Sony WH-CH520

The WF-C510 is Sony's entry ticket, and it's the rare budget bud that reviewers describe as sounding like a Sony rather than a compromise: crisp, detailed mids and highs with a punchy low end, plus DSEE upscaling for compressed streams and a proper EQ in the Sound Connect app. The buds are genuinely tiny — among the smallest cases and lightest fits in the class — and owners who've worn them cycling and at the gym say they stay planted and shrug off sweat and rain despite the modest IPX4 rating. You get real multipoint for phone-plus-laptop switching, an Ambient Sound transparency mode with Voice Focus, and physical buttons instead of finicky touch panels. The trade-offs are clear-eyed ones: there's no ANC at all, no wireless charging, and while 11 hours per charge is excellent, the slim case only holds one extra charge for 22 total — the weakest case stamina in this price range. A 5-minute quick charge buying an hour of playback softens that. Codec support stops at SBC and AAC, so no LDAC hi-res here. If you want the most refined sound and smallest footprint under $50 and can live without noise cancelling, this is the pick; if you need ANC, look at the P30i or JBuds ANC 3 instead.

Best for Sound quality first, ANC never

This is the ten-dollar headphone that's been in every drugstore, backpack, and lost-and-found bin for a decade, and it's genuinely fine for what it costs. The 30mm drivers push a warm, bass-and-mids-forward sound that owners consistently describe as better than a $10 headphone has any right to be, though the top end gets rolled off and can turn harsh when you push the volume. At 120g with a fold-flat swivel design, it's light enough to forget in a bag as a permanent spare. The honest caveats are all comfort and build: the pads are thin pleather over small on-ear cups, the headband can pinch larger heads after an hour, and the non-detachable 1.2m cord is the usual failure point. There's no mic or remote — Sony sells the ZX110AP if you need one — and at 24 ohms it runs happily off any phone dongle or laptop jack. Don't expect isolation, soundstage, or all-day comfort; do expect a cheap, durable, name-brand headphone that embarrasses gas-station earbuds. If your use case is 'backup pair,' 'kid's Chromebook,' or 'office Zoom audio,' this is the default answer.

Best for A dirt-cheap spare or first wired headphone

The WH-CH720N is what happens when Sony puts its flagship V1 noise-cancelling processor in a $180-list headphone that actually sells for $87-95. At 192 grams it's one of the lightest ANC over-ears made, and that's its superpower — people who find the XM5 or Bose heavy wear this all day and forget it's on. The ANC is genuinely good on low rumble, merely okay on voices and clatter, and there's some hiss. Sound is balanced-warm and clean, though the bass is a bit loose and the 30mm drivers won't wow anyone before EQ in the Headphones Connect app. The weight savings come from frankly hollow-feeling plastic that creaks when flexed, and the headband padding is minimal. It doesn't fold, only swivels flat. Battery is 35 hours with ANC on — fine, not class-leading. A 3.5mm jack is included. Comfort-first ANC, done cheap.

Best for listeners who want light, all-day ANC comfort without flagship prices

Sony's WF-C710N fixes the two loudest complaints about the beloved WF-C700N: it adds multipoint and touch controls, and stretches ANC battery life to 8.5 hours. The translucent Glass Blue finish became a minor social-media phenomenon, and the ANC — with dual noise sensors — is comfortably among the best in the sub-$100 tier when you catch it on sale from its $120 list. The stingy parts are very Sony: SBC/AAC only (no LDAC on a Sony bud at this price still stings), no wireless charging, no spatial audio, and the buds grew slightly chunkier than the C700N, which smaller ears notice on long sessions. The Sound Connect app is feature-rich but pushy about accounts and notifications. Mic quality is average outdoors in wind. Retail review volume is still building since the 2025 launch, but sentiment tracks the C700N's strong reputation.

Best for commuters wanting Sony ANC without flagship prices

The MDR-7506 has been hanging in broadcast booths and video rigs since 1991, and almost nothing about it has changed — including the flaws. At 63 ohms and 106dB/mW it's sensitive enough that any camera, mixer, or phone drives it fine without an amp. The sound is bright and detail-forward: sibilance, hum, and edit points jump out, which is exactly why engineers love it and casual listeners sometimes find it fatiguing. The 230g folding frame is featherweight for all-day wear. Two gripes come up constantly: the 3-meter coiled cable is permanently attached and heavy for desk use, and the stock earpads famously disintegrate into black flakes within a year or two — nearly every long-term owner ends up buying aftermarket pads and considers it part of the price.

Best for podcasters and field recording pros

This is Sony's bass-cannon spin on its 1000X formula: the same V1 processor and genuinely good ANC trickled down from the flagship line, bolted to a dedicated ULT button that cycles two levels of bass boost. Owners are consistent on the split verdict — the default tuning is solid and warm, ULT1 is fun for EDM and hip-hop, and ULT2 is a caricature that buries everything above the bass line, so most people try it twice and leave it off. Noise cancellation is the real draw at this price; it's a clear step below the WH-1000XM5 but beats almost everything else under $200, and you get LDAC, multipoint, wear detection, and Sony's excellent app EQ — a feature list mid-rangers rarely match. Battery runs a rated 30 hours with ANC (50 with it off), and a 3-minute charge buys 90 minutes. Comfort gets high marks for the light 255g build and low clamp, though a few long-term owners report the plastic around the earcup joints cracking after a year-plus. Mic quality on calls is the other recurring complaint — fine indoors, inconsistent in wind and street noise. At its usual $128-150 street price it's one of the best-rounded mid-range ANC headphones; just know you're buying it for features and fun, not fidelity.

Best for Bass-first listeners who want real ANC without flagship prices