Table of Contents
Not so long ago, the mention of a wireless headset would make hi-fi nerds shudder – and with good reason. But because technology has improved, a high-quality wireless headphone is now more than a match for its wired counterparts. The Hi-Res Audio label you might see on your new headphones means they meet specific criteria for playing the music of higher quality than CD quality. This means that headphones must be capable of decoding and playing music that is 24 bit/96 kHz and higher. This is our Audio-Technica ATH-SR5BT Review.
The Audio-Technica ATH-SR5BTs are impressive wireless headphones with a frequency response of 5-40,000 Hz, which means you’ll hear every note crystal clear. They also last around 38 hours on a single charge, which means you can go on days, if not weeks, without charging them, relying on your listening habits.
Audio-Technica ATH-SR5BT Review: Design
The design of the ATH-SR5BT is understated with an all-black finish and some silver accents, although there is also a white-on-silver version if you like the clean sci-fi look. The headphones feature metal ear shells with soft leather ear pads and headband that define comfort. That said, they have an on-ear design, but they do an excellent job of passively blocking out outside noise. On the head, the ATH-SR5BT is exceptionally comfortable, primarily due to its lightweight.
The ear cushions are made of soft memory foam and feel great even after long listening sessions. There is very little clamping force, which is great for long listening sessions, but they can be a bit lose for users who want to practice with them. All controls are on the back of each auricle. The right earcup has a power rocker switch, while the left earcup features playback controls, the micro USB charging port, and the 3.5mm jack for use in wired mode.
The ear cups feature 45mm drivers that can handle an incredible frequency response of 5-40,000 Hz. The headphones have an impedance of 45 ohms, which means you don’t need an amplifier to drive them adequately. The box contains a micro-USB charging cable, a 3.9 ft (1.2 m) headphone cable, and a carrying case. The headphone cable comes with an in-built microphone and a one-button remote for controlling playback and answering calls.
Connectivity
Pairing the ATH-SR5BTs with my Galaxy S10 couldn’t be simpler with the addition of NFC – one tap on the back of your NFC-enabled phone on the left headband quickly pairs the headphones to your device. While Audio-Technica boasts that these headphones can remember up to eight devices, you need to disconnect/connect to devices in your Bluetooth settings because they can’t connect to multiple devices at the same time.
Some headphones support multiple devices at the same time, such as the Plantronics Backbeat Pro, and it would be great to see that Audio-Technica includes this feature in the future, as it is a pain to chase around the settings to switch devices. There is support for aptX and AAC codecs, which means that wireless audio via Bluetooth 4.1 will sound great with both Android smartphones and iPhones. Note that the headphones in Bluetooth mode only gives a frequency response of 20-20,000 Hz, while using them in wired mode gives the full 5-40,000 Hz needed for Hi-Res Audio.
Controlling playback with the earbuds is relatively easy, but it takes some getting used to, as it’s both a toggle and a button. Switching up and down changes the volume, but you can hold down the button to jump forward and hold down the button to jump back. Pressing the button will play/pause the music or answer/reject a call. Speaking of phone calls, friends and family reported sounding audio on their side during our calls, noting that it sounded much better than using the built-in microphone on our Samsung Galaxy S10.
Audio-Technica ATH-SR5BT Review: Performance
Enough about connectivity. How do the ATH-SR5BTs sound? In short, phenomenal. The music is well balanced over the entire frequency range, although there are a slight treble and mid-bass boost. This means that treble can sound a bit tiring for those who are sensitive to treble, and we found that they are on the verge of being too energetic. All that high-frequency energy means the ATH-SR5BT has an excellent resolution for well-recorded music.
You’ll hear musicians breathing or tapping their feet, something other wireless headphones can’t reproduce. The soundstage is well rendered – but can be a little wider. The bass is tight with good impact, but low-end enthusiasts are likely to want headphones that can dig deeper. Bassheads should look at the Marshall Major II Bluetooth to satisfy the urge for EDM and rap but expect mudder bass and much less resolution.
While most people will usually use the ATH-SR5BT in wireless mode, it’s worth plugging them in to experience what Hi-Res sound is capable of. We connected the headphones with the included cable and were blown away by how much better everything sounded; the bass had more impact, mainly when used with an amplifier like my Fiio E18 and WooAudio 3. We were addicted to the wired mode for days.
Battery Life
Audio-Technica’s claims of having 38 hours of playback are on the spot. We had trouble discharging the battery within the week I spent with the headphones. They have serious stamina. However, they need quite a bit of time (about five hours) to recharge from the dead, so you’ll want to put them on the charger overnight.
Audio-Technica ATH-SR5BT Review: Conclusion
The Audio-Technica ATH-SR5BT offers a great balance between portability and listening. Sound over Bluetooth is great for traveling or when you’re less interested in infidelity. Once you’re safely at home or in a quiet environment, you can easily switch to wired mode to get Hi-Res Audio sound. At their $199 price point, the ATH-SR5BT offers excellent value for audiophiles who need the convenience of going wireless.
Sure, they lack the features of more expensive wireless headphones such as active noise cancellation and multi-device pairing, but these are trade-offs worth making a phenomenal sound. Also, read our list of The Best Noise Cancelling Headphones