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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want studio-grade sound with marathon battery life, choose audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2; if you need one pair of earbuds that handles TV audio, calls and Auracast sharing, choose Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds.
These two products barely compete for the same buyer. One is a wireless over-ear headphone built around big drivers and long listening sessions. The other is a tiny earbud-and-transmitter kit built around your television. Below I break down what each one actually does well, where each one falls short, and which one I would put my money on depending on how you listen.
• audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2 — biggest strength: 45 mm dynamic drivers, LDAC support and up to 50 hours of playback on a single charge. This is a listening-first headphone.
• audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2 — biggest trade-off: It is on-ear, wired-free only, and there is no audio transmitter in the box, so it is not a TV solution. No headphone jack either.
• Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds — biggest strength: The bundle includes an Audikast 4 low-latency transmitter, plus ANC, six EQ modes and Auracast broadcast support for compatible hearing aids.
• Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds — biggest trade-off: TV compatibility is narrow. Your TV needs Optical/TOSLINK or 3.5 mm AUX output, and HDMI-only or soundbar passthrough setups are not supported.
• Who the ATH-M50XBT2 is for: Music listeners, commuters and home users who want a full-size wireless headphone and hate charging things.
• Who the Avantree kit is for: TV watchers, late-night viewers and anyone who wants private TV audio plus an everyday earbud in one purchase.
The ATH-M50XBT2 is the wireless second generation of Audio-Technica's M-Series over-ear line, and the spec sheet reads like a headphone designed for people who care about sound first. It uses proprietary 45 mm large-aperture dynamic drivers with a dedicated amplifier, and the frequency range stretches from 15 Hz to 28,000 Hz. Impedance is 38 ohms. In plain terms, that combination points to a full, extended low end and clear mids and highs rather than a thin, bass-heavy consumer tuning.
The wireless side is where it gets interesting. It supports Sony's LDAC codec, which allows transfer rates up to 990 kbps — well above what standard Bluetooth codecs carry. If you stream from a phone or player that also supports LDAC, this is the feature that separates the M50XBT2 from ordinary Bluetooth headphones. Charging runs over USB-C, takes about 3 hours for a full charge, and gives up to 50 hours of playback. A 10-minute rapid charge is rated for up to 3 hours of use, which is genuinely useful when you forgot to plug in the night before.
Calls are handled by dual microphones with beamforming, which is designed to pick up your voice more clearly and cut down on surrounding noise. You also get the A-T Connect app for personalizing the sound and controls, and the controls are touch-based. Noise control here is sound isolation from the closed earcups rather than active noise cancellation — worth knowing if you were expecting ANC.
Buy it if you want a full-size wireless headphone for music, long work sessions, commuting or travel, and you value battery life and codec quality over portability. Skip it if you want earbuds, you want active noise cancellation, you need a wired connection (there is no headphone jack), or your main goal is better TV audio — there is no transmitter included here. Also note the unit is listed at 10.88 ounces, so it is a real headphone on your head, not something you forget about. The bundle includes a 1-year Amber protection plan on top of the included full 2-year manufacturer coverage, and it is intended for residential use only.
The Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds are less "a pair of earbuds" and more "a TV listening system that also happens to be earbuds." The bundle pairs the Infinity NC earbuds with an Audikast 4 transmitter. Plug the transmitter into your TV's audio output and you get private TV listening at whatever volume you like, with low-latency audio that stays in sync with the screen — the thing that ruins most Bluetooth-to-TV setups.
Then you unplug from the TV mentally, not physically: connect the same earbuds to your phone for music, videos and calls. Active noise cancellation reduces background noise, and built-in microphones handle phone calls. The Avantree app gives you six EQ modes — Pop, Rock, Vocal, Live, Classical and Bass — so you can shift the tuning to match what you are watching or listening to.
The standout feature is Auracast. The earbuds can join compatible Auracast broadcasts at public venues, and the transmitter can broadcast your TV audio out to other compatible Auracast listening devices — which is where hearing aids come in. If your hearing aids support Auracast broadcast audio, they can receive the TV stream directly. That is a genuinely thoughtful design for households where one person uses hearing aids and another does not.
There is also a small quality-of-life feature I like: if a call comes in while you are watching TV, you answer through the earbuds, and when the call ends they automatically reconnect to the TV audio without you re-pairing anything.
Buy it if you want one device for private TV listening and everyday phone use, you like the idea of Auracast sharing with compatible hearing aids or headphones, or you need ANC and EQ flexibility in a small package. Skip it if your TV lacks an Optical/TOSLINK or 3.5 mm AUX output — HDMI-only TVs and soundbar passthrough setups are not supported. If you go the Optical route, you also need to set your TV's audio format to PCM or Stereo. And if you want a wired, full-size headphone for music, this is simply the wrong product category.
• Best for pure sound quality and codec support → audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2. 45 mm drivers, LDAC up to 990 kbps, 15 Hz–28,000 Hz.
• Best for battery life → audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2. Up to 50 hours per charge, plus up to 3 hours from a 10-minute USB-C top-up.
• Best for TV and movie watching → Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds. The included Audikast 4 transmitter with low-latency audio is the whole point.
• Best for active noise cancellation → Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds. The ATH-M50XBT2 relies on passive sound isolation only.
• Best for phone calls on the move → Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds. Small, pocketable, with built-in mics. The ATH-M50XBT2 has dual beamforming mics but is a full-size headphone.
• Best for hearing-aid users and shared listening → Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds. Auracast broadcast support for compatible hearing aids is the deciding feature.
• Best for travel and commuting → audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2. Long battery plus on-ear isolation means fewer charges and fewer distractions.
• Best for sound customization → Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds. Six EQ modes (Pop, Rock, Vocal, Live, Classical, Bass) in the app versus the A-T Connect app's personalization on the Audio-Technica side.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to one question: is your main listening happening at your TV or in your ears on the move? If you are a music listener who wants a serious full-size wireless headphone and refuses to charge it every other day, I would buy the audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2 — the 45 mm drivers, LDAC support and up to 50-hour battery are the strongest combination here for pure audio. If your priority is private TV listening, late-night viewing, ANC and Auracast sharing with compatible hearing aids, I would buy the Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds — no headphone spec sheet replaces an included low-latency transmitter. Check the current price on Amazon for whichever one fits your setup, because that is the one variable that can tip a close call.
For music, yes, in my opinion. The ATH-M50XBT2 uses 45 mm dynamic drivers, supports LDAC at up to 990 kbps, and covers 15 Hz to 28,000 Hz — specs aimed squarely at sound quality. The Avantree kit is more of an all-rounder for TV, calls and everyday listening.
No. Your TV needs an Optical/TOSLINK or 3.5 mm AUX audio output. HDMI-only TVs and soundbar passthrough setups are not supported, and for Optical connections you should set the TV audio format to PCM or Stereo.
No. Its noise control is sound isolation from the closed earcups. If you specifically want ANC, the Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds are the ones with active noise cancellation.
The Avantree Multi-Use ANC Earbuds, clearly. The included Audikast 4 transmitter sends TV audio to the earbuds with low latency, and Auracast lets the transmitter share that audio with other compatible listening devices, including supported hearing aids.
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