Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 review: wireless earbuds that excel with ANC
T3's Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 review is aimed at those who want a pair of the best true wireless earbuds with effective active noise-cancelling (ANC).
Audio-Technica is a top audio brand for anyone who cares about music. There's something for everyone, with options ranging from professional monitor headphones to streaming headsets and over-ear cans.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been testing Audio-Technica's 2024-released true wireless earbuds, putting them through their paces in all manner of scenarios. Expect high-end ANC performance and a standout design at a price that's much better value than A-T's most premium flagship option.
Audio-Technica TWX7 review: Price & Availability
The Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 are available to buy right now, priced at ￡190 in the UK and $199 in the US. Check out the widget embedded above for real-time pricing in your region and to check for discounted deals too.
Audio-Technica TWX7 review: What’s new?
The TWX7 offer a more affordable alternative to Audio-Technica’s ATH-TWX9 flagship earbuds, although they pack the same 5.8mm high-resolution drivers.
Compared to the TWX9, the ATH-TWX7 earbuds don’t have the UV LED sterilisation feature in the case, they use LDAC instead of aptX Adaptive for streaming audio, and they aren’t compatible with Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound or Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. You do get slightly better battery life from the step-down model, though.
Audio-Technica TWX7 review: design & fit
Audio-Technica has done a great job of creating a unique-looking pair of true wireless earbuds, even the case does things a little differently to the competition. You can buy them in Ash Black, Stone Grey and Rich White. I got my hands on the grey version.
When you first take them out of the box, the charging case is stored in a protective bag alongside a charging cable, extra eartips and a quick-start guide.
The clamshell-style case is smooth and matte, and at less than 50g, it struck me how lightweight it feels. To reveal the earbuds inside, you flick open the top of the case. They have a dangling stem and a discreet A-T logo on the outside, making them look refined and modern.
The earbuds weigh 4.7g each, which is next to nothing, and combined with the four sizes of soft eartips and three sizes of standard eartips included in the box, make for a comfortable, personalised and secure fit.
It was a long time before I felt tired of wearing them, and they didn’t budge during high-energy activities. Thanks to the IPX4 water-resistance, they’ll also survive splashes of rain, making them a good choice for runners.
Each earbud features a little button on the edge of the stem which can be used to control the music without needing to reach for your phone, and there’s a touch panel on the outside of the earbud to switch between the noise-cancelling modes. I like that the touch controls are reserved purely to switch between the ANC modes because it made doing so much quicker and easier than I've experienced from many other brands.
The button gives you a good level of control over the music: you can pause or play a song, skip backwards and forwards through tracks, and turn the volume up or down. If the default settings on the touch panels or buttons don't suit you, there’s the option to change them in the app.
The battery life lets the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 down slightly. With ANC switched on, the earbuds will last about 6.5 hours of continuous music, while the case has 20 hours of use. If you turn the ANC off, that goes up to 7.5 hours of playback and 24 hours from the case.
Some other true wireless earbuds offer a lot more than this, like the Philips Fidelio T1, which provides 9 hours with ANC switched on from the earbuds, with a total of 35 hours from the case.
To help preserve the TWX7's battery life, you can set the earbuds to automatically switch off after a set period of inactivity in the adjoining smartphone app.
Audio-Technica TWX7 review: performance & features
Sound quality is important in any pair of true wireless earbuds, and the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 deliver decent performance. Admittedly, it’s not quite top of the class at this price point.
The sound is rich and deep, but there’s a lack of energy and the dynamic range felt a little limited. It’s soft and delicate rather than packed with punch, which is most apparent in upbeat dance tracks which just don’t have as much oomph as I’d like.
Having said that, songs that focus more on vocals come across nicely, as do those loaded with instruments - there’s tonnes of detail making them sound super clear and sharp overall.
The noise cancelling, on the other hand, is some of the best I’ve heard. It completely cut out the outside world. I couldn’t hear anything other than my music. With audio playing, my keyboard taps all but disappeared. If you want to feel totally and utterly immersed in your playlists then the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 will provide that.
As well as the noise-cancelling mode, there’s a hear-through mode, which you can activate by tapping the outside of an earbud. It’s meant to use the earbuds' microphones to allow external sounds through. I was less enamoured by this mode, even on its highest settings it only really worked when the volume of the music dropped. When the song was at full blast I couldn’t hear much happening around me.
To manage all of the earbuds' settings and features, you need to download the Audio-Technica Connect smartphone app which is available for iOS and Android. You can use the app to switch between the ANC modes, change the audio codec from AAC to LDAC, and modify the equaliser (EQ).
The EQ section has 5 preset sound modes, and for audiophiles there’s a 5-band manual adjustment. There’s also a Low Latency mode if you intend to use these for mobile gaming.
Another useful feature is multipoint connectivity, so you can be hooked up to more than one device at once and seamlessly switch between them without the hassle of disconnecting and reconnecting the earbuds. For example, if you are listening to a video on your laptop the earbuds will switch the audio to your smartphone when a call comes in.
The Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 have two beam-forming microphones in each earbud so you can make and take phone calls. When I tested call quality out, I was mostly happy with the results, my voice was clear - although sometimes quite quiet. When I switched on the noise reduction mode on the app, I still sounded a little quieter than I would have liked, but you could still hear what I was saying perfectly well.
Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 review: Verdict
High-quality noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds that look a little more interesting than the usual AirPod-clone crowd, the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 are well worth considering.
I was particularly impressed by the ANC performance, which does a great job of cutting out distracting noise. The sound quality is less impressive for thumping tracks, but those who prefer vocal tracks or classical music will like the level of depth and detail these earbuds can provide.
Add to that the fact that these earbuds fit securely and are IPX4 water resistant, and Audio-Technica's sensibly-priced earbuds are a good choice for everything from your commute to your gym sessions. Especially if ANC is at the top of your wishlist.
Also consider
The Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 cost about the same price as the Sony WF-1000XM4, one of T3’s favourite pair of true wireless earbuds. They do things a little differently in terms of design, and that will come down to personal preference, but they also guarantee great sound quality and impressive ANC too.
If you’re on a tight budget but you don’t want to compromise on ANC, the Nothing Ear (2) are a solid choice. These cost a lot less than the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7, yet they still have a cool design as well as good sound quality.
