The words “Astell & Kern” carry a lot of weight in the audiophile world. Audio equipment from this iconic Korean brand is known for offering premium performance with a premium price tag. So when the brand released its UW100 MKII TWS in 2023, it didn’t surprise many to see its USD 280 (roughly Rs 23,000) price tag, which was actually more than Apple’s AirPods Pro ( review ) and Sony’s WF-1000 XM5 ( review ). , everyone praised their audio quality – many actually considered them the best TWS among audiophiles but that quality came with a hefty price tag, making them a rather elite proposition. making
Now imagine getting them for Rs 4,999 (around USD 60) – literally less than a quarter of their launch price? It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. The Astel & Kern UW100 MKII has made an appearance in India and is available at Headphonezone (www.headphonezone.in) for Rs 4,999. And at that price, they’re truly a budget audiophile’s wireless dream.
Probably the best audio in TWS
One of the best sounding TWS on the market. (Express Photo)
We’ll say it up front – the UW100 MKII offers a level of audio quality that’s unmatched not just for Rs 5,000, but even for Rs 20,000. They actually sound as good and sometimes better than the likes of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 and Bose’s new Quiet Comfort TWS series.
Bass lovers may find them a little plain sounding, but audiophiles and audio enthusiasts will love the clarity of sound and the level of detail these slightly oddly shaped TWS provide. The UW100 MKII comes with Knowles balanced armature drivers and a high-performance 32-bit DAC from AKM, the AK4332ECB, which combine to deliver some excellent audio.
You actually get reasonably wide soundstages (something that’s often rare with TWS due to their fitted nature), and sound with an amazing level of depth and detail that makes it perfect for everything from listening to music and podcasts to watching TV series. and movies. Instrument separation is one of the best we’ve ever heard on TWS and we’ve often noticed little details in our favorite numbers that we’d completely missed! And if you find TWS’s default setting too ‘dry’ or ‘flat’ (hey, these are mainly designed for audiophiles, who want ‘pure’ sound), you can tweak the treble, interfere with the mids. and pump up the bass, or use a setting designed specifically for movies in the simple yet powerful AK Control app. The buds also come with support for SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive codecs. If you want audio with detail and a very good balance of frequencies, the UW100 is as good as the MKII.
Slightly weird design, and no ANC, but still with a lot of flagship flex!
ANC is lacking with these stellar-sounding TWS. (Express Photo)
That doesn’t mean they’re perfect, though. They’re a little on the large side by TWS standards, and have a quirky, pointed design, though they’re not heavy and are comfortable to wear for long periods of time. They can also fall out of your ears if you don’t choose the right eartip size or push them in deep enough. And while they come with an excellent ambient mode, they have no active noise cancellation (ANC), which many consider the flagship TWS’s main feature. Call quality also isn’t up to par with AirPods, though that’s a complaint we have with most TWS.
None of these can be considered dealbreakers if you consider what the Astell & Kern UW100 MKII brings to the TWS table. Not only do they offer some of the best audio we’ve heard on TWS at all price points, but also come with a simple and surprisingly effective touch interface, and a very good battery life of 9-10 hours on a single charge. A slightly oddly shaped but portable case adding two more recharges. The absence of ANC may annoy some but if worn properly, these calls come with excellent noise isolation, and four levels of transparency that can deliver different levels of ambient sounds depending on your needs. Let’s put it this way – they won’t kill the traffic noise around you, but they can greatly reduce it and are great for offices, studios, and even relatively quiet cafes. The absence of ANC also has a silver lining – it results in much better battery life (most premium TWS with ANC will give you around 6-7 hours on a single charge).
Also on board is support for wireless charging, IPX4 water resistance (making them gym-friendly) and the option to connect two devices at the same time and switch between them. We’re going to keep it simple: these are the best TWS you can get in terms of sound, and they’re an audiophile’s dream at their massively low price on Headphonezone (we don’t know about their availability on other portals right now). . Just remember to place them properly in your ears and you can sit back and enjoy hours of high-quality audio. And that too at a price that is a fraction of its starting price.