Audio-Technica ATH-ANC300TW headphones review
Summary
Quick verdict: Audio-Technica's active noise cancelling true wireless buds have great sound, but they're lacking in some features commonly found in premium headphones.
- Good tonal range
- Variety of noise cancellation types
- Actual selection buttons
- Expensive
- Not the best battery life
- Can’t change noise cancellation type without the app
- No auto power on or auto pause features
Audio-Technica's ATH-ANC300TW headphones are direct competitors to the likes of the Sony WF-1000MX3 buds. They're designed for folks who want the convenience of true wireless headphones but also crave actual noise cancellation, not just the mediocre isolation that you get from any buds that you stick into your ears.
They're overall very pleasing headphones with great audio quality and a range of noise cancelling settings
that give them a lot of flexibility relative to the rest of the market. However, like much of Audio-Technica's output, you do pay a premium price for these features.
Design
Design
- Simple black buds
- Actual buttons rather than touch sensors
- Medium-sized carry case
Performance
Performance
- You have to pair to the right bud
- Wide range of codec support
- Noise cancelling tweaks are done through the app only
- They don't power on out of the case
Battery life
Battery life
- 4.5 hours claimed charge, but you'll more likely see 3 to 4
Verdict
Verdict
- Good sound, but there's plenty of competition
Should you buy it?
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC300TW headphones present great sound across most genres, and they're flexible with support for multiple codecs, inbuilt IPX2 sweat protection and variable noise cancellation modes which generally work well. They also avoid the common problem of many true wireless buds by using actual buttons rather than touch sensors.
However, they're also just a shade more expensive than their general competitors. The app-driven approach isn't ideal if you want to quickly change up the noise cancelling profiles, and they lack the power on and pause facilities found in many competitors.