Audio-Technica - ATH SR6BT Wireless Over-the-Ear Headphones - Black

PROS: - Priced reasonably - Sleek design and feel well made - Solid battery life and wireless range CONS: - Multipurpose button can be frustrating - No hard shell case - Light on the bass VERDICT: Overall, these are great headphones for a pretty reasonable price. If you want great sounding headphones and don’t mind missing a little bass, I have no doubts that these will serve well. My first pair of Audio Technica's and I have to say that I have been very impressed. When you first unpackage the ATH-SR6BT you are immediately greeted with the headphones laying in a molded shell draped in soft cloth. The presentation is something that I have only seen in even more expensive Bose and Beats products, so clearly Audio Technica is pulling all the stops to make you feel like you are getting a high quality product even when these $200 headphones already undercut some competitors’ wireless Bluetooth options. The design of these is like Bose SoundLinks meets Beats Solo. They have a nice mix of metal and plastic that makes them feel sturdy and well built. The gun metal coloring, polished trim, and minimal branding all looks great and gives these cans a sleek modern look. The padding on the ear cups and headband makes them a pretty comfortable wear for durations up to 2-3 hours (at least for my big head). I have no doubt that these will last many years if they are properly taken care of. My only knock here is that they come with a soft case (leather bag) instead of a hard shell - this just means that you need to be careful putting these loose in a bag. For controls there is power on the right cup and a multipurpose button that handles volume, play/pause, fwd/rev, and activates your phone’s voice assistant. The button rocks forward and back with a nice springy feel, however using this multipurpose button to play, pause, and activate Siri (or Google Now) feels less than ideal with the button sometimes rocking awkwardly when you are trying get in a simple button press. This is another small knock, but over the last week I have gotten used to it. In regards to the audio quality I am pretty impressed! Highs and mids sound very pronounced and are not “tinny”. However, the bass on these is on the lower side and if you are like me testing with no equalizer settings on the iPhone, you might find yourself wanting more. The quality is clear though and the wireless range of these is on par with other headphones on the market. Battery life seems great so far – but I haven’t tested their 30 hour claim. Bluetooth call quality is average, however every pair of Bluetooth headphones I have ever used has had average audio quality on calls. The built-in microphone is going to pick up someone background noise but not to the point where the person on the other end of the line is going to have trouble hearing you.

Short synopsis: The ATH-SR6BT is the best bang for your buck premium wireless headphones available. Audio-Technica spends most of their money on the headphones themselves, and not marketing. Phenomenal all-around wireless headphones that should be strongly considered. A little more detail: I have three pairs of audiophile grade headphones that are all wired and for home use. I used the ATH-SR6BT at the gym wirelessly with my iPhone 6, and I used them with the detachable aux cable (3.5mm) with my Nintendo Switch. If you own an iPhone, like I do, you WILL NOT experience the highest possible wireless audio quality. This is because iPhones do not support Bluetooth aptX. As an aside, The Galaxy S8 DOES support Bluetooth aptX. With that being said, these headphones WILL sound better than most wireless headphones being sold at Best Buy or the Apple store due to the quality of the components. In addition, the design is high quality and minimalistic. When it comes to headphones, the size of the driver(the small speaker in the earcup) and the quality of the components are what matters. The size of the drivers in this pair of headphones is 45mm, which is a good size. The leather earpads are easy to remove and clean which is important if you are going to use them when at the gym. I did not think I would use the microphone function of these headphones, but I did end up using it and was able to answer a phone call without having to shout since the built-in microphone is superb. I did not test the claimed 30-hour long battery life, however I can say I have extensively used these headphones wirelessly and have not had to charge them yet. In addition, you can use thee headphones with a wired connection if you don’t have any battery left. One con I will mention is if you have large ears, like I do, you may need to change the ear pads or be comfortable with your ears not fitting inside the earcup. I will note that I have this issue with most headphones unless the earcups are oversized. Audio Technica is well known for having quality headphones. The premium design put into the ATH-SR6BT along with the premium components makes them a great buy. I am glad they are part of my headphone collection.

These headphones were provided in exchange for my review. I was really looking forward to receiving these as I have a few pair of over-the-ear headphones and a couple of Bluetooth sets that are in-ear, so these would be a first for me. The packaging makes a nice first impression showing that you did not buy a $29 item in a clear blister-pack. The build quality is what I would expect for the price point, not metal, wood and leather, but the painted plastic and padded vinyl parts along with excellent fit and finish make a very respectable showing. While these are billed as “over-the-ear” on Audio-Technica’s website, they do not enclose the complete adult human ear. The ear cushion will rest on your ear lobe, but I did not find the fit uncomfortable. The User Manual that comes in the box is fairly thick, but the content is in ten languages, so in reality it is only 16 pages for English. Usually I don’t even look in the manual for something like a pair of headphones, but I will admit I needed to do so to figure out the “Jog” switch’s functions. The storage/carry pouch is a vinyl-covered, cloth-like material that will protect from scratches and will easily fit in a pocket when using the headphones, but will not provide crush protection like a hard case would. The provided charging cable is a USB to Micro USB cable which is appreciated more than a proprietary connection. There is no AC charging block provided though. Since wireless capability is the main selling point of the SR6BT, my testing consisted of listening to music on my iPhone 6, MacBook Pro, and a television with a third-party Bluetooth adapter attached to it. I also connected it to my 2-channel home stereo with the supplied audio/smartphone cable. When using the audio cable, the headphones sound exactly the same with their power tuned off or turned on, which is not the case with my active noise cancelling headphones made by a company with four letters in their name (their sound quality degrades tremendously when used with the power turned off). Upon my initial use, I was a little underwhelmed with the sound quality of these headphones. You have to realize that everyone’s impression of “great sound” is different and also we differ in our ability to hear different frequencies in the audio spectrum. Using the equalizer function of iTunes on the Mac and an equalizer app on my phone, I was able to dial in a frequency curve to my liking and I am much more impressed with their sound. Killer, boomy bass…no, but I think with a little tweaking they are capable of providing a fairly accurate representation of what the audio engineer on the recording was trying for. The integrated amplifier in my home stereo has only a single bass and single treble control. With the limited control provided, I was not able to make as dramatic an improvement as I could with the graphic equalizer on the other devices. Voice quality while watching television was good with dialog easy to understand. I was able to move all throughout the house (three levels, about 2400 sq. ft., through multiple walls) with no loss of signal and able to control the playback with the Jog switch. When I compare the SR6BT to my other headphones (a couple of them are more than double the price), they hold their own for sound quality, and when you throw in the wireless feature, they are definitely worth the price of admission. I would recommend these at full MSRP if your sound source has an equalizer option, and I feel comfortable saying you will not be disappointed.

Design: I had a very positive first impression of these headphones, and I continue to enjoy wearing them regularly partly because I like the design so much. They are sleek, lightweight, and the black leather with charcoal gray and silver coloring is very appealing. A matching leather bag is included which is useful for storing and transporting them. Honestly, these are the best-looking over-ear headphones I have seen in a while! Audio Quality: Audio-Technica is known for making high-quality audio products, and these wireless headphones are no exception. I was immediately impressed with the audio quality after using them for the first time. They are advertised as high-resolution headphones, and the audio does sound very clear. However, I think that the bass is lacking a bit. If you are looking for headphones that have heavy bass, these may not be for you, but they do have exceptionally clear audio, so how you rate the audio quality may depend on your preference of bass or clarity. Unfortunately, these headphones do not provide the best of both, in my opinion. Comfort: The soft, memory foam earpads are comfortable on my ears even after wearing the headphones for an extended period, and they provide good sound isolation. In addition, the headband can be easily adjusted to provide a great fit. As I mentioned, the headphones are also lightweight which contributes to the exceptional comfort. Battery Life: I am beyond happy with the battery life! A long-lasting battery is an important factor to me, so I am glad Audio-Technica incorporated a great battery into these headphones that lasts around 30 hours. Verdict: With impressive audio quality, comfort, and battery life, these Audio-Technica headphones have become my favorite over-ear headphones. I had hoped that they would have a little more bass, which is the reason for my four-star rating instead of five, but I would consider this to be a minor negative in comparison to the positives I have mentioned. Overall, I think Audio-Technica has done a fantastic job with these headphones, and I would recommend them to anyone looking for comfortable over-ear headphones with high-resolution audio and an appealing design.

The Audio-Technica headphones are stylish, well constructed, and comfortable. The volume range isn’t terribly impressive, but the sound clarity is quite nice. The headphones came beautifully packaged in a cloth lined box. The headphones come with a faux leather carrying case, an aux cable with mic, and a micro-USB charging cable. The instruction manual is quite literally a small book. I’m not one to use instruction manuals (preferring to just start pressing buttons and figuring it out myself), but you may want to actually use this one. The pairing process was simple but somewhat unintuitive. The headphones have what appears to be a 3-stage power button. The icons show “off,” “Bluetooth,” and “on.” This is a lie. The button is only 2-stage with off and on functionality. Bluetooth pairing was triggered automatically upon first turning the headphones on. One complaint that I have is that you don’t hear any kind of notification from the headphones when the headphones have successfully paired. Aside from a little blast of music when you first turn them on, the headphones are silent except for when in use. The headphones are well constructed and definitely have a premium look to them. The headphones are unbelievably comfortable. The ear pieces and top are thickly padded, and the headband is adjustable. I could easily spend several hours wearing these comfortably. The controls are a little difficult to find by touch. The volume range is somewhat disappointing. The headphones reach a “conversational” volume at best. I understand that the range was probably limited for safety sake, but I would personally like to have had the ability to liquefy my brain if I felt like it. Still, the volume is adequate, and I had no trouble hearing the video that I was watching while using these in a crowded coffee shop. I would recommend this product to a friend.

I love my music! I listen at home, at work, in the car, where ever I go. I've a few sets of high quality headphones but they are all missing one key thing. Bluetooth! Especially since the iPhone 7 dropped the built in headphone jack and you have to use a dongle to plug in it was only a matter of time for me to get a pair of Bluetooth headphones. Up steps Audio-Technica with their latest offering the ATH-SR6BT wireless over the ear folding headphones. I've got some earbuds, and a few on the ear headphones but really needed a good over the ear set. I couldn't wait to get the box open when it was finally delivered. Not only do they have a stunning look but the sound is incredible. The build is solid and not flimsy. The padding (on top and on the ear cups) is soft and comfortable and the ear cups adjust up and down so you can fit it to your head. In the box you get the headphones, an USB charging cable, a soft carrying bag and just in case you don't have a Bluetooth device or prefer to use a jack they have you covered with that including a detachable headphone cable. The detachable cable does have a limited control button but also includes a microphone. The controls are pretty straight forward although it took me a while to get used to the playback and volume button, more on that later. It was easy to set up. On the right ear cup there is only a simple on/off switch doubles as a pairing button. Oddly the multi-function battery life/charging indication/BT pairing light is on the left ear cup which is counter-intuitive, at least for me. I'd power on and look for the light near the switch... oops... not there. Also on the left ear cup is the USB charging port, the detachable cable jack and a multi-function button. My iPhone quickly discovered the headphones and I was ready to go. I did have problems at first getting use to the multi-function button. You press it straight down to start and stop playback or to pickup or hangup a phone call. Unfortunately I can't find a mic anywhere on the headphone itself so you will need to use the detachable cable with mic or speak directly into the phone but if you are using the detachable cable it has a pickup and answer switch as well... things that make you go HMMMMM! Now the part that tripped me up (but I am getting used to it). Press the switch up and volume increases... but if you hold it too long it goes to the next track... frustrating! Press the switch downward and the volume decreases... but if you hold it too long it rewinds... also frustrating! The good news is that after some practice you'll figure out that it's a difference between tapping the switch in one direction or the other or sliding and holding in one direction or the other. Also it would have been nice to have a hard case for these since they are not cheap headphones and might suffer some damage if tossed into a backpack. I haven't had them long enough to test battery life but they do have an automatic power off after 5 minutes not being connected. I'm extremely impressed by the quality of the sound. Good rich tones. However, with some music I do like a bit more punch so a bass boost would have been a welcome add but I can always use the equalizer setting on the phone. Footnote... I missed the fact that it also has NFC connectivity if your smartphone supports that feature. So, would I recommend these to friends... heck yeah! Plenty to love about these and worth every dollar! Pros - + quality build and style + somewhat folding + comfortable to wear + sound is clear and crisp + price point for the features Cons - - light on wrong cup (as far as I'm concerned) - headphones don't have a mic built in and must use detachable cable - multi-function buttons can be confusing (at first) - no bass boost - no hard case

I wouldn't say these headphones are inherently bad, but It doesn't mesh well, and In fact, ruins the whole experience of listening to the weird and unpopular genres of music that I indulge in on a daily basis. Anyone who listens to anything that relies even minutely on bass will be heavily disappointed, especially considering how well this product is received from most of its consumers. The Bass is very quiet and hard to hear, the mids are slightly louder but still not quite loud enough, and the highs just blast your ears with an overpowering sound that can hurt at high volume. In my experience, I would always turn up the volume to max so that I could start to hear the bass, and then the highs would come in and make my ears bleed. Other than the weak bass and overpowering highs, another problem I have with the Audio Technica ATH-SR6BT is the quality of speaking voices in any sort of media. Whether you are calling someone, listening to a podcast, or watching a movie, I assure you that the speaking quality of these headphones is pretty bad. Not as bad as the first problem I brought up, but it can still be annoying at times. Though not everything about the Audio Technica ATH-SR6BTBK is bad. It has a really good build that is supremely comfortable and very durable. The folding design makes it compact and easy to carry. It looks sleek and it is very visually appealing. It's easy to use. In all aspect except sound, it is perfect. But personally, I couldn't care less about anything except the sound quality, which is below average, which is why I would never recommend it to a friend. 4/10 I will definitely return it.

My daily driver of headphones are the wireless Bose QC, so when I got the chance to try Audio-Technicas new SR6BT I was super excited. Something new from the japanese company sure why not? This gotta be good. The box presentation is nice very luxurious. They give a very good feeling when opening up the packaging like you been handed a treasure to open. First thing you notice are the headphones. In the hand they feels sturdy and lightweight. There is a masculine and premium design to these SR6BT that doesn't draw too much attention to itself. Pairs with NFC easy with my Galaxy S7 and used Bluetooth with iOS (iPhone 6s Plus) both devices sounds about the same. Controls are functional on the headphones but a little outdated in terms of feel. I much rather have Bose QC control buttons but that's a personal preference. Doesn't sit flush with the headphones as the Bose QC but does the job. Sound is clear and it gets loud enough. The biggest drawback is that the Bass is lacking. It's just not enough there and there should be more to it. I was very disappointed with the bass levels but to each its own. You can use the cord provided to improve sound quality and bass but I must admit...The SR6BT sound doesn't improve much with the aux cord. I tried using the headphones for phone calls and FaceTime and they work well enough with the call being clear. I feel like these headphones are perfect for smartphone users but if you want them for anything else more you should look elsewhere. Sounds good to please mobile device users but that's about it In my opinion. While Audio-Technica did put some effort into ST6BT and they are the perfect price for what they provide. If I was you I would just add another $100 and go for ATH-DSR7BT version.