Audio-Technica review
Updated September 30, 2026 · GizmoCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
Audio-Technica suits listeners who want one maker for headphones and turntables, long battery life and a warranty that outlasts most rivals, rather than shoppers chasing speakers or soundbars in the same basket. Entry pricing of €89 and a 2 year warranty make it a steady choice for everyday listening.
Key facts
- Best for
- Headphone and turntable buyers who want long battery life, noise cancelling and a 2 year warranty in Europe.
- Price from
- €89 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Noise cancelling
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Battery life
- 75 hours (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Warranty
- 2 years (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Multi-room
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Markets
- AT, BE, BG, HR, CY, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IE, IT, LV, LT, LU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SI, ES, SE (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Audio-Technica Ltd (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Japan (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Founded
- 1962 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Help-centre, Phone, Email, Community (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Products
- Headphones, Turntables
- Bluetooth codecs
- Aac, Ldac
- Official website
- audio-technica.com
Apps and profiles
Pros and cons
Pros
- The headphones and turntables range puts headphones and turntables under the same roof, so a wireless buyer and a vinyl buyer can stay with the same maker.
- Noise cancelling is a yes and the codecs listed are aac and ldac, so the same hardware handles calls and hi-fi sources.
- Battery life of 75 hours on the noise cancelling models, well above the 48.5 median for the category.
- Support spans help centre, phone and email, giving buyers self-serve material and direct contact in the same place.
Cons
- Multiroom is a no, so the range is personal listening gear rather than a whole-home playback system.
- Earbuds are missing from headphones and turntables, where HyperX lists headphones and earbuds.
- Entry price of €89 ranks 48 of 64, so it is not the low-cost way into the category.
- Battery life of 75 hours places the brand at 11 of 61, and several rivals outlast it.
Who it suits
- Commuters and long listening days, since 75 hours keeps charging infrequent.
- European buyers who want delivery across AT, BE and BG and cover of 2 years.
- Vinyl buyers building a system, because headphones and turntables puts turntables alongside the headphones.
Who should look elsewhere
- JBL, for anyone who wants speakers, soundbars and hi-fi in the same basket, since headphones, earbuds and speakers stretches well past headphones and turntables.
- HyperX, for earbuds, because headphones and earbuds includes earbuds alongside headphones.
- CORSAIR, when shopping is limited to gaming headsets, since its range is headphones.
What it does well
Audio-Technica's headline figure is battery life, with 75 hours on the noise cancelling models, which is the setting that works a battery hardest. Noise cancelling is a yes, so that runtime comes with active cancellation rather than a passive design. The warranty runs 2 years, long enough to cover a pair kept across several seasons instead of a single year. Multiroom is a no, so this is personal listening gear and not a whole-home playback system. The practical read is a portable, long-running setup: strong battery, real noise cancelling and cover that runs well past a single year.
Where it sits among rivals
Against the brands compared here, the strongest measure is warranty length at 4 of 56. Battery hours place the brand at 11 of 61, so 75 hours is a solid number that several rivals beat. Price from is the weaker line, at 48 of 64 from €89. The pattern is consistent: this brand asks more at entry and pays part of it back through cover, with battery sitting in the middle of the table.
Who runs it
Audio-Technica Ltd is the legal entity handling the European business, and the brand has its headquarters in Japan. The company was founded in 1962, so buyers are dealing with an established audio maker rather than a recent entry to the market. Support for the region runs through help centre, phone and email, mixing self-serve material with phone and email contact and a community space. Delivery is listed across AT, BE and BG, which makes the reach broad inside Europe and regional rather than worldwide.
How Audio-Technica compares
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Where Audio-Technica is available
- Available
- Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Audio-Technica product cost at entry?+
The range opens at €89, covering either headphones or a turntable, with no subscription or bundle to add. That figure sits above the €60.68 median for this category, so the brand is not the cheapest way in, though it stays under the €103.88 upper mark.
What do the cheapest and priciest brands here cost?+
Across the brands listed, the lowest entry price is €5.25 and the highest is €8,768.75. The Audio-Technica figure of €89 sits well below the top of that spread, which is a reasonable place for a maker with a 2 year warranty behind the product.
Does Audio-Technica deliver to my country?+
The delivery page lists destinations across AT, BE and BG, and that list is the practical guide to where orders are accepted. Buyers based elsewhere should check with the company first, because the stated reach is regional rather than worldwide, and support can confirm what applies to a specific address.
How long does the battery last?+
The quoted figure is 75 hours, measured on the noise cancelling models, which is the setting that works the battery hardest. That sits well above the 48.5 median in this category, so charging slips into a normal week rather than a daily routine.
Do Audio-Technica headphones have noise cancelling?+
Noise cancelling is a yes for the range, and the 75 hour battery figure belongs to those cancelling models, so the feature comes as standard rather than as a premium extra. Multiroom is a separate matter and is a no, which concerns whole-home playback rather than the cancellation itself.
How long is the warranty?+
Cover runs for 2 years, and the brand places 4 of 56 on warranty length. That sits above the 1.75 typical of this category, so a pair bought now keeps cover for a good stretch of its life.
What kinds of products does the brand sell?+
The catalogue covers headphones and turntables. Headphones carry most of the attention, and turntables sit in the same range, which helps buyers building a hi-fi setup rather than only commuting. Brands such as HyperX and JBL reach wider, with headphones and earbuds and headphones, earbuds and speakers.
How do I get help after buying?+
Support runs through help centre, phone and email. A help centre suits routine questions, phone and email cover faults that need sorting, and the listed community space is the place for pairing tips and settings. Buyers who need answers quickly have direct contact as well as self-serve material.
Who runs Audio-Technica?+
Audio-Technica Ltd is the legal entity named in the contact details, and the brand has its headquarters in Japan. The company was founded in 1962, so buyers are dealing with an established audio maker rather than a recent arrival in the category.
Sources
- audio-technica.com/en-eu/ath-al5nc checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Battery life, Bluetooth codecs, Noise cancelling
“ATH-AL5NC ... the rechargeable battery provides up to 75 hours of continuous playback”
- audio-technica.com/en-eu/contact checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Legal entity
“Audio-Technica Ltd, Technica House, Unit 8, Millennium Drive, Leeds, LS11 5BP, United Kingdom ... Registered in England No. 1385176”
- audio-technica.com/en-eu/delivery checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Markets
“We deliver to any valid postal address within the European Union (EU).”
- audio-technica.com/en-eu/headphones/all checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Multi-room, Price from, Products
“Shop All Headphones ... Items 1-12 of 63 (shop menu: Headphones, Turntables, Cartridges, Microphones, Commercial Audio)”
- audio-technica.com/en-eu/our-story checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters
“Audio-Technica was founded in Japan on 17th April 1962 by Hideo Matsushita.”
- audio-technica.com/en-eu/support checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“Support: Customer Service - Online Order FAQ, Service and Repair, Spare Parts, Warranty Information; Product FAQs - Headphones, Turntables, Cartridges and Styli, Microphones”
- audio-technica.com/en-eu/support/limited-manufacturers-wa... checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Warranty
“All Audio-Technica products purchased from Audio-Technica Europe are guaranteed for TWO years from the date of purchase by the original end-user”
Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
What changed
- September 30, 2026: axisScores trust was 9.4, now 9.5
Audio-Technica
Headphone and turntable buyers who want long battery life, noise cancelling and a 2 year warranty in Europe.