Audio-Technica has announced the ATH-TWX9, a set of true wireless earbuds with a unique auto-sterilising feature.
The ATH-TWX9 are premium in-ear headphones with five ANC presets, six hours of continuous playback, a case providing up to 18.5 hours of extended use and wireless charging, and what Audio-Technica describes as an “IPX4-equivalent splashproof rating”.
That’s not what sets the ATH-TWX9 apart from the crowd, however. That would be the deep-UV sterilisation system built directly into the case. Whenever you place the earbuds in the case, a 70-second sterilisation process begins, with mirrors employed to distribute the light evenly.
Audio-Technica claims that the sterilisation process eliminates bacteria and viruses from the surface of the earbuds.
In terms of audio output, the ATH-TWX9 features 5.8mm drivers and supports Sony’s 360 Reality Audio for a realistic 3D sound stage. Supported codecs include Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive audio.
Call quality is boosted by Sidetone circuitry that lets you hear your own voice in the headphones, which is compatible with most smartphones.
Audio-Technica’s new earbuds also support multipoint pairing, so you can remain connected to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously.
The ATH-TWX9 go on sale on the Audio-Technica website today, November 9, for a premium price of £279.99/€319. There’s just a single colour, called Japanese Black, which works in some classy bronze accents. They come with 12 different fitting eartips, which come in four diameter sizes and three stem lengths.
It’ll be interesting to see if Audio-Technica’s unusually clean in-ear headphones are worthy to join our Best Wireless Earbuds 2022 list.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.