A Classic Hi-Fi Brand Just Solved My Biggest Beef with AirPods

The revered Japanese audio maker’ newest wireless earbuds have a feature unlike any other.

Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2 wireless earbuds

Published January 7, 2025

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Audio-Technica is well known for its direct-drive turntables, high-end phono cartridges, and hi-fi headphones, but the Japanese audio maker has been making wireless earbuds for several years now, too.

As of 2025, it offers quite a variety of wireless earbuds, ranging from its flagship noise-canceling ATH-TWX9 ($299) to its budget-friendly ATH-CKS30TW+ ($99).

The company’s latest wireless earbuds, the ATH-CKS50TW2 ($149), are in the middle of its lineup. They promise solid audio, excellent battery life, active noise cancellation, and transparent modes.

But the most interesting thing about Audio-Technica’s new earbuds is their simple but super convenient battery-saving feature, which I’ve never seen before in a pair of wireless earbuds.

Heck, I wish my AirPods had a feature like this.

Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2

A cool battery-saving feature

The Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2 are the next-generation version of the company’s 2022-released ATH-CKS50TW earbuds, but they’ve been redesigned from the ground up with a new earbud shape, charging case and sound.

The most unique thing about the ATH-CKS50TW2 is that they’re integrated with what Audio-Technica calls “Magnetic Switch” technology. Each earbud features built-in magnets that allow them to snap together and power off in the process.

As someone who typically leaves their AirPods’ charging case behind, either at home or in the car, as I don’t like carrying extra things in my pockets, this is a pretty practical feature that could save battery life. There is no need to worry about the battery slowly draining when in your pocket and still paired to your smartphone.

Plus, since the earbuds can magnetically stick together without the charging case, it is less likely that you’ll misplace one earbud.

Other high-end features

Despite being mid-range wireless earbuds, the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2 are far from lacking when it comes to premium features.

As mentioned, they support active noise-cancellation and transparency modes (although don’t expect them to be as effective as more premium ANC earbuds on the market). There are low-latency and talk-through modes, too. And you can tweak the audio’s EQ settings via a companion app.

Additionally, the case supports wireless charging. The earbuds have a pretty high water-resistance rating, IP55, and should be good for working out. And the support Bluetooth multi-point, which makes switching audio between your smartphone and computer pretty seamless.

As far as battery life, the ATH-CKS50TW2 are no slouches, either. Each earbud has a 25-hour battery life with ANC off (or 15 hours with ANC on), with the charging case promising an extra 40 hours (or 25 hours with ANC on). For context, each of Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 have a battery life of around 5 hours with ANC on.

Price and availability

Audio-Technica’s newest wireless earbuds, the ATH-CKS50TW2, are available now for $149. At the time of writing, they’re only available from the company’s website, but third-party sellers (such as Target) are expected to start offering them, too.

The ATH-CKS50TW2 come in two different finishes: black or beige.