When you suppose of the best wireless earbuds, Technics will not be excessive in your listing. Let’s face it, the Panasonic-owned hi-fi model will not be in your listing in any respect. The legacy audio imprint has been working arduous to vary that lately, and the brand new EAH-AZ80 are the fruits of that journey.

These buds supply tons of options, nice noise canceling, and glowing sound. Their design is comfortable and trendy, providing an expansion of ear tricks to tailor your match and a tempered contact of premium flash. Features like three-device multipoint pairing assist set them other than rivals like AirPods Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) on the subject of multitasking within the work-from-home period.

At $300, the AZ80 are pushing the envelope contemplating you may usually get high decisions like Sony’s ageing WF-1000XM4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) on tremendous sale as of late. But these buds show Technics deserves to be part of the dialog alongside Sony, Bose, Apple, and others.

Style and Substance

The AZ80 are somewhat massive, however they’re the best-looking buds I’ve tried this 12 months, particularly fashionable within the silver/grey model. While the fake brushed aluminum on the case’s lid seems somewhat glitzy, the metallic caps on the buds themselves supply simply the proper sparkle, instantly recalling Technics’ glimmering turntables and receivers.

In the field you’ll discover a QR code for the useful Audio Connect app, setup directions, and 7 pairs of ear ideas. Google Fast Pair is without doubt one of the few massive options the AZ80 lack, that means each Android and iPhone customers might want to dive into the Bluetooth menu, however they join in seconds. The app helps you to select between your cellphone’s voice assistant or Amazon Alexa (or neither) and refine a number of different setup choices.

If I’ve to complain, I don’t love how Technics’ voice prompts blurt out connection standing. But like most AZ80 options it’s adjustable, so I merely turned it down. Other adjustable choices embody every little thing from a multiband EQ to noise canceling, transparency mode (there are two variations, together with one designed to focus on voices), and even ambient sound suppression for cellphone calls.

Speaking of changes, the AZ80’s mound of ear ideas helps you discover simply the proper match. When mixed with ergonomic housings, even at a comparatively weighty 7 grams per facet, the earbuds are snug for a number of hours of wear and tear. It’s a serious enchancment over final 12 months’s AZ60, which was a implausible total package deal that was just too bulbous for smaller ears like mine.

You may also rearrange the contact controls, although the default appears to be the best choice. The structure is a bit odd at first; single faucets for pause/play are mirrored on each buds, however different controls are unfold between the buds through a sequence of multi-taps and lengthy holds. Most necessary, although, you get entry to all main capabilities, together with quantity, with out the necessity to fish out your cellphone. That’s one thing you may’t say about loads of opponents, together with Sony’s WF-1000XM4.

There are plenty of different options to futz with, however three-device multipoint pairing is arguably the most important get, setting the buds other than nearly each competitor. The characteristic works fairly effectively, letting you swap between a cellphone, pill, and laptop with relative ease. That fulfills most use instances for the AirPods Pro’s Auto Switching characteristic, however as an alternative of being chained to iCloud gadgets, you get the liberty of blending and matching gear throughout ecosystems.