Astell & Kern UW100MKII true wireless earphones review

The Astell & Kern UW100MKII comes with the typical styling cues of the brand, characterised by sharp lines, geometric shapes, and straightforward and businesslike colour tones. However, this being an affordable option from the brand, the UW100MKII doesn’t get the solid metal build that many of the brand’s digital audio players and earphones come with; the headset and charging case are made of plastic.

This keeps the weight of the headset low, which helps given the large size of the earpieces themselves. You get a secure in-canal fit, which also provides a decent noise-isolating seal. This is particularly useful, given that the Astell & Kern UW100MKII doesn’t have active noise cancellation. The outer sides of the earpieces are touch sensitive for the controls, which can be customised through the AK Control app.

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The app also provides for a bit more, including showing battery levels, adjusting the ambient sound mode, and useful audio-centric adjustments for the equaliser and DAC filter. This isn’t a feature-filled true wireless headset, but it does keep things focused on sound quality and audio customisation based on user preferences.

Astell & Kern’s focused approach to sound for the UW100MKII can be seen in the specifications as well. The earphones have Knowles balanced armature drivers, and the built-in DAC is itself a pretty impressive A&K developed unit, the AKM AK4332ECB. For connectivity, there is Bluetooth 5.2 with support for the SBC, AAC, and Qualcomm aptX Adaptive codecs. Charging for the case is via USB Type-C, and wireless charging is supported as well.

True wireless earphones are typically purchased for convenience rather than sound quality, but buyers obviously want the best sound possible for the price as well. However, the convenience argument drives many to favour options with more features such as ANC and water resistance. The UW100MKII stands out in this regard, offering an audio-focused approach with few features beyond those that work towards improved sonics and sound customisation.

Support for the Qualcomm aptX Adaptive codec means that you’ll get better sound when the Astell & Kern UW100MKII is paired with an Android smartphone. Additionally, the companion app provides a considerable amount of customisation, particularly when it comes to the equaliser and DAC filter settings. Testing these out in real-time was particularly fun, with the earphones offering real adaptability and flexibility in tweaking the sound to my preferences.

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At its default settings and with the equaliser set to the natural sonic signature of the headset, the Astell & Kern UW100MKII was at its best. Listening to Something Got Me Started by Simply Red was a blast, with the UW100MKII able to keep up with the energy and tempo of the track impressively. The sound felt warm and full, helped by the slow roll-off DAC filter setting. This took some of the sharpness out of the highs, and also made the bass sound a bit less intense - both helping in keeping this upbeat classic track in focus.

The Astell & Kern UW100MKII can get quite loud, and indeed sounds considerably better with the volume above the 70 percent mark. This helps bring out the detail in the sound, which itself benefits from the excellent balanced armature drivers and codec support. On the whole, the UW100MKII delivers a warm and upbeat sound without the out-and-out aggression that headsets in this price segment with dynamic drivers tend to produce. 

There is no active noise cancellation, but the sealed fit provides good enough noise isolation to ensure that you can hear the music clearly even in relatively noisy environments. Ambient sound mode helps for the occasional requirement, but you’ll depend on the isolation for good sound most of the time. There are no other key features on offer, but that’s fine - the Astell & Kern UW100MKII is focused on sound quality and handles this requirement very well for the price.

Battery life is claimed to be up to 9.5 hours on a single charge, along with around two additional full charges for the earpieces from the case. The earphones typically ran for around 6 hours with the aptX Adaptive codec in action, which equates to around 18 hours of run time per charge cycle on average.

True wireless earphones without active noise cancellation at Rs. 5,000 might sound like a silly deal given the sheer variety of options right now, but the Astell & Kern UW100MKII shouldn’t really be compared to mainstream TWS earphones. This is a niche offering with a fairly dedicated focus on sound quality, to the point where it’s likely the best-sounding pair of true wireless earphones under Rs. 5,000 that you can buy right now.

Therefore, if you’re willing to skip the bells and whistles, and want a good-sounding pair of true wireless earphones to go with you when you’re out and about, the Astell & Kern UW100MKII might be worth considering. At this price, it’s a great deal too.