Audio-Technica's new wireless ATH-AL5NC completes its open-back headphone lineup

The new $279 wireless headphones offer more natural sound, but not noise isolation.

After introducing open-back versions of its wired headphones, Audio-Technica is doing the same for wireless. The $279 ATH-AL5NC Open-Back Wireless Headphones combine the more natural sound presentation of an open-back design with the convenience of a wireless Bluetooth connection, trading some noise isolation for a more comfortable fit.

The ATH-AL5NC features 53mm drivers and supports high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz wireless audio through LDAC, along with codecs like AAC and SBC. Multipoint Bluetooth pairing allows the headphones to stay connected to two Bluetooth devices at the same time, and Audio-Technica claims they'll offer up to 75 hours of continuous playback and the ability to give you an extra eight hours of listening from a 15-minute charge. Through the headphones' CONNECT app you can also tweak things like presets, codecs and EQ, and switch between discrete modes for low-latency gaming, noise reduction and sound leakage reduction.

The design of the new headphones has pros and cons. Using an open-back design means air can flow from outside the ATH-AL5NC's ear cups past its drivers to "reduce heat buildup," Audio-Technica says, while presenting any audio you play in a more natural way than closed-back headphones. The headphones are also supposed to have "minimal clamping pressure," which should make them more comfortable to wear. The drawback of all that open airflow is that the ATH-AL5NC will naturally leak more audio than other headphones and can't offer true noise cancellation to block outside noise, hence Audio-Technica's attempts to tweak things with its various software modes.

For true audiophiles (or anyone working from home) a little sound leakage won't be a major problem, and while Audio-Technica's open-back headphones come at a premium in comparison to something like the $150 HyperX Cloud Alpha Air , adding wireless Bluetooth is genuinely convenient. Audio-Technica's ATH-AL5NC Open-Back Wireless Headphones are available today for $279, and come with a 1.2m (3.9-foot) cable and a carrying pouch.