True wireless headphones have become more common in the past few years, but it's only recently that more traditional audio companies have embraced the trend. The latest company to do this is Audio Technica, which recently released the Audio Technica ATH-CK3TW true wireless headphones.
Audio Technica may be the first audio company, but the headphones themselves are relatively inexpensive at $100. Are they worth buying, or are they sacrificing too much to reach this price point? To find out, we tested the Audio Technica ATH-CK3TW true wireless headphones.
Design
The Audio - Technica ATH-CK3TW true wireless headphones tend to be pretty unassuming. The headphones themselves aren't all that unique in terms of design, aside from the Audio Technica logo you'll find on the lid of each one. Headphones are available in three colors - black, white and blue. We are looking at the white model, she looks normal.
You will get one touch control button on each earbud. We're glad there's touch controls here rather than physical buttons - as that would mean putting buds in your ears just to control the headphones.
The charging case is also relatively unassuming. The case is quite small and will easily fit into most pockets, which is always handy. On the right side, it has a USB-C port, and that's it.
In the box, in addition to the earbuds themselves, you will receive a USB-A to USB-C charging cable and a total of four pairs of ear tips, including the tips that are pre-installed on the earbuds. It doesn't seem like a huge selection of accessories, but it's pretty much everything you need.
Comfort
The Audio Technica ATH-CK3TW headphones don't have sports wings or ear hooks - as a result, they don't fit very well in the ears. The good news is that the headphones come with a decent selection of eartips, so it's a little easier to find something that fits your ears well, but even after some experimentation, the headphones never seemed to be super safe.
Once we found a pair of ear tips that matched our needs, the headphones were relatively comfortable.
Sound
Audio Technica has long been a respected audio company, so you can expect their headphones even in this price range to sound pretty good. And, fortunately, they manage. Sure, these aren't the most sounding headphones you'll ever hear, but for a $100 pair of headphones, they have a lot to offer.
First, the bass is relatively thick and powerful despite the small size of the headphones. The bass drums cut through the mix easily, while the bass was smooth and strong without going over the top or being too muddy.
The mids are well tuned too and stand out well from the other frequency ranges on offer here. The low mids provide a good amount of warmth, while the high mids allow vocals, guitars and synths to shine.
The treble also sounds good, despite the fact that it is often not suitable for headphones in this price category. The Audio Technica ATH-CK3TW headphones offer a good amount of detail and clarity, and while they aren't the most detailed headphones, most will be happy with the detail on offer here.
Performance
Audio Technica's ATH-CK3TW true wireless headphones connect to your listening device via Bluetooth 5.0, and we found they maintained a good connection throughout our testing.
In terms of battery life, you'll get six hours of listening time on a single charge, which is good but not necessarily groundbreaking. The battery compartment will provide the headphones with an additional 24 hours, bringing the total operating time to 30 hours. It is very good.
Conclusions
The $3 Audio Technica ATH-CK100TW headphones are a great deal. Of course, these are not the most suitable headphones, nor do they have the most unique design, but they sound great and are sold at an affordable price.
But are they the best option in their price range? Well, it depends on what you are looking for. If you're looking for something for sports, you need something that fits your ears best - in which case, the JLab Audio JBuds Air Sport is worth considering. However, if you're willing to put up with some fit issues and want great sound quality, these headphones are the way to go.
For excellent sound quality and a good price, we award the Audio Technica ATH-CK3TW a silver medal in the headphone review.