Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT Evaluation

The Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT in a nutshell

The Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT has been out there since early June 13 for $99 a pop. Those that have an interest may try on-line shops like Amazon. 

Design

The design of the Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT is minimalist in nature. There isn’t any enormous emblem, no shiny metallic bits, and ‘suffers’ from an absence of touch-sensitive controls. In the event you like understated client digital units, you are in for a deal with. Nonetheless, this Bluetooth headset can also be extraordinarily snug to put on.

Professionals:

• Minimalist and discreet.
• Very snug.

Cons:

• A number of plastic elements.
• Few coloration selections.
• No IP certification.
• Not foldable.
• No carrying case

Simplicity and luxury sum up Audio-Technica’s design philosophy for these headphones. There are two colours to select from: black and beige. The colours are uniform, with a slight distinction across the earcups. Plastic is omnipresent apart from the headscarf temples, that are half metallic. This plastic is matte and smooth to the contact.

The ear and headband pads are effectively cushioned, even when the headscarf pad could be very small certainly. The headset can not fold. There isn’t any carrying case. Fortunately, the earcups could be rotated 90°, permitting you to put on them round your neck and retailer them flat in your bag. It has no IP certification for water and mud resistance.

The design is much too plain for my style. I discovered the Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT very snug to put on although. It is maybe some of the snug Bluetooth headsets I’ve reviewed this 12 months. It would not place pointless stress on the top and sits as an alternative effectively. The absence of an IP ranking is an actual disgrace, even for a mid-range wi-fi headset.

Audio high quality

The Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT could not appear to be a lot however its audio high quality far exceeds the common-or-garden expectations I set given its value. The audio signature could be very heat whereas the stereo soundstage can also be very extensive, particularly for a circumaural or “closed-back” headset.

Professionals:

• Heat rendering
  • Responsive bass.
  • Detailed mids.
  • Low treble.
• Appropriate for wired and passive purposes.

Cons:

I discussed this Bluetooth headphones produce a really heat sound. Because of this it locations extra emphasis on bass and decrease midrange. This leaves the sound slightly rounded, with nothing to ruffle your eardrums. The mid-range stays pretty detailed, whereas the treble is slightly on the low aspect. The stereo soundstage can also be pretty extensive, to the bare ear.

On the technical aspect, now we have the traditional 40 mm dynamic drivers featured right here. The frequency vary from 20 to twenty,000 Hz is equally well-loved. Supported codecs are sparse, with the essential SBC and AAC staples out there.

That is an audio signature discovered on many different headphones. The bass is not notably deep, and the headphones do not drop too low. Fortunately they’re responsive, they impactful, and do not drag or spill over into the remainder of the musical message. The upper frequencies are clearly audible.

Vocals and devices are pretty detailed and simply identifiable. Treble frequencies are a tad subdued. Personally, I like that. There isn’t any want to fret about sibilance with over-accentuated “F”, “S” or “Ch” sounds that make your ears pressure. It is traditional. General, it masters audio superbly in a well-contained method.

Do notice the headset could be linked to a different system with the included 3.5mm cable. It additionally works passively, i.e. when switched off, however Lively Noise Cancellation will probably be disabled.

Lively Noise Cancellation(ANC)

The Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT options Lively Noise Cancellation. There’s additionally a transparency mode to amplify ambient noise. Each depart one thing to be desired.

Professionals:

Cons:

• Lively Noise Cancellation will not be efficient sufficient.
• Transparency mode is simply too unnatural.
• ANC and transparency can’t be adjusted.

This Bluetooth headset’s Lively Noise Cancellation works manually and can’t be adjusted. You must press the devoted button on the fitting earcup to change between ANC, transparency, or nothing.

With ANC activated, solely fixed, solid-borne noise is correctly attenuated. These are primarily low-pitched noises ensuing from contact between two surfaces. Public transportation noise, footsteps, and so on. Airborne noises, comparable to voices or alarms/bells, aren’t filtered sufficiently for my part. We’re clearly not dwelling in a bubble of silence once you placed on a pair.

Transparency mode additionally lacks naturalness. Noises aren’t sufficiently amplified. Above all, for extra distant noises, the headphones forces itself an excessive amount of, which causes fairly a little bit of distortion. I additionally assume it is a pity that none of those modes are adjustable. It is not all dangerous however it’s not good both, even at this value vary.

Options and purposes

No, there is no such thing as a app. Audio-Technica would not allow you to arrange your headphones by way of your smartphone. That is a disgrace. You’ll be able to’t customise the controls and, above all, there is not any equalizer to mess around with. No less than the bodily buttons present a naked minimal for controlling the headphones with out an excessive amount of bother.

Professionals:

• Multipoint connectivity with two units.
• Bodily controls.

Cons:

• No utility.
• No equalizer.
• No customizable controls.

Audio-Technica does have an app for Android and iOS however the ATH-S300BT will not be supported. It is unattainable to make any changes. This leaves the person excessive and dry with none equalizer, no put on detection, no Discover My System, which is a disgrace, actually, even pitiful. Fortunately, we do have multipoint connectivity, which is one thing.

As for controls, there are 4 bodily buttons. Three are positioned on the left earpiece, and you may’t customise these controls.

I have not had the presence of thoughts to ask Audio-Technica whether or not the headset will obtain software program updates. With out an utility, I hardly see how this might occur. Longevity-wise, it is not nice.

Battery and charging

The key spotlight of the Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT is its 90-hour battery life. That is fairly merely the very best battery life amongst all fashions reviewed by nextpit.

Professionals:

• 60 hours with ANC, 90 hours with out ANC.

Cons:

In keeping with the producer, the Bluetooth headset can final 90 hours with out Lively Noise Cancellation and 60 hours with it. That is a very long time. Even in the event you used the headset 12 hours a day continuous for a complete week, you’d by no means run out of battery.

Personally, I used the headset at these settings:

• 100% charged.
• Placed on standby on the finish of every use.
• No charging between makes use of.
• Lively Noise Cancellation is all the time enabled.
• 50% listening quantity.
• Paired to an iPhone.
• Bluetooth listening solely.

To be sincere, I did not time my total utilization. Nonetheless, I used to be capable of final for over 12 days with none issues on a single cost. I used the headphones for at the least half of my working day, averaging 4 to five hours. The identical goes for weekends. If we take the excessive common of 5 hours a day for 12 days, now we have an incredible battery lifetime of 60 hours.

Technical specs

	Technical specs
System
Picture
Design	Circum-aural | weight 258 g | No put on detection | Bodily controls
Audio	40 mm drivers
Frequency response
ANC	Sure, guide and non-adjustable
Bluetooth	5.1 | codecs SBC, AAC | Multipoint
Autonomy	90h with out ANC 60h with ANC 3 minutes recharging = 1.5 hours listening time
Value	$99

Conclusion