The more expensive ATH-CKS5TW have a better battery life and physical buttons. | Image: Audio-Technica
One year after Audio-Technica announced its first somewhat underwhelming pairs of true wireless earbuds, the company is back with two fresh attempts: the ATH-CKS5TW and ATH-CKS3TW. This time around, battery life has been improved, both pairs now charge over USB-C, and they’re also a lot cheaper. The ATH-CKS5TW cost $149 (or £149 in the UK), while the ATH-CKS3TW are $99 (£99).
Although both pairs of earbuds now have IPX2 splash resistance and better background noise reduction, there are a couple of differences between the two that justify the price disparity:
- Battery life is better with the ATH-CKS5TWs: 15 hours from the earbuds themselves, plus 30 more from the case. With the cheaper ATH-CKS3TWs, you get just six hours from the earbuds…