Audio-Technica ATH-CK3TW review: Decent, affordable true wireless earbuds

For those touch controls, Audio-Technica put volume adjustments on the left side and track controls on the right. A single tap on the left earbud increases volume while a double tap will lower it. This sounds simple enough, but when you want to turn the audio way down, and you’re in a hurry to do so, it feels like you’re tapping forever. Not to mention that you have to be careful to double tap each time. On the right side, single tap for play/pause, double tap to skip tracks forward and triple tap to skip tracks backwards. This works better than the volume control, but mastering that triple tap takes some practice. A long press on the right earbud will activate you voice assistant of choice.

Audio-Technica did include one feature I don’t always see on mid- to low-priced earbuds: automatic pausing/ear detection. For some reason it isn’t enabled by default, and turning it on is a guessing game that took me a few tries, but it’s there and it works well. If earbuds don’t automatically pause when you remove them, it usually means you have to scramble for your phone or deal with the low hum of audio while you have a conversation. It’s not ideal, so I’m glad to see a handy feature like this make the cut on a $119 set.

In terms of sound quality, the ATH-CK3TW is a mixed bag. There is some of the “trademark” Audio-Technica audio profile here: great clarity and a warm overall tone. Treble, mids and bass stand on their own, but never overpower one another. Unlike the ATH-CKS5TW, that remains consistent even at high volumes. In other words, treble doesn’t begin to dominate the mix to the point of becoming unpleasant. My main gripe with the sound on the ATH-CK3TW is that it feels flat. The audio doesn’t have the openness or depth that the best true wireless earbuds offer. Here, bombastic metal like Gojira or ambient rock like Caspian loses its teeth, and it’s left sounding compressed, lacking the energy or texture I know the music exhibits.

Audio-Technica is promising six hours of battery life on the buds themselves here. In 2020, that’s … fine. A lot of the competition now offers around 10 hours, and A-T itself has a model that can manage over 15. Of course, these are firmly a budget option, so I’m willing to forgive this figure a bit. Indeed, the ATH-CK3TW lasted just over seven hours during my tests. What’s more, the included charging case holds 30 additional hours of play time. That’s five full charges. Most of the competition only offers two or three. Based on my experience, you won’t be reaching for a cable very often.

At $119, Audio-Technica is offering a much more affordable option than many of the big names in headphones. Before now, its cheapest set was the ATH-CKS5TW at $169. Those earbuds do have insane battery life, but as I’ve already mentioned, the overall audio quality was disappointing. Jabra’s Elite 75t is another great option, but they’re even more expensive at $180. And the best is still Sony’s WF-1000XM3, which goes for around $230 (unless you can find a deal). There are clear caveats with the ATH-CK3TW, but if other companies follow suit, hopefully we’ll see some compelling mid-range options from the likes of Sony, Sennheiser and others.

The Audio-Technica ATH-CK3TW has a very important thing working is its favor: price. Even though Apple has helped make true wireless earbuds a popular accessory, the cheapest AirPods still start at $159 (barring a sale). If a company can knock an additional $40 or more off the asking price and still muster good sound, solid features and decent battery life, that’s huge. Audio-Technica gave that endeavor a valiant effort, but unfortunately you’ll have to decide which, or how many, sacrifices you’re willing to live with in the interest of saving money.

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