Audio-Technica ATH-Sport70BT Wireless Headphones Impressions
When gaming or listening to music, nothing beats a good pair of headphones. Being able to hear everything going on around you in a game of Fornite or just listening to your favorite Dave Matthews track you want to hear every little sound. In gaming, this is especially important, as you need to hear every footstep nearby, every bush rustling in the wind and every hushed voice in the distance. A lot of headphones on the market can give you this experience but not all of them deliver the kind of performance we hope for. This past week I had a chance to check out Audio-Technica ATH-SPORT70BT wireless headphones and when it comes to mobile gaming, these little guys pack a punch.
So often here at COGconnected we focus on larger headsets for console and PC gaming. This week, we decided to check out some mobile wireless headphones specifically designed for gaming on the go and/or listening (or watching) from your mobile phone. Having gone through MANY mobile headphones over the years, I’ve become a little picky in my advanced age. So many earbuds have either crapped out prematurely or the sound absolutely stinks. Lately, I have been happy with a set of Sony Sport Bluetooth headphones, yet they are far from perfect. Much like my pair of Sony’s, the Audio-Technica ATH-SPORT70BT have some annoyances but at the end of the day they deliver as promised and give me long lasting quality audio.
The first thing I liked about the headphones was how easy they are to set up. Even for someone technically challenged like my wife (love you hunny), she synched them up with her phone with no issues. Additionally, she found them very comfortable in her ears. I also found them cozy and I liked how you could swap out the silicone eartips with smaller or larger sizes. A nice little touch indeed.
The internal rechargeable battery delivers six hours of continuous use and recharges easily with the included USB charging cable. I would have liked a little more battery life but all in all, I cannot complain too much as they last as advertised. After six hours of mobile gaming, you probably should put your phone down and recharge your set anyhow.
Classy Design
One glance and you can see how super classy they look. They are available in black but we received the rose-gold headphones which look slick and rest nicely in your ears.
Comfort, battery life and look mean jack-squat if the sound is garbage and rest assured the audio is crisp, clear and exactly what I expected. Now, I like my headphones to have a lot of bass and I found the ATH-SPORT70BT lacked in this department a little. Compared to my Sony headset which is priced similarly, these wireless in-ear headphones come up a bit short. Not a deal breaker by any means as the 9 mm performance-enhanced, carbon-coated drives to deliver super clear sound. For music, you may want something with a little more depth but for mobile gaming these headphones are perfect.
The ear-hook design allowed me to work out with headphones on and move about without having to worry about them sliding off. I sweat a lot and during workouts, they rarely popped off.
Super Touchy
The in-line mic and controls do let you easily answer calls and control your music. I really liked how it easily transfers to take a phone call and then back to your music after your call. The controls; however, are far too sensitive and touchy. I barely touched the left housing controls when they would change on me. I would prefer a button you actually have to press over light touch controls. Granted, the switchable ambient noise hear-through function (activated by tapping the left housing) which gives you the choice of hearing the sounds around you for safer use outdoors is a great feature. It’s just too damn touchy.
Also, a small annoyance, I prefer my headset to tell me or make it obvious when I am powering them down. My Sony headset clearly says “power off” when I am turning off my headset. The Audio-Technica set does not do that which is a bit of a bummer.
For what it’s worth, the Audio-Technica ATH-SPORT70BT Wireless Headphones are rock solid headphones. They do sound great, will last a long time given its waterproof design and have decent battery life. Granted, they are a little on the pricey side (199.99$CDN and US$129.00), so I would recommend you wait for a sale as $200 bucks (Canadian) for a set of headphones that underdeliver in the bass department is a bit much. But if you are like me and tired of going through cheap Bluetooth earbuds and want to upgrade your headphone game, the ATH-SPORT70BT is a great start.
*** Headset provided by the manufacturer for review purposes ***