Technics have drawn audiophiles for many years, so we were excited to find these beautiful little earbuds arrive in the office. The Technics EAH AZ100 earbuds come in Silver, Black, Champagne Gold and the new Midnight Blue. From the first use they feel luxurious, with a solid build that gives reassurance in their durability. The design is elegant but practical, offering a snug and comfortable fit for most users. The protective, charging carry case is also compact and well made.
Sound performance is where these earbuds truly stand out. The audio profile is detailed and balanced, with clear mid tones, crisp highs and rich, deep and controlled bass. Music sounds detailed and immersive, if you have only ever experience budget earbuds before your mind will truly be blow away. The clarity is equally well controlled and remains even at higher volumes. Technics has included Magnetic Fluid Drivers that minimises distortion and provides an impressive sense of space, making them an excellent choice for a wide range of genres. It feels like the difference to being at the centre of the concert verses listen from the parking lot inside your car.
Noise cancelling is functional; it adjusts in real-time to block ambient noise and maintains optimal ANC without compromising the sound quality. The transparency mode also works well for quick conversations or when awareness of surroundings is needed. Connectivity is smooth and stable, with support for multiple codecs including LDAC for high resolution streaming and multipoint pairing for connecting to three devices at once. The companion app allows users to fine tune the equaliser and customise touch controls.
Battery life is pretty good at 10 hours playback with the ANC on and boosted up to 28 hours with the use of the charging case. The only drawback is that the while very good, is not quite at the level of the absolute best in the market, that’s pretty much the only negative thing I could find. The price is on the higher side, but you cannot argue that the performance doesn’t largely justify it.
Unsurpisingly, the Technics EAH AZ100 earbuds deliver premium sound, excellent features, and refined design that will please both casual listeners and audio enthusiasts alike. RRP £259.99
- Excellent sound quality, rich, detailed and immersive
- LDAC support
- Multi-device Bluetooth
- Customise settings via the app
- Comfortable design
- Adaptive ANC (Active Noise cancelling) technology
- IPX4
- Healthy battery life
- Clear calls with Voice Focus AI
- Noise-cancelling not quite at the very top tier
