Audio-Technica ANC70 Review

No music can calm you down if you are distracted by the noise in your environment. Noise-cancelling headphones were invented for the very purpose their name suggests. Like white noise, they cancel noise in your environment, such as traffic or the hum of a fan, so that you can listen to your music distraction-free. Audio-Technica is a company that makes high-end electro-acoustic devices at a lower cost than top brands – they have come a long way since 1962, when they started off by making phonograph cartridges.

In this review, we look at ATH-ANC70 QuietPoint® Active Noise-cancelling Headphones by Audio-Technica are a lightweight, high-quality pair of noise-cancelling headphones.

Features

• Active noise-cancelling technology: the ANC70 uses electronics in the earpiece to generate a noise-eraser instead of just physically blocking out the noise
• Built-in mic and volume control
• Compatible with computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets and in-flight entertainment systems
• Memory foam on earpieces and headbands for added comfort
• Logo on left earpiece that also functions as a button
• High-quality sound
• Included with the package are a ¼-inch (6.3 mm) adapter, airline adapter and one AAA battery
• Priced at $199.95

Pros

• Active noise-cancelling lives up to its promise – even on airplanes
• Great sound range
• Logo button can pick up calls when connected to a smartphone
• Tap the button once to pause, twice to skip a song forward and thrice to skip a song backward
• Built-in microphone that picks up your voice uniformly
• Sturdy packaging, sleek design overall (the blue light around the logo is especially attractive)
• Swiveling earpieces and light weight make carrying it an easy task
• Battery life of up to 40 hours
• Passive functions remain even when battery is lost
• …but you may not have to use them – there’s a power/low battery indicator
• Reasonable price for a high-quality product

Cons

• Audio quality can drop while active noise-cancelling is activated
• Weaker audio quality when battery is low
• Bass sounds light when noise-cancelling is turned off
• Awkward positioning of the noise-cancelling button and volume control – might take some fumbling to adjust these
• Problems with fitting
• Noise can still get through under certain circumstances, especially on trains (as these reviews point out)

Conclusion

For a price of $199.95, the ANC70 delivers on most of the promises it makes, leaving little to complain about. It is a perfect purchase for a shopper on a budget looking for noise-cancelling technology. You can’t expect a pair of headphones to temporarily make you deaf, but the ANC70 does a beautiful job of removing distractions so that you can listen in peace.