, water/dust resistance and an internal mesh pocket for cables.
• Soundcore Anker — biggest trade-off: It's an accessory, not audio gear. No drivers, no battery, no Bluetooth — it just holds headphones you already own.
• Who each pick is for: Sony WH-CH720 for someone who needs the headphones themselves; Soundcore Anker for a soundcore over-ear owner who wants to stop their headphones getting scratched, splashed or crushed.
The WH-CH720N is the "do everything" pick here. Sony built it around an Integrated Processor V1 paired with Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, and the result — based on how Sony describes the tuning — is a balanced, natural-vocal sound rather than a bass-heavy party signature. That matters if you listen to podcasts, acoustic music or vocal-forward tracks and want to hear what the artist actually recorded. If you'd rather push the low end or brighten things up, the EQ in the Sony | Headphones Connect app lets you reshape it to taste, which is a level of control you rarely get at the entry point of a headphone lineup.
Noise cancelling is the headline feature. Dual Noise Sensor technology plus the same V1 processor drives digital ANC, and the app lets you slide ambient sound across 20 levels. That's genuinely useful in the real world: full cancellation on a commuter train, a low ambient level in an office so you can still hear a colleague walk up behind you. Battery life is rated up to 35 hours with noise cancelling on, and a 3-hour charge refills it — enough for a week of workdays without hunting for a cable.
Comfort is the other quiet win. The construction is described as lightweight and ergonomic with an around-the-ear fit, which is the combination that actually determines whether you can wear something for a full afternoon. Weight is listed at just 0.1 kg.
Who should buy it: commuters, remote workers and students who want one pair of over-ear headphones for music, meetings and travel, and who value app customisation and long battery life over a hard-shell travel case. Who should skip it: anyone who needs maximum isolation in extreme noise, or who wants a rugged carry case bundled in — you'd be sourcing that separately.
Soundcore Anker: Who It's For
This is a different category of product entirely, and it's worth being blunt about that: the Soundcore Anker item here is a headphones case, not headphones. The listing title says it plainly — headphones not included. So the right question isn't "is this better than the Sony?" but "does this solve a problem I actually have?"
If you already own a pair of soundcore over-ear headphones — Space One, Space Q45, Life Q35, Q30, Q20, Q20i and similar — this case is designed to fit them snugly and securely. The shell is made from 80 Hardness EVA, which is the material choice that gives it impact resistance against drops and bumps. That's the scenario most people underestimate: headphones don't usually die from wear, they die from being crushed at the bottom of a backpack or dropped on a train platform.
The exterior is woven polyester with a water-resistant coating, and the zipper is tightly stitched, so splashes and dust stay out. The listing also calls out anti-scratch resistance specifically against keys and coins rattling around in the same bag — a real-world detail that matters more than it sounds. Inside, a stretchy mesh pocket holds cables and accessories so they don't migrate, and there's a detachable tray plus a sturdy strap. Dimensions are 8.07 x 2.76 x 8.46 inches, so it's sized for over-ear headphones rather than earbuds. Warranty is listed at 12.
Who should buy it: anyone who already owns soundcore over-ear headphones and carries them outside the house — commuting, gym bag, flights, campus. Who should skip it: anyone who doesn't own soundcore over-ear headphones, and anyone expecting this to be an audio product. It won't make sound; it protects the thing that does.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for protecting headphones you already own → Soundcore Anker. EVA shell, water and dust resistance, anti-scratch woven fabric.
• Best for battery life → Sony WH-CH720. Up to 35 hours with noise cancelling on, and a 3-hour charge time.
• Best for cable and accessory organisation → Soundcore Anker. The stretchy internal mesh pocket keeps cables from tangling or vanishing.
• Best for calls and meetings → Sony WH-CH720. Beamforming mics, Precise Voice Pickup Technology and a wind noise reduction structure.
• Best for switching between laptop and phone → Sony WH-CH720. Multipoint connection plus Swift Pair and Fast Pair.
• Best for a wired fallback → Sony WH-CH720. The 3.5 mm jack works even when the battery is empty.
• Best for someone who already has soundcore over-ears and drops things → Soundcore Anker. This is the only scenario where it wins, and in that scenario it wins clearly.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Sony WH-CH720. It's the only one of the two that actually does something — it plays music, cancels noise, takes calls and runs for up to 35 hours. The Soundcore Anker case is a good product, but it's a supporting actor: it only makes sense if the headphones already exist. If you own soundcore over-ear headphones and you're tired of them getting scratched and knocked about, the case is a sensible, well-specified buy. Otherwise, in my opinion, the Sony is the one that earns its place in your bag. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the variable I can't speak to here.
They're not really competitors. The Sony WH-CH720 is a pair of noise-cancelling over-ear headphones; the Soundcore Anker item is a protective case for soundcore over-ear headphones. Buy the Sony for audio, the case for protection.
No. The product description states clearly that the case is sold on its own and headphones are not included. It's designed to fit soundcore over-ear models including Space One, Space Q45 and the Life Q-series.
Up to 35 hours with noise cancelling switched on, according to the specs, with a full charge taking around 3 hours. There's also a 3.5 mm jack so you can keep listening wired if it runs flat.
It's specified as compatible with soundcore over-ear headphones specifically. Its dimensions are 8.07 x 2.76 x 8.46 inches, so other brands may fit, but only soundcore compatibility is stated — I wouldn't assume a universal fit.
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