Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ80 review

Panasonic’s Technics brand has been a mainstay in high-end consumer audio products, ranging from speakers, to turntables, and some of the first CD players. But now? Technics has been Panasonic’s best effort in ANC earbuds — but are they any good? Let’s swing through the lab to find out.

Editor’s note: this is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use Technics EAH-AZ80?

Using the Technics EAH-AZ80 is a rather surprisingly uncomplicated ordeal, with very little in the way of software buffoonery, complications, or annoyances. The earbuds pretty much work right out of the charging case, which is shockingly less common than you might think. Additionally, you can toggle pairing mode while the earbuds are in your ears, so you can jump from device to device without having to stow your earbuds first. Most of the main functions of the earbuds seem to be designed in order to avoid common gripes, and that’s something I’m thankful for.

Though the metallic-backed earbuds themselves are quite large — and therefore won’t fit everybody’s ears — they come with seven sizes of ear tips to ensure the best fit possible in your ear canal. I will say that the extra-large earbud chassis means that these things stick out of most ears to a ridiculous degree. However, it is not difficult to find a good fit should the earbuds have the correct tip diameter for you. The shape of the outer earbuds is conducive to sliding up against your concha, which holds the earbuds forward to your ear canal. If you find that they’re falling out, you need a new size of eartip.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that these large, 7g earbuds can put some pressure on your ear canals, even if you get everything right. The nozzles are fairly short, but still perfectly round, so you might find you have to torque these in a bit to get the right fit. I typically grumble a lot about earbuds that are over 6 grams, but these were fine, really — just bulky.

The charging case is about the size of two lipsticks stacked on top of one another, and has a certain heft to it. The case is designed to stand up while charging, so you leave the case on the table without worrying that the buds will fall out and clatter across the floor. I appreciate the fact that it comes with wireless charging, as I have a number of those pads lying about my office for charging the myriad electronics that support it.

Should you use the Technics Audio Connect app for the Technics EAH-AZ80?

Though the forced setup prompts are annoying, you’re far better off using the app to supplement your Technics EAH-AZ80. By doing so, you can run an ear tip fit test to ensure the best results for sound quality and ANC. You can additionally customize your ANC, swap EQ presets (or use a 5-band equalizer), enable LDAC, customize the passthrough mode, and customize controls to your liking. Though this app is quite limited in its equalization options, it is exceptionally good when it comes to creature comforts and user-specific whims.

It’s unclear whether Panasonic is actually collecting data, at least according to the Play Store. Still, if this is the kind of thing that keeps you up at night, you don’t actually need the app for its use, you’ll just lose out on some features.

How do the Technics EAH-AZ80 connect?

The Technics EAH-AZ80 use Bluetooth 5.3 to connect to devices wirelessly. Though iOS users will be limited to AAC, those with an Android phone will be able to make full use of the Technics EAH-AZ80’s ability to connect to devices using LDAC. You do have to enable this function through the app, but if you do, you should be able to enjoy higher-bitrate listening.

For those of you who like to swap devices often, the Technics EAH-AZ80 are able to swap between three stored devices with Bluetooth Multipoint. I found the functionality to be pretty good, and much less frustrating than a few of the other earbuds I’ve reviewed recently.

How long does the Technics EAH-AZ80 battery last?

The Technics EAH-AZ80 were able to withstand 6 hours and 40 minutes of our standardized battery test. While this is more than enough to last for commutes, most of a workday, or a short flight: this is inappropriate for long haul flights from continent to continent. If you don’t find yourself hopping the pond on a weekly basis, the battery of the Technics EAH-AZ80 should be more than adequate. Though this is only slightly above average, it’s important for the longevity of your earbuds to have decent battery life because the more charging cycles you subject them to, the more the battery degrades over time — it’s just something tiny cells in earbuds are particularly susceptible to.

How well do the Technics EAH-AZ80 cancel noise?

I gotta say, I’m impressed with the Technics EAH-AZ80. Though they’re not the best-ever ANC earbuds, for a product that’s not in the collective consciousness of the masses they do pretty damned well. With excellent passive isolation and rock-solid ANC, you can expect about 82% of outside noise to be attenuated when the earbuds are set to full blast. However, you can adjust this to your liking if you’d like a little less noise attenuation. Just use the app and experiment for best results with your fit and you’ll be surprised at how well the fit test works.

In my personal use, I noticed that the Technics EAH-AZ80 were particularly good at killing engine noise, though if you enable the transparency mode it’ll pop back in. Earbuds like this one are a case study in why fit matters so much.

How do the Technics EAH-AZ80 sound?

The Technics EAH-AZ80 sound pretty good, if a little bit odd. Still, you can do a lot worse at this price point.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

The chart below shows how the sound of the Technics EAH-AZ80 was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.

With a 4.2 overall score, if you were to allow a couple hundred of your closest friends to listen to the Technics EAH-AZ80, they would mostly enjoy the experience. However, it’s possible that the distortion of the SBC implementation will put some of them off. Additionally, the Timbre only scoring a 4.5 means that, while still very good, some will take issue with it. Immersiveness is quite high for a set of earbuds, and our experience mirrors this score.

Reviewer’s notes

Listening to the Technics EAH-AZ80 has been a fun time, even if it’s not technically a sound that conforms well to a target curve that’s currently out there. Truth be told, that happens a lot and while the measurements might look off: the Technics EAH-AZ80 are intentional about the choices they make. For example, the high emphasis in the 4-8kHz regions can add to the illusion of detail, while the generally strong bass emphasis is something that most casual listeners appreciate.

Aside from making cymbals and hi-hats impossible to ignore, tracks like Miike Snow’s “My Trigger” benefit from this high-end bump to bring out the room effects. Additionally, the extra bass makes older hits from the vinyl era much more palatable to modern tastes. For example, SoundGuys favorite “Can’t get enough of your love, Babe” by Barry White has a tendency to lose its bass and background strings a little bit with some earbuds — but not with the Technics EAH-AZ80.

I will point out that New Wave enjoyers may find the highs a little grating, so Joy Division, Talking Heads, and Tears for Fears fans might want to notch it down a bit in the in-app EQ. But it’s a fairly minor issue that didn’t bother me as much as I thought it might.

Objective Measurements

This seems like a purpose-built frequency response for appealing to the masses, outside of the emphasis in the highs getting a little strong. While the “ear gain” region of the chart is a little underemphasized even by our standards, the sound isn’t bad by any means. Just be aware that emphasized treble is going to make a few things sound a little off.

You may attempt to tone this down in the app’s equalizer, but I strongly advise against it. The 5-bands are not granular enough to help change the sound of the earbuds in a way that will make a huge difference, or at least not a strongly positive one.

Can you use the Technics EAH-AZ80 for phone calls?

As the Technics EAH-AZ80 are purpose-built smartphone buddies, it should come as no surprise that they come equipped with microphones. Below are samples collected in our labs.

Technics EAH-AZ80 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Should you buy the Technics EAH-AZ80?

Though it’s tough to justify spending nearly $300 on earbuds, my time with the Technics EAH-AZ80 was pleasant. Despite not offering the wild panoply of integrations that AirPods do or the latest fads, the performance, the ability to tweak anything I didn’t like, and the premium feel definitely made me feel like these were $300 earbuds. Though I’m allergic to spending a lot of money on audio products, this is one of those times where the extra money to get something very reliable is worth it.

However, as each earbud is quite large and heavy, those with sensitive ear canals may want to avoid the Technics EAH-AZ80. If you’re not looking to spend a mint on earbuds, plenty of other options offer decent performance, but the Technics EAH-AZ80 are appealing in their own way.

What should you get instead of the Technics EAH-AZ80?

For those looking for better sound or ANC, you should look long and hard at the Sony WF-1000XM5 ($298 at Amazon). These earbuds offer some of the best performance on the market, and they’re comparably priced to the Technics EAH-AZ80. Though the Technics EAH-AZ80 are close in many ways, the Sony earbuds have been on the market for a while, and you may be able to snag a good deal on them.

For those looking to save some money, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 ($239 at Amazon) are slightly less expensive. Additionally, if you have an iPhone, the AirPods have a lot of features not available when used with other phones. If you don’t have an iPhone, for the next few months you should consider the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 ($279.99 at Amazon), as it offers very similar sound quality, but is much more water-resistant, light, and has better ANC. It was discontinued shortly after launch, so while the price should be low, you likely won’t see many firmware updates anytime soon.

Frequently asked questions