Audio-Technica recently released its first true wireless, the CKR7TW. And I found the fit a little awkward, while the sound signature was less than what I expected. But enter the new ATH-SPORT7TW, and you have a better fitting, better sounding, and more versatile true wireless earphone. Let’s take a look at what makes these buds such a great option in this Audio-Technica ATH-SPORT7TW Review.

IN the BOX

FIT

It took me a minute to figure out how these buds fit. But once I put them in on an angle and turned them, they snugly locked into place. And because the seal is effective, the level of sound isolation can compete with a noise cancelling headphone.

DESIGN and FEATURES

Battery

You’ll get 3.5 hours of playback at a time. That’s not incredibly long. However, you have an additional 14 hours of charge from the charging case. And in this respect, they beat some top brands, like Sennheiser. A Micro USB to USB cable is included for charging. And there’s an indicator on the back of the case that lights up to let you know when it is fully charged, charging or in need of charge.

Functionality

The left and right earpieces will give you complete control over your calls and music playback. The left earpiece allows you to adjust volume, while the right earpiece lets you play/pause, skip and answer calls. You can also activate your voice assistant. And I kept inadvertently calling people who I hadn’t spoken to in years. I guess I had the function activated when holding them. So, the touchpad is very sensitive, and it takes some getting used to.

One last cool feature is the “hear-through” mode. By pressing on the left earpiece for 2 seconds, you can activate a function that lets in ambient sound.

Call Clarity

Clarity is good on both ends of the line. However, the call only comes through on the right earpiece.

Waterproof Rating

With an IPX5 waterproof rating, the SPORT7TW can resist significant splashes of water, and certainly a sweaty run.

Connectivity

Pairing is standard and easy. Once you take the buds out of the charging case, you’ll find them in your Bluetooth settings. And after you pair them for the first time, they will connect to your phone automatically every time you take the earphones out of the case.

SOUND

Overall Impressions: Well-balanced and clean.

Lows

You’ll get a sufficient amount of bass impact when listening to pop. But it’s in no way overkill. The sub frequencies aren’t huge, so it may be less of a perfect earphone for hip-hop. But playing some rock tracks, the low end is clean and avoids bleeding into the higher frequencies. And listening to strings, Audio-technica hit a nice balance between smoothness and transparency.

Mids

I love when Audio-Technica decides to give us a present midrange. Because the low-mids come out to play as much as the high-mids, you’ll get the entire spectrum of sound in this range, giving tons of meat to rock songs. Snare drums had a nice tightness, but they also presented a light, playful feel, which is a sound profile Audio-Technica does so well. In terms of clarity, there was great separation listening to acoustic guitars, even in the lower mids, where it can sometimes get muddy.  And testing out some cellos, the instruments conveyed a lot of texture, while again, maintaining that buoyant sound signature.

Highs

Listening to pop again, percussion in this range had snappy crispness that adds to the energy of the forward leaning bass. At the same time, it’s not too bright and still easy on the ears. While you’ll get a decent amount of transparency when listening to strings, it’s a smoother experience overall.

Soundstage

Though the soundstage is a bit compact, there’s still some height and a little depth. So, while you can’t call it a truly multidimensional experience, it doesn’t feel too flat.

SUMMARY

In terms of fit and sound quality, the ATH-SPORT7TW is the best pair of wireless buds that I’ve heard from Audio-Technica’s lineup. Compared to the ATH-CKR7, the fit is more comfortable and secure, and the sound is more evenly balanced, making it a more versatile choice with the respect to genre. And if you’re sweating buckets, it’s also a safe bet.

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If you have any questions, let us know in the comments below or call us during the store hours to talk to one of our Audio Technica headphone experts.