Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT Wireless Headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT Wireless Headphones

The Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT is an over-ear wireless headphone built around one headline figure: endurance. With digital hybrid noise cancelling switched off it runs for up to 90 hours on a full charge, and even with noise cancelling on it manages up to 60 hours – several working weeks of commuting between charges rather than several days. When it finally does run low, a 3-minute rapid charge over USB-C returns about 2.5 hours of playback. Around that battery sits a complete everyday feature set: 40 mm drivers, multipoint Bluetooth connection, a hear-through mode for conversation, low latency mode for video and gaming, and a fold-flat design with distinctive terrazzo-patterned housings.

Audio-Technica positions the S300BT as the practical, long-haul member of its S series, and that character shows throughout: controls are simple touch buttons on the earcup, a wired cable with its own microphone is included for battery-free listening, and the sound follows the brand’s balanced, unexaggerated approach.

Key features

• Up to 90 hours of playback with noise cancelling off, up to 60 hours with it on
• Digital hybrid noise-cancelling technology with hear-through function
• 3-minute rapid charge provides about 2.5 hours of use
• 40 mm drivers in a closed-back design with 20 Hz to 20 kHz response
• Bluetooth 5.1 with multipoint pairing for two devices at once
• Low latency mode for better audio and video synchronisation
• Fold-flat earcups with terrazzo marbled pattern housings and a wired cable included

Noise cancelling and sound

The digital hybrid noise-cancelling system uses microphones inside and outside the earcups to reduce ambient sound, taking the edge off train rumble, aircraft cabin noise and office air conditioning so music can be played at a lower, healthier volume. The hear-through function reverses the idea at a touch, passing surrounding sound, including your own voice at a natural level, so you can hold a conversation or hear an announcement without removing the headphones. The 40 mm dynamic drivers are rated from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with 103 dB/mW sensitivity and a 44.5 ohm impedance in wired terms, and the tuning is recognisably Audio-Technica: clear midrange for voices and podcasts, present but controlled bass, and no artificial treble glare, which makes the S300BT an easy headphone to listen to for a full working day. Bluetooth streaming uses SBC and AAC codecs, with AAC suiting Apple devices particularly well.

Battery, calls and controls

Battery figures this large change how a headphone is owned: charge it once, use it for weeks of commutes, and let the rapid charge handle emergencies. A full charge takes about 2.5 hours over the USB-C connection. The built-in MEMS microphone, omnidirectional with a 50 Hz to 10 kHz response, handles calls and voice assistants, and multipoint pairing keeps a phone and a laptop connected together so a call can interrupt laptop audio without manual switching. Easy-touch buttons on the earcup control volume, playback and calls and summon Siri or Google Assistant. Low latency mode tightens the timing between picture and sound for streamed video and casual gaming, where standard Bluetooth delay is most noticeable.

Design, comfort and wired backup

The S300BT weighs about 258 grams, light for an over-ear noise-cancelling model, and the ergonomic earpads and fold-flat hinges make it comfortable over long sessions and compact in a bag. The housings carry a terrazzo-style marbled pattern that gives the headphone a distinctive, furniture-like finish in place of plain gloss plastic. For situations where wireless is not an option – an in-flight entertainment system, a flat battery, or a device without Bluetooth – the supplied 1.2 metre cable includes its own in-line microphone and controls and a gold-plated 3.5 mm plug, so the headphone keeps working as a wired model. For travellers, commuters and office listeners who are tired of managing battery anxiety, the ATH-S300BT’s combination of 90-hour stamina, effective noise cancelling and a proper wired fallback is a compelling, fuss-free package.