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Audio-Technica ATH-ANC29 Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Reviewed Apr 08, 2016 at 03:01 pm
Latest change: Test bench update Aug 10, 2017 at 11:34 am
Audio-Technica ATH-ANC29  Picture
5.9
Mixed Usage
6.6
Critical Listening
5.7
Commute/Travel
5.5
Sports/Fitness
5.7
Office
6.5
Home Theater

The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC29 QuietPoint have great bass that adds excitement to the tracks they reproduce. Unfortunately, they have a bland design that's slightly uncomfortable and offers no control options. Noise cancellation is also pretty weak, so moderate ambient noise may ruin your listening experience.

Our Verdict

5.9 Mixed Usage

These headphones do not excel in any use case. They don't isolate well enough for commute or office use. They don't have a good enough sound for critical listening or recording. They're also too unstable for sports.

Pros
  • Lightweight design.
  • Great bass reproduction.
Cons
  • Odd ear cup size is not comfortable for everyone.
  • Poor noise isolation.
6.6 Critical Listening

Average at best for critical listening. They have an uneven sound quality and their closed back design limits their soundstage.

5.7 Commute/Travel

Subpar for commuting. The noise canceling is weak and struggles in loud environments.

5.5 Sports/Fitness

Below-average for sports. They're lightweight but too cumbersome and unstable for strenuous exercises.

5.7 Office

Below-average for office use. They leak a bit and do not isolate much. You will still be able to hear the noise of a busy office.

6.5 Home Theater

Average for home theater use. They have a decent sound for watching movies. They also have no latency since they're wired. However, they have a short audio cable so unless you have an extension cord they won't be ideal for comfortably watching movies from your couch.

  • 5.9 Mixed Usage
  • 6.6 Critical Listening
  • 5.7 Commute/Travel
  • 5.5 Sports/Fitness
  • 5.7 Office
  • 6.5 Home Theater
  1. Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  2. Updated Apr 08, 2016: Review published.
  3. Updated Apr 06, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  4. Updated Mar 22, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type On-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic
Mic No

The ATH-ANC29 have an all-black, understated esthetic that may work for some but offers nothing remarkable in their design. The oval ear cups are noticeably thick and may stick out a little when on the head.

6.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.45 lbs
Clamping Force
0.92 lbs

The ATH-ANC29 are moderately comfortable. They are decently padded and lightweight but the oddly shaped ear cups may not fit everyone, especially those with larger ears. This makes the headphones uncomfortable for some people, especially over long listening sessions.

0
Design
Controls
Ease of use N/A
Feedback N/A
Call/Music Control No
Volume Control No
Noise Canceling Control No
Talk-Through No
Additional Buttons No

The only control option is the noise cancelling switch, which is cheaply made and difficult to use. You will have no direct control over your audio, which is disappointing.

5.5
Design
Stability

These headphones do not feel stable, once on your head. They are lightweight and apply enough pressure on your ears, to not easily fall off during casual listening sessions. Unfortunately, they are not designed for sports and quickly fall off your head when jumping, running or doing other high-intensity activities and sports. On the upside, the cable will detach if its hooked by something, which could prevent the headphones from being pulled off your head.

6.2
Design
Portability
L 7.09"
W 6.5"
H 1.77"
Volume 81.53 in³
Stand required N/A

The ATH-ANC 29 are on the larger side for on-ear headphones. They are somewhat portable compared to some bigger over-ear models and the ear cups fold flat to reduce the amount of space they would take up in a bag. Sadly they will not be the most travel-friendly as they do not fold up into a more compact format and won't fit in a pocket, even larger jacket pockets.

0
Design
Case
Type No case

6.0
Design
Build Quality

The ATH ANC29's build quality is decent but does not feel very durable. The joints are made of dense plastic and the headband is reinforced by a thin metal frame. This adds a little more robustness to the design but these headphones still feel weak and susceptible to breaking under moderate physical stress. The ear cups feel cheap, plasticky and hollow and may crack over time with regular wear and tear.

7.7
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 2.7 °C

Design
Cable
Detachable Yes
Length 4 ft
Connection 1/8" TRS

Comes with one 1/8" TRRS-TRRS cable with no mic or in-line controls.

Design
Front

Design
Angled

Design
Side

Design
Rear

Design
Top

Design
In The Box

  • Audio-Technica ATH-ANC29 Headphones
  • Flight adapter
  • Audio cable
  • Carrying pouch
  • Manual
  • 1/8" to 1/4" Adapter
  • AAA Battery

Sound
9.0
Sound
Bass
Std. Err.
1.53 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10.91 Hz
Low-Bass
-0.5 dB
Bass
0.21 dB
High-Bass
2.65 dB

6.4
Sound
Mid
Std. Err.
4.75 dB
Low-Mid
3.71 dB
Mid
4.46 dB
High-Mid
4.19 dB

5.1
Sound
Treble
Std. Err.
5.93 dB
Low-Treble
-5.64 dB
Treble
0.34 dB
High-Treble
-7.36 dB

8.4
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.32 dB

5.7
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Error
7.5 dB
Openness
7.1
Acoustic Space Excitation
3.4
Correlated Crosstalk
0 dB

6.0
Sound
Imaging
Phase Error
59.54°
Driver Mismatch (Amplitude)
0.75 dB
Driver Mismatch (Frequency)
3.06 dB
Driver Mismatch (Phase)
138.51°

6.3
Sound
Total Harmonic Distortion
Weighted THD @ 90
10.756
Weighted THD @ 100
19.827

Isolation
5.4
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Overall Attenuation
-11.77 dB
Noise-Cancelling Yes
Bass
-3.82 dB
Mid
-9.66 dB
Treble
-23.66 dB
Self-Noise
16.48 dB

Poor overall isolation. The passive isolation provided by the ear cups is below average, but not too bad considering the on-ear design of these headphones. The active noise cancellation provides some isolation from 100Hz to around 400Hz, but not much below or above those frequencies.

6.6
Isolation
Leakage
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
41.76 dB

Average leakage. Although the majority of the leakage happens in a narrow band in the mid-range (700Hz-1KHz) and little treble leaks out, the volume of what does leak out is high relative to listening volume.

Active Features
0
Active Features
Wireless
Type
N/A
Obstructed Range
N/A
Line of Sight Range
N/A
NFC
No

10
Active Features
Latency
Base Latency
0 ms
aptX Latency
N/A
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A

8.3
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
AAA
Battery Life
58.2 hrs
Charge Time
N/A
Auto-off
No
Audio while charging
N/A
Passive Playback
Yes

The ATH-ANC29 has an excellent battery life of about 59 hours. You won't have to change the triple AAA battery throughout the day which is good for long flights or road trips. Unfortunately, they can't be used without the battery, and do not have any battery saving features like an auto-off timer.

0
Active Features
App Support

No compatible app.