If you want long battery life and adjustable on-ear listening for running, choose SONY WH-CH520; if you need open-ear earbuds with sweat and splash protection, choose Sudio A3. For outdoor runs where hearing your surroundings matters, I’d choose the Sudio; for longer listening between charges, the Sony has the edge.
Neither is listed with a specific running-focused fit feature, so the choice comes down to what matters more: the A3’s open-ear design and water protection, or the WH-CH520’s much longer stated battery life and on-ear cushions.
• SONY WH-CH520 strength: Up to 50 hours of battery life, plus quick charging; trade-off: its on-ear design has no stated sweat or splash protection.
• Sudio A3 strength: Open-ear earbuds with sweat and splash protection; trade-off: up to 25 hours of playtime, including the case, is less than the Sony’s stated battery life.
• Sony also offers: Adjustable EQ, a built-in microphone, and multipoint connection for two devices; trade-off: it is an on-ear headphone rather than an earbud.
• Sudio also offers: Bluetooth 5.4 and a case designed to fit in a pocket; trade-off: the listed features do not include Sony’s multipoint switching or EQ customization.
• Choose the Sony if battery life and listening across multiple devices matter most.
• Choose the Sudio if you want open-ear earbuds for runs where sweat, splashes, and awareness of nearby sounds are concerns.
The WH-CH520 is an on-ear Bluetooth headphone built around long listening time and everyday convenience. Its stated battery life reaches up to 50 hours, and quick charging can provide up to 90 minutes of playback from a three-minute charge. That combination suits a routine with long stretches of listening, or someone who does not want to charge after every outing.
For running, the key trade-off is the form factor. The Sony has adjustable headband and soft ear pads, but it is not an open-ear earbud, and the listed specifications do not claim sweat or splash protection. I would consider it for a treadmill session or casual use where battery life takes priority, but would skip it for wet-weather runs or if you specifically want an open-ear design.
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It also makes sense for someone who moves between a phone and a laptop. Multipoint lets it connect to two devices at once, while the built-in microphone supports hands-free calls. EQ customization through Sony’s app gives listeners a way to adjust the sound. Those are useful everyday features, though they do not change the basic fact that this is an on-ear headphone rather than a compact running earbud.
The Sudio A3 is an open-ear wireless earbud set with up to 25 hours of playtime when the buds and charging case are fully charged. Its sweat and splash protection makes it the more running-oriented choice on paper, especially for someone who expects to sweat or encounter light rain. The open-ear design may also appeal to runners who prefer not to block their ears completely.
Its pocket-sized case is another practical fit for quick outings. Bluetooth 5.4 is specified, and Sudio describes the connection as steady. The earbuds use touch controls and have enhanced microphones for calls, so they can cover basic listening and calling without the on-ear headband of the Sony.
There are limits to what the listed information establishes. It does not give a specific water-resistance rating, so I would not treat “sweat and splashproof” as permission to submerge the earbuds or wear them in heavy rain. The stated 25 hours also includes the case, rather than describing one uninterrupted listening session. If long battery life between charges or switching between two connected devices is your priority, the Sony has clearer advantages.
• Best for stated total battery life → SONY WH-CH520. It offers up to 50 hours, compared with up to 25 hours for the Sudio A3 with its case.
• Better fit for sweaty runs or light splashes → Sudio A3. It is specifically described as sweat and splashproof; the Sony’s listed features make no such claim.
• Better for an open-ear running option → Sudio A3. Its open-ear design is the more relevant match if you do not want an on-ear headphone covering your ears.
• Better for adjusting sound → SONY WH-CH520. Its EQ can be customized in the Sony app; no comparable EQ feature is listed for the A3.
• Better for moving between a phone and laptop → SONY WH-CH520. Its multipoint connection supports two Bluetooth devices at once.
• Better for a compact carry case → Sudio A3. Its case is described as pocket-sized, while the Sony is a headband-style on-ear headphone.
• Better for a quick battery top-up → SONY WH-CH520. A three-minute quick charge is specified to provide up to 90 minutes of playback.
• If you are searching for the best noise cancelling headphones for running, know what the data says: the Sony lists no noise control, while the Sudio lists hybrid noise cancellation. Neither set of specifications establishes how much noise either blocks during a run, so I would not choose solely on that label.
The open-ear question deserves a little care. Sudio’s open-ear classification is useful when you want an earbud design that does not seal the ear in the way many in-ear models do. But the provided details do not explain exactly how much outside sound reaches you in different settings. For running near traffic, awareness also depends on the route and listening volume.
Neither product can be called the best bluetooth headset for running for every person from the specifications alone. The A3 has the stronger set of running-specific cues: open-ear placement and sweat and splash protection. The Sony is more compelling for someone who wants one pair for work calls, travel, and long listening sessions, and who is comfortable with an on-ear fit.
My Verdict
In my opinion, I’d buy the Sudio A3 for running because its open-ear design and stated sweat and splash protection suit that use better. I’d choose the Sony WH-CH520 instead for longer battery life, quick charging, EQ, and two-device switching. My running pick is the Sudio, but only if its 25-hour total playtime and earbud format fit your routine.
The Sudio A3 is the more running-oriented option in the listed features: it has an open-ear design and is described as sweat and splashproof. The Sony offers much longer stated battery life, but no sweat or splash protection is listed.
Its listed noise control is “None,” so the specifications do not identify noise cancellation for the WH-CH520. The Sudio A3 lists hybrid noise cancellation, though no detailed performance level is provided.
Which lasts longer on a charge?
That depends on the current price and what you need; I can’t determine value from features alone. Check the current price on Amazon, then weigh the A3’s running-related design against the Sony’s battery life, quick charging, EQ, and multipoint connection.
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