Audio-Technica has built wireless headphones that break a basic rule of the category: they're open-back, meaning the ear cups let air and sound pass straight through, yet they also reduce outside noise. According to a review published by SoundGuys on October 24, the ATH-AL5NC pull that off well enough to make a strange idea feel practical.
Open-back headphones usually exist for one reason. Letting air move past the drivers cuts the resonance and bass buildup that sealed ear cups create, so music tends to sound more open and natural. The tradeoff has always been that you hear everything around you and everyone around you hears your music, which is why open-backs mostly live at a desk in a quiet room rather than on a commute.
Audio-Technica's answer is two noise reduction modes rather than true cancellation. SoundGuys' reviewer described Home mode as a lighter setting meant for fan noise or street sounds, muting the distraction without erasing it, and Airplane mode as the stronger option, where ambient hum nearly disappears and city streets sound close to empty at midnight. Measurements cited in the review back that up: Airplane mode cut the perceived loudness of outside noise by about 55%, almost entirely in the bass range where train rumble and air conditioner hum sit, while high-pitched sounds pass through largely unaffected.
The headphones also tackle the other side of the open-back problem, sound leaking out to people nearby. SoundGuys found the leakage reduction feature noticeably cuts what bystanders hear even at max volume, though it doesn't eliminate it outright.
Audio-Technica claims up to 50 hours of battery life with noise reduction on and 75 hours with it off. SoundGuys' reviewer reported getting roughly three days of use before a low battery warning appeared, and noted a 3.5mm jack lets the headphones keep working wired once the battery runs out, though noise reduction stops working without charge.
The review flagged tuning issues. A dip in the 3 to 4kHz range left vocals sounding muffled, an emphasized upper treble made cymbal tails louder than the initial hit, and a 450Hz dip weakened the midrange enough that bass seemed to bury it, even though SoundGuys measured the bass itself as under-emphasized against its preference curve. The companion Audio-Technica Connect app offers five-band and parametric EQ, but SoundGuys found it won't let users adjust EQ while leakage reduction is active, and said EQ settings didn't reliably carry over between devices.
SoundGuys also reported ear pressure discomfort with noise reduction engaged, light self-noise hiss during quiet passages, and a fit that ran small, with the smallest headband setting working best for its reviewer despite normally needing more room.
No pricing or release availability for the ATH-AL5NC was included in the review. Audio-Technica has not said when or where the headphones will go on sale.
RRFiled by The Reviews Roundup Desk
What the reviews are saying: verdicts on new devices from the outlets that tested them, summarised and credited to each. This desk does not test products itself.
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