At a look
Knowledgeable’s Score
Execs
- Glorious audio high quality
- Join to three units concurrently
- Prolonged battery life
- A great deal of customisability
Cons
- No automated tuning choices
- Chunky case
Our Verdict
Technics’ EAH-AZ80 are among the many greatest high-end true wi-fi earbuds round, with class-leading customisability and connectivity backed up by wonderful audio.
Value When Reviewed
$299.99
Greatest Costs Right now: Technics EAH-AZ80
$299.99
Technics is likely one of the massive previous manufacturers of audio. Half a century’s value of hi-fis hasn’t left the model with a complete lot of intercourse enchantment, however as an alternative there’s a reassuring sense that this lot in all probability know what they’re doing.
And so it’s with the brand new flagship EAH-AZ80 earbuds. It takes confidence to go toe-to-toe with Apple, Bose, and Sony on the $300 finish of the true wi-fi earbud market, however Technics has earned it.
With an understated design, wonderful audio, and the near-unique capacity to connect with three units concurrently, these are among the best choices round for many who care extra about how their buds sound than what model is on the field.
Design & construct
- Premium construct high quality
- Selection of seven ear tip sizes
- Chunky carry case
The AZ80 buds look easy sufficient. Obtainable in both black or silver, the buds are constructed out of plastic, however with a brushed metal-effect end on the outer touch-sensitive aspect.
That floor space is compact, the buds an almost-circle after they sit within the ear, and so they don’t jut out a lot both.
You’d must have actually outlandishly proportioned ears to not discover a match
Technics has prioritised each consolation and safety of slot in two methods. Firstly, the physique of the buds is curved hither and thither in a approach that apparently encourages them to take a seat snugly contained in the conch, nestling into the organ’s precise form.
Second, the corporate provides the buds not with the customary three pairs of silicon eartips to choose from, however a full set of seven in numerous sizes and shapes, so that you’d must have actually outlandishly proportioned ears to not discover a match.
Each ear is completely different after all, however slightly experimentation shortly discovered me setup that’s stayed in place throughout working and weightlifting, and proved snug over multi-hour listening periods.
An IPX4 water-resistance score helps, making certain that these can survive a spot of rain or gym-induced sweat with out an excessive amount of bother.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
My solely actual complaints are to do with the charging case that comes with the buds. It seems ok, with a high that matches the brushed impact of the buds and an engraved firm emblem, however after only a week it’s already picked up just a few scuffs and scratches that detract from the impact.
It’s additionally on the bigger finish of the spectrum, which is sweet for battery life, however does make it really feel cumbersome if you throw it within the pocket of a pair of denims.
Specs & sound
- Massive 10mm aluminium drivers
- Wealthy, expansive sound
- Good noise-cancellation
The sound is the explanation to purchase the AZ80. These earbuds sound improbable, and might maintain their very own in opposition to some other premium pair you’d care to attempt.
Efficiency right here actually is elegant
Technics has outfitted them with newly designed 10mm drivers constituted of aluminium. Mixed with an acoustic management chamber and a harmoniser, the corporate says the entire setup delivers prolonged response at excessive and low frequencies in comparison with its different high-end earbuds whereas minimising distortion.
Usually I’d inform you to take that with a pinch of salt, however efficiency right here actually is elegant. These have one of the crucial open, expansive soundscapes I’ve heard but from earbuds, with a readability to the sound that’s exhausting to seek out elsewhere.
Dive into the accompanying app’s EQ settings to crank up the bass and these can ship pulsating low-end with out compromise, bringing out the very best of the slinky baseline on Males I Belief’s ‘Oncle Jazz’, or propelling a few of The Chemical Brothers’ punchier tracks ahead.
Technics has included help for prime decision audio courtesy of the LDAC codec too, with compatibility on Android and sure different units – although iPhones gained’t help it. You gained’t have to compromise on high quality in case you’ve acquired high-res information, or subscribe to one of many streaming providers that handles that higher-end audio.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
In fact there’s noise-cancelling too. The tech right here is sweet, however maybe the primary audio space the place you would possibly discover the likes of Bose and Sony draw back from Technics just a bit.
I discovered it principally good at blocking out my environment, particularly decrease stage background noise, however noisy visitors or the music enjoying at my health club nonetheless tended to interrupt by slightly. You may customise the noise-cancelling stage, however there’s no good mode that tunes it to your listening to.
Getting an actual match with the silicon suggestions helps although, and this can be the place some folks discover the AZ80 buds higher than rivals, as a result of the seven units could permit these with uncommon ears to discover a match that they couldn’t elsewhere and thus passively block extra noise.
As is normal now there’s additionally an ambient mode, which permits outdoors noise and amplifies it barely – good when you should hear what’s round you or maintain a dialog.
Technics has additionally labored on its noise cancellation and voice isolation tech for calls, and that is spectacular. Name high quality in noisy environments is healthier right here than on most different buds, making these an particularly good selection for distant employees who could must take calls or conferences on the go.
Good options & app
- Join to a few units directly
- Absolutely customisable controls
- Constructed-in Alexa
The good aspect of the EAH-AZ80 buds is dealt with by Technics’ Audio Join app, accessible on Android or iOS.
Essentially the most thrilling characteristic right here is help for three-way multi-point connections. That’s quite a lot of jargon for saying you’ll be able to join to a few units concurrently, somewhat than the one or two normally supported elsewhere, so you may, say, change seamlessly between telephone, pill, and laptop computer.
The one caveat right here is that you simply gained’t be capable of take full benefit of each this and the buds’ LDAC hi-res help. When you change on LDAC you then’ll be restricted to 2 simultaneous connections, and in reality the app will even encourage you to restrict your self to 1 machine at a time, so there’s a trade-off to be made.
The app permits extra management than simply that although. Sound might be tweaked, with six default sonic profiles plus a five-track customized EQ choice, and you may as well modify the depth of the noise cancellation and ambient modes.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Impressively, the buds’ contact controls are additionally absolutely customisable – a rarity. You may change the impact of single, double, triple, and lengthy faucets for every bud independently, providing you with a complete of eight doable interactions, with 9 doable controls to assign to them (plus the choice to disable some inputs, in case you’d somewhat hold issues easy).
The app delivers a lot of flexibility
Smaller choices embody swapping between a spoken notification or a easy sound if you change ANC modes; adjusting the auto energy off settings; and tweaking how the buds behave when one is taken out of your ear throughout playback.
In brief, the app delivers a lot of flexibility.
What it doesn’t ship are any intelligent instruments to optimise the sound for you. Rival buds now usually embody checks to assist right the buds’ match, fine-tune noise cancellation, or optimise the EQ round your listening to and ear form – right here, all the things is handbook.
Lastly, Amazon Alexa help is baked into the buds, although you may as well use your telephone’s default digital assistant by them – or, after all, none in any respect.
Battery & charging
- As much as seven hours on a single cost
- 24 hours together with case
- Wired or wi-fi charging
Battery life is one other spectacular power right here. Technics’ official numbers are that the earbuds can last as long as seven hours of continuous use, with a complete of 24 hours of battery between the buds and case.
These figures are primarily based on listening with noise cancellation on, however the extra power-intensive LDAC codec off, so figures may go up or down relying in your use.
Flitting round between settings, I used to be at all times impressed with how slowly battery drops on the buds – simply seen throughout the official app, which additionally reveals the case’s battery, and most Android telephones may also show this routinely.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
It took a full week of standard use earlier than I felt the necessity to join the case to a charger. Even higher, at that time you get the selection between wired USB-C charging or just dropping the case down on any Qi wi-fi charger.
Value & availability
At $299/£259, accessible from Amazon and elsewhere, the Technics EAH-AZ80 buds are under no circumstances reasonably priced – however they provide wonderful worth within the sense that they’re pretty much as good as the rest you may spend this a lot on.
The apparent rivals are the likes of the Sony WF-1000XM4, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, and naturally the AirPods Professional 2.
On sound high quality the Technics buds simply rival these rivals, and have an edge on battery life and luxury too – and of these three, solely the Sonys additionally provide hi-res LDAC audio.
The AZ80s in all probability lag only a contact behind on the standard of the noise-cancellation tech, however may be probably the most well-rounded bundle out of the lot.
For extra choices, be sure that to try our full rating of the very best true wi-fi earbuds.
Verdict
The Technics EAH-AZ80 earbuds are an sudden delight.
There’s not quite a lot of room for error in earbuds this costly, and Technics has delivered a set that nails all the important thing areas: audio, noise cancellation, connectivity, and battery life.
Different pairs would possibly look a bit flashier, and whereas the ANC right here is sweet it’s not fairly the very best about, however few rivals are as well-rounded as these – and the mix of hi-res audio help and three-way connectivity is genuinely distinctive.
Specs
- 10mm aluminium drivers
- SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Lively Noise Cancellation (ANC)
- As much as 7 hours battery with ANC
- As much as 24 hours whole battery with ANC
- Wired (USB-C) and wi-fi charging
- 3-way multi-point pairing
- IPX4 score
- 7 units of ear suggestions
- 69 mm x 36 mm x 29 mm charging case
- 7g per earbud
- 50g charging case