Background:
I have something of an addiction to wireless earbuds it seems, as I also own the Sennheiser Truly Wireless 3 (STW3), Sony SWF-1000XM4 (SXM4), and a couple pairs of older Galaxy Buds, so there's no real reason for me to buy these other than "I want". I'm part of the consumption problem.
Before these, I'd rank them in that same order above from best to less best (all are mostly fine at this point). But with these, I truly feel like there's enough things – big and small – to make them not only the best, but feel a generation ahead of the rest. Whereas STW3 and SXM4 were closer in the key quality areas, both were a big jump above any Galaxy Buds so I'd use those two as my main points of comparison, and mostly the STW3 since they were my daily drivers.
I previously also owned the Technics EAH-AZ60-S, which were very chirpy and charming, but couldn't justify keeping since they didn't do enough things better than the current lineup.
Not so with the Technics EAH-AZ80-S (AZ80)! They get all the basics right, and then still manage to surprise and impress thanks to the engineering artists formerly known as Panasonic.
Style/Fit:
• Style – I opted for silver, which I find to be sleek and chic–black everything electronics are just boring to me at this point. The case is the most pocketable I've encountered amongst the STW3 and SXM4. Unlike the STW3, the case's charging port on the back, thank the engineering gods, so none of the awkward charging from the front. The SXM4s got this right as well, so often times I'd be jetting out the door and grab them to toss in my pocket, despite the superior sound on the STW3.
• Fit – Actually quite similar in size to the STW3 as you can see in the picture. However the materials and finish make them feel more comfortable in my ears. The STW3s have a blockiness at the end to them that took some time for my ears to adjust to. The SXM4s were always huge and clunky feeling, which apparently the latest SXM5s have remedied. The Technics feel tiny and lightweight, and just slide right into the ears comfortably for hours. I've already taken a couple of intended and unintended naps with them.
Sound Quality:
• Full, wide soundstage. Just epic sounding. Hearing sounds I've never heard before in songs. Several times I've had to double check the song to make sure it wasn't a remix or look at my sound settings because I was in a bit of disbelief.
• I primarily listen to a wide variety of electronica: your EDMs, Trip Hops, Chills, etc. and rock music. So I've I turned off all my lights, and just listened to all my favorite songs for hours in the dark, honestly marveling at the scope, breadth, and texture of sounds. It's pretty blissful, and not to mention just a very therapeutic and rejuvenating, a semi-meditative practice I enjoy made more engaging now.
Call Quality:
Yes, some of us still make calls. And we need earbuds not just for phone calls, but your Zoom/Meets/Teams (god help you) calls
• Phone Calls – Clear, if not a little robotic sounding. There's a phone number you can dial to test out your call quality, which will play back your call recording or even do an echo test in real time. Testing the microphone can also be accomplished by the Technics app, which is a nifty bit if functionality. Anyway, whereas the STW3 are more warm sounding on a call, those have a problem with clipping at the end of each syllable, creating a falling off sound effect to your voice in a call. So the AZ80s maintain clarity, but are more cold sounding.
• Teleconference Calls – Good, clear audio. Could be louder though. It's more than loud enough when connected to the computer playing music (headphone mode), so not sure why when using them to communicate (headset mode) the sound is then relatively quieter. All earbuds designed for music and calls switch between these two modes–because headset mode needs to receive *and send * audio, then the bitrate is automatically lowered to accommodate. I have some more tinkering to do. But it blocks out noise well, and thanks to solid connectivity, it's perfectly usable for your Zooming. Speaking of connectivity–
Connectivity:
• Another area where I was pleasantly surprised. I can be in the bathroom on the other side of my place and even with LDAC best quality on/multipoint off it's still playing music, although tbf with brief interruptions of static, which is totally acceptable all things considered. It's actually astonishing given the distance of 40 ft away, and if you saw how many walls and other obstructions the bluetooth signal would have to travel through. I don't know 100% that it's the bluetooth signal that's that strong, or if there's a fairly large amount of memory dedicated to caching the song in advance and it's preloaded, or some combo of the two. If it were purely able to pull this off by caching, you wouldn't think it'd play the entire song but with brief interruptions of static (i.e. signal lost moments). Some engineering magic going on on here.
• In comparison to the STW3s, those cut out within 15 ft of my desk, whereas the SXM4s fare much better not experiencing static until roughly 25-30 ft. The STW3s also are notorious though for behaving erratically with connections at times, which until recent firmware updates required resetting and reconnecting a not uncommon amount. Sometimes they acted temperamental and you had to cajole them into connecting.
• If connectivity is high on your priority list of features, then these are for you. The AZ60s were also rock solid in their connectivity so it's something Technics does really well. These have no issue turning on and immediately connecting.
Software/Settings:
• Very impressed by the level of tweaking and controls offered in the accompanying app. The UI/UX is cleanly designed and laid out, intuitive exploration and explanations abound in the app, and just about everything is customizable to your liking. It's not just the quality of the options, but the quantity in choices itself that satisfies. It's actually a pleasurable experience to use the app, and its welcoming design encourages you to experiment with the AZ80s
• In comparison, the STW3s still unnecessarily confuse on this point. The interface is not intuitive and the customizability options are sparse. To be fair, it's an intentional design choice for them to have the signature Sennheiser sound out of the box, so they're not intended to broad and have a wide audience. They're designed to just sound good and everything else is a bonus from their perspective.
• The SXM4s previously were the top in customizability and options with their software, offering a host of impressive features and tweaking. The AZ80s software meets and exceeds in some areas, whereas the SMX4s software exceeds in others.
• Ultimately I can fiddle with everything I need to with the AZ80s and enjoy the experience of doing so, feeling like I'm discovering more with my headphones vs painfully digging around a settings menu wondering what they intended by each option.
Noise-cancelling:
• Over the years this has been an increasingly important metric for a lot of people, and I'll be honest and say that I think most do it well enough so this isn't a deal breaker category for me. I think it's probably not a good thing to have complete silence when going for a walk, for example. When I'm working, it's either people I'm meeting with on a call or music going on, so haven't had the overwhelming need for total silence. And I try to keep my brain trained on doing some of its own noise filtering.
• That said, these are impressively capable with ANC. I have a busy road outside with plenty of noise, regular apartment sounds, and different random noises from the apartment itself, and as soon as I enabled ANC it was pure silence. An almost eerie amount of silence, actually. It was a bit unsettling.
• The STW3s were great in the ANC department as well, but I didn't know before what I wasn't *not* missing. I'd slide the STW3s back and forth between blocking out noise or wind and just decide to live with whatever noise was going on. But it still covered about 90% of noise. The SMX4s were a notch above at 95%. These AZ80s are about 98-99%. I'm taking them in and out every now and again just to verify if there actually is no sound, for example someone at the door. Which actually comes at the expense of the next topic-
Battery Life:
• The one area it's stumbled for me so far. Using it for a combo of work calls/music I was down to 39% battery life after 4 hrs. I do have ANC and LDAC enabled/multipoint disabled, so I'm hoping that experimenting with those settings will give a better result. I will have to charge midday though, which means not being able to use them for a lunch break gym sesh some days. That fantastic ANC comes at the cost of 1-2hrs of battery life.
• That said, they do charge fast, and batteries do take some breaking in. As well as both tweaking my own preferences, and the app and OS adjusting to your listening patterns, so I'm not super worried.
• The STW3s were absolute all day champs with their battery life, rock solid and dependable. The SMX4s would be up and down.
Final Thoughts:
I've listed out the most important criteria for me when looking for a new pair of headphones. Your criteria may not match my criteria 1:1. You might find that battery life is more important than connectivity, which is the only area so far I'd considered to be a potential weakness for the AZ80s, but again they do charge fast. Overall they have the best sound quality I've heard in a pair of headphones (I never want to take them out), rock solid connectivity, ease of use for a quick phone call or music sesh, and small enough (with a great fit) to slide easily into the pocket. They do all the big and small things well, while also having enough of a chirpy personality to do surprise and delight. And again, dat sound doe. Technics have absolutely nailed it with the AZ80s, kudos to their engineering team, and all hail the new king!
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This Item  Technics Premium Hi-Fi True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds with Advanced Noise Cancelling, 3 Device Multipoint Connectivity, Wireless Charging, Hi-Res Audio + Enhanced Calling - EAH-AZ80-S (Silver) |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $297.99 | -47% $119.99 List: $227.99 | -17% $205.28 List: $247.99 | $169.99 | -35% $110.00 List: $167.99 | -17% $206.37 List: $247.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | — | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Battery life | ||||||
| Noise cancellation | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Focus Camera LLC | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | UnrealDeals | Amazon.com |
| connectivity tech | Wireless, Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Wireless, Bluetooth | Wireless, Bluetooth | Wireless, Bluetooth | Wireless, Bluetooth |
| headphones form factor | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear |
| connector type | wireless | wireless | wireless | — | — | wireless |
| noise control | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation |
| cable feature | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable |
| control type | Voice Control | Voice Control | Voice Control | Voice Control | Voice Control | Voice Control |
| water resistance | water resistant | water resistant | water resistant | water resistant | water resistant | water resistant |
| material | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic | Plastic |
From the manufacturer
Hear Voices, Not Wind
Don't waste valuable time repeating yourself on calls. AZ80 uses JustMyVoice technology to capture & transmit your voice, with 8 high-sensitivity mics
Wireless Qi Charging
Keep your desk and bedside clear of clutter using the wireless charging case (Qi compatible). One charge for 7 hrs* of use (24 hrs* with case, NC on)
LDAC for Wireless SoundQuality
Supports LDAC codec, approximately 3x faster than conventional codecs
You’re in Control
Quick touch commands let you switch between modes and the Technics Audio Connect app, available for iOS and Android, gives you precise control
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Technics EAH-AZ80 How to Pair First and Second Device
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Reviews with images
Stellar audio quality, solid ANC, and excellent comfort all wrapped in a stylish earbud
I have a bit of a problem when it comes to earbuds, my wife would say it's a major problem. I keep trying to find the perfect pair. I want something with good audio quality, top-tier ANC, the earbuds need to stay in my, I want a compact charging case with USB-C and Qi charging, I want an app to adjust settings (including the EQ), and I want to have solid Bluetooth connectivity to my source devices.After all this time, I think I finally found my pair of primary earbuds. My search started long ago with the first generation AirPods Pro and Bose QC Earbuds 1. The AirPods Pro didn't stay in my ears and the Bose were buggy and constantly dropped their connection. Fast forward to today and I have the same problems. The AirPods Pro 2 don't stay in my ears and the Bose QC Earbuds II are a terribly buggy pair of earbuds. They offer the absolute best ANC on the market, bar none. But their audio quality isn't the best and they have constant connectivity issues. I have experienced everything from random Bluetooth data packet losses to either the left or the right refusing to connect to any source audio device.I have been wanting to try Technics earbuds for a long time. Two things have stopped me until now: reading that their Bluetooth connection wasn't the strongest and they didn't have the best fit. The EAH-AZ60 and AZ70 were always praised for their ANC and sound quality but were held back with a hit or miss fit and Bluetooth connectivity problems. Recently, I tried the EAH-AZ60M2, and they made me a believer. I wanted to try the EAH-AC80, their new flagship ANC earbuds, to hear if the larger driver made a difference and if I preferred their fit.Overall, I think the extra $50 in price is worth it if you're focused on comfort and a bit better audio quality. First, the design has changed a bit. There's a round part, instead of angular, that sits outside of your ear canal. It helps hold the earbuds in place. The inner-ear portion doesn't go as deep as with the AX60M2. For some people, these will be uncomfortable due to their shallower fit. I prefer the fit of these though. Smooth plastic holds everything in without going too deep into my ear canal. Fit performance is the same though. I can walk outside in hot weather, my ears can sweat, I can move my head around, bend over, lay down... It doesn't matter. These earbuds comfortably stay put. Your mileage may vary, of course, but I really enjoy the fit of these earbuds. I don't know what Technics has done, but they've improved their fit on both the AZ60M2 and the AZ80.Speaking of improvement, I haven't had any issues with Bluetooth connectivity. These feature true multi-point connectivity and I have them paired to my iPad Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, and Asus ROG Ally. Although transmission is limited to AAC (or SBC) when paired to 3 devices (which isn't a problem for me since I don't have anything with LDAC), I don't have any issues automatically switching between the two. Fire up a YouTube video on my Ally, then a song on my iPhone and the video on my Ally will automatically pause and the earbuds will move over to my iPhone. I can start a movie on my iPad and music will pause on my iPhone as the audio moves to my iPad. It's great and works better than Apple's device switching, which only sometimes works with Apple devices. This is what real multi-point pairing is and this is the first time a high-end pair of earbuds features it for 3 devices. The AZ80 support independent use. You can use either earbud with whatever device you're connected to. Each earbud also supports device switching. It's amazing what Technics has crammed into these earbuds.The earbuds feature tapping controls that can be customized. I have mine setup so that a single tap on either serves as play/pause, tapping and holding on my right triggers Siri, doing the same on the left cycles through transparency and ANC, double-tapping the right skips tracks, triple tapping the right goes back one track, double-tapping the left decreases volume, and triple tapping the left increases volume. I would have preferred the earbuds to have swiping for volume control, especially given their price, but tapping works. They come with 7 different ear tip sizes, so you're bound to find a good fit. I went with the medium tips, they best fit my ears. There are a series of microphones on the earbuds for ANC and talking. Transparency is good, almost on par with the AirPods Pro 2. It can sound a bit processed at times whereas the AirPods Pro 2 sound more natural. That's a small gripe though.There is a JustMyVoice feature that can better isolate your voice in noisy surroundings. It works well with wind and some background traffic, also with general office background chatter. There are three settings: off, low, and high. The higher the setting, the more processed your voice sounds. High also introduces a delay between what you say and your voice coming through due to the earbuds processing background noise removal. I left mine set to low and they've been fine. Not quite on par with the AirPods Pro 2, but as good as the AZ60MK2 and better than the Bose QC Earbuds II.ANC is top tier. I watched one review online that gave them a middle of the road score, and I highly disagree with it. The AZ80 don't feature adaptive ANC, you can manually adjust the levels though. I have it set to max after going through a listening test the app guides you through during initial setup. The ticking of the clock in my office is canceled out, voices are better muffled, the typing of my keyboard is more subdued, I can't hear traffic when walking outside... Everything is cancelled out more than with my AirPods Pro 2. Not as good as the Bose QC Earbuds II. I don't know what Bose has done to get such good ANC out of their earbuds, but they measurably perform the best. Too bad their charging case doesn't have Qi charging (as it should for that price and size) and their earbuds are way too buggy. Both the Technics AZ60M2 and AZ80 edge out the AirPods Pro 2 for ANC. There isn't a difference between either Technics earbuds when it comes to ANC performance.Sound quality is different though. The AZ80 do edge out the AZ60M2, partly due to their larger drivers. Driver size isn't directly indicative of audio quality. For example, the AirPods Pro 2 have 11mm drivers yet they don't sound the best. I have listened to 50mm over-ear headphones that sound worse than 30mm on-ear headphones. The AZ80 come with a 10mm driver compared to the 8mm driver of the AZ60M2. There's a larger resonance chamber and I think a combination of the two, along with the edge-free design of the 10mm driver, help with making a better overall sound signature. The AZ60M2 sound better than the AirPods Pro 2, even before you EQ them (something the AirPods can't do). The AZ80 have more detail in their mids along with cleaner highs and lows. Not that the AZ60M2 ever sounded compressed or clipped, they just sounded a bit more constrained. The AZ80 have room to breathe and shine more in the mids. To my ears, all genres of music sound good with these.Battery life is great. Technics rates them at 7 hours of listening time when using AAC or SBC (with ANC on) with the case providing an additional 17 hours of charge time (24 hours total). I've been getting a little over 7 hours of listening using AAC and ANC set to high, definitely more than my AirPods Pro 2 were getting, more than the Bose QC Earbuds II. Charging the case is easy enough, it supports both USB-C and Qi charging. Plop it on a 5W Qi charger and it will take about 90 minutes to fully charge the case. The earbuds are IPX4 rated, so you don't have to worry about sweat. The charging case isn't water resistant. It is made of plastic and metal; mostly plastic on the inside and the bottom 2/3rd of the case, the lid is made of machined metal (I'm guessing aluminum). I understand why the bottom is made of plastic: it allows for Qi charging. The case is durable, and I have carried it in my pocket for a while now without it scratching. It's about the same size as the AirPods Pro 2 case. So, it's small and you can easily take it anywhere.I do have some gripes with these earbuds. Not everything is perfect and neither are these. First, the magnets holding the AZ80 in the case aren't as strong as the magnets for the AZ60M2 or other true wireless earbuds. They're about on par with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which aren't great to begin with. The earbuds will go flying out of their case if you drop it. I can easily shake the earbuds out when the lid is open, I can't do that with the AZ60M2 or AirPods Pro 2. The AZ80 do stick out a bit more than the AZ60M2 and AirPods Pro 2. This is due to their alrger driver and resonance chamber, but it is something to note. I don't think it's an issue and it makes the earbuds easier to handle when removing them from their case and putting them in your ears.I'm also not a fan of the app. It's solid and gives you tons of options. However, I often need to close it and re-open the app for it to find my earbuds. It's still a more solid experience compared to the Bose QC Earbuds II app, that thing is atrocious and required constant uninstallation and reinstalling. That's is though. I wish the magnets in the case were stronger and the app was a bit smoother to run. I went through one firmware update, and it only took 5 minutes. The process was seamless, and I didn't need to go through it 5 times (with each time taking 15-20 minutes) like I did with the Bose QC Earbuds II.Overall, I am pleased with these earbuds and think they are worth the extra price. They're comfortable, have a rock-solid connection to my devices, support device switching between 3 audio sources, independent earbud use, a comfortable fit, have a long battery life, a charging case that supports both USB-C and Qi charging, ANC that edges out the AirPods Pro 2, fine voice calling capabilities, and stellar audio quality with support for SBC, AAC, and LDAC. These are the all-around earbuds I have been searching for. They tick every box and the complaints I have are small in comparison to other earbuds I have used over the last few years.I can't recommend these enough. They're expensive, but Technics has a hit with both the EAH-AZ60M2 and EAH-AZ80. The AZ60M2 are a solid fallback if you can't afford the AZ80, they'll get you about 90% of the way there. But the sound quality and comfort from the AZ80 are, to me, worth spending the extra $50. Just make sure your unit is new and not a return. The first pair I picked up were a clear return. The box had been opened, they were missing the wrap around the charging case, and there were stains on the charging case. I don't know how someone could have already stained the earbuds. My guess is that they were a return from the reviewer that clearly didn't know what they were doing because these earbuds are better than the other ones they mentioned.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2023
Color: SilverVerified Purchase
Background:
I have something of an addiction to wireless earbuds it seems, as I also own the Sennheiser Truly Wireless 3 (STW3), Sony SWF-1000XM4 (SXM4), and a couple pairs of older Galaxy Buds, so there's no real reason for me to buy these other than "I want". I'm part of the consumption problem.
Before these, I'd rank them in that same order above from best to less best (all are mostly fine at this point). But with these, I truly feel like there's enough things – big and small – to make them not only the best, but feel a generation ahead of the rest. Whereas STW3 and SXM4 were closer in the key quality areas, both were a big jump above any Galaxy Buds so I'd use those two as my main points of comparison, and mostly the STW3 since they were my daily drivers.
I previously also owned the Technics EAH-AZ60-S, which were very chirpy and charming, but couldn't justify keeping since they didn't do enough things better than the current lineup.
Not so with the Technics EAH-AZ80-S (AZ80)! They get all the basics right, and then still manage to surprise and impress thanks to the engineering artists formerly known as Panasonic.
Style/Fit:
• Style – I opted for silver, which I find to be sleek and chic–black everything electronics are just boring to me at this point. The case is the most pocketable I've encountered amongst the STW3 and SXM4. Unlike the STW3, the case's charging port on the back, thank the engineering gods, so none of the awkward charging from the front. The SXM4s got this right as well, so often times I'd be jetting out the door and grab them to toss in my pocket, despite the superior sound on the STW3.
• Fit – Actually quite similar in size to the STW3 as you can see in the picture. However the materials and finish make them feel more comfortable in my ears. The STW3s have a blockiness at the end to them that took some time for my ears to adjust to. The SXM4s were always huge and clunky feeling, which apparently the latest SXM5s have remedied. The Technics feel tiny and lightweight, and just slide right into the ears comfortably for hours. I've already taken a couple of intended and unintended naps with them.
Sound Quality:
• Full, wide soundstage. Just epic sounding. Hearing sounds I've never heard before in songs. Several times I've had to double check the song to make sure it wasn't a remix or look at my sound settings because I was in a bit of disbelief.
• I primarily listen to a wide variety of electronica: your EDMs, Trip Hops, Chills, etc. and rock music. So I've I turned off all my lights, and just listened to all my favorite songs for hours in the dark, honestly marveling at the scope, breadth, and texture of sounds. It's pretty blissful, and not to mention just a very therapeutic and rejuvenating, a semi-meditative practice I enjoy made more engaging now.
Call Quality:
Yes, some of us still make calls. And we need earbuds not just for phone calls, but your Zoom/Meets/Teams (god help you) calls
• Phone Calls – Clear, if not a little robotic sounding. There's a phone number you can dial to test out your call quality, which will play back your call recording or even do an echo test in real time. Testing the microphone can also be accomplished by the Technics app, which is a nifty bit if functionality. Anyway, whereas the STW3 are more warm sounding on a call, those have a problem with clipping at the end of each syllable, creating a falling off sound effect to your voice in a call. So the AZ80s maintain clarity, but are more cold sounding.
• Teleconference Calls – Good, clear audio. Could be louder though. It's more than loud enough when connected to the computer playing music (headphone mode), so not sure why when using them to communicate (headset mode) the sound is then relatively quieter. All earbuds designed for music and calls switch between these two modes–because headset mode needs to receive *and send * audio, then the bitrate is automatically lowered to accommodate. I have some more tinkering to do. But it blocks out noise well, and thanks to solid connectivity, it's perfectly usable for your Zooming. Speaking of connectivity–
Connectivity:
• Another area where I was pleasantly surprised. I can be in the bathroom on the other side of my place and even with LDAC best quality on/multipoint off it's still playing music, although tbf with brief interruptions of static, which is totally acceptable all things considered. It's actually astonishing given the distance of 40 ft away, and if you saw how many walls and other obstructions the bluetooth signal would have to travel through. I don't know 100% that it's the bluetooth signal that's that strong, or if there's a fairly large amount of memory dedicated to caching the song in advance and it's preloaded, or some combo of the two. If it were purely able to pull this off by caching, you wouldn't think it'd play the entire song but with brief interruptions of static (i.e. signal lost moments). Some engineering magic going on on here.
• In comparison to the STW3s, those cut out within 15 ft of my desk, whereas the SXM4s fare much better not experiencing static until roughly 25-30 ft. The STW3s also are notorious though for behaving erratically with connections at times, which until recent firmware updates required resetting and reconnecting a not uncommon amount. Sometimes they acted temperamental and you had to cajole them into connecting.
• If connectivity is high on your priority list of features, then these are for you. The AZ60s were also rock solid in their connectivity so it's something Technics does really well. These have no issue turning on and immediately connecting.
Software/Settings:
• Very impressed by the level of tweaking and controls offered in the accompanying app. The UI/UX is cleanly designed and laid out, intuitive exploration and explanations abound in the app, and just about everything is customizable to your liking. It's not just the quality of the options, but the quantity in choices itself that satisfies. It's actually a pleasurable experience to use the app, and its welcoming design encourages you to experiment with the AZ80s
• In comparison, the STW3s still unnecessarily confuse on this point. The interface is not intuitive and the customizability options are sparse. To be fair, it's an intentional design choice for them to have the signature Sennheiser sound out of the box, so they're not intended to broad and have a wide audience. They're designed to just sound good and everything else is a bonus from their perspective.
• The SXM4s previously were the top in customizability and options with their software, offering a host of impressive features and tweaking. The AZ80s software meets and exceeds in some areas, whereas the SMX4s software exceeds in others.
• Ultimately I can fiddle with everything I need to with the AZ80s and enjoy the experience of doing so, feeling like I'm discovering more with my headphones vs painfully digging around a settings menu wondering what they intended by each option.
Noise-cancelling:
• Over the years this has been an increasingly important metric for a lot of people, and I'll be honest and say that I think most do it well enough so this isn't a deal breaker category for me. I think it's probably not a good thing to have complete silence when going for a walk, for example. When I'm working, it's either people I'm meeting with on a call or music going on, so haven't had the overwhelming need for total silence. And I try to keep my brain trained on doing some of its own noise filtering.
• That said, these are impressively capable with ANC. I have a busy road outside with plenty of noise, regular apartment sounds, and different random noises from the apartment itself, and as soon as I enabled ANC it was pure silence. An almost eerie amount of silence, actually. It was a bit unsettling.
• The STW3s were great in the ANC department as well, but I didn't know before what I wasn't *not* missing. I'd slide the STW3s back and forth between blocking out noise or wind and just decide to live with whatever noise was going on. But it still covered about 90% of noise. The SMX4s were a notch above at 95%. These AZ80s are about 98-99%. I'm taking them in and out every now and again just to verify if there actually is no sound, for example someone at the door. Which actually comes at the expense of the next topic-
Battery Life:
• The one area it's stumbled for me so far. Using it for a combo of work calls/music I was down to 39% battery life after 4 hrs. I do have ANC and LDAC enabled/multipoint disabled, so I'm hoping that experimenting with those settings will give a better result. I will have to charge midday though, which means not being able to use them for a lunch break gym sesh some days. That fantastic ANC comes at the cost of 1-2hrs of battery life.
• That said, they do charge fast, and batteries do take some breaking in. As well as both tweaking my own preferences, and the app and OS adjusting to your listening patterns, so I'm not super worried.
• The STW3s were absolute all day champs with their battery life, rock solid and dependable. The SMX4s would be up and down.
Final Thoughts:
I've listed out the most important criteria for me when looking for a new pair of headphones. Your criteria may not match my criteria 1:1. You might find that battery life is more important than connectivity, which is the only area so far I'd considered to be a potential weakness for the AZ80s, but again they do charge fast. Overall they have the best sound quality I've heard in a pair of headphones (I never want to take them out), rock solid connectivity, ease of use for a quick phone call or music sesh, and small enough (with a great fit) to slide easily into the pocket. They do all the big and small things well, while also having enough of a chirpy personality to do surprise and delight. And again, dat sound doe. Technics have absolutely nailed it with the AZ80s, kudos to their engineering team, and all hail the new king!
I have something of an addiction to wireless earbuds it seems, as I also own the Sennheiser Truly Wireless 3 (STW3), Sony SWF-1000XM4 (SXM4), and a couple pairs of older Galaxy Buds, so there's no real reason for me to buy these other than "I want". I'm part of the consumption problem.
Before these, I'd rank them in that same order above from best to less best (all are mostly fine at this point). But with these, I truly feel like there's enough things – big and small – to make them not only the best, but feel a generation ahead of the rest. Whereas STW3 and SXM4 were closer in the key quality areas, both were a big jump above any Galaxy Buds so I'd use those two as my main points of comparison, and mostly the STW3 since they were my daily drivers.
I previously also owned the Technics EAH-AZ60-S, which were very chirpy and charming, but couldn't justify keeping since they didn't do enough things better than the current lineup.
Not so with the Technics EAH-AZ80-S (AZ80)! They get all the basics right, and then still manage to surprise and impress thanks to the engineering artists formerly known as Panasonic.
Style/Fit:
• Style – I opted for silver, which I find to be sleek and chic–black everything electronics are just boring to me at this point. The case is the most pocketable I've encountered amongst the STW3 and SXM4. Unlike the STW3, the case's charging port on the back, thank the engineering gods, so none of the awkward charging from the front. The SXM4s got this right as well, so often times I'd be jetting out the door and grab them to toss in my pocket, despite the superior sound on the STW3.
• Fit – Actually quite similar in size to the STW3 as you can see in the picture. However the materials and finish make them feel more comfortable in my ears. The STW3s have a blockiness at the end to them that took some time for my ears to adjust to. The SXM4s were always huge and clunky feeling, which apparently the latest SXM5s have remedied. The Technics feel tiny and lightweight, and just slide right into the ears comfortably for hours. I've already taken a couple of intended and unintended naps with them.
Sound Quality:
• Full, wide soundstage. Just epic sounding. Hearing sounds I've never heard before in songs. Several times I've had to double check the song to make sure it wasn't a remix or look at my sound settings because I was in a bit of disbelief.
• I primarily listen to a wide variety of electronica: your EDMs, Trip Hops, Chills, etc. and rock music. So I've I turned off all my lights, and just listened to all my favorite songs for hours in the dark, honestly marveling at the scope, breadth, and texture of sounds. It's pretty blissful, and not to mention just a very therapeutic and rejuvenating, a semi-meditative practice I enjoy made more engaging now.
Call Quality:
Yes, some of us still make calls. And we need earbuds not just for phone calls, but your Zoom/Meets/Teams (god help you) calls
• Phone Calls – Clear, if not a little robotic sounding. There's a phone number you can dial to test out your call quality, which will play back your call recording or even do an echo test in real time. Testing the microphone can also be accomplished by the Technics app, which is a nifty bit if functionality. Anyway, whereas the STW3 are more warm sounding on a call, those have a problem with clipping at the end of each syllable, creating a falling off sound effect to your voice in a call. So the AZ80s maintain clarity, but are more cold sounding.
• Teleconference Calls – Good, clear audio. Could be louder though. It's more than loud enough when connected to the computer playing music (headphone mode), so not sure why when using them to communicate (headset mode) the sound is then relatively quieter. All earbuds designed for music and calls switch between these two modes–because headset mode needs to receive *and send * audio, then the bitrate is automatically lowered to accommodate. I have some more tinkering to do. But it blocks out noise well, and thanks to solid connectivity, it's perfectly usable for your Zooming. Speaking of connectivity–
Connectivity:
• Another area where I was pleasantly surprised. I can be in the bathroom on the other side of my place and even with LDAC best quality on/multipoint off it's still playing music, although tbf with brief interruptions of static, which is totally acceptable all things considered. It's actually astonishing given the distance of 40 ft away, and if you saw how many walls and other obstructions the bluetooth signal would have to travel through. I don't know 100% that it's the bluetooth signal that's that strong, or if there's a fairly large amount of memory dedicated to caching the song in advance and it's preloaded, or some combo of the two. If it were purely able to pull this off by caching, you wouldn't think it'd play the entire song but with brief interruptions of static (i.e. signal lost moments). Some engineering magic going on on here.
• In comparison to the STW3s, those cut out within 15 ft of my desk, whereas the SXM4s fare much better not experiencing static until roughly 25-30 ft. The STW3s also are notorious though for behaving erratically with connections at times, which until recent firmware updates required resetting and reconnecting a not uncommon amount. Sometimes they acted temperamental and you had to cajole them into connecting.
• If connectivity is high on your priority list of features, then these are for you. The AZ60s were also rock solid in their connectivity so it's something Technics does really well. These have no issue turning on and immediately connecting.
Software/Settings:
• Very impressed by the level of tweaking and controls offered in the accompanying app. The UI/UX is cleanly designed and laid out, intuitive exploration and explanations abound in the app, and just about everything is customizable to your liking. It's not just the quality of the options, but the quantity in choices itself that satisfies. It's actually a pleasurable experience to use the app, and its welcoming design encourages you to experiment with the AZ80s
• In comparison, the STW3s still unnecessarily confuse on this point. The interface is not intuitive and the customizability options are sparse. To be fair, it's an intentional design choice for them to have the signature Sennheiser sound out of the box, so they're not intended to broad and have a wide audience. They're designed to just sound good and everything else is a bonus from their perspective.
• The SXM4s previously were the top in customizability and options with their software, offering a host of impressive features and tweaking. The AZ80s software meets and exceeds in some areas, whereas the SMX4s software exceeds in others.
• Ultimately I can fiddle with everything I need to with the AZ80s and enjoy the experience of doing so, feeling like I'm discovering more with my headphones vs painfully digging around a settings menu wondering what they intended by each option.
Noise-cancelling:
• Over the years this has been an increasingly important metric for a lot of people, and I'll be honest and say that I think most do it well enough so this isn't a deal breaker category for me. I think it's probably not a good thing to have complete silence when going for a walk, for example. When I'm working, it's either people I'm meeting with on a call or music going on, so haven't had the overwhelming need for total silence. And I try to keep my brain trained on doing some of its own noise filtering.
• That said, these are impressively capable with ANC. I have a busy road outside with plenty of noise, regular apartment sounds, and different random noises from the apartment itself, and as soon as I enabled ANC it was pure silence. An almost eerie amount of silence, actually. It was a bit unsettling.
• The STW3s were great in the ANC department as well, but I didn't know before what I wasn't *not* missing. I'd slide the STW3s back and forth between blocking out noise or wind and just decide to live with whatever noise was going on. But it still covered about 90% of noise. The SMX4s were a notch above at 95%. These AZ80s are about 98-99%. I'm taking them in and out every now and again just to verify if there actually is no sound, for example someone at the door. Which actually comes at the expense of the next topic-
Battery Life:
• The one area it's stumbled for me so far. Using it for a combo of work calls/music I was down to 39% battery life after 4 hrs. I do have ANC and LDAC enabled/multipoint disabled, so I'm hoping that experimenting with those settings will give a better result. I will have to charge midday though, which means not being able to use them for a lunch break gym sesh some days. That fantastic ANC comes at the cost of 1-2hrs of battery life.
• That said, they do charge fast, and batteries do take some breaking in. As well as both tweaking my own preferences, and the app and OS adjusting to your listening patterns, so I'm not super worried.
• The STW3s were absolute all day champs with their battery life, rock solid and dependable. The SMX4s would be up and down.
Final Thoughts:
I've listed out the most important criteria for me when looking for a new pair of headphones. Your criteria may not match my criteria 1:1. You might find that battery life is more important than connectivity, which is the only area so far I'd considered to be a potential weakness for the AZ80s, but again they do charge fast. Overall they have the best sound quality I've heard in a pair of headphones (I never want to take them out), rock solid connectivity, ease of use for a quick phone call or music sesh, and small enough (with a great fit) to slide easily into the pocket. They do all the big and small things well, while also having enough of a chirpy personality to do surprise and delight. And again, dat sound doe. Technics have absolutely nailed it with the AZ80s, kudos to their engineering team, and all hail the new king!
Images in this review
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