Review: Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 ANC Earbuds

The ATH-TWX9 launched last year was Audio-Technica’s flagship true wireless earbuds. The new ATH-TWX7 is a mid-range option that follows the footsteps of the flagship ATH-TWX9 in terms of features. The ATH-TWX7 retails for S$269.

Unboxing

Here’s what you’ll find in the box:

• ATH-TWX7 ANC Earbuds
• Charging case
• USB-A to USB-C cable
• Ear tips: XS, S, M, L
• User manual

Tech specs

Build quality and features

The design of the ATH-TWX7 takes a page from the ATH-TWX9, with a similar shaped case and shape of earbuds. There are some noticeable differences, such as the ATH-TWX7 having a slightly thicker stem, single bar LED indicator on the case, and the case has a more muted colour accent. Other features that the ATH-TWX9 has that the ATH-TWX7 has includes: UV sterilisation, wear detection, 360 Reality Audio, and support for Snapdragon Sound codec.

The ATH-TWX7 comes in three colours – (1) Ash Black, (2) Rich White, and (3) Stone Gray. The unit I have is the Ash Black colour, which offers a premium matte black finish all round. The shape of the case is similar to the ATH-TWX9 – a tapered curve clamshell design. I still consider this a slightly bulky case compared to more slim options like Apple’s AirPods Pro. Build quality of the ATH-TWX7 is good, plastic used feels high quality. The ATH-TWX7 has a water-resistance rating of IPX4, which offers protection against splashes of water, so it should be decent at handling light rain and workouts. 

Controls and App

Like the ATH-TWX9, the new ATH-TWX7 uses a combination of both physical and touch buttons. If you don’t like how it is being setup, you can easily change it via key assignment in the AT Connect app. Compared to the ATH-TWX9, the new ATH-TWX7 comes with improvements in terms of customisability as you can perform key assignment on both the touch and physical buttons.

You can also adjust the touch sensitivity or turn it off completely. There are also basic features such as allowing you to set a custom equaliser. There are also other useful settings you can see below such as Low Latency Mode, and Volume adjustment steps to name a few.

One unique app feature on the ATH-TWX7 is the Soundscape mode where you can download soothing background noises from the app itself.

Hear-Through mode

Hear-Through mode allows the ATH-TWX7 to let in external sounds into the earbuds so you can be aware of your surroundings. In the app, you can even adjust the amount of sound you wish to let into the earbuds. At the maximum setting, the overall effect still feels rather natural without any over-application of any frequency.

Others

ATH-TWX7 uses Bluetooth 5.2 which was stable and I didn’t experience any dropouts during my time of testing. There is also no audio-video sync lag when watching videos from the YouTube app on my iPhone 11. You can use either side of the earbuds if you just want to wear one for usage. There is also multipoint pairing, which means you can connect the ATH-TWX7 to up to two devices and audio will automatically switch between inputs based on media playing.

ATH-TWX7 offers up to 6.5 hours of music playback with ANC turned on, which is roughly the same as the ATH-TWX9. The case will offer a combined 20 hours of use. Not the longest battery life, but should still be plenty for daily commute. ATH-TWX7 can be charged wired with USB-C or wirelessly with any Qi wireless charger. If you’re in need of battery quickly, you’d be glad to know the ATH-TWX7 offers fast charging where 15 minutes of charging gives you 1 hour of listening time.

Fit and comfort

The ear tips of the ATH-TWX7 are flat and wide, like an umbrella. And they come in fours sizes and feel supple. ATH-TWX7 offer a comfortable wear in my ears. They sit snug in my ears thanks to the ergonomic curves on the earbuds. The default M size works the best for me.

At just 4.7g each, the ATH-TWX7 are lightweight and I don’t really feel their presence much in my ears. The length of the stem is also short such that it doesn’t contact the sides of my face.

Sound quality

Like the ATH-TWX9, the new ATH-TWX7 has a rather balanced tuning given it inherits the same 5.8mm drivers. Bass offers an engaging punch and boom to it without sounding too bloated or heavy. For those looking for deep sub-bass presence which older Audio-Technica earbuds used to have, the ATH-TWX7 does not offer it. 

Mids are clean sounding with good reproduction vocals and instruments. Treble is well-controlled and detailed, offering a comfortable shine too without ever feeling too fatiguing. For those used to more V-shaped sound signatures may find the ATH-TWX7 more bland, but you always use the app the adjust the tuning. Personally, I found the ATH-TWX7 to offer a pleasant listening experience.

ANC performance

ANC of the ATH-TWX7 is largely effective but not as good compared to flagships such as that of the Technics AZ80 when dealing with higher frequency noises. Having said that, the ATH-TWX7 still remains competent in removing low frequency noises such as engine rumble in buses and airplanes. Vocal chatter is much softer as well. Unlike the ATH-TWX9, the ANC intensity of the ATH-TWX7 cannot be controlled or have presets to switch around with.

Microphone quality

If you do use your personal earbuds for work calls, the ATH-TWX7 can be configured to have a convenient quick microphone mute button via the app. You can toggle between ANC and Hear-Through modes when you are on call which is convenient as you can gauge your own volume when speaking in Hear-Through mode.

There are also two modes of microphone that you can choose from – (1) Natural mode, and (2) Noise reduction mode. Natural mode works the best in a controlled and quiet setting as voice sounds natural and warm. However, environmental noises are picked up easily so I wouldn’t use it if I am outside. Noise reduction mode helps reduce such noises to a certain extent, but can at times reduce the quality of my voice. Voice output is less natural in controlled environment as well.

Conclusion

If you find the ATH-TWX9 too expensive, the new ATH-TWX7 is a perfect step-down without too much sacrifices in features for S$269. To be honest, I don’t really use most of of the unique features in the ATH-TWX9 other than the UV sterilisation. Sound quality is well-balanced and detailed, and the app offers a ton of things that you can customise to personalise it for your own experience