REVIEW: The Technics EAH-AZ70 Wireless Earbuds
Ever since Apple got serious about wireless headphones, with their Apple Buds, everyone else making headphones has stepped up the game. Much like in the world of racing, where the saying goes that competition improves the breed, nothing could be truer in the world of personal listening.
Technics brings their new EAH-AZ70s to the table with a bevy of features and performance to match. At $249 these immediately go to the head of the class, especially when considering that Apples iBud Pro is still $249. Even this Apple fanboy must come clean. The Technics buds not only sound better, but bring a much more elegant execution. No doubt, this is the result of parent company Panasonic’s depth of manufacturing expertise.
Unboxing
Like everything Technics makes, the packaging on the AZ70s is exquisite. Those of you who save every bit of packaging take note, the box flaps are a tight fit, and if you don’t open them with extreme care, you will tear the box to pieces. I only mention this because most of the headphone enthusiasts I’ve encountered have been very OCD about this kind of thing!
Setup via the Technics Audio Control App couldn’t be easier. Once you install, the buds go in the charging cradle (and Technics thoughtfully sends them 50% charged, so you can at least give them a test drive) and are quickly paired via Bluetooth to whatever device you are using. When done using your AZ70s, just plop them back in the black charging cradle and let them charge again. Technics claims 4 hours for a full charge, so this can easily be an end of day ritual.
Let the listening begin
My test began with my iPhone Max and Spotify. Even at 320kb/sec, the quality put into these phones is immediately evident. Upping the game to streaming 16/44 resolution via ROON is more than worth the effort. The initial crunchiness feared from these buds disappeared instantly. Even a well-designed pair of ear buds at this price point makes an excellent case for avoiding MP3 quality audio.
Tracking through a wide variety of tunes from classic rock to Christmas music, in this case, the 5.6.7.8s “Rock and Roll Santa,” the overall smoothness of the AZ70s makes for comfortable listening, even when at desk duty for some time. The high register of these buds is particularly good, especially considering the price point. Cymbals and percussion instruments are reproduced with ease and clarity. Perhaps the best feature of the AZ70s is their noise cancelling function. When this technology was first introduced, the noise cancelling often took out a lot of music as well. The Technics buds are surgical in their precision, even when the noise cancelling effect is turned up fairly high.
Switching to some iPad use for TV and Movies is equally rewarding. Now that we’re all cocooning, those of you that cohabitate can each get a pair of AZ70’s and watch your own programming in piece, while still cuddling. COVID notwithstanding, two sets of AZ70s might be a helper in maintaining domestic bliss.
Watching the latest episode of Star Trek – Discovery, the AZ70s offer impressive dynamic range, and generate a large soundfield, making it easy to place characters walking on and off screen. Thanks to the equalizer built in to the Technics app, it’s easy to adjust your AZ70s to taste. A tiny bass boost at 100hz was all that was required to get some more weight out of the show’s audio. Going back through some old episodes of American Dad and Family Guy are a ton of fun, as these two animated gems offer a lot of sound effects bouncing all over the screen.
The final frontier
The last place the AZ70s prove to be awesome is paired to the desktop computer. Mixing a few bits for our upcoming podcast series is a breeze, and with everyone’s desk space at a premium, a real boost to productivity.
Any of you doing Zoom calls, or just phone via computer will be liberated from the weight of a cumbersome pair of over-ear phones, as well as increased clarity. The Technics app also provides a “clear voice” setting, which makes talking via computer or your phone much easier.
Conclusion
Much like the way DAC technology has become so much better, and budget DACs now rival units costing much more five years ago, wireless noise cancelling technology is quite good indeed. When airplane travel becomes part of my monthly ritual again, I will never be without a pair of these.
Technics has created a high performance, yet affordable pair of wireless ear buds with the AZ70s that will please everyone from music lovers, to movie fans, to computer users. As good as they sound, taking into consideration the high level of manufacturing execution, they can’t be beat for $249.
I haven’t heard anything that comes close to matching this combination of sound and build quality anywhere near $249.
Highly recommended.
