TechnicsReference Class Hi-Fi Wireless Earbuds, Dolby Atmos with Head Tracking, Adaptive Noise Cancelling, 3 Device Multipoint, 10-hr Battery, Wireless Charging, Improved Fit - EAH-AZ100-K (Black)

I bought this because my over-the-ear cans were too bulky when I was out and about town, and my other set of earbuds did not cancel ambient noise on my side when I was on calls. The over-the-ears I will be comparing them to are my Sennheiser BT450s, and my Bose NC700, and the TWS in my comparison are my B&W Pi8's, though I will mention my experience with Sony WF1000M3 that I used to own and a recent LG TWS. What I discovered in half a week of using my Technics AZ100's is that they are surprisingly good earbuds for a reason I didn't consider previously.Drivers and EQI have experienced with a few headphones, TWS or otherwise, a hiss. The headphones would cancel noise well enough when there is noise, but when there isn't or during quiet moments in a video, there would be a hiss. The AZ100 doesn't have a hiss that I have been able to detect.Above that, the app offers the most precise EQ of all of my devices. Most just offer three frequency ranges, Bass, Mid, and Highs. This app offers seven, eight? The SoundGuys website commented the factory tuning is clumsy and bass heavy. If you take the time with these equalizers, you can get closer to the ideal EQ settings than if you only had three bars to adjust.I would say these drivers produce sound that is equal to any Sennheiser I have used. Out of the box, they sound like my Bose NC700 with punchier percussions -- which is really nice. These are more capable drivers than Sony's and LG's in-ears. I haven't gotten them to sound as good as my BW Pi8, but I'm being picky and the Pi8 are 33% more expensive.Call QualityThe only weakness of my Pi8 is that it lets in too much ambient noise when I'm on a call. One time, I was doing the dishes and the AC was blowing, and my mother, who is hard of hearing, was able to call out every one of my activities. I guess it is a way to make the other party feel like they're right there with you, but I don't think that's what most people mean when they say that.I repeated the same test with the AZ100 and my mother could not tell when I turned on the tap or stopped it, when the AC kicked in or stopped, or when I was next to my audible dishwasher. The complaint from mom was that my voice sounded robotic and occasionally I'd sound farther away.The other party on the other end was easy to hear for me. This was not anything that was a weakness of any of my earphones, but I believe with the AZ100, their voice is processed via the EQ.ANC.The Pi8's ANC design is quite nice in that, around the office or at a restaurant, it lets in some of the ambient sound but doesn't let it interfere with what I'm listening to. I hear my environment, so I don't miss my colleague asking for my attention or my server approaching. I hear things but I don't, if that makes sense.The reason I mention that is that the AZ100 doesn't seem to be so well tuned in that regard. At a restaurant playing loud music, it is fainter, but my podcast is still competing against it. At the same time, in the office, faint sounds drop off into near silence but louder sounds don't seem to be affected.At its best, the AZ100 perform as well as my Bose NC700 or the Sony WF1000M3, but I feel this isn't going to be one of its best traits. It's still very good, mind you -- I'm pitting it against class leading cans of the last few years after all -- but if this is something that is very important to you above all else, then it's probably not the best TWS for you.Portability and Touch ControlsThe case is tiny. I alternate between these and my Pi8 on the weekdays. I carry both in my pocket. This case is smaller, lighter.I did not perform a drop test, because they're new and they're expensive. I did perform drop tests by accident on my Pi8's. Both the case and buds were dropped from hip height and ear height onto tile with no apparent scuffs to the plastic shell or the internal electronics.The touch controls of the AZ100 are more responsive, it felt.The SurpriseThe AZ100 went in a different direction than the other buds in one major way. They are extremely light. They are lighter than any of the buds I have ever worn.This has a surprising effect. The buds stay very stable in the ear. I can turn my head quickly, and they won't go flying out. I can walk around, and there isn't even the slightest bit of movement. (In my review of the Sony WF1000M3, I commented that they were so heavy and jutted out so much that once, when I was crossing a street and hurried just a little at the end, the buds fell and I was lucky enough to catch them.) Something like that probably won't happen with these, though, once again, I won't be repeating that experiment.These are a compelling entry into the TWS field. If these were released the same time as the WF1000M3, these are probably better in every category except for the ANC tunings. These are better than the LGs, but the LG's offer a UV self-cleaning feature. And the AZ100 can compete directly against many of the higher-end over-the-ear headphones.

I am a slightly reformed earbud junky. I have owned or own almost every credible earbud in the last five or so years. I use both an Android and an Apple phone, an iPad Pro, and a Dell XPS laptop so I am ambidextrous when it comes to devices. I owned the first gen Technics buds and I mostly really like them. Like the Sony buds, they were a bit big but it was a hell of a comeback for the Panasonic owned HiFi company. My current daily drivers are the Sony 1000XM5’s and the Apple AirPod 2 Pros. I love them both. However, the Sony’s are still a bit big and the multi connectivity, while present, isn’t the best. The AirPods are awesome but aren’t great for non Apple products. So, after putting this purchase off for many months, I finally pulled the ripcord and got these. They are awesome. Here is the breakdown:Sound: This is how I start every review on buds because sound is the main purpose of any bud or headphone. The sound here is amazing. This is a single 10mm liquid filled driver that is new technology in a bud. It creates deep sound that is a bit bass leaning. You get strong separation between the low, mid, and high tones. The sound here crushes the AirPods and is equal to the Sonys in my opinion. There is support for LDAC and LE Bluetooth codecs. However, these sound amazing without the high end codecs which is good for Apple fans. Those that love lossless audio though will be glad to have these on board. The sound is almost enough to recommend these but read on because there are many more reasons.Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): This is one area I think these buds don’t wipe out the competition. The Bose buds and the Apple AirPods are both a bit better. These are on par with the Sony buds for me. Good but not the best. There are a lot of adjustments in the app but I just leave them on adaptive. I think these will be great for a plane trip as these do a great job on low end noise. Sudden sharper noise gets through though. I do love that these don’t make you feel ear pressure that some buds give you with it on. Overall, while not class leading, the ANC here is still very good.Form Factor: These won’t be to everyone’s liking but they are pretty dynamite. These are smallish stemless buds that have a nice soft finish inside the buds with a nice metal finish on the outside. The look and feel great. I find them comfortable for long periods.Call Quality: The class leading AirPods are still the best, but these run a close second. Technics embedded AI that can identify your voice, enhance it, and cancel out noises around you. Some reviews I read say that this process can end up making you sound a bit robotic but I haven’t had anyone comment on it and I have been asking. Very good calls all around here.The case: I always rate the case in earbud reviews because you frankly interact with the case more than the buds. This is a solid case overall. The brushed metal design is great. It is a good slender case that is similar in size to the Sony buds but metal not plastic. There is a single LED and it does support wireless charging. It is a great case with one nitpick. I wish the magnets were a bit stronger. In a purse or a gym bag, you may find buds flying around.All the other stuff: Battery life here is closing in on class leading. As long as you aren’t using the hifi codecs often, you will get over ten hours of use. Awesome. Connectivity is stable and fast. I have these connected to both of my phones and they connect to both immediately upon pulling out a bud. Further, these easily pass back and forth between the devices as needed. I was on one call today and got another on my work phone. It was ringing me to let me know I had the other call. Awesome. There is Spatial Audio here that sounds great especially for a movie. Lastly, the Technics app deserves a nod here. It is a really great app. Where the Sony app gives you everything, it is very convoluted. This app gives you sound customization, ANC control, and more but without being difficult to use. Oh, and there is a Find My component to the app that allows you to make sounds if you lose your buds or see where you last had them with location data. All so good.I will just say this about what Technics has done here. If these aren’t the best all around buds on the market, they are darn close. I am a huge fan and strongly recommend buying them.