Apple AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation) / Sony WH-CH720N

Apple AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation): AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation; USB-C case with speaker and wireless charging. The AirPods 4 without ANC and the AirPods Pro models are separate.

Sony WH-CH720N: WH-CH720N closed over-ear wireless headphones; black, white, blue and pink. The WH-CH710N (previous generation), WH-CH520 (no ANC) and the WH-1000X series are separate models.

SpecificationApple AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation)Sony WH-CH720N
Release year20242023
ChipApple H2 headphone chip Apple—
Noise controlActive Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness

Without ear tips the ear canal is not sealed like with silicone-tip earbuds, so ANC mainly reduces low-frequency rumble. Adaptive Audio blends ANC and Transparency based on surrounding sound.

Apple		—
AudioCustom high-excursion Apple driver; high dynamic range amplifier; Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; vent system for pressure equalisation Apple—
Microphones and sensorsDual beamforming microphones and inward-facing microphone; Voice Isolation; optical in-ear sensor; motion- and speech-detecting accelerometers; force sensor

The force sensor lets you press the stem to control playback, calls and listening modes.

Apple		—
Battery lifeEarbuds: 4 hours with ANC on, 5 hours with noise control off; with case: 20 hours with ANC on, 30 hours off; 5 minutes in the case ≈ 1 hour of listening Apple—
Charging caseCharges via USB-C, an Apple Watch charger or a Qi-certified charger; speaker for Find My

No USB-C cable is included. The speaker helps locate a lost case by sound.

Apple		—
DurabilityIP54 dust, sweat and water resistance

Not intended for water sports; resistance can decrease over time.

Apple		—
ConnectivityBluetooth 5.3

Works as standard Bluetooth earbuds with non-Apple devices; features such as automatic switching, Spatial Audio and Adaptive Audio need current Apple software.

Apple		—
Size and weightEarbud 30.2 × 18.3 × 18.1 mm, 4.3 g; case 46.2 × 50.1 × 21.2 mm, 34.7 g Apple—
Noise cancelling—Active noise cancelling with Integrated Processor V1 and Dual Noise Sensor; Ambient Sound mode

Microphones inside and outside each cup sample noise to generate an inverse signal; Ambient Sound mode lets you hear surroundings without removing the headphones.

Sony
Driver and frequency—30 mm dynamic driver; 7–20,000 Hz (JEITA); 20–20,000 Hz over Bluetooth (44.1 kHz) Sony
Bluetooth and codecs—Bluetooth 5.2; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP; SBC and AAC; about 10 m range

AAC works well as the default codec on iPhones; no high-bitrate codec is listed.

Sony
Multipoint—Connection to two Bluetooth devices at the same time

For example, you can switch between a phone and a laptop without re-pairing.

Sony
Battery—Music up to 35 hours with NC on, 50 hours off; calls up to 35 hours NC on, 40 hours off; about 3.5 hours to charge over USB Sony
Wired use—Detachable cable of about 1.2 m with gold-plated L-shaped 3.5 mm plug; passive operation

When the battery runs out you can keep listening passively over the cable.

Sony
Microphone and processing—Precise Voice Pickup beamforming mic; wind noise reduction structure; DSEE

DSEE tries to restore high frequencies lost in compressed music files.

Sony
Impedance and sensitivity—NC on 325 Ω / off 31 Ω (1 kHz); NC on 108 dB/mW / off 99 dB/mW Sony
Weight—About 192 g Sony