Technics

EAH-AZ80 Earbuds

£259

I do have a soft spot for Technics. Having grown up with a set of SL-1200 turntables in my household, the brand is ingrained in my brain. It was the marque that brought the tech and music communities together during my youth, and I love that Panasonic has breathed new life into it with a slew of music-oriented products over the past few years.

Several years ago, I reviewed the EAH-AZ70W wireless earbuds and noted that while I enjoyed the detailed sound and solid build quality, I was sad that my teenage sweetheart equivalent audio brand didn't have QOL features such as multi-point support or high-end audio codecs. But now, the new and improved EAH-AZ80 has come along, and the spec list has improved dramatically since the last model. So Technics, let's see how you fare the second time around, shall we?

UP CLOSE

Like its predecessor, the EAH-AZ80 name rolls off the tongue terribly, but the buds look and feel premium in hand. The oval-shaped metal enclosure has a deep Technics logo engraved into its top shell, and the opening mechanism for the charging case is crisp and clean, giving the impression that it would withstand you using it for years to come.

Fit is excellent for a mid-size wireless design, being comfortable in the ears. Weighing around 7 grams, this puts the Technics earbuds in a similar weight category to the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3, albeit in a physically smaller package. The EAH-AZ80 has a nice balance when worn in the ears, so longer listening sessions are the name of the game here. Seven different tip sizes are included, so if you can't get a good fit, then may God help you!

The proprietary 10mm drivers are fed by a tidy little swag bag of tech, including Bluetooth 5.3, multi-point support (up to three devices at once) and LDAC. The latter is a proprietary and licensed Sony codec, supporting 990kbps connectivity with select devices. It's rare to see this outside Sony's closely-guarded XM lineup, and a welcome addition here. Kudos, Technics!

Pairing was painless and quick, and to my surprise, the buds could pair with another ten devices. The companion app is easy and intuitive to use without requiring intrusive permissions. The built-in 5-band EQ is easy to manage, and the touch panels on the outside of the buds are entirely custom-programmable. These are features typically reserved for high-end flagships, so I was delighted to find them here.

THE LISTENING

Firing the earbuds up with my trusty iPhone, the hallowing words of I Gave You All by Mumford & Sons were delivered precisely and efficiently by the EAH-AZ80. The bright, airy signature house sound I've come to expect from Technics products is present. Like its predecessor, this design provides a clean, meaty sub-bass hit but stops short of being a rumbly monster. Instead of reaching deep down low, the drivers offer a clean, quick bass response, leaning into a fun but clean sound without shaking your head apart. The tight and punchy bottom end was demonstrated neatly with Train to Moabit by Figub Brazlevic.

The noise cancelling does a decent job, but despite having microphones dedicated to the cause, it doesn't hold up to the similarly priced Bose and Sony offerings. There is a saving grace, however, as phone call quality is excellent and aided by a software setting that lets you manually control how much external noise is being allowed in simultaneously. It's a neat party trick, to be sure, but also handy when you want to fine-tune your chatting experience.

THE VERDICT

The last time I reviewed a Technics product, I was impressed by its open sound and excellent build but felt let down by its technical features. This time, however, the company has clinched this side too, coming to the party with features such as multi-point support that are now commonplace in this market segment. Overall, then, the EAH-AZ80 is a great package that feels excellent in hand and even better in the ears. Once the noise cancelling gets a boost, Technics will be a force to be reckoned with in this sector.

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