Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW review: Long battery life at a decent price

Now that companies are on at least their second or third generation of true wireless earbuds, many of them are worth recommendations. A lot of these new models address earlier issues like poor battery life, connectivity issues and subpar sound quality. Thankfully, some companies have introduced more affordable options that will cost you less than $250 -- and in a lot of cases, less than $200.

In 2018, Audio-Technica debuted its first true wireless model, the ATH-CKR7TW. Those earbuds lasted six hours on a charge and were priced at $249. This year, the company took things a step further with the ATH-CKS5TW ($169). Not only are they more affordable, but they offer more than double the battery life: 15 hours on the earbuds alone. There are some caveats, but at that price, are Audio-Technica's latest earbuds too good to pass up?

Summary

For well under $200, you’ll get excellent battery life and decent sound on the ATH-CKS5TW. Unfortunately, there are a lot of handy features that are missing, and some of them are pretty basic. The price and 15 hours of playback on the buds themselves is attractive on paper, but you have to be willing to overlook a few faults.

The design of the ATH-CKS5TW is an evolution of the previous model. The aesthetics are similar, with a mix of matte plastic and metallic accents. However, for the ATH-CKS5TW, the buds are circular, coming to a point at the back edge. This design element forms a small flat area where the charging connectors are located. Up top, there's a single button on each earbud near the front, and microphones on the bottom. There are also removable "3D loops" or wings to help keep each earbud in place. Those only come in one size, though, so they may not work for you. Like most of the competition, Audio-Technica included four sizes of silicone tips so that you have some options for finding the best fit.


The earbuds themselves are big. Going from the Jabra Elite 75t to these is a massive increase in overall size. They're also thicker, and the arm/extension that goes into your ear is slightly longer than some models I've tested. All of this combines for one thing you don't want in your true wireless earbuds: to have them stick out from your head like some sort of weird antennae.