Great looks, good sound, tons of competition – News Block

Audio-Technica is a company known for everything from headphones to microphones, but it’s not as well known for its true wireless headphones, at least not yet. The company is aiming for quality, affordable true wireless headphones with the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW, which retail for less than $80.

Unlike many true wireless earphones hitting the market these days, the ATH-SQ1TW have a unique look. That said, Audio-Technica had to remove some features from the in-ear headphones to achieve the price the company was looking for. This is where the company could struggle, as competitors offer more features for less money.

Did Audio-Technica go too basic with the ATH-SQ1TW, or is the company’s audio prowess such that the headphones are worth the asking price anyway?

Construction and Comfort: Great look, not so great feel

While most true wireless earphones opt for the classic bean shape or long-stem style of Apple’s AirPods Pro, the ATH-SQ1TW takes a different approach. The earcups are a rounded square on the outside, with a protruding, forward-pointing fin to help you orient them correctly in your ear. It’s a matter of opinion, but I really like the boxy look.

Note: The ATH-SQ1TW headphones come in licorice (black, as reviewed), blueberry (blue), caramel (light brown), lollipop (red, white, and blue), cupcake (pink and brown), and popcorn (light gray and grey ).

Water resistance is important in headphones, especially if you frequently use them outdoors. The ATH-SQ1TWs don’t have an IP rating, but Audio-Technica describes them as splash-proof, which would roughly equate to an IPX4 rating. You certainly don’t want to let these fall into the water.

While the ATH-SQ1TW headphones take a unique approach to looks, they also take a unique approach to fit. I’ve tried a lot of headphones over the years, and I’ve never come across a set that felt like it was pushed so deep into my ear. It was uncomfortable at first, and although I eventually got used to it, I never felt as comfortable as I wanted.

At least Audio-Technica includes four sets of extra-small to large silicone tips, and the charging case has a satisfying magnetic closure.

Connectivity: Keep things simple

The Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW features Bluetooth 5.0, but they don’t really take much advantage of the specification. If nothing else, pairing is simple: take them out of the charging case for the first time and they’ll instantly go into pairing mode. The headphones also feature Android Fast Pair.

Unfortunately, while we’re starting to see more advanced codecs in wireless headphones, Audio-Technica isn’t taking advantage of that capability here. The ATH-SQ1TW only supports one Bluetooth codec, the most basic SBC codec. When other headphones feature at least AAC, not to mention newer codecs like LDAC, aptX Adaptive, or the newer LC3, it seems like a bewildering decision.

Note: Audio-Technica’s ATH-SQ1TWs support Bluetooth multipoint, which means they can connect to up to two devices at once.

The headphones have a built-in low latency mode that you can turn on, but the latency isn’t particularly high in the first place. It can be useful for gamers, but I’d rather see higher quality codecs than a low latency mode.

Controls: smart and useful

There isn’t a single button on the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW headphones. Instead, they use capacitive touch panels on each earcup. This can often be annoying, as you can accidentally pause your music or turn up the volume when you try to put the headphones in your ears. Not with these headphones.

The ATH-SQ1TW has a unique solution to this problem. The touch panels are initially locked when you take the earbuds out of the charging case. You must touch each panel once before it will respond to input, which prevents you from accidentally activating them.

Once the controls are unlocked it’s pretty simple. A single tap on the right earbud pauses and resumes playback, while the left earbud answers or ends calls. The controls are pretty in-depth, and you’ll want to read the quick start guide, as there’s no app to control the headset’s features otherwise.

Sound quality: amazing clarity

With drivers that are just 5.8mm, while other recent headphones have been pushing drivers up to 11mm and higher, I didn’t expect much bass from these headphones. Combined with using the most basic Bluetooth codec, my expectations when it came to sound were pretty low as well.

Of course, we’re talking about Audio-Technica, so you should have had more faith in the company’s ability to make a good-sounding headphone. While it would have been nice to have higher-resolution codecs available, even with just SBC, the ATH-SQ1TW headphones sound pretty good.

Listening to Calexico’s “The Black Light,” the headphones handle dynamics well, which isn’t always the case. The light hi-hat playback and brushed body can be compressed and louder on other headphones, but they’re quiet enough but still audible here. Singer Joey Burns’ voice sounds like it’s in the headphones.

On JEFF the Brotherhood’s “Chilled to Bones,” the drums sound huge, even though it’s a pretty dry recording. I’ve experienced this on speakers, but not often on headphones. Later in the song, as more stereo elements begin to appear, the soundstage opens up even more.

The ATH-SQ1TWs have a prominent upper midrange, so I decided to give The Upsetters’ “Dread Lion” a try, a great song that sounds like it has a blanket over it. I thought these headphones might open up the top end, but it still sounds a bit muffled. That being said, the headphones do handle the low end well.

In a strange decision, the ATH-SQ1TW features Hear-Through mode (basically the transparency mode made popular by AirPods Pro). This is useful for hearing what’s going on around you, but is usually only found on headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC), which the ATH-SQ1TW headphones don’t have.

Audio Technica ATH-SQ1TW Microphone Sample: Indoors

Audio Technica ATH-SQ1TW Microphone Sampler: Outdoors

Battery Life: Average but usable

Audio-Technica plays it safe with the ATH-SQ1TW’s claimed battery life, which claims 6.5 hours of playtime. The charging case adds two more full charges (or 13 hours), bringing the total to around 19.5 hours, at least according to the company.

In my tests, I easily got seven hours out of the ATH-SQ1TW. Add two more charges from the case and you could easily get up to 21 total hours of playtime. This is volume dependent, but it’s nice to know that Audio-Technica isn’t claiming playback time that the ATH-SQ1TW can’t match.

The earbuds charge in the case in 90 minutes, while the case charges from empty to full in two hours. This number comes from USB-C charging because, unfortunately, the charging case does not support wireless charging.

If you’re out of power and looking for music to carry on, charging the buds in the case, plugged in, for 15 minutes gives you an hour of playtime.

Should I buy the Audio Technica ATH-SQ1TW?

The Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW aren’t bad headphones by any means, but unfortunately for them, there’s a lot of competition. Most of the competition for the same price or less will not sound any better, but they may offer more features.

When it comes to sound, the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW are pretty good for the price. Unfortunately, the lack of prenatal care will be a major problem for many. The weird feeling of how far the buds extend into your ears won’t be for everyone either.

If you like the look and don’t need the noise cancellation, the ATH-SQ1TW headphones will work quite well for you, but a little more attention to wireless options would go a long way in Audio-Technica’s next set of headphones.