If you want compact, touch-controlled earbuds with active noise cancelling for fishing, choose Mackie MP-20TWS; if you need over-ear headphones for long listening sessions at home, choose ANSTEN Headphones. The Mackie is the more suitable pick for moving around with a small wireless set, while ANSTEN’s transmitter base and TV connections are built for home listening. For fishing, I’d choose Mackie, but neither product’s listed features make it a purpose-built fishing headset.
• Mackie MP-20TWS: Its biggest strengths are hybrid active noise cancelling, a dual-driver design, and a compact in-ear format. The trade-off is that its listed playtime is shorter than ANSTEN’s, even with the case.
• ANSTEN Headphones: Its biggest strengths are up to 35 hours of headphone playtime and a transmitter base with Optical, RCA, and 3.5 mm TV connections. The trade-off is its over-ear, home-oriented setup, which is less convenient for fishing.
• Choose Mackie if portability, touch controls, and earbuds that can handle splashes matter most.
• Choose ANSTEN if you mainly want private TV listening, long sessions, and a charging base.
The Mackie MP-20TWS is an in-ear true wireless pair designed around a hybrid dual-driver system: a balanced armature driver works alongside a custom dynamic driver. It also has active noise cancelling and three microphones per side. Those are meaningful features for someone who wants earbuds for music, calls, or other listening on the move, rather than a headset built around a living-room transmitter.
For fishing, its compact form and IPX4 rating make it the more plausible of these two choices. IPX4 indicates a water-resistance rating, but it does not make the earbuds waterproof or establish that they are suitable for submersion. I would not treat them as a dedicated fishing product or assume they can handle every wet-weather situation. The touch controls and Siri and Google compatibility may be useful when a phone is less convenient to reach, though gloves or wet fingers can make touch controls less practical.
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-23 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
The listed battery life is 13+ hours for the earbuds, with a charging case that adds over 40 hours of playtime. Mackie also lists Bluetooth 5.2 and three included eartip sizes. Choose this model if you want wireless earbuds with noise cancelling and a splash-resistance rating for general use. Skip it if your priority is an over-ear fit, a TV transmitter, or the longest continuous listening time on a single charge.
ANSTEN Headphones: Who It's For
ANSTEN’s AS-K2 is an over-ear wireless headset aimed chiefly at TV listening. Its transmitter and charging base connect to a television through Optical, RCA, or 3.5 mm AUX. That gives it a clear home-use advantage over the Mackie: you can use the supplied TV connection options rather than relying only on a Bluetooth connection from a phone or other device.
ANSTEN lists up to 35 hours of continuous headphone playtime and offers two charging methods: placing the headphones on the base or using the included USB-C cable. The over-ear design has soft cotton ear pads and a padded headband, and the product information describes independent volume control. That combination suits someone settling in for a film, a long program, or a private listening session without needing earbuds in the ear.
• Best fit for fishing among these two → Mackie MP-20TWS. It is an in-ear wireless set with an IPX4 rating, while ANSTEN is an over-ear TV headset with no listed water-resistance rating. That is a relative advantage, not a guarantee of suitability for all fishing conditions.
• Best for TV audio connections → ANSTEN Headphones. The transmitter supports Optical, RCA, and 3.5 mm AUX, giving it a practical role in a home entertainment setup.
• Best for longer continuous listening → ANSTEN Headphones. Its listed headphone playtime is up to 35 hours, compared with 13+ hours for Mackie’s earbuds.
• Best for active noise cancelling → Mackie MP-20TWS. Mackie specifies hybrid ANC; ANSTEN lists sound isolation rather than active noise cancelling.
• Best for touch controls → Mackie MP-20TWS. It uses capacitive touch controls. ANSTEN uses physical buttons.
• Best for a private over-ear fit → ANSTEN Headphones. Its over-ear cushions and headband are intended for extended listening, while Mackie sits in the ears.
• Best for moving between compatible Bluetooth devices → Mackie MP-20TWS for a compact earbud setup; ANSTEN for versatility at home. Both list Bluetooth connectivity, but ANSTEN’s TV transmitter is central to its design.
• Best open-ear earbuds for fishing → Neither. Mackie is an in-ear design, and ANSTEN is over-ear; neither is described as open-ear.
• Best on-ear headphones for fishing → Neither exactly. ANSTEN is over-ear, not on-ear, and Mackie is an earbud. If choosing between the two for fishing, Mackie is the closer fit.
• Best touch control headphone for fishing → Mackie MP-20TWS, with a caveat. It has touch controls and an IPX4 rating, but those details do not establish how easy it is to operate with wet hands or gloves.
My Verdict
They have an IPX4 waterproof rating, but that should not be read as permission to submerge them or use them in any wet conditions without concern. The listed details do not describe them as purpose-built fishing earbuds.
ANSTEN lists up to 35 hours of continuous headphone playtime. Mackie lists 13+ hours for the earbuds, with its charging case adding over 40 hours of playtime, so the comparison depends on whether you mean one listening stretch or total use with the case.
ANSTEN is the more direct choice. Its transmitter base connects to a TV through Optical, RCA, or 3.5 mm AUX, and the headphones let the listener hear privately. Mackie is a Bluetooth earbud option, not a TV-transmitter system.
Mackie is the only one of these two with listed active noise cancelling, and it also has an IPX4 rating. Still, neither product is described as designed specifically for fishing, and noise cancelling may not be desirable when hearing nearby activity matters.
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