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A top-down photo of the Technics EAH-AZ80.
Christian Thomas / SoundGuys

Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ80 review

Spin me right-round, baby.
By

Published onAugust 30, 2024

8
Technics EAH-AZ80
The bottom line
Though they're quite large earbuds, the Technics EAH-AZ80 are very solid performers, with a rock-solid array of features to boot. Though the sound might not be for everyone, we believe most should really like these earbuds, even if they aren't the consensus best-ever.

Technics EAH-AZ80

Though they're quite large earbuds, the Technics EAH-AZ80 are very solid performers, with a rock-solid array of features to boot. Though the sound might not be for everyone, we believe most should really like these earbuds, even if they aren't the consensus best-ever.
Product release date
2024
Price
$297.44
Dimensions
Case: 68 x 36 x 29 mm
Earbuds: 27 x 22 x 24 mm
Ear tip diameter: 5mm
Weight
7g
Model Number
EAH-AZ80
Waterproof
IPX4
What we like
Simple controls
Feature-laden
Battery life
ANC
Multipoint
LDAC
What we don't like
Price
Mass
Circular nozzle
8
SoundGuys Rating
Rating Metric
Our Rating
User Rating
Isolation / Attenuation
6.6
-
0.0
Active Noise Cancelling
8.2
-
0.0
Durability / Build Quality
8.8
-
0.0
Value
8.0
-
0.0
Design
7.5
-
0.0
Connectivity
8.5
-
0.0
Portability
9.0
-
0.0
Battery Life
6.5
-
0.0
Feature
9.3
-
0.0
Comfort
8.0
-
0.0
MDAQS rating
Learn more
Timbre
4.5
Distortion
3.5
Immersiveness
4.3
Overall
4.2

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.

About this Technics EAH-AZ80 review: We tested the Technics EAH-AZ80 over 3 days. The earbuds firmware version 1.035, and the Technics app ran version 3.3.3. Panasonic provided the unit for this review.

The Technics EAH-AZ80 are primarily for Android users looking for a highly-customizable set of earbuds that are fashionable to boot.

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.

A photo of a man holding the Technics EAH-AZ80.
Christian Thomas / SoundGuys
The Technics EAH-AZ80 are rather chunky, weighing in at 7g a bud.

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.

A photo of the Technics EAH-AZ80 with the silicone ear tips removed.
Christian Thomas / SoundGuys
The round ear tips may not be your style, but at least they’re relatively shallow.

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.

Controlling the Technics EAH-AZ80 is a simple affair, by using taps on either earbud. Though you can customize all the controls using the app, the defaults are below:

InputLeft earbudRight earbud
Input
Single tap
Left earbud
Play / pause
Right earbud
Play / pause
Input
Double tap
Left earbud
Volume down
Right earbud
Track forward
Input
Triple tap
Left earbud
Volume up
Right earbud
Track backward
Input
Touch and hold
Left earbud
Voice assistant
Right earbud
ANC / passthrough

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.

Connecting the Technics EAH-AZ80 to a new device is straightforward, even though there’s no pairing button. I appreciate earbuds that don’t need to be taken out of ears in order to connect to a new device, and the Technics EAH-AZ80 are among those elite few. If you’re not using Fast Pair or Swift Pair, you can accomplish a new connection using the below:

  1. While wearing the Technics EAH-AZ80, tap and hold both earbuds until the voice barks “pairing” at you.
  2. On your source device, open the Bluetooth menu and hit scan.
  3. Select the Technics EAH-AZ80 from the list of available devices.

How long does the Technics EAH-AZ80 battery last?

A photo of the Technics EAH-AZ80 sticking out of a breast pocket.
Christian Thomas / SoundGuys
The earbuds might be huge, but the case is not.

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.

A top-up of 15 minutes will net you about 70 minutes of listening time, according to Panasonic.

How well do the Technics EAH-AZ80 cancel noise?

Loading chart ...

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.

The transparency mode of the Technics EAH-AZ80 has two modes, “transparent” and “attention.” The former allows just about everything through unperturbed, while the latter attempts to only pass through people talking near you. The effect is decent, though not perfect. However, this is much more useful than most earbuds’ passthrough mode.

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.

This chart shows the MDAQS results for the Technics EAH-AZ08 in Default mode. The Timbre score is 4.5, The Distortion score is 3.5, the Immersiveness score is 4.3, and the Overall Score is 4.2).
Though the overall MOS is a 4.2, decent Timbre and Immersiveness mean most people should like the sound of the Technics EAH-AZ80.

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.

  • Timbre (MOS-T) represents how faithfully the headphones reproduce the frequency spectrum and temporal resolution (timing information).
  • Distortion (MOS-D) represents non-linearities and added noise: higher scores mean cleaner reproduction.
  • Immersiveness (MOS-I) represents perceived source width and positioning: how well virtual sound sources are defined in three-dimensional space.

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.

A man wearing a denim jacket listens to the Technics EAH-AZ80.
Christian Thomas / SoundGuys
The ANC/Passthrough modes are quite versatile in outdoor environments.

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

Loading chart ...

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):

How does the microphone sound to you?

51 votes

Technics EAH-AZ80 microphone demo (Office conditions):

Technics EAH-AZ80 microphone demo (Street conditions):

Technics EAH-AZ80 microphone demo (Windy conditions):

Technics EAH-AZ80 microphone demo (Reverberant space):

I was pleasantly surprised to hear how well noise is rejected by the Technics EAH-AZ80, though nothing’s ever perfect.

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.

A top-down photo of the Technics EAH-AZ80.
Christian Thomas / SoundGuys
The control surfaces look an awful lot like metallic turntable beds.

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.

Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ80
Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ80
SoundGuys Editor's Choice
Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ80
Simple controls • Feature-laden • Battery life
MSRP: $299.99
Spin me right-round, baby.
Though they're quite large earbuds, the Technics EAH-AZ80 are very solid performers, with a rock-solid array of features to boot. Though the sound might not be for everyone, we believe most should really like these earbuds, even if they aren't the consensus best-ever.
See price at Manufacturer site
Save $52.00
Technics EAH-AZ80

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.

Holding the left earbud of the Sony WF-1000XM5 in hand
Harley Maranan / SoundGuys
The mesh cover on the Sony WF-1000XM5 microphones helps reduce wind noise.

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

The Technics EAH-AZ80 have an ingress protection rating of IPX4, meaning they can take some moisture without giving up the ghost. They are not waterproof.

Yes.

Yes, both platforms support the Technics EAH-AZ80.

Yes.

Yes.

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