Audio-Technica's new ultra-light, ultra-cheap wireless headphones last for 60 hours, somehow

The new Audio-Technica ATH-S220BT are made for extended wear, but surely not THAT extended

Audio-Technica ATH-S220BT in black worn by man outside
(Image credit: Audio-Technica)

Audio-Technica has just announced its new wireless headphones, and they're all about the extremes. They offer a colossal 60 hours of battery life, yet will cost just £60/€69 when they release on September 10th 2021. That's just £1 per hour!

They also weigh a mere 180g, and Audio-Technica says they should offer "exceptional clarity during calls" – they seem to be designed as the ultimate work-from-home companion, made to wear all day comfortably and able to switch between motivational music and calls without sweat.

The ATH-S220BT also offer "Low Latency Mode" for video calls and regular video watching, which should keep sound and sights in sync better, assuming it works as expected. They also come with a cable for lag-free wired use, and that has a remote and mic built in too.

They support multi-point Bluetooth pairing, so you can have them paired with both your computer and your phone at the same time, for easily switching between them. Siri and Google Assistant functionality is also here, as is Fast Pair for Android.

As for sound quality, Audio-Technica rarely fails us, and it's had models regularly rated among the best wireless headphones and best wired headphones. There's no information about the drivers used or anything so far – only that "The same care has been given to this new model as is applied to the company’s world-renowned studio models, as used by high-profile musicians such as Lady Gaga and Drake."

While I don't expect them to match up to the quality of the upcoming Audio-Technica M50xBT2 despite that lofty claim, I do think the ATH-S220BT will likely put the audio cat among the wireless pigeons in our round-up of the best cheap headphones. Given just how light they are and the ridiculous battery life – plus the fact that they're pretty good looking – they could be the headphones to go for in this price range. We'll find out when we get our hands on them soon enough.

Matthew Bolton

Matt is T3's former AV and Smart Home Editor (UK), master of all things audiovisual, overseeing our TV, speakers and headphones coverage. He also covered smart home products and large appliances, as well as our toys and games articles. He's can explain both what Dolby Vision IQ is and why the Lego you're building doesn't fit together the way the instructions say, so is truly invaluable. Matt has worked for tech publications for over 10 years, in print and online, including running T3's print magazine and launching its most recent redesign. He's also contributed to a huge number of tech and gaming titles over the years. Say hello if you see him roaming the halls at CES, IFA or Toy Fair. Matt now works for our sister title TechRadar.