With inflation through roof, there is at least one audio company looking to help you get the sound that best suits your money. Audio-Technica’s new Bluetooth-enabled version of the popular M20x headphones — the M20xBT — boasts 60 hours of wireless playtime, an ultra-lightweight design, and superb frequency response, all for just $79. .
They sound great, have a classic look, and cost the same as dozens of coffee mugs in a major metropolitan area. Those lattes may help you prepare your lunch, but they won’t ease the pain of the modern economy. Spaceor transport you to another world through Spotify, Audible, or another audio-based distraction of your choice.
Simple and Satisfied
Audio-Technica knows a thing or two about crafting better than ears. The company’s more expensive products are staples of studios and stages around the world, known for their durability, clear sound, and good value. In terms of form, the new M20xBT fits perfectly with the company’s striking design language. They are simple, practical things.
Flat plastic earcups with ruffled leather earpads connect to a basic headband with the Audio-Technica logo printed on top of the pads. At the bottom of the right earcup, you’ll find controls for adjusting the volume and playing or pausing music.
They’re surprisingly light, which also makes them a bit intimidating to ride around, as it feels like they could break easily. I find myself either leaving the M20xBT on my head and pulling one ear out to talk to someone or wearing them around my neck like a terrible DJ. When not in use, you should purchase a headphone stand. If you plan to travel with them often, I recommend a cheap hard box For peace of mind.
That said, this lightweight design makes them very comfortable on my head, as does the rather thin padding in the ear cups. They disappear into your skull when you put them on, which is a rarity for headphones in any price range.
With 60 hours of gameplay, you’ll have over a week’s worth of listening before you need to plug them into a USB-C port. (They also have a decent microphone for zooming and phone calls.) But I like that you can also listen to them over the wire without any power; I find myself using them to wander around my neighborhood and use my phone momentarily, then plug them into my interface to record music in my home studio. The included 3.5mm cable is sure to please frequent flyers as well. There’s no noise cancellation technology, but the earmuff-style design of the headphones provides pretty good passive sound isolation.
Sound off
Photo: Audio Technica
Given the relatively basic price and build quality, it’s clear that Audio-Technica’s engineers have poured most of their resources into how these headphones actually sound. That paid off. They work amazingly well for a $79 pair of wireless headphones.
