Review on Audio-Technica ATH-ANC300TW QuietPoint Wireless Active Noise-Cancelling In-Ear Headphones, Black 🎧 - Immerse in Your Music with Unmatched Audio Clarity and Absolute Silence by Brittney Stone

I have had several Audio-Technica over-ear headphones and in-ear headphones (IEMs) in the past and have always appreciated their sonic performance. Of course, I was excited to try Audio-Technica's latest ATH ANC300 Totally Wireless creation in the hopes that they would be leagues ahead of the many other fully wireless IEMs I own. Here are my findings: Case Size: The photo shows the relative size of the charging case compared to a selection of other IEMs. This is the middle of the street, not the smallest and not the biggest. It's a bit thick, which means it swells a lot when you throw it in your bag. Overall the case is well constructed, but the earbuds didn't dig into their magnets as much as the Sennheiser True Wireless Momentum 2, although that may be due to the choice of Comply earbuds I made. (See below.) Ear tip size: My ear is relatively small and I was concerned that these headphones might be uncomfortable. However, they fit well in my small ears. I sent the headphones back due to a painful fit but they are fine. Tips: I immediately switched to the Comply tip that came with them as my ear canals are oddly shaped and the silicone ear tips just don't seal well. Imagine my dismay when the tip detached from the sound tube and got stuck in my ear the second time I pulled the left earphone out of my ear. The included attachments are not Comply universal attachments with a protrusion to accommodate audio tubes; it's more of a simple friction fit with insufficient support, which is why it popped out of my ear. I switched to the Comply all-purpose tips I already had and that fixed the problem. Active noise cancellation: I have had four other IEMs with noise cancellation: first generation Sony WF1000, Sony WF-1000xm3s, Apple Air Pod. Pro and Sennheiser True Wireless Momentum v2s. The noise reduction of the ANC300 is really first generation, so not very good. My "test setup" is to listen to the IEM in a quiet room with the fan running. I'm listening with noise cancellation on and off and sitting in the same seat with the same fan running. The noise cancellation on this ANC300 is comparable to the first generation Sony WF1000, which isn't a big deal. Noise-cancellation can only be disabled in the Audio Technica app, where you can also choose multiple noise-cancellation intensity options depending on the environment. I prefer to enable/disable noise cancellation directly from the headphones. Enabling noise reduction produces white background noise, which is absent from the Sony WF-1000xm3s and almost non-existent from the Sennheiser TW v2s. Noise cancellation outperforms the Sony WF1000xm3s, Sennheiser True Wireless v2s and Apple Air Pros. Sound quality: With perfect sound quality, I can overlook many other shortcomings. Unfortunately, the sound of the ANC300, while tolerable, is not impressive. The sound signature is fairly neutral, with no particular emphasis on bass or treble, which I applaud, and it's not metallic like my Air Pod Pros, but it's closed. The reverb decays too quickly, muffling the "air" and space that good headphones reproduce. that take away atmosphere and excitement. The 3D soundstage is closed compared to the best wireless headphones in their class. I personally prefer the sound quality of the 1More Stylish True Wireless IEMs, which I got from Revain for 1/3 the price of the ANC300. all nothing like the first-gen BeoPlay E8 IEMs, of course, which pop out by simply turning your head left to right. I'd say it's on par with the Sony WF-1000xm3s. Shortcomings: My device's left earpiece rattles when I walk quickly. None of the other 40 or so IEMs I own have done this. I'm not sure if there's something loose in the earbud, if the diaphragm is bent, or if the earbud is just oddly bumping against my pinna. Needless to say I am not happy with them and they will come back. And now some direct comparisons. ANC300 vs. Sony WF-1000xm3: ANC300 offer at the same price as Sony WF1000. The Sony WF-1000 have the best battery life and a bass accent that can be adjusted using the Sony Companion app. Overall, I like the sound quality of the WF-1000xm3 much better than that of the ANC300. That said, Sony's headphones aren't waterproof, and the external mic vent creates unacceptable wind turbulence when walking outdoors. ANC300 vs. Sennheiser True Wireless v2: Sennheiser are my favorite IEMs. They have excellent battery life, about 2x longer than Audio Technica, they're somewhat weather resistant compared to the ANC300's IPX2 (IPX4), they have excellent passive isolation and normal active noise cancellation, which when combined with the native passive isolation increases Ambient blocks noise than ANC or Sony. As with Sony, the sound profile can be adjusted using the companion app, although the settings are rudimentary compared to Sony's level of control. The sound quality, transparency and 3D soundstage of the Sennheiser v2 is far superior to that of the ANC300. But you will pay for it; They cost $70 more than the ANC300. ANC300s vs. Apple Air Pod Pros: I've never been able to get the Apple Air Pod Pros to fit my oddly shaped left ear well, so the noise-cancelling didn't work properly. I was able to get a good fit when pressing the left earcup, but was unhappy with what I found to be metallic sound quality. The ANC300 sound much more acoustic. ANC300 vs. Jabra Elite Active 65t: I use the Jabra Active for lawn mowing. The sound is mostly normal, rather average, about the same as the ANC300. And the Jabra Elite Actives have the best battery life, a much smaller body and the best sweat/water resistance I've ever owned (IP56). If these IEMs cost $150 they would be competitive. But for $230 and the Sony WF-1000xm3 discounted to around $180, you can get more bang for your buck elsewhere.