These earbuds have a 65-hour battery life, but that's not the best thing about them
I'm seriously impressed by the ability for the earbuds to magnetically snap to each other and switch off to save juice. Even better, you don't need to fiddle around with an app or any fiddly buttons. It means the earbuds don't just become paperweights if you forget to pack the charging case. In fact, it's the first time I've ever seen a feature like this.
Read more: Best cheap headphones in 2025 rated and reviewed
Now, about that ridiculous battery life. You get 25 hours from the earbuds themselves, and another 40 from the charging case. Even with noise cancelling turned on, they'll still go for 15 hours in-ear and 25 hours from the case. There's also a 5-minute quick charge that gets you 90 minutes of playback.
Sound-wise, Audio-Technica is going for a fully fledged experience. The ATH-CKS50TW2 earbuds pack in custom-designed 9mm drivers that should excel in low-end grunt, while also keeping things crisp up top. They're also waterproof and dustproof, so will survive just about anything you throw at them.
You've got your usual suite of features too: hybrid noise cancelling, adjustable transparency modes, beamforming mic for clear calls, and compatibility with Bluetooth LE Audio and the LC3 codec. You can even go low-latency if you're the sort who games on their phone.
Available from 17 June 2025, the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2 earbuds will set you back $149/£125/€149. They come in green or black, and you can order them directly.
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The Guardian
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