Audio Technica ATH-ANC1 vs. Bose On-Ear Headphones
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>>What's up prize fight fans? I'm Brian Tong and we're here for another headphone face off. It's a prize fight punch out with a new contender as Audio-Technica's QuietPoint ATH-ANC1's take on Bose's On-Ear headphones. Bose was left standing the last time but it's a whole new fight and we're bringing in Senior Editor Donald Bell, Senior Associate Editor Jasmine France and your prize fight MC that would be me to judge this battle. Now, we'll take all three judges' scores and average them out to the nearest tenth each round. The final prize fight score will be an average of all rounds using the same decimal system. Let's rumble and tumble.
First round is comfort. Audio-Technica brings a much lighter headsets to the table. Its ear cups are firm and not as cushy as the Bose but still comfortable. The lack of padding on its headband was noticed by a few of the judges when we put them on. Now, the Bose On-Ear's has the judges using words like baby pillows, soft padding and the cushiest ear pads around. The padding on its headband was nice but there was more pressure from the headband itself. Bose strikes first with a 4.3 and Audio-Technica's QuietPoints get a 3.3.
Next round is portability and style. The QuietPoin's fold up easily and their ear cups are so compact that Donald compares them to kid's headphones. Jasmine likes the understated design and I prefer the smaller fold-up size. Now, the Bose On-Ears have a flip and fold design that flattens them out to compliment their sculpted case. It features more silver but from a size stand point these headphones might be about twice the size and the fold flat feature is slick but Audio-Technica strikes back with a 4 and Bose gets a 3.3. So, after averaging two rounds the Bose On-Ears lead by just one tenth of a point.
Round 3: Durability. These headsets aren't the sturdiest kids on the block and they both have one-year warranties. The QuietPoints are the skinnier of the two. They feel like they could snap like a twig and its noise-cancellation unit connected to its headphone with the extra weight of a battery probably isn't a good thing. The On-Ear's bulk helps them here but they still aren't extremely durable especially with that plastic joint for its folding design. The attachable headphone cable is a nice and subtle feature. Bose takes this round with a 3.7 and Audio-Technica gets a 2.7.
Round 4 is all about the sound and science. The QuietPoints have solid audio quality with detail but they just aren't as clean as the Bose On-Ears. The key feature here is noise-cancellation which makes up for that sound difference especially if you're a traveler. Now, the Bose had a deeper bass with a punchy low end and a more dynamic sound. It was able to handle all different genres of music throughout it and even though it has no extra features, sound quality rules here. The On-Ears take round 4 with a 4.3 and Audio-Technica gets a 3.7. So, after averaging four rounds, the On-Ear leads by half a point but this one is far from over.
The final round that decides it all is value. It may not be our first choice for sound but for around $129 the QuietPoints offer great all around sound with active noise-cancellation in a portable package that's affordable. The Bose On-Ears will cost you around $179 for their comfy ear pads and sound quality that leaves you satisfied but its prize tag is really higher than it should be when you look at the entire landscape of on-ear headphones. Audio-Technica throws a heavy blow with a 4.7 and Bose gets a 3.
So, let's average out all five rounds and in a prize fight where the On-Ears led all the way, Audio-Technica hit hard with a final punch resulting in a tie at 3.7 points a piece. So, now, we'll have to go to the tie breaker for the most number of rounds won and when we break it down, the Bose On-Ears took three of the five rounds and defends its title by the smallest of margins as your prize fight winner. I'm Brian Tong. Thanks for watching. We'll catch you guys next time on another prize fight.
