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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-22 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• SONY WH-CH720N biggest strength: Wireless Bluetooth 5 with active noise cancelling, multipoint pairing, and up to 35 hours of playback — plus a 3-minute quick charge for roughly an hour of listening.
• SONY WH-CH720N biggest trade-off: No wired headphone jack and no analog cable option, so it lives and dies by its battery and Bluetooth connection.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M30x biggest strength: 40 mm dynamic drivers tuned for detail and strong mid-range, in a wired, always-ready design with a single-side cable exit and a collapsible, space-saving frame.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M30x biggest trade-off: It's strictly wired with no noise cancelling and no battery — you're tethered to your source at all times.
• Choose SONY WH-CH720N if you want one pair for commuting, calls, and working from home without cables.
• Choose Audio-Technica ATH-M30x if you're recording, editing, mixing, or monitoring and want a dependable wired tool.
The WH-CH720N is built around convenience and comfort. At 192 grams, it's Sony's lightest wireless noise-cancelling headband design, and that weight matters when you're wearing something for a full workday or a long flight. The over-ear, plastic-bodied frame is paired with a slimmer headband restructured to give your ears more room — a design choice aimed squarely at people who keep headphones on for hours.
Buy it if you want wireless, noise-cancelling headphones for commuting, calls, and remote work, and you value a light fit. Skip it if you need a wired connection, a detachable cable, or a headphone that works without charging. There's no headphone jack here, so if your source has no Bluetooth, this isn't the pair for you.
Audio-Technica ATH-M30x: Who It's For
The ATH-M30x is a professional monitor headphone, and it plays a completely different game. The 40 mm dynamic drivers use rare-earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils, and the tuning leans toward enhanced detail with excellent mid-range definition. That's the signature you want when you're listening for problems in a recording rather than just enjoying a song. The circumaural design contours around the ears for strong isolation in loud rooms with minimal bleed — the reason it shows up in field recording, video editing, and AV post-production.
It's wired, with both 3.5 mm and 6.35 mm connections, so it plugs into interfaces, mixers, laptops, and phones with the right adapter (a 1/4-inch screw-on adapter is included). The single-side cable exit keeps the cable out of your way while you work, and the 15° swiveling earcups plus a collapsible frame make it easy to fold up and toss in the included carrying pouch. A headphone desk stand and microfiber cleaning cloth round out the bundle, and it carries a limited 2-year manufacturer warranty.
Buy it if you record, mix, edit, or monitor audio and want a durable, always-ready wired tool with a foldable frame. Skip it if you want Bluetooth, noise cancelling, or hands-free calling — this headphone has none of those. It also has no battery, which is either a dealbreaker or a relief depending on how you feel about charging.
• Best for wireless freedom → SONY WH-CH720N. Bluetooth 5, multipoint, no cables to trip over.
• Best for noise cancelling → SONY WH-CH720N. Dual Noise Sensor tech with an Integrated Processor V1 and 20-step Ambient Sound control.
• Best for long listening sessions on one charge → SONY WH-CH720N. Up to 35 hours, with quick charging as a top-up.
• Best for calls and voice → SONY WH-CH720N. Beamforming Precise Voice Pickup microphones plus voice-assistant activation.
• Best for studio and monitoring work → Audio-Technica ATH-M30x. 40 mm drivers tuned for detail with strong mid-range definition.
• Best for sound isolation without electronics → Audio-Technica ATH-M30x. The circumaural closed-back design blocks outside noise passively, with minimal bleed.
• Best for portability and storage → Audio-Technica ATH-M30x. Collapsible frame, swiveling earcups, and a carrying pouch.
• Best for never worrying about a battery → Audio-Technica ATH-M30x. It's fully wired and always ready.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to one question: do you want a wireless everyday headphone, or a wired work tool? If you commute, take calls, and work from home, I'd buy the SONY WH-CH720N — the light 192 g fit, active noise cancelling, multipoint Bluetooth, and up-to-35-hour battery make it the more versatile companion for daily life. If your priority is monitoring, editing, or recording, I'd buy the Audio-Technica ATH-M30x instead; its detail-focused 40 mm drivers and rugged, collapsible wired build are made for the desk and the field. I'd lean toward the Sony for most people who just want one pair that does everything, and toward the Audio-Technica for anyone whose headphones are a piece of equipment.
FAQ
No. The ATH-M30x is a wired headphone with 3.5 mm and 6.35 mm connections and no active electronics. Its isolation comes from the closed-back circumaural design, not from noise-cancelling circuitry.
Only the Sony has a battery. It's rated up to 35 hours of playback, with a 3-minute quick charge giving roughly an hour of listening. The ATH-M30x is fully wired and never needs charging.
It can play audio, but it isn't designed for it. There's no wired jack, so latency and connection reliability depend on Bluetooth. For tracking, mixing, and editing, the wired ATH-M30x with its detail-tuned 40 mm drivers is the more suitable choice.
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