I’m not entirely sure how much battery life is “enough” when it comes to wireless headphones, but if running out of juice keeps you awake at night, Audio-Technica has the solution with its new ATH-S300BT. The noise-canceling cans come in two matte finishes and possess an absolutely astonishing 90 hours of claimed battery life. Better yet, they cost just $90.
We’ve seen other active noise-canceling (ANC) wireless headphones come in at $100 or less — the excellent 1More Sonoflow is a good example — but this is the first time a company with Audio-Technica’s deep history of delivering quality audio has tried its hand at the budget ANC segment. Prior to the ATH-S300BT, the company’s only sub-$100 wireless cans were the $80 non-ANC .
Beyond their insane battery life and ANC, the S300BT also offer selectable transparency mode (or you can turn ANC/transparency off) and a low-latency Bluetooth connection mode that should appeal to gamers. Should the 90-hour lifespan prove insufficient, Audio-Technica claims you’ll be able to get an additional 2.5 hours of use after just three minutes of charging time.
The wireless cans feature Bluetooth Multipoint for simultaneous connections to two devices, and you can trigger either Google Assistant (Android) or Siri (iPhone) using one of the built-in physical buttons.
Audio-Technica includes a 3.5mm cable for analog connections — also handy for when/if that monster battery finally dies — that includes its own inline mic for calls.
Audio-Technica says the S300BT’s 40mm drivers are enclosed in earcups surrounded by thick and soft earpads for a snug fit, and claims that the ergonomic design will provide long-lasting comfort even during extended use.
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