At CES 2020, Japan's Audio-Technica introduced its new ATH-ANC300TW, true wireless noise-eduction earbuds that compete with Apple's AirPod Pro and Sony's WF-1000XM3.
Audio-Technica has been making earbuds for the better part of its nearly 60-year history, but the last few years have been relatively turbulent for the company, steeped in the tradition of wired products aimed at audiophiles.
Audio-Technica ATH-ANC300TW launches AirPod Pro competitors
Like many of the big names in the space, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Master & Dynamic, and others, the transition to Bluetooth was largely forced on them, and many didn't anticipate how much the addition of technology in their analog products would change and challenge them from the inside out. Two years ago at the CES, we saw more and more earbuds considered true wireless. Since then, the format has become well known and popular among all manufacturers.
This year at CES 2020, a new trend has taken hold, that of true wireless noise-reducing earbuds.
While there were a few models launched previously, such as Apple's AirPods Pro, Sony's WF-1000XM3, or Huawei's Freebuds 3, the number of models multiplied this year at the CES in Las Vegas.
Panasonic and Technics launched their own versions, but so did Audio-Technica. The Japanese manufacturer took advantage of the Las Vegas show to unveil its ATH-ANC300TW.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC300TW is Bluetooth 5 compatible, supports the aptX codec, and can be paired to multiple devices.
The earbuds offer a battery life of 4.5 hours, with an additional 13.5 hours thanks to the charging unit.
For control purposes, the earphones have touch-sensitive surfaces directly on the side.
In addition, they are equipped with a 5.8 mm diameter transducer - the earbuds drivers - and come with four different sizes of ear tips.
Active noise reduction
But what will interest us most is the active noise reduction offered by Audio-Technica's earbuds.
The Japanese manufacturer has thus integrated three different settings: airplane, on the move, or office/research environment. To analyze ambient noise, each earphone is equipped with two dedicated external microphones.
Finally, Audio-Technica has also provided a transparency mode that can be activated by pressing the charging unit.
The ATH-ANC300TW is not the first pair of true wireless headphones from Audio-Technica, but they are the first with active noise cancellation, these $230 earbuds could be the stars of the show.
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