Noise cancellation is where the Technics EAH-AZ100 shines, backed by LDAC support and a passthrough mode you can customize. Buyers should weigh the high price, the bulky design, and a sound profile some listeners find unusual. Even with those drawbacks, it stays a strong option for anyone who wants a distinct alternative to the mainstream picks.
Full review
A three-driver array where rivals use one
The EAH-AZ100 is built around three drivers per side — a magnetic-fluid woofer, a midrange driver and a tweeter — where the Sony WF-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II each use a single full-range driver. What Hi-Fi gave the Technics a full five stars and the reason is audible on dense material: instruments in a crowded mix stay separated instead of blurring together, and the apparent stage is wider than in-ear designs usually manage. SoundGuys scored it 8.2 out of 10 on much the same grounds.
The tuning is analytical rather than warm. TechRadar and PCMag both note that the presentation exposes what is on the recording, which flatters good masters and is unkind to bad ones. Listeners moving from Bose will find it cooler and less padded; that is a preference rather than a fault, but it is worth auditioning instead of assuming.
Five eartip sizes, down to XS and SS
Fit is the other thing Technics did deliberately. Five eartip sizes ship in the box, down to XS and SS, which is more of a ladder than most premium earbuds offer and matters for anyone who has never sealed properly with a standard small tip. The shells themselves are on the large side — Tom's Guide notes that the buds and case are chunky next to the competition — but the seal determines both comfort and bass, and this tip range makes a good seal likely without third-party shopping.
7.5 hours a charge with noise cancelling running
Technics rates the buds at 7.5 hours with noise cancelling active, with the case carrying several more charges. A 15-minute top-up returns about 90 minutes of listening, the case takes USB-C or a Qi pad, and the buds are IPX4, which covers sweat and rain but not submersion. Bluetooth multipoint holds three devices at once, one more than the usual two, and LDAC is supported for Android sources.
Noise cancelling trails the Sony and Bose flagships
Noise cancelling is the weakest part of the pitch relative to price. PCMag and Tom's Guide both rate it competent rather than class-leading, and on aircraft or a loud commute the Sony and Bose flagships still pull ahead. Technics tuned these as an audio-quality pick first and an isolation pick second.
The other practical drawback is availability. Technics has a thinner retail presence in the United States than Sony or Bose, so hearing a pair before buying is harder, and at $250 that is a real barrier for a product whose entire argument is how it sounds.
Strengths
- +Top-notch active noise cancellation that effectively blocks airplane engine noise, per PCMag
- +Supports LDAC codec for high-resolution audio streaming, as What Hi-Fi notes
- +Includes a highly effective passthrough mode for commuting, according to SoundGuys
- +Comfortable fit achieved through soft rectangular nozzles and four extra eartip sizes
Watch-outs
- −Sound signature described by SoundGuys as 'odd' or unconventional
- −Earbuds and case are notably large and chunky compared to competitors
- −High price point of $299.99 may deter some buyers
How it compares
The Technics EAH-AZ100 supports LDAC, as the Sony WF-1000XM6 does, and its case charges wirelessly over Qi, which the case of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds does not support. Its earbuds and case are large and chunky, and the Sennheiser Momentum TW4 is also described as physically large. Its sound signature is called odd by SoundGuys.
Rating sources
Counts as 4.02/5 in our score — this publisher's 156 scores on the site average 4.15, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
Counts as 4.45/5 in our score — this publisher's 51 scores on the site average 3.79, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
Counts as 4.54/5 in our score — this publisher's 33 scores on the site average 4.70, so its scores are adjusted down to compare fairly with other publishers.
Counts as 4.16/5 in our score — this publisher's 181 scores on the site average 4.00, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
Counts as 4.42/5 in our score — this publisher's 195 scores on the site average 4.25, so its scores are adjusted down to compare fairly with other publishers.
Our 4.3 score is the average of these published ratings, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores. More about methodology.
