The ATH-TWX7 just lack that certain something…
In-ear headphones | £190| whf.cm/ATH_TWX7
There are alot of true wireless earbuds knocking around at the moment. It sometimes feels as if a new pair arrives every week. At £190, the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 undercut the premium class leaders but clearly aim a little higher than the myriad contenders sitting within the £100-150 mid-range.
At this level we expect a strong feature list and plenty of sonic performance for those who are not planning to go all-out on sound and price.
Their price places the ATH-TWX7 between the affordable Sony WF-C700N (£100) and flagship Sony WF-1000XM5 (£259) – both worthy Award-winners. The Technics EAH-AZ60M2 offer a more direct rival at £199, while the JBL Live Pro 2 TWS were tested at £130 but often drop down to just over £100.
The Audio Technicas are a good-looking, nicely made pair of wireless earbuds that we would be happy sporting for long periods without issue or complaint. Such is the slight, diminutive nature of the earbuds that you can easily forget you are wearing them at all; at just 4.7g, they are light as a feather.
Sporting a slender, long-stem design, these buds offer a secure fit, a boon that is aided by a bounteous choice of eartips: there is a soft set (XS/S/M/L) for a comfort-led fit and a standard set for greater security. The buds also have a solid IPX4 rating that lets them get splashed with water without causing serious damage.
Alongside the standard SBC and AAC Bluetooth protocols, the ATH-TWX7 supports the higher-quality LDAC codec (accessible via the app). Battery life is okay – you’ll eke out around 7.5 hours from the buds and 24 hours with the charging case (ANC off).
Noise cancelling is expected at this level and it is duly provided, with a performance that to our ears feels decent if not truly outstanding. That standard humming layer of noise provided by buzzing lights, computer fans and air conditioners is dampened down effectively enough, but anything more challenging, such as human speech or clacking keyboards comes through with little resistance.
On-ear controls are provided, too – in an old-school rather than touch-sensitive way. Here, a small button on each bud’s stem takes care of several customisable functions. All is tactile and responsive.
That app, incidentally, is a rather good one. It is not staggeringly exciting or innovative, yet it’s a solid platform that lets you adjust the classic parameters and much more besid
