Audio-Technica just launched its first wireless open-back headphones with an affordable price-tag and 'noise reduction', and I must try them
Meet the refreshingly affordable Audio-Technica ATH-AL5NC
by https://www.techradar.com/author/becky-scarrott · TechRadarNews By Becky Scarrott Published 9 September 2026
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- Audio-Technica knows what it's doing with open-back headphones
- However, this is the company's first ever wireless open-back offering
- …and also, they feature active 'noise reduction'
All it takes is a quick glance at our Audio-Technica ATH-ADX700 review to know that Audio-Technica knows precisely how to make a great set of open-backed headphones.
That said, this is the first time the company is cutting the wire, when it comes to delivering such audio architecture. Today, (September 9), the company is expanding its open-back headphone line-up with the new ATH-AL5NC, its first ever wireless open-back headphones.
At their core are specially designed 53mm drivers, promising "detailed, expansive sound", while the open housings should improve airflow and reduce heat around the ears, if your closed-back cans often feel a little toasty.
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Tipping the scales at 240g (for reference, the Sony WH-1000XM6 weigh 254g), they’re light too. Longer listening sessions at home should be comfortable, whether listening to your hi-res music, working or, as suggested by A-T, gaming.
And here's a new duo in this space: despite their open-back design, the ATH-AL5NC also feature Sound Leakage Reduction, helping to reduce the amount of sound escaping into those shared spaces (the London Underground carriages spring to mind), alongside "noise reduction" (available in wireless and wired modes) to minimize everyday background distractions.
Audio-Technica ATH-AL5NC: key specs and features
Want the cold, hard specs? Of course you do. Other key features include up to 75 hours of battery life, or 50 hours with noise reduction enabled (so it is an active technology, involving the creation of antiphase to counteract noise), plus up to eight hours of playback from a 15-minute quick charge.
You also get 24-bit/96 kHz high-resolution audio, LDAC support, multipoint connectivity for staying connected to two Bluetooth devices at once, a low-latency mode for gaming and video and an integrated microphone for calls and meetings. And those last four perks are not features you'll regularly find among audiophile-grade open-back headphones, or even the best wired headphones generally.
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