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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC offers better noise isolation which makes them excellent for air travel and environments with a lot of background noise. However, the Sony WH-CH520, while less effective at noise isolation, provides a significantly longer battery life that could be more convenient for extended use without frequent charging. The Sony model is also lighter, which may be more comfortable for long listening sessions. The Skullcandy, being the more expensive product, has active noise canceling and slightly superior overall sound quality, but the Sony headset excels in gaming and TV usage due to lower latency. If call quality is a concern, Sony also has the edge with a higher mic quality score. Choose Skullcandy if you prioritize noise isolation and overall sound quality in noisier environments, or go for Sony if you want longer battery life, gaming and TV suitability, and better call performance at a more affordable price. 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 Skullcandy Hesh ANC
- Excellent for air travel
Advantages of the Sony WH-CH520
- Good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.7
7.6
The Sony WH-CH520 is good for music, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is only fair.
Gaming
5.6
8.8
The Sony WH-CH520 is very good for gaming, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is poor.
Phone Calls
5.3
6.7
The Sony WH-CH520 is only fair for phone calls, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.0
8.0
The Sony WH-CH520 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is only fair.
TV and Video
5.8
8.2
The Sony WH-CH520 is very good for TV and video, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.7
4.6
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC is very good for noise reduction, while the Sony WH-CH520 is poor.
Battery
23.0 Hours
52.0 Hours
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC has 23 hours of battery life. The Sony WH-CH520 has 52 hours of battery life.
Cost
$135
$40
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC has a price of $135 and the Sony WH-CH520 costs $40.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.0
7.0
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC and Sony WH-CH520 both have good build quality.
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How the Skullcandy Hesh ANC and the Sony WH-CH520 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Skullcandy Hesh ANC | Sony WH-CH520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$135 | $40 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Skullcandy | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2020 | April 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.8/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.3/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.6/10 | 8.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.8/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.2/10 | 6.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 23 Hours | 52 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.6 Hours | 1.9 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.2 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.8/10 | 4.6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | No | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | No | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 10/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 226.7 Grams | 147.41 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Skullcandy Hesh ANC
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonecheck
Maike Paeßens | 2021
"Skullcandy’s Hesh ANC are compact, wireless over-ears for everyday use that are tuned for bass and designed to suppress or amplify ambient noise as required. In addition to Bluetooth 5.0, optional tracking via the Tile app is supported so that these headphones can be found if they get lost."
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."
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About Skullcandy
Skullcandy is an American, consumer-oriented, earbuds and headphones manufacturer with 20 years of market experience. They sell a wide variety of, budget-friendly and unique, wired and wireless products that are sure to please the vast majority of users. Among their most popular offerings, the Crusher headphones, includes a pair of actual subwoofers inside the cups which makes the bass extra prominent for a unique and extra fun sound.
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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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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