Sony WH CH700N vs Sony MDR XB950N1

A good headphone is necessary if we often spend time listening to our favorite songs because they are among the most important factor to promote great experience. If you also use them in crowded places, it is good to use noise cancelling headphone because they can block outside noise. Among those many options available, affordable units like Sony WH CH700N vs Sony MDR XB950N1 will be a great help without spending so much. Go check below to see which suit your taste better.

In this article, we are going to give you information about:
– Are you currently looking for a headphone
– What are Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1
– What Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1 Look Like
– How are the Sound of Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1
– How are the Noise Cancelling of Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1
– Are Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1 Comfortable
– Sony WH CH700N vs Sony MDR XB950N1

Choosing Headphone
Music listening is probably one of the most pleasant activity to do for many of us. They give color to our dull works and help us relax more or hype more when facing something. For casual users, the best headphone will be those that make our favorite songs sound even better suiting our preference and taste or serve another purpose such as isolating our ears from outside noise which may disturb whatever we are currently listening to and other purpose that may differ from users to another.

The sound produce from our headphone will not only decided by the headphone itself because there are other things like audio quality as well. This factor may passed by some users but a good headphone won’t help a bad audio file to sound better for if it has high clarity, it may exposed the bad sound on the track. However, in present day we can have many options to rip from CD directly or download from legal source where the quality is dependable.

Just like our taste in music, our favorite songs will also differ from person to person since each headphone have their own “color” which we may love or not, thus it is better to decide what we want first before looking for the unit. A good headphone is the one that will make our favorite songs give their best part just like what we love such as those who loves punchy bass will probably prefer headphone with boosting on its low part while audiophile will probably prefer those with balance sound.

Another factor we may want to consider is the place or environment where we want to listen to these headphones. A quiet place like in our own house or own room will be good for any type of headphone, even those open back design. However, if you often listen to them in a crowded place or work in a busy environment where noises can mix together with your favorite songs, it is better to use a noise cancelling headphone to isolate your ears.

A good headphone is not always expensive but the price indeed play an important role on making them dependable or not. However, along the time, manufacturer keep increasing their quality and technology to make an even affordable unit sounds good. Most of them may not going to take our breath but there are many good headphones out there we can get without digging in too deep into our pocket.

About Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1
Among those many headphone brands in the market, we are sure most of us already familiar with Sony because they are one of the big players nowadays with their quality products in different price range from those very affordable until those that will make us sliding into the next tab quickly for their expensive price. The brand have a huge collection we can choose starting from regular headphone for casual users until those made for people with more experience on the field.

If the one you need is a noise cancelling headphone, they also have the list of products to offer but if you don’t want to spend much on them, Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1 can be a great option. Both of them are placed on the entry or middle level of noise cancelling headphone so their price is also more affordable than those in higher end like Sony WH1000XM3 vs WH1000XM2 which not only better but also richer in feature.

Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1 Design
In design, both of Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1 are rather similar to each other with a similar material and built. Comparing them from the outside, C700N ear cups is a little bit wider on its padding compared to the straight design of XB950N1. They are equally a wireless headphone with Bluetooth and NFC which is great if we often use them while commuting with public transportation since there will be less thing to carry or tangling around.

Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1 Sound
The first thing we need to consider when looking for a headphone is the sound quality because this is what they are used for and depend on our taste which is very personal, each one of them may capable of giving a different sense of sound. Being in the middle end, CH700N is a good sounding headphone with its sound quality that give a deep, thumpy and well-balanced bass. Its middle range itself is also clear for vocals and instruments along with a balance treble.

However, their bass delivery is not that constant which users may experience from time to time when they pay attention to it. Another issue is the midrange because while they are good, it is a bit hollow to push its vocals and instrument towards the back of the mix while the treble is on its bright side. Generally, this model is not neutral with pushing here and there but in our opinion they are still very pleasant to use.

At the other hand, XB950N1 is clearly made for those who love powerful bass because it is what the headphone will give to you. Taken from Techradar  even when the effect EQ not active, this model already have a bass heavy sound that will make experiences like listening to hip hop songs, electronic and trap music sound even better. However, with this emphasize, the overall sound will drown some of its mid and even rolled off its high like those with instruments that lose the sparkle and resolution.

What we love the most from this model is its App companion that we can install in either Android or iOS to tweak the bass effect EQ and virtual soundstage option. This app is also user friendly and seems to be useful for those with the headphone through simple operation and leveling from -10 to +10. When we turn down the bass, we can hear some of its mids but the rolled off highs still stay very clear.

Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1 Noise Cancelling
Since both of them are noise cancelling headphones, we also have to pay attention into its isolation capability. They are featured with active noise cancelling ability which we can deactivate when needed. In this part, both of them are very similar for the level of isolation provided are almost at the same level. They are good to have in noisy environment but compared to more expensive unit, the isolation is not that good and while can keep our ears from some outside noise, they can’t make them disappear completely.

Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1 Comfort
Another thing we have to check before purchasing a headphone is the comfort because for most of us, we want to use them for hours or even as long as we spend time working to help reduce the boredom or can help with some focus as well. In this side, CH700N will suit more people because the design is making the unit more comfortable with its enough padding and plush enough to put less pressure on our ears.

At the other hand, XB950N1 is moderately comfortable but somehow the ear cups are not fitting our ears comfortably and as a noise cancelling that should cover our ears completely, they are rather small. Compared to the other, its weight is also heavier and there even times when the padding is pinching our ear tips which hurts a bit after we used them for a while. Overall, in our opinion, this model can be a better option for those with smaller head while CH700N will better fit those with a larger head or hair.

Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1 Control
On the control side, both of Sony WH CH700N and Sony MDR XB950N1 are very similar as well because they have the same control options to activate or deactivate the noise cancelling capability, adjust the volume without the portable music player and a button to control the music or call. As for the portability, XB950N1 is a bit better because we can make them fold into a more compact form unlike the other which can only lays flat.

Comparison
Now, let’s compare Sony WH CH700N with Sony MDR XB950N1. As you may already know, the prominent difference between these two is on the sound they produce because CH700N is more pleasing for wider users with its pronounce yet less aggressive bass unlike XB950N1 with its strong low side. On comfort, CH700N is better but in portability XB950N1 is easier to store and carried in a compartment.

Sony WH CH700N vs Sony MDR XB950N1

Conclusion
All in all, the decision is all yours to make because both of them are meant to be marketed for different users. If you love strong bass, XB950N1 is the one to go, but if you prefer to keep things less aggressive yet still clear and enjoyable, we will highly recommend you to pick Sony WH CH700N.