The ATH-TWX9 was announced on 9 Nov 2022 in Europe. I received a review unit a week later and spent a good amount of time listening to it during my regular train commute to work. The earbuds is officially announced for sale in Singapore at a retail price of S$398. Pre-order 6 to 12 Feb to enjoy S$50 discount at S$348 with additional one-year warranty from Audio-Technica Funan Mall and online, authorised resellers: AV One, Connect-IT Asia, Sam Trading, Jaben, Zeppelin and Co., as well as e-commerce platforms: Lazada, Shopee and Qoo10.
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Design and Features
The TWX9 looks every part a flagship true-wireless earbuds model from Audio-Technica. Its design is unlike any that A-T has launched, the model number is also different, so they must have put in a lot of effort on the TWX9. The matt-coated black finishing with bronze accent, the curvy charging case with five LED indicators that light up in a left-to-right animated sequence, these are intentional design elements to showcase the premium style.
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ANC and Hear-Through
The ANC comes with five preset modes – Airplane, Train, On The Go, Office/Study, and Home. There is an additional “Optimized” mode that measures the ambient noise to set the optimal level, and this can be activated conveniently by press-hold the touch sensor for 3 seconds. I like to use this feature to optimise ANC when I am in a new environment. The ANC is effective in reducing ambient noise to allow me to focus on my music, but general noises inside the train can be heard faintly when the music volume is not loud. The Sennheiser Momentum TW3 is better in removing ambient noise.
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Audio Quality
It was mentioned in the Singapore press release that the new 5.8mm highly rigid diaphragm drivers are made of three layers of hard and soft materials, featuring an edge-mounted external magnetic circuit, thin stainless-steel plate for increased drive, floating voice coil to handle more accurate audio signal, external magnetic circuit to achieve rich audio production from a small driver. This driver system is designed to “minimize vibrations to ensure excellent transient characteristics while also producing crisp low-frequency sounds and an extended high-frequency range for a full immersive soundscape.”
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Call Quality
Most true wireless earbuds call quality are average at best. On the TWX9, the mic picks up the voice that sounded distant, soft, and rather natural. General ambient noise removal is effective but any loud high-pitch sounds will disrupt the voice, and in windy conditions, the mic can still somewhat pick up the voice as long as you articulate loudly. Enabling Side Tone will let you hear your own voice and prevent speaking excessively loud.
Verdict
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Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9
The flagship true wireless Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 with ANC, HearThrough, EQ, Multipoint Pairing, IPX4, intimate smooth balanced sound
The Goods
- Well-balanced audio presentation with analog quality
- ANC Optimised mode easily processes ambient sound for the best ANC
- Smartphone app supports more uniquely essential features than other earbuds, like L-R balance, volume step selection
The Bads
- Limited key assign customisation
- Average mic quality
- Generally laggy operations
Related
Summary
Reviewer
Chester Tan
Review Date
Reviewed Item
Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9
Author Rating
Product Name
Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9