The Sony WH-CH510 are a pair of on-ear wireless headphones that offer decent sound quality, a long battery life, and a budget-friendly price tag. However, they lack some features that you might find on more expensive models, such as active noise cancellation (ANC) and support for high-quality Bluetooth codecs.
If any of these are not deal breakers for you, you will find that you do get bang for your buck in more ways than one. While Sony does have more premium offerings, some of that headphone tuning trickles down to the WH-CH510 to give them a unique sonic identity.
Design & Build
The WH-CH510 have a simple and somewhat plasticky design. They are bendy and feel rather flimsy. But interestly, this is what gives them their strength. They can take a hit without much damage. I have barely scored a scratch on their surface in the months I have had them in for review.
The ear cups are small and on the average side, and they may press against your ears slightly. As advertised, they are ‘on-ear’ headphones, and as such, they are built to rest on your ears. You won’t get any active noise cancellation to speak of, but you still get some passive noise cancellation once you start jamming. Fortunately, they are comfortable enough to wear for extended periods.
The headphones are also very lightweight, so you won’t feel them weighing you down. They fold up sideways for portability, but they don’t fold up very compactly. They will fit in a backpack sideways just fine though.
Features
The WH-CH510 charge via USB-C, but unfortunately, they don’t support USB audio. There is also no 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can’t use them in wired mode. This would have been a killer feature, had it been implemented.
The headphones also have a built-in microphone as well located on the right side, with the rest of the controls. What I can say about it is that it can be rather sensitive and pick up a lot of background noise. We will touch on this in a minute.
One of the standout features and I daresay the selling point of the WH-CH510 headphones is their battery life. They can last up to 35 hours on a single charge, which is very impressive. I am a casual user and I haven’t needed to charge the headphones for over 2 weeks. However, I should warn you that it takes them 4 hours to charge fully once they are depleted. On the plus side, you can get 90 minutes of playback time with a 10-minute charge.
Sound Quality
The WH-CH510 offer surprisingly good sound quality for the price. The sound is well-balanced and accurate, with deep bass, clear mids, and decent treble. They are especially good for listening to vocals. However, they are limited to the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, which don’t offer the same level of quality as some of the higher-end codecs.
I listened to If you Care by Evan Barlow and the musician’s lazy emotive vocals are crystal clear as are the instruments and other added sounds. Playing Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes affirms the punchiness of the bassline while still managing to balance it with the guitars and the vocals.
Stepping away from music, the WH-CH510 has a microphone for phonecalls and whatnot, although my experience has been less than stellar. When I place a call, the microphone immediately picks up all the ambient sound. It can be disorienting as I initially assumed it was on the other end of the line. During the call, I felt like I was in a vacuum or a 90s RoboCop scene. I can’t say it was a pleasant experience.
Cons
- No ANC
- No support for high-quality Bluetooth codecs
- Microphone is sensitive
- Doesn’t automatically shut off after inactivity
- No companion app
Price
The Sony WH-CH510 are available for around $49.99 on Amazon. For the price, they offer decent sound quality and a long battery life. However, they lack some features that you might find on more expensive models, such as ANC and support for high-quality Bluetooth codecs.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly pair of headphones with good sound quality, the WH-CH510 are a good option. However, if you’re willing to spend more, you might want to consider a pair of headphones with more features. For starters, you can snatch up the Sony WH-CH520, the immediate upgrade to the WH-CH510. This new iteration is supported by the Sony companion app and they cost exactly the same.
Overall, the Sony WH-CH510 are a decent pair of on-ear wireless headphones that offer good sound quality and a long battery life for a budget-friendly price. However, they lack some features that you might find on more expensive models.
Now read: Sony WH-CH710N Review: Active Noise Cancelling and premium sound on the cheap
