Sony WH-CH520: problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-19

Summary

An entry-level on-ear Bluetooth headset with no active noise cancellation and no wired fallback. Owners report intermittent Bluetooth dropouts, no-power or no-charge events, Windows connection delays and occasional headband slider breakage, while the pads and the charging cable are the only genuine spare parts and Sony services the model by exchange rather than repair. At $30-$35 it is a good quiet-environment buy, and $50 or more is hard to justify against the newer WH-CH530 at $58.

Common problems and fixes

Bluetooth dropouts — owners report audio stopping despite a connected state, with reports running into 2026; the workaround is to prefer a stable connection in the Sony app and update the firmware. [23][24]
Slow connection on Realtek Windows 11 desktops — a February 2026 owner had two units take 5-10 minutes to connect; disabling Windows power-saving on the Bluetooth adapter restored reliability. [25]
No-power or no-charge events — a December 2023 report had the headset go dark with a dead charging LED, recovered by resetting with a cable attached, and an April 2026 owner saw an orange charging LED stop lighting; try the factory initialize, holding Power and Volume Down for ten seconds or more until the blue light flashes four times. [26][27][7]
Headband slider breakage — a 2025 owner reported both sliding extensions broke within roughly a year; a Sony moderator referred the case to support with no public warranty decision. [28]
Hair caught by the hinge gap — a March 2026 owner reported the earcup and headband gap pulling longer hair, with no official fix or recall found. [29]
No ANC and weak isolation — the on-ear design lets voices and traffic through, so it is a poor pick for aircraft or loud transit. [12][15]
On-ear pressure and glasses — the pads press the ears and can clash with spectacle arms over a long shift, so a return policy is worth having. [12][13]
Bluetooth only, no wired fallback — there is no 3.5 mm socket and no USB audio, so an empty battery stops playback and latency rules out reaction-sensitive gaming. [12][14]

Parts and consumables

Black earpad, Sony 9-301-016-93 — $16.95 each, or $33.90 a pair, from the Sony-authorized Encompass portal (October 2026); replace only for flattened, torn or unhygienic cushions, with no set interval. [9][11]
Colored earpads, 9-301-016-95 (white), 9-301-016-94 (blue) and 9-301-016-96 (beige) — $16.95 each from the same portal, matched to the color variant. [9][10]
Original USB-A-to-USB-C cable, Sony 9-301-016-97 — $31.95 from Encompass (October 2026), close to the price of the headset itself, so a standard third-party cable is the rational replacement. [9]

Yearly running cost

There is no mandatory fee to use Bluetooth audio and no manufacturer schedule for consumables, so the mandatory yearly cost is $0. Replacing both genuine pads once a year would be an optional $33.90 before tax and shipping. An accurate electricity figure was not verified.

When it is a good buy

Sony US listed the WH-CH520 at $33 in October 2026, down from a $69.99 reference, and Walmart and Sweetwater also showed $33 for the black model. At $30-$35 it is an excellent buy for a quiet-environment, Bluetooth-only listener who tolerates on-ear pads; $36-$45 is reasonable if a preferred color or return terms matter; $50 or more is hard to justify. Sony’s September 2026 WH-CH530 is $58 and rates up to 55 hours, the on-ear JBL Tune 520BT is about $34.95 at Walmart, and the over-ear ANC Sony WH-CH720N is $88. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][12][15]