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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-24 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• Sony WH-CH720NL biggest strength: A very light 192g over-ear build paired with Sony's Integrated Processor V1, DSEE upscaling and 360 Reality Audio — a refined, balanced sound in a headphone you barely notice wearing.
• Sony WH-CH720NL biggest trade-off: No wired jack at all (wireless only), and the noise cancelling is adjustable and effective but not the deepest, most isolating experience in this matchup.
• Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 biggest strength: Patented multi-sensory Crusher Bass with dedicated dual bass drivers plus adjustable 4-mic ANC — a sound you feel in your chest, not just hear.
• Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 biggest trade-off: It weighs 580g, roughly three times the Sony, so long sessions put real pressure on your head and neck.
• Who each is for: Sony WH-CH720NL for commuters, callers and balanced listeners who want light comfort; Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 for bass lovers, gamers and movie watchers who want physical impact and marathon battery.
The WH-CH720NL is built around one clear idea: stay comfortable and sound clean for a very long time. At 192g it is genuinely one of the lighter over-ear noise cancelling headphones you can put on, and that number matters more than it looks on paper. If you wear headphones through a full workday, on a train, or while walking the dog, weight is the spec that decides whether you keep them on. Sony pairs that light chassis with a 35-hour battery rating and quick charge, so the "charge it tonight" routine mostly disappears.
On the audio side, the Integrated Processor V1 and DSEE work to keep compressed streaming files sounding closer to the original recording, and 360 Reality Audio adds an immersive mode that analyses your ear shape through the Sony app. In my opinion that makes this the better pick for people who listen to a wide range of music — acoustic, vocals, podcasts, jazz — rather than one genre. Digital Noise Cancelling with Dual Noise Sensor technology can be tuned across 20 ambient sound levels in the app, which is unusually granular for this class and genuinely useful when you want to hear a platform announcement without pulling the headphones off.
Calls are a real focus too. Precise Voice Pickup Technology, a wind noise reduction structure and beamforming mics all point to the same goal: clearer conversations. Add Multipoint Connection, Swift Pair and Fast Pair, and this is an everyday headphone that just works.
Who should skip it: If you want to feel bass physically, or you need a 3.5mm cable for a wired setup, this is not your headphone — the WH-CH720NL is wireless-only with no jack. And if you're chasing maximum isolation above all else, look at deeper-cancelling options.
The Crusher ANC 2 is the opposite philosophy: maximum impact. Its headline feature is patented multi-sensory Crusher Bass — two full-range 40mm drivers plus additional dual bass drivers that deliver a low-end you can actually feel. That's not marketing fluff; the separate bass drivers are a genuinely different hardware approach from a standard two-driver headphone, and it's why the Crusher line has a devoted following among bass heads. A custom 5-band EQ in the Skullcandy app, plus preset modes you can switch directly on the headphones (music, movie, podcast), lets you dial in how much of that bass you want.
Battery is the other standout: up to 60 hours with ANC off, and Rapid Charge giving you roughly 4 hours of listening from a 10-minute top-up. That is a meaningful gap over the Sony's 35-hour rating, and for a week of commuting or a long trip it changes how often you think about charging.
Noise cancelling here is adjustable 4-mic ANC, with four external mics sampling your surroundings and emitting cancelling signals. The app also offers a Stay-Aware mode for when you need to hear what's going on. You get Multipoint Pairing, voice control with Alexa, and — importantly — a 3.5mm jack, so you can go wired when the battery eventually dies or when you want zero latency.
The trade-off is weight. At 580g this is a heavy headphone, and that's the number I'd think hardest about. Short, intense sessions — gaming, a movie, a workout, a study block — suit it perfectly. A full eight-hour desk day might not, because that mass sits on your head the whole time.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for all-day comfort → Sony WH-CH720NL. 192g versus 580g is a huge difference in real-world wearability.
• Best for battery life → Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2. Up to 60 hours (ANC off) versus the Sony's 35-hour rating.
• Best for bass and physical impact → Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2. Multi-sensory Crusher Bass with dedicated dual bass drivers has no equivalent on the Sony.
• Best for clearer phone calls → Sony WH-CH720NL. Beamforming mics and a wind noise reduction structure are built specifically for voice pickup.
• Best for wired listening → Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2. It has a 3.5mm jack; the Sony is wireless only.
• Best for fine-grained noise control → Sony WH-CH720NL. 20 adjustable ambient sound levels in the app is more granular than the Skullcandy's ANC/Stay-Aware switching.
• Best for gaming, movies and the gym → Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2. Low-end you feel plus preset movie and podcast modes fit that use case.
• Best for travel and commuting → Sony WH-CH720NL. Light weight plus quick charge and Multipoint makes it the easier carry.
In my opinion, most people should buy the Sony WH-CH720NL. Weight is the spec you live with every single day, and 192g with 35 hours of battery, tunable noise cancelling, strong call quality and Multipoint is the more versatile, more wearable package for commuting, work and mixed music.
That said, I'd recommend the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 without hesitation if bass is the whole point. If you want to feel your music, watch films with real rumble, or game for hours, the multi-sensory bass, 60-hour battery, 4-mic ANC and 3.5mm jack are worth the extra mass.
Pick based on what you'll do with them, not on which one looks more impressive on paper. And before you commit, check the current price on Amazon — both sit in different spots depending on the day.
what is the best wireless noise cancelling headphones
There's no single answer that fits everyone — it depends on your priorities. Based on the specs, the Sony WH-CH720NL is the better all-rounder for comfort, calls and balanced sound, while the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 wins for bass impact, battery life and wired flexibility. Neither is objectively "best" without knowing how you'll use them.
how do wireless noise cancelling headphones work
They use microphones to sample the noise around you, then emit audio signals that cancel it out. The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 does this with four dedicated external microphones, while the Sony WH-CH720NL uses Dual Noise Sensor technology you can adjust across 20 ambient sound levels in its app.
what are wireless noise cancelling headphones
They're over-ear or in-ear headphones that connect over Bluetooth and actively reduce background sound — no cable needed. Both headphones here are over-ear, wireless designs, though only the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 also includes a 3.5mm jack for wired listening.
At 580g it's a heavy headphone, especially next to the 192g Sony WH-CH720NL. Short, intense sessions like gaming, movies or the gym suit it well; for full workdays, the lighter Sony is the easier wear.
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