Apple’s AirPods are one of the most defining products in recent history, and they have changed the headphones industry in the blink of an eye. Every smartphone vendor started making their own AirPods rivals, just as Apple kept adding new features to its own models and releasing improved variants.
Soon enough, smartphone vendors weren’t the only ones focusing on making worthy AirPods alternatives. Accessory makers and audio-centric firms joined in, looking to take advantage of the increasing popularity of AirPods-like earphones as most people transitioned to this type of audio solution.
It so happens that events like the Consumer Electronics Show currently underway in Las Vegas are the place to find interesting AirPods alternatives. And CES 2025 just delivered an incredibly compelling AirPods Pro rival. Maybe the name of the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2 is the only thing that doesn’t do this product justice. That’s because ATH-CKS50TW2 doesn’t just roll off the tongue like AirPods do.
When it comes to the actual audio capabilities of Audio-Technica’s new wireless earphones, prepare to be amazed. The ATH-CKS50TW2 is the successor of the ATH-CKS50TW, which also has an uninspiring name. But it’s better in every way than the previous product.
The ATH-CKS50TW2 comes with a “next-generation heavy bass model with a best-in-class long-lasting battery that provides up to 25 hours of continuous use on a full charge with up to 40 more hours available from the charging case.”
That’s amazing battery life, especially considering that the AirPods Pro 2 would provide about 30 hours of battery life when you factor in the case.
Yes, the new Audio-Technica earphones do come with ANC. Moreover, the company has designed a new hybrid noise-canceling technology that’s supposed to “create your own personal space in an instance” for “an unprecedented sense of immersion.”
With regular ANC enabled, battery life drops to 15 hours of continuous playback, which is 2.5 times what the AirPods Pro can offer. That’s up to 40 hours of battery life when you factor in the case.
The exciting features do not end there. The ATH-CKS50TW2 also comes with a trick the AirPods can’t match. The two buds have magnets and can hook up via a Magnetic Switch feature. As the name suggests, this magnetic link acts as a switch that turns off the earphones even if you forget to place them in the charging case. The result is battery life conservation.
Finally, the new earphones are IP55 dust- and water-resistant and can connect to iPhones, Android phones, and other devices with Bluetooth 5.3.
With all that impressive tech inside, you’d think the ATH-CKS50TW2 would cost at least as much as the AirPods Pro 2, but that’s not the case. Audio-Technica sells them for $149, and they’re already available to order on the company’s website.
