The Tune 770NC’s Higher Price Point Is Justified By Its Performance And Build Quality
If you’re looking for wireless noise-canceling headphones for around $100 or less, the JBL Tune 770NC and Sony WH-CH720N are two popular options. The Tune 770NC has a list price of $129, but it can often be found on sale for under the $100 price point. The Sony WH-CH720N has a list price of $99 but is also regularly marked down.
Having tested both headphones thoroughly over the last few weeks, I will go through how I found each one, and ultimately help you decide which is better for you to buy.
Key Takeaways:
- The Sony has good value for its price, but the JBL performs better.
- For the best portability and build, the JBL Tune 770NC comes out on top.
- Lack of water resistance on both headphones limit their use outdoors.
- Both offer effective noise canceling.
- While both have impressive battery life, the JBL Tune 770NC’s is outstanding.
Our Winner
JBL Tune 770NC vs Sony WH-CH720N
| Model: | JBL Tune 770NC | Sony WH-CH720N |
| Release Date: | August 2023 | March 2023 |
| Noise Control: | Yes (ANC) | Yes (ANC) |
| Bluetooth Version: | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Battery Life: | Up to 70 hours | Up to 50 hours |
| Driver Size: | 40mm | 30mm |
| EQ: | Yes | Yes |
| Charging Port: | USB-C | USB-C |
| App Support: | Yes | Yes |
| Weight: | 0.51 lbs | 0.42 lbs |
| Price: | Check Price | Check Price |
Design, Comfort, & Durability
Summary: These headphones are suitable for most head shapes, but they both have shortfalls for larger heads and ears. The Sony has a wider headband which makes it a bit more suitable for larger heads, but the earcup padding can cause sweat accummulation. The JBL is a more portable pair of headphones that can fold up, unlike the Sony.
Design
Winner: Tied
JBL Tune 770NC
Sony WH-CH720N
These two headphones have a similar overall design, but the JBL Tune 770NC is more compact and has smaller earcups and a narrower headband. They’re each available in several colorways, but the white version of the Tune 770NC is a clean, snow-white color while Sony’s white version is more of an off-white, light grey color.
JBL Tune 770NC: Blue, Purple, Black and White
Sony WH-CH720N: Blue, White and Black
Durability
Winner: JBL Tune 770NC
JBL Tune 770NC
Sony WH-CH720N
The JBL Tune 770NC is the winner when it comes to durability. The plastics used are thicker than those on the Sony, and although this results in a slightly heavier design, they are both lightweight headphones. Neither headphone is particularly durable though, and are best used in more subdued environments where damage is less likely.
Waterproofing
Winner: Tied
Neither the Sony nor JBL have waterproofing, which limits their use outdoors in bad weather and makes them less ideal for excessive sweat. Although neither offers sweat protection, the JBL Tune 770NC seems to be able to handle a bit more than the Sony WH-CH720N.
Comfort
Winner: Tied (Depends On Head Shape)
Sony WH-CH720N (Left) and JBL Tune 770NC (Right)
The size and shape of your ears and head will play a big role in how comfortable each of these headphone models is. The JBL Tune 770NC has slightly more padding on the earcups, but the padding is more firm than that of the Sony. However, both headphones have relatively small inner earcup areas, the JBL’s inner earcup has a smaller diameter, while Sony’s have less distance between the ear and the inner components of the earcup.
The headband padding on the JBL Tune is also less wide than that of the Sony, which can cause those with larger or flatter head shapes to potentially feel some discomfort on the sides. This also applies to the overall width of the headband, which is quite tight on the JBL. Both are better suited for younger audiences (children to young adults) because of this.
After a few hours on the head, both headphones retain reasonable comfort levels, however, in hot conditions the earcup padding on the Sony WH-CH720N can become a bit sticky and uncomfortable.
Portability
Winner: JBL Tune 770NC
JBL Tune 770NC
Sony WH-CH720N
If you’re looking to use your headphones away from home regularly, you’ll want proper portability. The JBL Tune 770NC is more easily portable than the Sony WH-CH720N, primarily because they can fold up using the swivel earcups.
On the Sony, the earcups can only swivel from side to side, but can’t fold inwards, which makes them more challenging to carry around. While they could still be carried in a backpack, their thinner plastic will make them more prone to damage.
Controls, Connectivity & App Support
Summary: Both headphones have easy to use controls, but those on the JBL are slightly easier. For the lowest latency, the JBL Tune 770NC are a better pick, while the Sony WH-CH720N have a bit more range to them. Both come with companion app support, but JBL gives more control over the EQ.
Wired Connections
Winner: Tied
Both headphones support wired connectivity, allowing you to plug them into most devices that support a 3.5mm output. Like many other wireless ANC headphones, if you use the cable with the headphones turned off you won’t use the battery life, but you also won’t have noise-canceling. If you want to use the ANC feature with the speakers plugged in, you’ll need to turn them on, which will consume the battery.
One benefit that Sony has here, is that the WH-CH720N uses a standard 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable, which is easier to replace than the 2.5mm to 3.5mm found on the JBL.
Bluetooth
Winner: Tied
Both headphones have modern Bluetooth, which gives them reliable wireless connections. If you’re a gamer or someone who enjoys watching a lot of videos, the JBL Tune 770NC will give lower latency than the Sony, however, Sony’s WH-CH720N does a slightly better job of holding a connection at a long distance, making it good for walking around the house.
Unfortunately, at their price points, neither headphone supports low-latency codecs such as LDAC or aptX-LL. So they aren’t well suited to competitive gaming.
Controls
Winner: JBL Tune 770NC
JBL Tune 770NC
Sony WH-CH720N
Both headphones feature similar buttons, allowing for comprehensive track and volume control, but the JBL Tune 770NC is slightly easier to use as there is a difference in button height that makes it easier to differentiate the volume controls from the play/pause. On the Sony, you need to feel around a bit more to find the mark for the play/pause button.
App Support
Winner: JBL Tune 770NC
Both headphones have companion apps, and although quite different, they both have value. JBL has the advantage of a very granular custom EQ, where one can make fine adjustments to a broad range of frequencies. Sony has a more standard 5-band EQ, which is good too, just not as impressive as through the JBL Headphones app.
Sony’s app gives additional access to other features, like 360 Reality Audio – but with the additional subscriptions required for this service, it’s unlikely to appeal to most who buy them.
Noise Canceling & Microphone Quality
Summary: Performance is similar across both headphones, but the JBL Tune 770NC hold a slight advantage in both microphone quality and noise cancelation.
Noise Canceling
Winner: JBL Tune 770NC
Both headphones offer reasonable noise-canceling performance, but both also fall short of the quality found on more expensive flagship models. The JBL Tune 770NC is slightly better at reducing low and high frequencies, while the Sony WH-CH720N is marginally better at reducing environmental chatter in the midrange frequencies.
If you’re using them for commuting, or around low droning sounds like that of industrial fans, the JBL does a better job. But for office use, the Sony is fractionally better, but it’s splitting hairs.
Microphone Quality
Winner: JBL Tune 770NC
The microphone quality is quite good on both headphones, effectively reducing environmental noise and making it easy for the person on the other end of the line to hear you clearly. I found the JBL to be a little more effective at reducing environmental noise from the microphone.
Audio Performance
Summary: For a more natural, balanced sound – the JBL Tune 770NC is the better choice. But for a lively, fun sound straight out of the box, Sony’s emphasis on bass and treble may appeal to some. Both can have their sound dialed in using their companion app.
Frequency Response / Sound Signature
Winner: JBL Tune 770NC
JBL is the clear winner when it comes to sound quality, particularly because of its deeper bass, along with a more balanced midrange and treble. Although both headphones sound best with some EQ adjustments, it’s easier to get the JBL Tune 770NC to sound great than it is for Sony.
The JBL Tune 770NC has larger drivers than the Sony (40mm vs 30mm), which gives them some added benefits when it comes to the bass, creating more depth.
Although the JBL has a slightly deeper bass, they have a mostly balanced sound – though I do recommend increasing the midrange presence to help add clarity to the vocals. In contrast, Sony has adopted a more classic V-shape signature with more punch in the upper bass and elevated highs, which can cause vocals to sound slightly overpowered by sharper sounds.
Soundstage
Winner: JBL Tune 770NC
Soundstage is always weak on closed-back headphones, and honestly, isn’t a concern for most customers looking for ANC wireless headphones. With that said, if soundstage is important to you and you want more immersion from your headphones, the JBL does a slightly better job.
Battery & Charging
Winner: JBL Tune 770NC
JBL Tune 770NC
Sony WH-CH720N
Both headphones offer outstanding battery life and rapid charging. The JBL Tune 770NC does a slightly better job though, lasting for up to 64 hours with ANC off during my testing and 45 hours with it on. Comparatively, the same tests yielded 36 hours of playtime with ANC active, and close to 48 hours with it off.
With such long-lasting batteries, you will rarely need to charge them. And when you do, the process can be completed in just 2 to 2.5 hours.
Price & Value
One of the reasons why the JBL Tune 770NC outperforms Sony in many areas is because of its higher price point, which allows for improved components and better materials.
Sony’s WH-CH720 is significantly cheaper than the JBL Tune 770NC, often available on sale for between $80 and $90, while the JBL will usually set you back between $90 and $110. But if you’re looking to get the most out of these headphones, I’d still advise spending a bit more on the JBL.
Conclusion
While both models are worthy contenders and certainly worth considering for a pair of budget ANC wireless headphones, the JBL Tune 770NC’s more versatile build, flexible EQ along with improved sound and battery performance, make it the best choice out of these two headphones.
Our Winner
