Japanese company Audio-Technica has spared no effort in pushing headphones and earphones into the Indian market, which is of course ripe for audio products because of the number of smartphones being sold here. From a recent slew of headphones released by the company, we take a look at an especially stylish set of over-the-ear headphones that are, as you can guess, Bluetooth enabled. In fact, they’re NFC enabled as well, so pairing isn’t an issue though as ever, wired sound is better than wireless.

The ATH-AR3BT share the same model number as the SonicFuel headphones, available in black or white with gold accents, but the pair that came our way were a nice metallic Ferrari red. Made of matte-finish smooth metallic material and leather, the headphones look more than usually trendy. The top leather part of the headband is black and gives way to red halfway down. The ear-cups are red on the outside, with leather cushioning towards the lower side and inside. The cushioning could have been softer and stops short of being plush, but on the other hand it does feel sturdy and less likely to tear after long-term use. The headphones are not uncomfortable by any means but they press down a little towards the front of the ear, near the ear-lobes, so that you often need to take them off and give your ears a soothing rub. The headband adjusts nicely with little clicks as you reduce or expand and I found the fit rather good and firm compared to other headphones. They were not so heavy as to keep slipping backwards off the head, as sometimes happens with headphones. These headphones fold up to take up less space but sadly don’t come with a carry case or pouch, which is a pity because they could get scratched and scoffed.

These headphones sound clean, balanced and yet pack a real punch. If you’re the type who likes over-boosted bass despite the unnatural sound, you should look elsewhere. The bass on ATH-AR3BT is clearly present but not pounding and overwhelming — which is better for your ears in the long run anyway. Someone described the sound on these as ‘confident’ and I quite agree with that. The bass doesn’t hold back but sounds realistic. High frequency sounds also sound good and don’t hurt with their sharpness. There’s enough volume to give you room to adjust. Overall, the music sounds clear, especially with vocals and mellow with the guitar and is quite pleasing. If you get a phone call, you can take it on the headphones and everything is crisp and clear with no hiss or crackle. For the most part, no one could tell I wasn’t just talking through the phone’s own mic and earpiece. Controls are minimal and buttons should have perhaps been a little more solid and classy. But they do the job.

The ATH-AR3BT takes a while to charge but battery lasts a long time.

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