We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-30 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want over-ear noise cancelling with the longest single-charge battery life and a wired fallback, choose Sony WH-CH720N; if you need pocket-sized earbuds that survive sweat, rain and workouts with a charging case that keeps going for days, choose Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT.
• Sony WH-CH720N — biggest strength: over-ear comfort with Dual Noise Sensor active noise cancelling, up to 35 hours of battery, and a 3.5 mm jack so you can keep listening wired when you want.
• Sony WH-CH720N — biggest trade-off: the over-ear plastic build is bulkier, it has no official water or sweat rating, and the bundle adds a stand and case you need to store somewhere.
• Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT — biggest strength: true wireless freedom with up to 46 hours total (9 in the buds plus 37 in the case), IP55 sweat and water resistance, and customizable EQ plus Gaming Mode.
• Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT — biggest trade-off: in-ear buds mean shorter single-charge listening at 9 hours per charge, a smaller soundstage than over-ears, and no wired option at all.
• Who each pick is for: Sony WH-CH720N suits desk work, commuting, movies and long listening sessions at home; Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT suits gym-goers, runners and anyone who wants buds in a pocket.
The WH-CH720N is an over-ear wireless headphone built around two ideas: comfort and quiet. Sony puts two microphones in each earcup and pairs them with Dual Noise Sensor technology, so ambient sound gets captured and cancelled rather than just muffled. The result is active noise cancellation that is meant for real environments — a train carriage, an open-plan office, a café. When you do want to hear the world, Ambient Sound mode uses feedforward and feedback mics to let sound back in naturally, and the Sony Headphones Connect app lets you dial that in across 20 levels. There's also a Focus on Voice setting if you want to chat without taking the headphones off.
Comfort is where this model earns its place. Sony describes it as its lightest wireless noise-cancelling headphone, with a slimmer headband and a restructured earcup shape that creates more room around the ears. That matters if you wear headphones for hours — a work-from-home afternoon, a long flight, a film at night. Battery life is rated at up to 35 hours, and USB-C quick charging gives roughly 60 minutes of playback from a 3-minute top-up, which is the kind of thing that saves you when you forgot to charge overnight. Bluetooth 5 keeps the wireless range around 10 meters, and multipoint pairing lets the headphones hold two Bluetooth devices at once so you can jump between a laptop and a phone.
The extras are practical rather than flashy. There's a 3.5 mm jack, so if the battery dies you can still plug in. Precise Voice Pickup Technology uses beamforming mics for calls, and you can trigger Google Assistant or Alexa by voice. Adaptive Sound Control learns your behavior and adjusts volume based on where you are. The bundle includes a connection cable, USB cable, a Deco Gear headphone stand and a microfiber cloth, plus Sony's limited warranty.
Who should buy it: anyone who wants over-ear isolation for work, study, travel or movies, values a light fit, and wants the option of a wired connection. Who should skip it: if you need earbuds for running, sweating heavily or getting caught in the rain, the lack of a water-resistance rating is a real limitation.
The Sesh ANC XT is a true wireless earbud designed for movement. Four microphones drive the active noise cancelling, so it's silencing the world from inside your ear rather than around it. The headline number is battery: up to 46 hours total, split into 9 hours in the buds and 37 more in the charging case. Rapid Charge tops you up with about 2 hours of listening from a 10-minute charge — genuinely useful if you're heading out the door and realize the buds are flat.
Durability is the other half of the pitch. The buds are rated IP55 for sweat and water resistance, which is what makes them a sensible choice for the gym, running or riding in bad weather. They're also built for situational awareness: Stay-Aware mode lets outside sound in, and you can adjust how much through the Skullcandy App. That's the mode you want on a busy street or when someone talks to you mid-set.
Sound shaping is handled in the app too. There are three preset EQ modes — Music, Podcast and Movie — plus a custom EQ if none of them fit. Gaming Mode reduces latency, which matters if you're watching video or playing on a phone and don't want audio lagging behind the picture. Bluetooth 5.3 is the newer wireless standard here, and the buds use a balanced armature driver covering 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, the same nominal range as the Sony. Controls are touch-based for media, and there's built-in Tile finding technology: register the product in the Tile app and you can locate the buds if they vanish into a couch cushion. The package includes the charging case, cable, eartips and guides, backed by a 1-year limited warranty.
Who should buy it: runners, gym users, commuters who want something pocketable, and anyone who prioritizes total battery life and water resistance over soundstage. Who should skip it: if you dislike in-ear fit, want a wired backup, or prefer the sense of space over-ear headphones give you for films and long desk sessions.
• Best for battery life on a single charge → Sony WH-CH720N (up to 35 hours continuous, versus 9 hours in the Sesh buds before the case is needed).
• Best for total battery with a case → Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT (up to 46 hours combined, 37 of it in the case).
• Best for workouts and weather → Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT (IP55 sweat and water resistance; the Sony has no such rating).
• Best for all-day desk comfort → Sony WH-CH720N (lightweight over-ear design with a slimmer headband and more ear room).
• Best for travel and movies → Sony WH-CH720N (over-ear isolation, 20-level ambient control, wired 3.5 mm fallback).
• Best for portability → Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT (true wireless buds in a charging case, 63.5 g total).
• Best for call clarity and voice features → Sony WH-CH720N (beamforming Precise Voice Pickup mics, voice assistant support, multipoint pairing).
• Best for app-based tuning → Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT (three EQ presets, custom EQ, Gaming Mode, adjustable Stay-Aware).
• Best for never losing them → Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT (Tile finding technology built in).
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Sony WH-CH720N. In my opinion the over-ear design, 35-hour battery, 20-level ambient control and wired fallback make it the more versatile everyday headphone for work, travel and long listening at home. I'd only steer you to the Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT if sweat, water and pocket-sized portability are non-negotiable — that IP55 rating and the 46-hour case are exactly what a gym or running routine needs. Different jobs, both done well. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one variable no spec sheet can settle for you.
There's no single answer, because "top rated" depends on the job. For over-ear noise cancelling with long battery life, the Sony WH-CH720N is the stronger fit here; for true wireless buds built for sweat and water, the Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT is the one to look at. Match the form factor to your routine first.
What is the highest rated headphones?
Ratings vary by retailer and by buyer, so treat them as one signal among many. What you can compare factually is design and specs: the Sony gives up to 35 hours with over-ear ANC and a 3.5 mm jack, while the Skullcandy gives up to 46 hours total with IP55 protection and app-based EQ. Pick based on which set of features you'll actually use.
Any "top 10" list mixes categories — over-ear, on-ear and in-ear — which makes direct comparison messy. Within this pair, the Sony WH-CH720N leads on comfort, battery per charge and wired flexibility, while the Skullcandy Sesh ANC XT leads on total battery, water resistance and portability.
Quality here comes down to build and features rather than a single score. The Sony is an over-ear plastic build with active noise cancelling, a 20 Hz–20 kHz range and up to 35 hours of playback; the Skullcandy is an in-ear plastic build with a balanced armature driver, Bluetooth 5.3, IP55 resistance and up to 46 hours with the case. Both cover the same frequency range — the difference is fit, durability and where you'll use them.
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