The Sony WH-CH510 are a mediocre pair of on-ear Bluetooth headphones. While they have a straightforward design, they look and feel cheap. The headband is made of plastic, with no padding whatsoever, and they don't fold up to be smaller for travel. While their sound profile is decently well-balanced, unfortunately, some vocals and instruments may sound dull and lacking in presence, so they may not be the best choice for genres like rock or pop.
Our Verdict
The Sony WH-CH510 are decent headphones for neutral sound listening. While their bass and mid ranges are very well-balanced, unfortunately, their treble range's accuracy is only mediocre, and some vocals and instruments may sound thin and dull.
- Decently well-balanced and accurate sound profile.
- Outstanding long battery life.
- Cheap overall look and feel.
- Sub-par comfort may cause fatigue during long listening sessions.
- Don't fold up for easy storage or portability.
The Sony WH-CH510 are only mediocre headphones for commuting or travel. While their on-ear design makes them a bit less bulky than over-ear headphones, they don't fold up at all, or come with a carrying case. They also isolate almost no background noises, so won't help with blocking out the low rumble from bus or train engines, or people chatting beside you. While you can turn the volume up to help block background noises, they leak a fair amount and people sitting next to you will likely be bothered by your music.
- Decently well-balanced and accurate sound profile.
- Outstanding long battery life.
- Cheap overall look and feel.
- Sub-par comfort may cause fatigue during long listening sessions.
- Don't fold up for easy storage or portability.
The Sony WH-CH510 are decent headphones for sports. Their on-ear design means that they breathe quite well and shouldn't cause your ear to get too hot. Unfortunately, they aren't the most stable and will likely move around or fall off during even moderately strenuous exercises or runs.
- Decently well-balanced and accurate sound profile.
- Outstanding long battery life.
- Cheap overall look and feel.
- Sub-par comfort may cause fatigue during long listening sessions.
- Don't fold up for easy storage or portability.
The Sony WH-CH510 are only passable for office use. While their outstanding battery life should last through almost an entire workweek, they're not the most comfortable and may cause fatigue after wearing all day. They also don't block out background speech well, and leak a decent amount of audio, which may bother co-workers sitting close to you.
- Decently well-balanced and accurate sound profile.
- Outstanding long battery life.
- Cheap overall look and feel.
- Sub-par comfort may cause fatigue during long listening sessions.
- Don't fold up for easy storage or portability.
The Sony WH-CH510 aren't recommended for wireless gaming. Since they're Bluetooth-only, they aren't compatible with Xbox One or PS4. While you can pair them to a Bluetooth-enabled PC, their latency will likely be too high for gaming.
The Sony WH-CH510 are Bluetooth-only headphones and can't be used wired.
The Sony WH-CH510 are mediocre headphones for phone calls. Like most Bluetooth headphones, their microphone isn't the greatest and, while your voice will sound clear and intelligible, it will likely sound quite thin and lacking in depth. It'll also be difficult for the person you're speaking to to hear you, even in only moderately noisy environments.
- Decently well-balanced and accurate sound profile.
- Outstanding long battery life.
- Cheap overall look and feel.
- Sub-par comfort may cause fatigue during long listening sessions.
- Don't fold up for easy storage or portability.
Changelog
- Updated May 27, 2024: The Sound Profile section has been updated to compare these to the JBL Tune 520BT Wireless.
- Updated Apr 11, 2023: Added a mention of the Sony WH-CH520 Wireless in the Compared To Others box.
- Updated Aug 05, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Feb 18, 2021: We replaced the audio file in 'Recording Quality' with the correct file.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sony WH-CH510 are budget Bluetooth headphones that look and feel quite cheap. While they're cheaper than most other Sony on-ear or over-ear headphones, they don't perform as well as some budget options from other brands. However, their successor, the Sony WH-CH520 Wireless, feel more solidly built and have more customization options via their companion app.
Check out our recommendations for the best budget wireless headphones, the best Bluetooth headphones under $100, and the best on-ear headphones.
The Sony WH-CH510 Wireless and the JBL Tune 510BT are fairly well-matched, though you may prefer one over the other depending on your needs. The JBL have a more comprehensive control scheme, provide superior mic recording quality, and can pair with two devices simultaneously. Meanwhile, the Sony have a more breathable, stable fit and block out marginally more background noise, though their performance in this respect is still poor.
The Sony WH-CH520 Wireless are better headphones than the Sony WH-CH510 Wireless. The WH-CH520 can connect to the Sony| Headphones Connect app, which features a graphic EQ with presets, playback control customization, and much more. The WH-CH510, in contrast, have none of these features, so you're stuck with their default controls scheme and sound profile, which is well-balanced but slightly bass-heavy. The WH-CH520 also have a longer continuous battery life and support multi-device pairing, so they'll last a whole workweek on one charge, and you can switch between your laptop and phone effortlessly.
The Sony WH-CH510 Wireless and the Beats EP are both mediocre on-ear headphones. The Beats are a bit more comfortable, feel better built, and have better controls, but are wired, unlike the Sony that are only Bluetooth. The Sony are much more consistent every time you put them on, but as long as you find a proper fit, the Beats have a more accurate treble range.
The Beats Solo3 2018 are slightly better headphones than the Sony WH-CH510 Wireless. The Beats are more comfortable, feel much better-built, are much more stable, and have an even longer battery that charges significantly cheaper. While the Beats have a more bass-heavy sound profile, the bass range of the Sony are a bit more accurate. As a result, the Sony likely represent better value for most people.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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