The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x QuietPoint are below-average headphones that poorly isolate listeners from ambient noise. They sound exceedingly bass-heavy and feel a little cheap and flimsy. On the upside, they don't leak much sound and won't disturb the people around you at high volumes.
Our Verdict
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x aren't good everyday headphones. They don't isolate well. They don't have a good sound for critical listening or recording. They're also too unstable for sports.
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No noticeable harmonic distortion.
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Minimal leakage.
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Poor isolation.
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Too bass-heavy.
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Oddly sized, unstable ear cups.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x have subpar critical listening experience. They have a skewed bass-heavy sound, and they're not comfortable.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x aren't suitable for commuting. The noise cancelling is weak and struggles in loud environments.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x are below-average for sports. They're lightweight but too unstable for any physical activity.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x are below-average for office use. They don't leak too much but poorly isolate listeners from the ambient noise of a busy office.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x are average for home theater use. They have no latency since they're wired. However, they have a short audio cable, so unless you have an extension cord they won't be ideal for comfortably watching movies from your couch. Unfortunately, they also have a poorly balanced sound that may drown out some voices in movies.
- 5.5 Mixed Usage
- 5.3 Critical Listening
- 5.6 Commute/Travel
- 5.3 Sports/Fitness
- 5.7 Office
- 6.3 Home Theater
- Updated Apr 19, 2016: Review published.
- Updated Apr 17, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Apr 11, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Test Results
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x QuietPoint's design looks similar to the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC29. They have an all-black color scheme with silver accents on the ear cups. Their design doesn't stand out, but their understated style may be appealing for some.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x don't quite rest well on the ears. The ear cups aren't large enough to encompass the ears like an over-ear design. This puts a little pressure on the tip of the ears that can get uncomfortable over long listening sessions. On the upside, they're lightweight and not too tight on the head.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x only has a noise cancelling switch. This means that you'll have no control over your audio, which is disappointing. However, the noise cancelling switch does feel better made than the one on the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC29, which shares the same design.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x don't provide a stable listening experience. They'll easily fall off your head during high-intensity activities like running or jumping. On the upside, they won't slip as much during casual listening, as long as you put them on correctly.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC 27x are quite big for on-ear headphones. They're decently portable thanks to their small frame relative to some larger over-ear models. However, they don't fold up into a more compact format to take less space in a backpack. They won't fit into your pockets and are too cumbersome to fit comfortably in some bags. On the upside, the ear cups to lay flat, which slightly increases their portability.
They come with a thin pouch that will protect them from scratches and doesn't add additional bulk. However, the pouch won't shield your headphones from water damage or hard falls.
Their build quality is decent but a little plasticky. They have a thin, metal frame that slightly strengthens the headband and the ear cups are sufficiently dense to withstand a few drops. However, the plastic hinges are weak points that feel cheaply made.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x comes with one 1/8" TRRS-TRRS cable with no mic or in-line controls.
- Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x headphones
- Flight adapter
- Audio cable
- Carrying pouch
- 1/8" to 1/4" adapter
- AAA Battery
They have poor noise isolation. They perform below average in all categories. The passive isolation provided by the ear cup does a decent job of blocking treble sounds; however, they stop being effective below 800Hz. The active noise cancellation provides around 10dB of reduction from 100Hz-400Hz but doesn't do much below or above that range. The self-noise is rather high too.
They have good leakage performance. The majority of leakage happens in the mid-range, around 600Hz, and there's little sound leaking above 3kHz.
The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC27x can last up to 82 hours of continuous playtime at average volumes. This means you won't have to change the triple AAA battery throughout the day, which is great for long flights or road trips. Sadly, they can't be used without the battery, and don't have any battery-saving features like an auto-off timer.