Open-back headphones can be appealing when you want music to feel less boxed in, but they usually come with an obvious practical limitation: a cable. That works well at a desk or beside a dedicated headphone system, but it is less convenient if you want to walk around the house, switch between devices, take calls, or use the same headphones for work and entertainment.
Audio-Technica ATH-AL5NC
Price: $279
Where to Buy: Audio Technica
Audio-Technica is trying to loosen those restrictions with the ATH-AL5NC, its first wireless open-back headphones. Available now for $279 in the U.S., they combine 53mm dynamic drivers with Bluetooth 5.3, LDAC support, multipoint pairing, long battery life, and several features more commonly associated with mainstream wireless headphones.
The result is an unusual proposition. Instead of simply turning another closed-back headphone wireless, Audio-Technica is trying to make open-back listening easier to use away from a traditional desk setup.
Open-back listening without the cable
Open-back headphones use vented earcups to create a more spacious sound, but they also let in outside noise and leak music into the room.
Audio-Technica says the ATH-AL5NC’s 53mm drivers and open housings deliver detailed sound with better airflow for long sessions. We have not tested them, so sound quality, comfort, and fit remain to be seen.
Unlike most open-back models” is fair editorial shorthand, but “Unlike many traditional open-back models” is safer and avoids making a broad market-wide comparison that could be challenged.
Noise reduction, not full ANC
The “NC” does not make the ATH-AL5NC a conventional travel-focused ANC headphone. Its open-back design still lets in outside sound.
Audio-Technica’s Noise Reduction mode works in both wired and wireless use, aiming to reduce background distractions without closing off the listening experience. It will not match the isolation of sealed headphones from Bose or Sony, so travelers and anyone in a noisy office will be better served by a closed-back ANC pair.
For home use, however, it could help tame a steady background hum while preserving the benefits of an open design. Its effectiveness will need hands-on testing.
Audio-Technica also tackles leakage
Open headphones do not just let sound in. They also let your music out.
The Audio-Technica Connect app includes a Sound Leakage Reduction mode intended to reduce the amount of audio escaping from the earcups. That could make the ATH-AL5NC easier to use in a shared home office or living room.
Software cannot physically turn an open grille into a closed earcup, so this feature should not be interpreted as eliminating leakage. Audio-Technica describes it as reducing leakage, and that is the appropriate expectation until independent testing shows how much difference it actually makes.
Wireless features beyond music
Audio-Technica also positions the ATH-AL5NC for calls, video, and gaming. They have a built-in mic for wireless calls, plus a 1.2-meter 3.5mm cable with inline controls and a microphone for wired use.
The A-T Connect app adds EQ, Soundscape, and codec settings, plus a Low-Latency mode for video and games. It is not a promise of zero delay or competitive-gaming performance, but it adds versatility beyond music.
Audio-Technica rates battery life at up to 75 hours with Noise Reduction off or 50 hours with it on. A 15-minute charge provides up to eight hours of playback with Noise Reduction off, or up to five hours with it enabled.
At about 240 grams, the ATH-AL5NC should be relatively easy to wear for long sessions, though comfort will still depend on fit. Audio-Technica also includes a carrying pouch, reinforcing their more portable take on open-back headphones.
Who should consider them?
The ATH-AL5NC are aimed at listeners who want open-back sound without being tied to a desk. Wireless connectivity, multipoint pairing, microphones, app controls, and a wired option make them far more flexible than a typical open-back pair.
They are not the right choice if isolation is the priority. The open design remains central to the experience, and Noise Reduction and Sound Leakage Reduction are not substitutes for closed-back ANC headphones.
Price: $279
Where to Buy: Audio Technica
At $279, the appeal is not Bluetooth alone. Audio-Technica is adapting a category usually associated with quiet rooms and desktop gear for music, calls, gaming, and device switching throughout the day. Whether the ATH-AL5NC deliver on their promises of spacious sound, comfort, reduced noise, and lower leakage will need hands-on testing.
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