Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW
The biggest bass and battery life
The Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW are big and chunky and so is their charging case, but if size and style aren’t major concerns for you, these earbuds are chock-full of rewards and come at an unbeatable price.
Let’s start with their battery life. With ANC turned off, the earbuds will last for 20 hours before dying — a huge leap over the previous battery life king, the JVC HA-XC90T, which maxed out at 15 hours. Better yet, when you add in the case’s capacity, it takes you to an enormous 50 hours. Yup, more than two full days of continuous use before you need to go in search of a charging cable.
Sound quality is also superb, as you might expect from a brand with Audio-Technica’s reputation. In particular, bass heads will revel in the absolutely monstrous low-end that these earbuds can pump out. This isn’t just bass you hear — you feel it too. If it’s too much, there’s plenty of control within the companion app, where you can also adjust the control buttons to suit your tastes.
ANC is excellent, with the ability to hush most unwanted outside sounds, and the transparency mode will help you keep tabs on what’s going on around you if you need it. Calling on the CKS50 is equally good, but we recommend you look for quieter places for your chats to get the best sound quality for your callers.
These earbuds aren’t perfect — there’s no wireless charging and no wear sensors for auto-pause, but these are small omissions that are easily compensated for by the CKS50’s many positive attributes and their terrific price.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
UE Fits
A custom-molding process guarantees a good fit
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
UE Fits
A custom-molding process guarantees a good fit
Frequently Asked Questions
Can wireless earbuds connect to a PC?
Yes, as long as the PC has Bluetooth. Some have Bluetooth by default, but if yours doesn’t, you can add it with an affordable USB adapter. Many increasingly feature Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity giving you the ability to connect the earbuds to more than one source, like a smartphone and a computer, at the same time.
Can wireless earbuds be used on airplanes?
Yes. You can enable most devices’ Bluetooth radio while in airplane mode.
Are wireless earbuds better than wired?
Not usually for sound quality, although that is changing with the introduction of higher-quality Bluetooth audio codecs such as aptX Adaptive and aptX HD, as well as the Bluetooth LE Audio standard. Wireless earbuds are better for convenience, especially now that many phone makers have stopped including a headphone jack.
Do wireless earbuds always have a charging case?
Not always, but the vast majority do come with a charging case and some come with wireless charging cases. If they don’t come with a case, we strongly recommend you don’t buy them.
Are wireless earbuds good for working out?
Yes, they are awesome for workouts, as long as they have waterproofing or an IP rating and fit snugly in your ears.
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