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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you prioritize call quality, gaming, a robust build, and the flexibility of both wired and wireless connections, along with features like active noise cancelling and app customization, the Sennheiser Accentum Plus may better suit your needs, though at a premium price. However, if you're looking for a budget-friendly option with strong performance in music, TV, and video, as well as longer battery life and lightweight comfort, the Sony WH-CH520 might be the way to go, but be aware it lacks noise cancellation and has lower overall sound quality. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Sennheiser Accentum Plus
- Excellent for phone calls
- Excellent for gaming
- Very good for exercise
- Excellent for air travel
- Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sony WH-CH520
- The Sony WH-CH520 has no clear advantages over the Sennheiser Accentum Plus.
Key differences
Phone Calls
9.2
6.7
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus is excellent for phone calls, while the Sony WH-CH520 is only fair.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.3
8.0
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sony WH-CH520 is very good.
TV and Video
8.8
8.2
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus and Sony WH-CH520 are both very good for TV and video, though the Sennheiser Accentum Plus is somewhat better.
Noise Reduction
8.3
4.6
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus is very good for noise reduction, while the Sony WH-CH520 is poor.
Cost
$230
$40
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus has a price of $230 and the Sony WH-CH520 costs $40.
Build Quality
8.9
7.0
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus has very good build quality, while the Sony WH-CH520 has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
7.5
7.6
The Sony WH-CH520 and Sennheiser Accentum Plus are both good for music.
Gaming
9.1
8.8
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser Accentum Plus to be excellent for gaming, while the Sony WH-CH520 is very good.
Battery
50.0 Hours
52.0 Hours
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus has 50 hours of battery life. The Sony WH-CH520 has 52 hours of battery life.
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How the Sennheiser Accentum Plus and the Sony WH-CH520 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser Accentum Plus | Sony WH-CH520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$230 | $40 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2024 | April 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.5/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 9.3/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 9.1/10 | 8.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.8/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 6.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 50 Hours | 52 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 1.9 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5.2 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.4/10 | 4.6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.9/10 | 7/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 10/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 227 Grams | 147.41 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Sony WH-CH520
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | September 2023
"If you’re looking for headphones that simply do what you ask them to: the Sony WH-CH520 is a decent option, even if it isn’t very exciting. Sony’s WH-CHXXX line fits this role quite well, and the WH-CH520 offers a decent raft of quality-of-life updates over its predecessor that should keep listeners happy. If the Sony WH-CH520 were a car, it’d be the boring-but-safe commuter compact."
Get a great deal on the Sennheiser Accentum Plus or the Sony WH-CH520
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
About Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
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