The Technics EAH-AZ80 are high-end wi-fi earphones with glorious audio high quality and good energetic noise discount efficiency. I used to be capable of overview them for nextpit and wish to share my full and sincere overview of those true wi-fi earphones with ANC.
Good
Glorious audio high quality with a balanced sound signature
Glorious battery life
Complete software
Multipoint Bluetooth supported
Put on detection
IPX4 licensed
Wi-fi charging
Unhealthy
Plain design
Lively Noise Cancellation may be improved
Disappointing microphone high quality
Costly
The Technics EAH-AZ80 in a nutshell
The Technics EAH-AZ80 has been accessible for some time now at $299 a pop. You may select from two totally different colours: black and silver, and may decide them up from Amazon.
When it comes to value, they compete with Apple’s AirPods Professional 2, Sony WF-1000XM4, Sennheiser Momentum TW 3, and the Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds II.
The issue is, these market leaders had been launched a lot sooner than Technics. This allowed them time to decrease their costs. As for Technics, regardless of being a serious identify on the planet of audio, it is not as mainstream as Apple or Sony. Can the $299 EAH-AZ80 carve a distinct segment for itself? I discovered that arduous to consider, however I do suppose they deserve it.
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Design
The Technics EAH-AZ80’s design is actually plain and easy, however slightly bit too clear for my choice. They’re IPX4 licensed and the case is pretty compact in dimension.
What I appreciated:
IPX4 licensed (just for the case)
Put on detection
What I disliked:
Doesn’t stay in place all the time
Design is slightly too plain
The silver shade of the Technics EAH-AZ80 is sort of pleasing to the eyes. / © nextpit
These true wi-fi earbuds from Technics are slightly discreet visually—maybe slightly too. They arrive in two colours: black and silver. They’re surprisingly heavy as nicely, tipping the scales at 7 grams every. Whereas carrying them, it isn’t too noticeable. Nevertheless, the common weight for a tool on this class is round 4g.
Arriving as an in-ear format, these earbuds are small and round in design. The tactile floor on every earbud is grooved with a number of concentric circles, paying homage to a vinyl floor.
The Technics EAH-AZ80 case is slightly compact and solidly designed. / © nextpit
The case has a brushed steel end. It’s slightly slim and the hinge appears stable sufficient, whereas providing wi-fi charging as nicely. The earbuds are IPX4 licensed, permitting them to resist sweat should you had been to make use of them for sport, however you can’t submerge them. The charging case has no such certification, so do be extra cautious with it.
The Technics EAH-AZ80 function in-ear sensors that work very nicely. I discovered them to be very snug to put on over lengthy classes. Whereas the match isn’t all the time optimum, Technics is beneficiant sufficient to incorporate seven pairs of silicone suggestions within the field.
Audio & microphone high quality
The Technics EAH-AZ80 come geared up with 10 mm aluminum alloy drivers, acoustic management chambers, and may reproduce a frequency vary from 20 to 40,000 Hz. The audio signature is pretty balanced and the headphones additionally help the LDAC codec, which is an excellent factor.
What I appreciated:
Balanced audio signature
LDAC codec supported
Very noticeable midrange
What I disliked:
Disappointing microphone high quality particularly when outdoor
The Technics EAH-AZ80 affords glorious audio high quality. / © nextpit
This pair of Technics include 10 mm diaphragms, which isn’t the biggest available on the market. Every earbud additionally options an acoustic management chamber. Principally, that is an empty house that’s positioned in direction of the driving force to keep away from resonance and distortion results.
The audio signature of the Technics EAH-AZ80 is “W-shaped”. In different phrases, audio replica is pretty balanced. Bass is beneficiant however not distorted. The midrange is all the time current, and should you’re listening to classical music or jazz, you may recognize the extent of element that distinguishes the totally different devices and vocal fluctuations.
There isn’t any shine or sibilance within the highs, and the sound is actually exact all through the frequency vary. Personally, I want my bass to be slightly bit extra punchy, however it’s all slightly straightforward to regulate through the equalizer. The latter options 5 bands and variations at each 10 dB.
The five-band equalizer on the Technics EAH-AZ80 lets you modify the audio signature. / © nextpit
The LDAC codec is one other robust facet of the Technics EAH-AZ80, however beware should you’re utilizing Multipoint connectivity. If in case you have 3 gadgets linked to the headphones, you will not be capable to activate LDAC.
When it comes to microphone high quality, I used to be disenchanted by the Technics EAH-AZ80’s efficiency. The producer positioned quite a lot of emphasis on its JustMyVoice know-how coupled with eight microphones which can be accountable for isolating your voice and attenuating exterior noise.
In truth, as a substitute of lowering exterior noise, it is your individual voice that is attenuated. When outdoor, callers typically have issue listening to what you say via the headphones. Your voice may be very low by way of quantity and never remoted in any respect from the ambient noise. When indoors, all the things works nice however the high quality is just like that of your smartphone’s default microphone.
Technics AZ80 indoor microphone
Technics AZ80 outside microphone
Lively Noise Discount (ANC)
The Technics EAH-AZ80 options Lively Noise Cancellation (ANC) which works with eight microphones— that is 4 per earbud. Technics’ ANC may be very respectable, even fairly good, but it surely would not rival Sony’s or Bose’s noise cancellation efficiency.
What I appreciated:
Extremely adjustable ANC
Good transparency mode
Superb attenuation of fixed noise
What I disliked:
No automated switching between ANC and/or Transparency
Human voice attenuation isn’t efficient sufficient
Technics EAH-AZ80’s app. / © nextpit
The ANC of the Technics EAH-AZ80 is very adjustable. You may modify it to the one centesimal place by way of depth. In precise use, ANC cancels out fixed stable sound very nicely. Most excessive and low frequencies are additionally nicely attenuated.
For extra spiked noises within the midrange, akin to human voices, the earbuds expertise slightly bit extra hassle. The rendering, for my part, is inferior to what its rivals like Sony, Bose, or Apple provide.
There’s additionally a transparency mode that’s additionally adjustable based mostly on the identical parameters because the ANC. This mode is pretty frequent, with the readability of amplified ambient noise being not transcendent albeit purposeful.
Technics affords an “Consideration” mode in its software. This amplifies somebody’s voice whenever you’re having a spontaneous dialog. The music and ANC are then momentarily stopped in favor of your particular person’s voice. Nevertheless, it’s a pity this perform can’t be robotically activated.
The passive noise isolation of the Technics EAH-AZ80 can be excellent. / © nextpit
Options & software
The Technics EAH-AZ80 may be operated through a companion app that’s accessible on Android and iOS. The interface is slightly plain albeit slightly full.
What I appreciated:
Full app with 5-band equalizer
Customizable contact controls
Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint (as much as 3 gadgets) connectivity
Put on detection and auto-off perform
What I disliked:
Technics EAH-AZ80 screenshots. / © nextpit
In relation to its app, Technics does issues proper. It is accessible on Android and iOS, and is freed from cost. You may test the battery stage of the earbuds and the case through the app.
You may also modify the depth of the Lively Noise Cancellation and handle equalization settings through the app. In brief, the necessities are there, and that is all the time good to have.
I additionally like the truth that the contact controls are extremely customizable. You may select from 9 features to assign to a contact gesture (single/double/triple/prolonged faucet) to. You may also have the contact controls stay energetic even when the earbuds are eliminated out of your ears.
Technics EAH-AZ80 contact sensor customization. / © nextpit
There’s additionally a mode to scale back latency when viewing video playback. Multipoint connectivity through Bluetooth 5.3 permits the earbuds to be paired with as much as three gadgets concurrently.
Technics’ earbuds additionally function an auto-off perform that switches off robotically whenever you take away them with out storing them within the case. In brief, the vary of features is really complete.
Battery life & recharging
The Technics EAH-AZ80 has a battery life of seven.5 hours with out ANC and seven hours with ANC, not less than in keeping with the producer. On paper, this locations them on the high of the pile for gadgets inside this value vary.
What I appreciated:
Glorious battery life
No less than 3 full recharges through the case
Wi-fi recharging
What I disliked:
It takes slightly below an hour to totally recharge the Technics EAH-AZ80 through the case. / © nextpit
With the charging case, the producer indicated that battery life can hit 25 hours with out ANC and 24 hours with. The case is subsequently able to absolutely charging the headphones not less than thrice on a single cost.
To recharge the case, you should utilize the included USB-C cable or do it through wi-fi charging.
In precise use, I used to be typically capable of exceed seven hours of battery life with Lively Noise Cancellation activated. With a reasonably excessive listening quantity (near 100% on my smartphone), and having LDAC codec and ANC activated, I nearly achieved eight hours of battery life.
That is fairly merely, a wonderful rating. There are nonetheless a great variety of true wi-fi headphones on this value vary whose battery life are restricted to a paltry 4 hours.
Recharging the earbuds of their case takes slightly below an hour for a full cost from 0 to 100%.
Technical information
Technical information
Product
Picture
Design
Format: Intra | port detection | contact controls
Weight per earphone: 7 g | Case weight: not specified
Case dimensions: not specified
Audio
10 mm drivers
Frequency response
20 to 40,000 Hz
ANC
Sure, handbook
8 microphones
Transparency mode
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.3
SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs
Multipoint (as much as 3 gadgets)
Autonomy
7h listening with ANC
7h30 listening time with out ANC
24h listening with the field with ANC
25h listening time with field with out ANC
Wi-fi recharging
Worth
$299
Conclusion: Ought to I purchase the Technics EAH-AZ80?
The Technics EAH-AZ80 is a really discreet pair of lesser-known however nonetheless very credible competitor to top-of-the-range fashions from Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, or Apple.
Audio high quality is a lot better for my part than the AirPods Professional 2 (overview). Battery life can be superior to the Sony WF-1000XM4 (overview). The companion app may be very feature-rich: Bluetooth multipoint, put on detection, and a five-band equalizer.
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The Technics EAH-AZ80 case may be recharged through USB-C or wirelessly (Qi). / © nextpit
Assist for the LDAC codec can be a giant plus in my books. Solely the very respectable Lively Noise Cancellation can’t compete with the market leaders. I will even have to notice down the slightly too minimalist design.
For $299 a pop, these Technics earbuds aren’t the obvious selection. The model is much less well-known to most of the people, and the earbuds do not look very cool, to not point out the less-than-appealing EAH-AZ80 moniker.
Personally, between the Technics and the AirPods Professional 2, I’d select the Technics. In any case, check out our choice of one of the best wi-fi headphones with ANC to get an concept.
Technics EAH-AZ80
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