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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want the lighter pair with longer battery life and more granular ambient-sound control, choose Sony WH-CH720N; if you need the headphones with a more premium build, touch controls and a companion app for tuning, choose Bose QuietComfort.
• Sony WH-CH720N biggest strength: A slim, lightweight over-ear design (about 6.7 ounces) with up to 35 hours of battery life and 20 adjustable Ambient Sound levels.
• Sony WH-CH720N biggest trade-off: It's a certified refurbished unit with a 90-day limited warranty, and its controls are voice-oriented rather than touch-based.
• Bose QuietComfort biggest strength: Plush protein leather earcups, metal-and-plastic construction, touch controls and a companion app with Quiet/Aware modes plus Wind Block.
• Bose QuietComfort biggest trade-off: Shorter battery life at up to 24 hours, and a heavier feel on the head compared with the Sony pair.
• Who the Sony is for: Buyers who prioritize all-day comfort, maximum battery and fine-grained ambient control.
• Who the Bose is for: Buyers who want a richer build, tactile controls and app-based customization.
The WH-CH720N is built around two ideas: keep it light, and keep it running. Sony describes it as its lightest wireless noise-canceling headphone yet, and the numbers back that up — the item weight is listed at 6.72 ounces, and the headband has been slimmed down and restructured to open up more room around the ears. If you wear headphones for a full workday, that slimmed-down fit is the whole point. Less clamp, less heat, fewer readjustments.
Noise cancelling here comes from Dual Noise Sensor Technology paired with Sony's Integrated Processor V1. That combination is the same architectural idea Sony uses higher up its range, and it's paired with an Ambient Sound mode that gives you 20 level settings. That granularity matters more than it sounds. Twenty steps means you can tune how much of a café, a train platform or an office hallway leaks in, instead of flipping between two blunt extremes.
Battery is where this pair separates itself: up to 35 hours of playback, plus USB-C quick charging that Sony says gives roughly 60 minutes of playback from a 3-minute top-up. There's also DSEE upscaling for compressed files, Precise Voice Pickup beamforming mics for calls, hands-free Google Assistant or Alexa activation, and adaptive volume that learns your behavior and adjusts to places you visit often.
Bose QuietComfort: Who It's For
Bose takes the opposite approach. The QuietComfort is pitched at people who want the listening experience to feel substantial. The earcups are plush protein leather, the enclosure mixes metal, plastic and protein leather, and the headband is adjustable for a secure fit over long sessions. It weighs noticeably more than the Sony — the listing puts the item at 1.7 pounds — which is the trade-off you accept for that plusher, more enclosed feel.
On sound, Bose leans on advanced dynamic drivers tuned for deep bass and crisp highs, and it gives you an adjustable EQ in the Bose app so you can push the bass, lift the treble or rebalance the mid-range yourself. Noise cancellation is adjustable active noise cancellation, and the standout feature is the mode system: Quiet and Aware modes you switch with a touch, plus custom modes and a Wind Block setting for breezy outdoor conditions. That's a genuinely useful thing if you walk or cycle in open air.
Connectivity is Bluetooth 5.1 with on-device touch controls for volume, playback and calls, and Spotify Tap lets you jump straight into a playlist. Battery is up to 24 hours with a 2.5-hour charge time over USB-C — though the spec sheet also lists a 15-minute figure for charge time, which points to a quick-charge path getting you going fast. In the box you get a durable carry case, a 2.5-to-3.5 mm AUX cable and a USB-C cable, and the bundle adds a USB-C/USB-A wall charger.
Who should buy it: frequent flyers, travelers who want a case-and-cable kit ready to go, and listeners who like tuning their own sound. Who should skip it: if battery endurance is your top priority, or you want the lightest possible pair on your head.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for all-day lightness → Sony WH-CH720N. Roughly 6.7 ounces with a slimmer, restructured headband.
• Best for fine-tuned ambient awareness → Sony WH-CH720N. 20 Ambient Sound levels versus Bose's Quiet/Aware mode switching.
• Best for build and materials → Bose QuietComfort. Metal, plastic and protein leather, with plush earcups.
• Best for app-based sound tuning → Bose QuietComfort. Adjustable EQ plus custom modes and Wind Block.
• Best for travel kit completeness → Bose QuietComfort. Carry case, AUX cable, USB-C cable and a bundled wall charger.
• Best for hands-free voice control → Sony WH-CH720N. Beamforming mics with "OK Google" or Alexa activation.
• Best if you want a new-condition unit with a longer warranty window → Bose QuietComfort. One-year limited warranty versus Sony's 90-day coverage on a refurbished unit.
I'd buy the Sony WH-CH720N. Thirty-five hours of battery and a sub-7-ounce frame are the two things that decide whether I actually keep headphones on past hour three, and the 20-step Ambient Sound mode is more useful to me day to day than a two-mode toggle. The Bose QuietComfort is the better-feeling object — better materials, better controls, a real app with EQ, and a travel kit that's ready out of the box — and if you fly a lot or want to shape your own sound, I'd point you there instead. But if you want the pair you charge least and forget you're wearing, my pick is the Sony.
how to on noise cancelling headphones
On the Sony WH-CH720N, noise cancelling is handled through active noise cancellation driven by Dual Noise Sensor Technology and the Integrated Processor V1, with an Ambient Sound mode offering 20 levels. On the Bose QuietComfort, you switch between Quiet and Aware modes and can build custom modes in the Bose app. Both are controlled on-device, and Bose adds touch controls plus a Wind Block setting.
what is the best over ear noise cancelling headphones
There's no single answer, because "best" depends on what you weigh most. In my opinion, the Sony WH-CH720N is the better pick if battery life and low weight matter most, while the Bose QuietComfort is the better pick if materials, touch controls and app-based EQ matter most. Both are over-ear designs with active noise cancellation and Bluetooth.
which over ear noise cancelling headphones
If you want longer runtime, choose the Sony WH-CH720N at up to 35 hours. If you want a more premium build with plush protein leather earcups, choose the Bose QuietComfort. Sony gives you 20 ambient sound levels; Bose gives you Quiet/Aware modes, custom modes and Wind Block. Sony is also the lighter of the two by a wide margin.
what are the most comfortable over ear noise cancelling headphones
Comfort is personal, but the specs point in different directions. The Sony WH-CH720N is built light — about 6.72 ounces — with a slimmer headband restructured for more ear space, which suits very long sessions. The Bose QuietComfort uses plush protein leather earcups and an adjustable headband for a secure, cushioned fit, at the cost of more weight. If you'd rather not guess, check the current price on Amazon and weigh which trade-off you'd live with daily.
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