I can not bear in mind the final time I reviewed a Technics product — it has been that a few years — however the venerable audio model, which Panasonic introduced out of retirement in 2014, seems on the corporate’s line-topping noise-canceling earbuds. The Technics EAH-AZ70W’s checklist worth of $250 (£220, AU$449) places them squarely up in opposition to Apple’s AirPods Pro ($250), Sony’s WF-1000XM3 ($230) and Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2 ($300). While they’re just a little massive, they stack up nicely in opposition to that stiff competitors, with spectacular sound and noise-canceling perform.
LikeWonderful sound and efficient noise cancellationPremium look and feelDecent battery life for noise-canceling true wirelessNoise-canceling ranges are adjustable in companion appTouch controls are responsive (quantity controls on earbuds)Transparency mode (lets ambient sound in)Works nicely for making calls
Don’t LikeEarbuds are just a little massiveIt’s priceyNo sidetone when making calls
They have an identical look to the Sennheisers and match equally, although not fairly as comfortably. In that sense, they’re just a little greater than your common true wi-fi earbuds and stick out of your ears a bit farther. Sennheiser managed to shrink the second-gen Momentum True Wireless mannequin as Jabra did with its Elite 75t, so this Technics would ideally be smaller. (As it’s, it could not match these with smaller ears.) But that, together with a considerably excessive price ticket, are its solely notable downsides. The earbuds can be found in two shade choices for $250.
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Read extra: Best noise-canceling true wi-fi earbuds of 2020
I used to be in a position to get a snug match and tight seal with the medium-sized ear suggestions. That tight seal is essential for optimum sound high quality and noise-canceling efficiency. These haven’t got a sport fin to lock the buds in place, however they did match securely and could be advantageous for exercises on the fitness center. Like the AirPods Pro, they’ve an IPX4 water-resistance score, which suggests they’re sweatproof and splashproof.The included carrying case is not probably the most compact, but it surely’s not too massive and has a premium really feel, as do the buds themselves, with their aluminum shell. Unfortunately, there is not any wi-fi charging. The case fees through USB-C, with battery life rated at 6.5 hours of use whereas the charging case provides one other 19.5 hours of playback. Those are respectable numbers for noise-canceling true wi-fi earbuds — the AirPods Pro are rated for 5 hours — however the numbers have been creeping up for true wi-fi earbuds with out noise cancellation.
The Technics EAH-AZ70W have “dual hybrid” noise cancellation, utilizing two techniques of microphones: feedforward noise cancellation (FF-NC) and suggestions noise cancellation (FB-NC). This hybrid method is turning into extra widespread, however Panasonic’s rendition is respectable, proper there with that of Sony, Apple and Sennheiser. And as with a variety of premium earbuds, there is a transparency mode that enables sound to leak into the buds so you possibly can hear the skin world.
You can toggle by three modes — noise canceling on, ambient noise on and off — by tapping and holding the proper earbud. Additionally, the extent of noise-canceling and ambient sound may be adjusted within the Technics Audio Connect companion app for iOS or Android. Tapping and holding the left prompts your cellphone’s voice assistant or you possibly can substitute that for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant.The case fees through USB-C.
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In all, I discovered the contact controls responsive and these do have quantity controls — you faucet the left bud twice shortly to show the amount down and 3 times to show it up. The earbuds haven’t got a sensor that routinely pauses your music once you take them out of ears, however you possibly can have them routinely flip off for those who depart them out, say on a desk (outdoors the case), after a set time period.My wi-fi connection was just about rock strong. Panasonic says these earbuds have a “Left-Right Independent Signalling System that helps maintain a stable connection with proper sound balance between right and left channels.” In future, extra earbuds can have the earbuds join independently to your machine however that is among the many first fashions to tout the function. The Technics Audio Connect app.
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The buds are geared up with 10mm drivers with a graphene-coated PEEK diaphragm that is designed to scale back vibration and distortion, Panasonic says. The final results of all these options, as I mentioned earlier, is that the EAH-AZ70W earbuds sound good. They’re on the higher echelon for true wi-fi earbuds for sound high quality. They ship detailed, wealthy sound with well-defined bass and a reasonably extensive soundstage so the sound does not really feel caught in your head. They work nicely with a wide range of music and sound comparatively pure for Bluetooth headphones (by that I imply music and vocals do not sound overly processed). They assist the AAC streaming codec however not aptX. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds are hotter and I favored their sound extra. The EAH-AZ70W simply beats the AirPods Pro on the sound entrance, nonetheless, although the AirPods are considerably lighter and extra snug.Sony’s WF-1000XM3 has greater bass and I discovered it extra snug, though it stands out out of your ears much more. But the Technics buds have been a pleasure to take heed to. The solely exception was some situations once I felt there was a treble push within the excessive mids, which made some feminine vocals sound a contact too shiny. It’s price mentioning that there is an equalizer for tweaking the sound within the Technics companion app for iOS and Android. It does not make an enormous distinction however it is going to alter the sound profile. Panasonic additionally sells the step-down RZ-S500W (proper) for $180.
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These earbuds work nicely for making calls, with good noise discount that does a good job muffling the background noise round you. Callers mentioned my voice sounded clear. The solely factor lacking is a sidetone function that means that you can hear your voice within the earbuds so you possibly can modulate it higher when speaking. You can use a single earbud to make calls. Panasonic sells a step-down mannequin, the Panasonic RZ-S500W ($180), which provides comparable options, together with noise cancellation, in a less-premium bundle with smaller 8mm drivers (the case does really feel just a little low-cost). That mannequin is promoting on Amazon for round $155 proper now and might be the higher worth, however the Technics EAH-AZ70W is clearly superior. I do assume the EAH-AZ70W’s worth must come nearer to $200 for it to compete as a newcomer within the premium true-wireless area (I do anticipate to see some reductions heading into the vacation shopping for season). That mentioned, apart from its measurement, it performs nicely and does justice to the Technics model.