The Technics EAH-AZ60 is the hi-fi audio specialist’s latest flagship wireless earbuds. It has a robust feature set, including customizable active noise cancellation (ANC), Alexa integration, Bluetooth 5.2, and acoustic engineering that produces vibrant sound. The companion app has a plethora of features as well.
These flowers are not without defects. Call quality is adequate, but several notches are behind the top performers in the market. Some of Technics’ innovative features are hit or miss. The absence of typical functions like wireless charging, which has become increasingly popular on sub-$200 wireless earbuds, is also a blot on the EAH-résumé. AZ60’s
Despite these flaws, Technique has an audio disruptor at its disposal that makes the competition sit up and take notice. To understand more about this audio jewel, read our entire Technics EAH-AZ60 review.
The Technics EAH-AZ60 is available for $229 from major online retailers like Amazon and Adorama. The buds are less expensive than brands like the AirPods Pro ($249) and Sony WF-1000XM4 ($248), but they are also more costly than sub-luxury alternatives such as the Beats Fit Pro ($199) and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 ($149). There are two color options: black and silver. A charging case, a USB-C charging case, and five sets of various size tips are included in the box.
The EAH-AZ60 is an outstanding demonstration of Technics’ premium design lineage. Even though the buds are primarily comprised of plastic, they appear to be made of high-quality materials. There’s certainly a lot to love in detail, from the discreet mic location to the vinyl-like surface on the touch panels. It also feels good to build. These buds are also sweated and water-resistant, thanks to their IPX4 grade.
It’s too bad Technics didn’t spend the same amount of attention on developing the charging case. The matte surface and reducing the ability logo on top are gaze, but the quality of construction isn’t as strong as competitors’. Dropping it on any surface can easily scuff the outside. At the very least, the slender, elongated design makes it simple to fit into small pockets for portability.
The EAH-AZ60 is comfier than the EAH-AZ40. The plastic is gentler on the skin, and the buds conform better to the ear. Wearing them for 2 to 3 hours at a time was no problem. The fit was also solid. The brand’s kind gesture of providing numerous tips to accommodate varied ear sizes is a nice gesture, and each of them forms a tight seal. The angled audio port glides into the canal with ease.
The EAH-AZ60 provides a comprehensive set of media controls. Playback, call management, loudness, digital help, and hearing mode activation are among them. You may assign each of them to either bud in the companion app. On-ear detection to automatically pause/play content while removing or replacing the buds is not supported.
The controls react to input motions. The sensors only sometimes misinterpreted multi-tap instructions, and it’s nice to have the whole control scheme accessible right out of the box, with commands amongst both buds. Alexa connectivity is included, which means you may use Alexa instructions either manually or by voice activation through wake word. The buds also support Siri, Google Assistant, and Bixby. All four AI bots work flawlessly and report results as soon as they receive them. Most importantly, Technics’ 8-mic array is intelligible and correctly picks up commands.
The EAH-AZ60 is an excellent choice for casual listening. I spent most of my listening time with the AAC codec and the standard sound profile, which is flat and has a fantastic frequency range. Technics integrated 8mm drivers with an acoustic chamber and harmonizer to provide detailed, expansive sound. The addition of Sony’s LDAC Bluetooth codec raises the bar for enjoying lossless audio tracks on supported high-resolution streaming services.
Orchestral treasures such as Yusef Lateef’s “Love Theme From Spartacus” were well represented due to some excellent instrument separation. The double bass is musical and bottom-rich, the hi-hats are lively, and every piano key emanates soulfulness. It all comes together nicely for a peaceful listening experience. Rhythm and blues-inspired compositions, such as the Rolling Stones’ “Just Your Fool,” followed suit, with a driving beat accented by aggressive harmonica and polished honky-tonk piano performance.
Bass fanatics will be pleased with the EAH-low-end AZ60’s capabilities. The booming 808s on Roddy Ricch’s “Thailand” are perfectly matched and hit forcefully without overpowering the other aural qualities. EDM bangers like Kaivon’s “Reborn” feel energetic; the massive bass drops create a rush of energy through the body.
There is an adjustable EQ to modify frequencies if you need to tweak the sound manually. The second alternative is to choose from well-designed presets that cater to various music genres. Those who decide LDAC may notice small gains in detail, especially with highs, that sound cleaner on uncompressed audio recordings. Enabling ANC will also somewhat increase the low end.
The EAH-AZ60 features good active noise canceling, beating the AirPods Pro and many mid-range models, but it doesn’t compete against current ANC kings like the QuietComfort Earbuds or WF-1000XM4. These buds, according to Technics, “have industry-leading noise cancellation.” Most audio critics, as well as Bose and Sony, would disagree.
There is an adjustable dial to modify that quantity of ambient noise you wish to block out, but you should leave it set to maximum to achieve the best effects. This enabled me to tune out the daily quarrels in the house, such as noisy family discussions in the sitting room or domestic appliances operating at various times. Distractions such as doorbells and the washing machine tumbling did not capture my attention. It was also enjoyable to use the function outside. For the most part, landscaping tools and chatty pedestrians were loud and quiet.
The EAH-AZ60 fought valiantly against high frequencies. Wind resistance isn’t fantastic, but you won’t have to deal with the loud whisking effect that most inexpensive wireless ANC earbuds make when used in windy weather. Birds singing and infants screaming will not distract you, yet sirens and whistles will.
Ambient Sound Control is one of the most OK ambient listening modes available, with two settings: Transparent for complete ambient feedback and Attention for highlighting vocals. During my nightly walks, Transparent recorded the majority of outdoor noises and heightened my awareness. Attention, on the other hand, was excellent for communication. The microphones quickly picked up the wife’s vocals from across the room, making it more straightforward to hear and respond to any inquiries she had.
The Technics Audio Communication is known as among the most OK companion applications. This gadget is jam-packed with features that improve the user experience in various ways. I’ve already mentioned features such as adjustable ANC, Alexa connection, control modification, LDAC, and the EQ with presets. It turns out there’s a lot more to unravel on the back end.
There are three noise reduction methods, but each comes with a trade-off, resulting in either lag or frequent interruptions. The noise reduction tool has two levels – Normal and Strong to minimize background interference on the caller’s end. It is a work in progress that modestly enhances call quality and even includes a notice that Strong may impact voice quality. The Settings tab, located on the bottom right, provides access to more complex sound features.
JustMyVoice is the app’s most promoted feature, which analyses your speech and uses beamforming technology to reduce background noise for smoother calls. It works well for removing low and mid harmonics, but raising the pressure many notches causes the pressure to rise dramatically.
An Auto Power setting, Connectivity Mode for favoring sound quality or connections, a Find Headphones function, and firmware updates round out the app.
Technics claims a battery life of 7 hours with ANC enabled. This is reasonable when the high volume and other features are included in the account; nevertheless, ‘hi-res’ LDAC drastically cuts runtime to 4.5 hours. Turning off all essential elements may increase battery life to 7.5 hours. Depending on how you use the buds, the charging case has a maximum capacity of 25 hours. This is just one hour longer than the AirPods Pro case if you do the math. Another drawback is the rapid charging, which allows the buds to generate an hour of playback in 15 minutes.
The EAH-AZ60 does not appear on our list of the finest earphones with a mic for voice and video chats for numerous reasons. It’s sufficient for talking in calm environments, but muffling is a severe concern, as is the microphones’ low wind resistance. The surge of background noise that reached the microphones when taking calls in noisy locations also affected the quality.
Bluetooth 5.2, at the very least, was dependable. The range was expanded to 50 feet, providing enough freedom to travel around the home with little dropout. Thanks to multipoint technology, I was also able to link the buds with two devices simultaneously.
The Technics EAH-AZ60 is a steal at $220. Not only do you receive high-end audio that can be modified with EQ or LDAC support, but you also get dynamic noise neutralization and a feature set that few luxury models provide. Bluetooth 5.2 and understandable rapid operation control round up the buds’ list of great selling qualities. Not every function was a success. Call quality is unexpectedly poor given how well the microphones and ANC function, and the absence of wireless charging feels like a significant omission given the price. Most of these flaws are understandable, especially given Technics’ audio expertise, which the EAH-AZ60 shines at. This alone makes it well worth the cost for music fans, while the Sony WF-1000XM4 offers more excellent capabilities.
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