Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW Solid Bass Wireless in-Ear Review
The Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW delivers incredible bass and build quality, but its ancient battery life is a fatal flaw for most users.
The 30-Second Version
Fantastic sound shackled to a battery from 2018. Skip them. You can get better all-around performance for much less money.
Overview
The Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW is a weird one. It's a set of true wireless earbuds that absolutely nails the fundamentals of sound and build quality, but completely whiffs on modern essentials like battery life. The one thing to know is this: if you're buying these for their namesake 'Solid Bass,' you'll be thrilled. If you need them to last more than a few hours away from the case, you'll be furious. It's a premium audio experience trapped in a package with a shockingly outdated battery.
Performance
The sound quality is the real surprise here, and it's a good one. Scoring in the 94th percentile for sound, these buds deliver that deep, punchy bass Audio-Technica is famous for, without muddying the mids and highs. The 10mm drivers with the dual-layer diaphragm are doing serious work. The bad surprise? That battery. A 5th percentile ranking is catastrophic. 15 hours of total case life in 2024? Most competitors offer that per earbud. You'll be charging this case constantly.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong sound (97th percentile) 97th
- Strong battery (97th percentile) 97th
- Strong build (81th percentile) 81th
- Strong connectivity (69th percentile) 69th
Cons
- Below average social proof (22th percentile) 22th
- Below average comfort (30th percentile) 30th
- Below average anc (34th percentile) 34th
Specifications
Full Specifications
Design
| Form Factor | In-Ear |
| Ear Tips | XS/S/M/L |
Audio
| Driver Type | 10 mm |
| Driver Size | 10 |
| Drivers | 10 |
| Codecs | Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW Solid Bass Wireless in-Ear Headphones, Built-in mic and buttons, Water-resistant performance, Truly wireless design with Bluetooth 5.0 |
Connectivity
| Wireless | Yes |
| Bluetooth | 5 |
| Wired Connector | Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW Solid Bass Wireless in-E |
Earbud Battery
| Battery Life | 15 |
Case Battery
| Case Battery | 45 |
Microphone
| Microphone | Yes |
Features
| Water Resistance | Water-Resistant |
Value & Pricing
At a current price of $481, these are not worth it. You're paying premium money for a critical flaw. You can get earbuds with 90% of the sound quality, triple the battery, and actual ANC for half this price. The value proposition is broken.
vs Competition
For pure sound quality, these compete with the Technics EAH-AZ100, which also focuses on audiophile tuning but includes ANC and better battery. For most people, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is the obvious target; it smokes the Audio-Technicas in ANC, battery, and features while still sounding fantastic. Even the more affordable Nothing Ear (a) offers a more balanced package with decent sound and way better battery management. The ATH-CKS5TW wins on raw bass punch but loses everywhere else.
| Spec | Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW Solid Bass Wireless in-Ear | Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Bose QuietComfort Ultra True Wireless | Technics EAH-AZ80 Technics EAH-AZ80 Noise-Canceling True Wireless | Sony WF-1000XM6 Sony WF-1000XM6 True Wireless Noise-Canceling | Jabra Evolve2 Jabra Evolve2 Buds USB-C MS Earbuds with USB-C | Apple AirPods Apple - AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation - |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | In-Ear | In-Ear | In-Ear | In-Ear | In-Ear | in-ear |
| Driver Type | 10 mm | Dynamic | Dynamic | Dynamic | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Wireless | true | true | true | true | true | true |
| Active Noise Cancellation | - | true | true | true | true | true |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.3 |
| Battery Life Hours | 15 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 5 |
| Case Battery Hours | 45 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 25 | 25 |
| Water Resistance | Water-Resistant | IPX4 | IPX4 | IPX4 | IP57 | Water-Resistant |
| Multipoint | - | true | true | true | true | true |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Anc | Mic | Build | Sound | Battery | Comfort | Connectivity | Social Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW Solid Bass Wireless in-Ear | 33.7 | 64 | 81.3 | 96.7 | 96.7 | 29.5 | 68.7 | 22.4 |
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds QuietComfort Ultra True Wireless Noise-Canceling Earbuds 2nd Gen Compare | 96.1 | 87.8 | 91.2 | 99.2 | 68.8 | 93.2 | 98.5 | 93 |
| Technics EAH-AZ80 Noise-Canceling True Wireless In-Ear Compare | 82.6 | 99.9 | 91.2 | 98.4 | 68.8 | 93.2 | 98.5 | 93 |
| Sony WF-1000XM6 True Wireless Noise-Canceling Compare | 82.6 | 87.8 | 91.2 | 99.1 | 91.4 | 69.2 | 98.5 | 97.1 |
| Jabra Evolve2 Evolve2 Buds Compare | 82.6 | 98.9 | 99.3 | 87.9 | 94.1 | 93.2 | 97.2 | 98.1 |
| Apple AirPods Noise-Canceling Compare | 96.1 | 87.8 | 81.3 | 91.8 | 90.8 | 93.2 | 97.7 | 98.4 |
Common Questions
Q: Is the bass really that good?
Yes. It's deep, controlled, and impactful without being bloated. If bass is your main priority, these deliver.
Q: How bad is the battery life really?
It's as bad as the scores suggest. 15 hours total with the case is less than what many single earbuds offer now. You'll be plugging in every other day.
Q: Do they have noise cancellation?
No. They have a passive seal, but no active noise cancellation (ANC). That 41st percentile ANC score basically means 'it doesn't exist.'
Who Should Skip This
If you need all-day battery or commute in noisy environments, this isn't it. Go get the Sony WF-1000XM5 for top-tier ANC and battery, or the Anker Soundcore P31i for a budget-friendly bass-heavy alternative that lasts longer.
Verdict
We cannot recommend the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW. It's a niche product for a very specific listener: someone who prioritizes powerful, clean bass above all else, never leaves home for more than a few hours, and doesn't care about noise cancellation. For everyone else, the crippling battery life makes this a frustrating experience. Look at the Sony or Technics models instead.