Between the HD 800 S and WH-CH720N, the HD 800 S comes out ahead in driver size, while the WH-CH720N wins on weight and active noise cancellation. Overall, the HD 800 S scores 73.6 and the WH-CH720N scores 61.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The HD 800 S is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 12.2 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the HD 800 S if you care most about driver size. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size.
Pick the WH-CH720N if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. Its strongest claims are weight, active noise cancellation, multipoint, among others.
Both ship with comparable spatial audio, ldac, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the HD 800 S is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Sennheiser - HD 800 S wins
- ▲Driver size — 86.67% more. 56 mm vs 30 mm.
Why Sony - WH-CH720N wins
- ▲Weight — 138.00 g less. 192 vs 330.
- ▲Has Active noise cancellation.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Battery life: 35 h vs 0 h.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Sennheiser - HD 800 S | Sony - WH-CH720N |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 330 g | 192 glead |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Sennheiser - HD 800 S | Sony - WH-CH720N |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 56 mmlead | 30 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 300 Ωlead | 48 Ω |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 102 dBlead | 100 dB |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | false | truelead |
| Transparency mode | false | truelead |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | false |
Battery
| Spec | Sennheiser - HD 800 S | Sony - WH-CH720N |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 0 h | 35 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | false | truelead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Sennheiser - HD 800 S | Sony - WH-CH720N |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 0 | 5.2lead |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| 3.5mm jack | true | true |
| LDACⓘ | false | false |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, HD 800 S or WH-CH720N?+
WH-CH720N lasts 35 hours vs 0 hours.
Do HD 800 S or WH-CH720N have active noise cancellation?+
WH-CH720N has ANC; HD 800 S does not.
Which supports LDAC, HD 800 S or WH-CH720N?+
Neither supports LDAC.
Spec-level deep dives
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