The Sony WH-CH530 are the only on-ear headphones I would actually buy

I typically stay away from on-ear headphones, especially those without ANC, but after spending a few days with the Sony WH-CH530, they might just have won me over. Audio technology has come so far that you really don’t need to spend a lot of money to get good headphones, and these are cheap wireless headphones that just work. They keep the same $69.99 price as the previous WH-CH520 while adding a few upgrades, including a more detailed EQ and longer battery life.

Simple to use, slim on features

I found the Sony WH-CH530 pretty comfortable to wear. The build is mostly plastic, so it doesn’t feel especially premium, but that keeps them lightweight on your head, and the cushioned ear pads are genuinely nice. More importantly, they create a strong seal against my ears. That’s often a hard thing for on-ear headphones to get right. They also come in a variety of bright colors, such as Coral (the one we received for testing and my personal favorite), as well as Black, Cobalt, White, Pink, and Mint. It’s nice to see fun colors making a comeback.

My main gripe is portability. For such small headphones, they take up a surprising amount of space because they don’t fold up compactly. Sony also doesn’t include a carrying case or pouch, so they’ll be rattling around loose in your bag. There’s also no IP rating, which means no protection from water or dust. Personally, I’d keep them away from sweaty workouts and rainy days.

The controls are about as simple as it gets, with three physical buttons. The volume up and down buttons double as track skip controls, and the power button also puts the headphones into Bluetooth pairing mode. It’s all straightforward and easy to use, though you can’t customize any of the controls in the Sony Sound Connect app.

The app is pretty light on features overall, but it does bring a more detailed equalizer, 10 bands up from the previous 5, which I appreciate because it gives me more control over things like turning up the bass or turning down the high notes. There’s also a handful of EQ presets to choose from, including a new Gaming EQ designed to enhance footsteps and gunshots in FPS games.

There’s also a new max volume setting that caps how loud the headphones can get, with five levels to choose from. It’s an easy way to protect your hearing during long listening sessions, and it’s especially handy if you’re buying these for a kid who likes to crank the volume.

How does the Sony WH-CH530 connect?

The Sony WH-CH530 uses Bluetooth 6.0 and supports AAC, SBC, plus the LC3 codec, which the WH-CH520 didn’t have. LC3 is part of LE Audio, a newer Bluetooth standard designed to reduce audio delay and use less power. It also brings Auracast support, letting you tune in to shared audio broadcasts. You also get Multipoint, so you can stay connected to two devices at once. Google Fast Pair is also here for quick setup on Android. I didn’t have any connection issues during my testing.

What you don’t get is any wired option. There’s no headphone jack, and the USB-C port is only for charging, not listening. That means you can’t plug into an airplane seat or a computer without Bluetooth, and if the battery dies, you’re out of luck until you recharge.

How long does the Sony WH-CH530’s battery last?

When you do run low, fast charging helps. Plugging in for just three minutes gets you up to 1.5 hours of listening, which is handy if you realize the battery is dead right before heading out the door.

How well do the Sony WH-CH530 block out noise?

The Sony WH-CH530 does not have active noise cancelation and relies on passive isolation only. However, the physical isolation is actually pretty good. With a good fit, they reduce the perceived loudness of outside noise by an average of ~58%.

Standing outside on a busy street, I could barely hear the hum of cars passing by. On the bus, however, I could hear the high-pitched screeches of the bus as well as the muffled next-stop announcements.

How do the Sony WH-CH530 sound?

Overall, this sound should suit most casual listeners, especially fans of pop and hip-hop who like a little extra bass.

Reviewer’s notes

Editor’s note: this review uses a hover-enabled glossary to describe sound quality based on a consensus vocabulary. You can read about it here.

Can you use the Sony WH-CH530 for phone calls?

Often with cheap wireless headphones, the mics don’t sound very good. I’m happy to report that this isn’t the case with the Sony WH-CH530, which is perfectly suitable for calls, even in the presence of background noise. As you can hear in our sample recordings below, voices come through clearly and are not overpowered by a noisy office, street noise, or even windy conditions.

Sony WH-CH530 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Sony WH-CH530 microphone demo (Office conditions):

Sony WH-CH530 microphone demo (Street conditions):

Sony WH-CH530 microphone demo (Windy conditions):

Sony WH-CH530 microphone demo (Reverberant space):

Should you buy the Sony WH-CH530?

If you want cheap, lightweight wireless headphones that sound good and don’t need charging every few days, I would easily recommend the Sony WH-CH530. Just skip them if you absolutely need noise canceling for flights or something that packs down tight for travel.

If you’re looking for alternatives, the Sony WH-CH730N adds active noise canceling for a bit more money, while the Soundcore Q20i gets you noise canceling in an over-ear design for around the same price. For more options, check out our lists of the best headphones under $100 and best cheap headphones.