Audio-Technica launches second-generation open-ear cartilage conduction headphones

Audio-Technica has announced a new pair of open-ear headphones that use cartilage conduction instead of bone conduction technology to send sound into the ear canals. The new headphones are its second pair to launch with cartilage conduction technology.

Like all open-ear headphones, the Audio-Technica ATH-CC500BT2 provides a listening experience without the need to be inserted into the ear canals. This not only frees up the ear canals but also allows users to remain aware of their environment during playback. However, instead of sending the sounds through the bones in the skull, the sounds are transmitted through the cartilage.

Apart from the advantages open-ear headphones provide such as preventing earaches and the build up of moisture in the ear canals, Audio-Technica says cartilage conduction has a few more benefits. For starters, it is more comfortable than bone conduction as it requires less pressure on the head. It also provides a stereo listening experience as sounds reach the ears separately instead of fused together in the cranial cavity as is the case with bone conduction.

The ATH-CC500BT2 builds upon the success of its predecessor released in 2022. Audio-Technica says the new headphones are smaller and lighter than the previous generation and remain secure even during light exercise.

They also have an IPX4 water resistance rating, AI noise reduction, support for voice assistants (Siri and Google Assistant) and support for Bluetooth Multipoint. There's also a companion app where users can customize equalizer settings or listen to calming white noise.

The headphones have a battery life of up to 20 hours of playback on a single charge (up to 10 hours call time). There's also support for fast charging as a 10-minute charge will provide up to 120 minutes of use. The Audio-Technica ATH-CC500BT2 open-ear headphones support AAC and SBC codecs, and A2DP, AVRCP, and HFP Bluetooth profiles.

Audio-Technica has put a price tag of £119 on the headphones in the UK and €139 in Europe. There is no mention of a North American release yet.