I was excited to receive the Quietpoint Audio-Technica ATH ANC40BT headphones for review. Finally I was going to get to try out the headphones that I’ve been seeing all over the place! At first glance they look quite unlike more conventional earbud headphones—maybe a little strange—with a curved plastic piece that goes around your neck. As it turns out, the curved piece is great for active people frustrated with earbuds which typically fall out every few minutes. The strap holds the ear wires, and keeps the earbuds in place while engaging in any physical activity. Along with this helpful additional piece, the headphones are Bluetooth-enabled and noise canceling. Honestly, there seem to only be positives.

A friend who works out tried them for an afternoon. At first, she couldn’t say enough good things about the neckpiece, since the earbuds did stay in during her run and the noise-cancelling feature effectively muffled the noise around her, helping her get into the zone, but she couldn’t get the Bluetooth to connect. After looking up more detailed instructions, I located a button on the headphones that helps connect to your device. Though it wasn’t as easy to figure out as it could have been, the Bluetooth feature does make the headphones very user-friendly, no matter what you’re doing.

They are not the easiest to shove into your purse, but the headphones come with a carry bag (and a cable to connect to your computer or to charge them). Overall, they are high-quality headphones that make great athletic earbuds.

-Claudia Arnoldo