User Experience

The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC300TW earphones are larger than average to begin with, mostly to accommodate the extra microphones for the hybrid noise canceling and hear-through modes. This and the rounded oval shape tapering down slightly towards the bottom mean that it juts out a lot more, too. There is no ergonomic design, and I have to say that it was one of the least comfortable to wear for longer periods of time with my averagely sized ears. In particular, the concha and antihelix were pressed into by the ear buds no matter which tips I used. I kept fidgeting every 15 min or so, which only draws more attention to these large extensions jutting out your ears. As for the nozzle and the tips themselves, I hardly have any complaints. The provided four pairs of silicone tips will cover just about everyone, with the company opting to provide an extra set (XS) over most of the competition. The fifth set in the form of the memory foam tips can be even more comfortable and isolating, but some dislike the texture of foam. The earbuds do not get hot—there is plenty of ventilation at least. The buds are also lighter than their size would suggest at 7 g each, so there is no weight-related fatigue.

Battery life is a key metric for TWS earbuds, and these promise a measly 4.5 hours of use when fully charged. I was not sure if this was with or without ANC on, but it unfortunately was the latter. Battery life barely went above 3.5 hours with ANC on the highest settings, which is pathetic for 2021. The case also provides another three charge cycles at most, though owing to charging losses, it is slightly less, so you will find yourself charging these often if used with ANC. There is no way you are using these on an airplane ride unless it is quite short, which is really a shortcoming. Charging time is not quick either given the 500 mA limit, but on par with most others. This and the poor battery life mean that the battery capacity on both the earphones and the charging case must be relatively low compared to other TWS offerings, and Audio-Technica not providing this information publicly doesn't help fight this argument. There is also no mention of an IP rating, so these are not meant for your exercise routine.

Audio Performance

Microphones

Audio-Technica uses an unnamed 5.8 mm dynamic driver in each bud, and an unspecified number of microphones are included for communication as well as the noise-cancellation and hear-through modes. In addition to the standard SBC codec, these support aptX and AAC. Nothing more, which is a shame as I would have liked to see newer, improved codecs adopted since these are still relatively new and meant to be a flagship QuietPoint wireless audio solution from the brand. We will get to the listening experience below, but I have to say I was extremely impressed with the microphones. Voice clarity in calls, both over the network and the Internet, was exceptional. I also used these as a Bluetooth headset to connect to a camera for work, which also left me pleasantly surprised by the audio quality.That the audio prompts barely worked is a bit of a shame, but the base functionality as a microphone incurs no complaints from me with the ATH-ANC300TW punching above its weight and size class.

Frequency Measurement and Listening

Before we proceed, I will mention that I have a general preference for a V-shaped sound signature emphasizing elevated bass and treble with recessed mids. I also generally prefer instrumental music over vocals, which complements the V-shaped profile.


It took some time to identify all the necessary pieces, order them with a language barrier in place, obtain the necessary software, and finally set up a reproducible testing methodology, which begins with an IEC711 audio coupler earbuds can feed into enough for decent isolation similar to real ears. The audio coupler feeds into a USB sound card, which in turn goes to a laptop that has ARTA and REW running and the TWS earphones paired to it. I begin with an impulse measurement to test for signal fidelity, calibrate the sound card and channel output, and finally test the frequency response of each earbud separately by also keeping the distance from the source to the earbud as consistent as possible. Octave smoothing is at the 1/6th setting, which nets a good balance of detail and noise not being identified as useful data. Also, the default tuning was used for testing, and no app-based settings were chosen unless specifically mentioned. The raw data was exported from REW and plotted in OriginPro for an easier comparison here. I am avoiding the use of the ear mold for wireless solutions because the base of the mold disrupts the connection somewhat.


Now, after calibrating the sound card and accounting for the base (floor) noise levels, I am a touch more confident about the SPL label, but based on the overall resistance and impedance in the system, there is likely still a significant offset across the board. What is really useful information is how the left and right channels work across the rated frequency response in the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC300TW, or at least the useful part of it. The left earbud was separately tested from the right one, and colored differently for contrast. I did my best to ensure an identical fit for both inside the IEC711 orifice, so note how the right channel ends up having a slightly boosted response in the low frequency (bass), a dip in the mids, and a boost again in the highs (treble) compared to the left channel, in addition to a smoother bass profile. Some of the discrepancy could be due to the wireless connectivity, but there are also bigger things ongoing than just the difference between the two. I will also mention that there was no discernible break-in period or effect, either.

Look at that lower frequency response, or lack thereof. Sub-bass is practically non-existent, and the single dynamic driver is clearly tuned more with a broad elevation beginning ~30 Hz and peaking at 100–110 Hz. There isn't much of a bump from the baseline either, so the overall bass response is less than satisfactory even to someone who is by no means a bass head. Forget thumping, I actually was surprised at how much lower the output was, to where the missing EQ in the first-party app was actually hurting. Good thing there are about a million other such options, though! Uneven dips move to the lower mids and then onto the mids proper, with a random boost around 2 kHz that will intrigue and irritate people depending on the type of music you listen to. Vocals are strong to complement the microphone quality, thus making for the excellent two-way communication as well.

The transition to the highs is not as smooth as I'd like. Classical music and jazz plays better here than EDM and pop, but careful about extending this to all instruments with that sharp rise and even sharper fall into the highs. Tuning is weird, almost as if Audio-Technica expects people to tone down the highs and get more of a neutral response with ANC on. Soundstage is not very wide or deep, either, and this is where I was most letdown after a very satisfying experience with the ATH-CKS5TW. I have to say I do not have a lot of TWS earphones in this price range at this point, with most coming from the $80–$150 range, which already tells you this is priced higher. Going back to the less expensive ATH-CKS5TW, which is the closest direct competitor I have, I have to say I prefer it over the ANC300TW for better tuning and a broader appeal across music genres. Some of the others I have tested in the past are also more deliberate in what they want to do, be it the Lypertek PurePlay Z3 or Creative Outlier Gold. I am testing the EVA2020 x final alongside this, and that thing is more expensive, though at least partly due to the IP license. That said, I need some more time before comparing it with this, so look for that in its own review shortly.

Noise Cancelling

Aha, so maybe there is something good here beyond the microphones. Remember when I mentioned that Audio-Technica isn't necessarily a brand associated with active noise cancellation? Perhaps it should be. There is a very impressive noise reduction at the same gain and testing conditions as before to where I can also confirm it works just as well in my own ears. There is not as big a difference between the three ANC modes as much as just having it on at all, and I will give props to Audio-Technica for doing something here that the likes of Sony and Bose get most credit for. The ANC effect is better than anything I have tested from Cleer, Philips, Monoprice, and a couple of other lesser-known brands. I only tested Bose at Bose stores, but Sony still fares better with the WF-1000XM3 and probably the newer -XM4. At the same time, we should also look at the frequency response with ANC on, and we see that bass details are lost further, while the mids and highs are mostly retained. There is plenty of detail here, but the lows get muffled further from what was arguably not the best starting point to begin with.