Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 Review vs TWX9 vs the BEST 🤔 (Sony, Apple, Jabra, Bose, B&W)
Reviewed by Aaron - 31 December 2023
I would say the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 are a far more conventional option than the TWX9 because the X7 doesn’t have that UV light sterilizing feature, along with some other key differences in terms of specs and features which are more standard among Hi-Res wireless earbuds.
The X7 supports streaming over LDAC instead of aptX Adaptive - that’s good for being a more common Hi-Res codec which does stream up to 24bit/96 khz audio, and it doesn’t require that the device supports Snapdragon Sound. (Not many devices support that at the moment.) That is why I described the X7 as more conventional, being more familiar to audiophiles coming from other hi-res certified buds.
The so-called “biggest advantage” I can see here versus the X9 is the battery. It’s just slightly better than the X9 with the case, but it still pales in comparison with many others that boast up to 24 hours or more. That won’t be an issue if you’re just using it on your daily commute, as in that case, up to 6 hours per charge is still plenty.
Still, what I do like about them is that these are one of the most customizable earbuds. All the controls can be customized to your preference. If you want, you can even make the touch and button controls mirror the other side, so that you can use just one at a time and it’ll work the same. It’s one of only a few that has 2 different voice pickup modes to choose from, so you can actually set whether you want the mics to have a more natural voice capture, suitable for quiet environments, or to cut noise aggressively during phone calls. Listen to how its mic sounds like compared to others in Noise Reduction mode.
Microphone Comparison
I do have to say, its noise gating does seem quite aggressive. Even with just a regular voice recording without its own noise reduction, my voice sounds very suppressed in noisy conditions, not as well amplified as other earbuds, even compared to the X9. That is not ideal, because whoever’s on the call will have to max out the volume on their end, otherwise they can’t hear you. Otherwise you can switch it to normal voice pickup and only try to take calls in less noisy conditions.
Active Noise Canceling Comparison
In terms of active noise canceling, it is quite effective overall, I did get much quiet in the mids when i’m outside walking about in the mall so I don’t really hear voices that much, even the low hum from ambient activity was subdued, but it wasn’t the best noise canceling I’ve had. If we compare it to other premium earbuds, it is quieter than some of them, but not as quiet as others, including the TWX9. Listen to the samples comparing them to other top earbuds.
Transparency mode Comparison
In terms of transparency, so far I have to say that it’s probably the weakest aspect of its performance. It does let in enough for you to be aware, but there is a noticeable occlusion effect, so it’s not as transparent as the AirPods Pro 2, and they also don’t seem to be as transparent as the X9. If you do need to have a conversation with someone, there is a Talkthrough mode that you can activate easily by double tapping the left earbud. It’s different from the usual transparency because it focuses more on amplifying voice while blocking some ambient noise, but it sounded weird because when I tried using it, the voice of the person I’m talking to sounds a bit muffled, even my own voice sounded muffled, so conversing didn’t feel too smooth.
Sound Quality Comparison
In terms of sound, frequency sweeps show that it generally follows the same tuning pattern as the TWX9. except in the midrange where the X7 is heavier in the mids in general save for the 1.3khz region, where the X9 has a bit more gain with a tighter Q-factor. This means on the X9, vocals are going to sound sharper and crisper. But comparing these two to the most popular earbuds in the market, they are going to sound more flat and laid back in the bass and highs, so to some people used to a more exciting sound, both the X9, and especially the X7s, are going to sound dead. Listen to the samples.
EQ Settings
So if you thought the X7s sound dead, don’t worry, these can be equalized to suit your preference in the Connect app, using its 5-band EQ. I’ve created a custom EQ that somewhat restores the thump and sizzle. There’s not much you can do with 5 bands but I’ve made the best of it by bumping up the bass almost all the way up, cut the 250hz a bit to add a bit of separation, and gradually added to the mids and highs to craft a more V-shaped sound which is how I like it.
Conclusions
So overall, what do I like about the X7? Well, it’s very customizable, it’s got the basic specs most audiophiles need, and after a bit of tweaking, I think they do sound great. Its multipoint pairing works very well, very smooth. You don’t even need to pause on one device to play on the other, just press play and it takes over, most of the time. Because if you’re switching to Apple music you need to pause first on the previous device before you press play. This only happens on Apple music. With other apps they just hijack each other.
For stem type earbuds, they don’t tend to stay in my ears that well, but these ones lock in great without need for special eartips. And that has a big impact on user experience, because the sound’s more consistent, and the noise canceling’s constant.
But of course, it’s far from perfect. If I could change something, it’s the size of the case. It doesn’t look too large, but it’s got some girth. This means when you put it in your pocket, it looks more obvious.
Its transparency could use a bit of polishing. I need it pick up more of my own voice as well as others. Also, its voice pickup in noisy conditions, even with noise reduction on, is not great.
Maybe a future software update can make voices more amplified, but if you’re often taking calls in noisy environments, I wouldn’t recommend these, instead, get the TWX9. But overall, I like the X7s, and with a bit of tweaking of their sound, I like them even more. Definitely worth looking at, the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7. If you’d like to check the latest prices of the earbuds in this review, click on the links to their Amazon pages below.
Check latest prices
Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 - TBA ($199)
Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 - https://amzn.to/48DunmO
B&W Pi7 S2 - https://youtu.be/fB9HswngyWg
AirPods Pro 2 USB-C - https://amzn.to/3VbAmsW
Bose QuietComfort Ultra - https://amzn.to/3rVHBeZ
Sony WF-1000XM5 - https://amzn.to/3qiamkS
Jabra Elite 10 - https://amzn.to/3EHIp9J
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