Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Technics EAH-AZ100 review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Technics EAH-AZ100 vs AirPods Pro 3rd Generation, Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Denon PerL Pro, Status Pro X, Noble FoKus Rex 5, Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen, Sony WF-1000XM5, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these wireless earbuds are worth it, and ideally who these are perfect for. I’ve owned these for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Technics EAH-AZ100 Review in Short
The Technics EAH-AZ100 is one of the best-sounding wireless earbuds we’ve tested to date. Combine that with surprisingly above-average noise cancelling performance and mic quality, and the AZ100 is one of my strongest recommendations currently. Competes in the wireless noise cancelling earbuds class with the likes of Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation, Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Noble FoKus Rex 5, Denon PerL Pro, Status Audio Pro X, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, Sony WF-1000XM5, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4.
Pros and Cons
- True audiophile sound quality
- Very good noise cancelling
- Above-average mic quality
- Relatively great value
- Not the most secure fit
- There’s better noise cancelling
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Comfort + Features
Comfort
The Technics EAH-AZ100 comes with 5 sizes of eartips, the most of any wireless earbuds I’ve tested to date.
Pro Tip: Use the “eartip fitting test” inside of the Technics app to test out the best eartip size for creating a proper physical seal.
Now, I don’t find the AZ100 uncomfortable by any means, but I will admit that there are several pairs of earbuds that I find more ergonomic and easier-fitting.
My main issue with the AZ100 is the stock eartips, which seem to slip out a bit over time in my experience.
The shape of them is a rather large dome, which I think contributes to them not having the most secure fit.
Luckily, there are several aftermarket eartips that can improve things, such as these ones I tested from SpinFit (note that this entire review is using the stock eartips):
The earbuds that I find noticeably more comfortable and secure-fitting include:
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd and 1st Gen
- Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
- Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Features
The Technics EAH-AZ100 was originally released in January 2025, so it has many modern wireless earbud features:
- IPX4 water resistance rating (sweat and splashes of water)
- LDAC support
- Built-in microphones for taking calls
- USB-C and Qi Wireless charging case
- Spatial Audio with Head-Tracking
- Dolby Atmos Support
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Multi-point connection
- Adaptive Noise Cancelling
- Transparency Mode
- iOS and Android app support
The most notable feature for audiophiles is the LDAC high-res codec support, which is rather rare for this class of wireless earbuds.
Also, it’s nice that there is a native Technics app offered for both iOS and Android users alike.
Microphone Quality
With the Technics AZ100 being a little bit more niche and audiophile-focused than the mainstream competition from Apple, Sony, and Bose, you’d think the microphone quality would be an afterthought behind sound quality.
To my surprise, the mic quality is pretty decent for the class, and in large part due to its “JustMyVoice” technology with Voice Focus AI.
The Technics app even includes a feature to test your voice with the AI noise suppression on and off, and it really does make a noticeable difference.
In short, the AZ100’s microphone quality is pretty good, although I do think the Apple AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM5 is still best in class.
Battery Life
- With ANC on: 10 hours of battery life on a single charge / 28 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 10 hours on a single charge / 28 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 15 minutes = 1.5 hours of playback
This battery life is above average for the class, as most competitors are 6-8 hours on a single charge, and 24-30 hours with the charging case.
Comfort + Features Score: 9.0 out of 10
Technics EAH-AZ100 Noise Cancelling Performance
Just like microphone quality, I wasn’t sure what to expect with the noise cancelling for an audiophile-focused brand like Technics.
But much like its better than average microphone quality, I was pleasantly surprised with the noise cancelling performance from the Technics AZ100.
The Technics marketing material calls it “Dual Hybrid Adaptive Noise Cancelling”, and I do find the “Adaptive” ANC mode to be fairly effective in responding to outside noise in real-time.
I would put the AZ100’s noise cancelling at better than average for the entire wireless earbud class, especially against some of the more audiophile brands that really struggle here.
But similar to mic quality, I would still put the AirPods Pro 3, Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2, and Sony WF-1000XM5 above it for noise cancelling.
Noise Cancelling Score: 8.5 out of 10
Sound Quality
The Technics AZ100 was one of the most requested pairs of earbuds that was mentioned in YouTube comments on our channel, which got me intrigued.
On paper, what stood out to me is the proprietary 10mm “Magnetic Fluid Driver”, along with LDAC support.
This is clearly a product aimed at audiophiles, and I wanted to see what the hype was all about.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro to unlock LDAC support:
![Questyle QCC Dongle Pro [MFi Certified] USB-C Bluetooth Audio Adapter with LDAC,aptX Lossless&aptX-Adaptive,Low Latency Bluetooth 5.4 Dongle for PS5,Wireless Lossless Transmitter for PC/Headphones](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21jT-Cm5ZVL._SL500_.jpg)
If you’re an iPhone user, or if your phone doesn’t support LDAC, then I highly recommend you pick up the dongle above which will cover both LDAC and aptX Adaptive high-res codecs. It’s the only one of its kind that supports both, to my knowledge.
My initial listening impression of the AZ100 is that it immediately sounded of higher resolution, clarity, and openness of soundstage versus most of the earbuds I’ve tested.
A lot of the more mainstream popular brand earbuds have a tendency to sound compressed and narrow in soundstage.
Surely the LDAC high-res codec plays a role here, as it does in most earbuds and headphones I’ve tested, resulting in enhanced detail, clarity, and soundstage.
But I think the real magic is in that proprietary 10mm Magnetic Fluid Driver.
I’m simply hearing a ton of clarity and detail that I don’t get from most of the other earbuds in this class.
The stock sound profile is exciting, but does lean a bit consumer-friendly with a prominent bass response.
I actually find the emphasized bass to be satisfying, as it’s cleaner than most consumer-friendly tuned earbuds and headphones I’ve tested.
That said, I could find some being put off by the large bass response.
Now if the bass overpowered the rest of the frequency response, that would be a problem, but thankfully the AZ100 has plenty of treble detail to cut through the mix nicely.
If there was one audiophile critique aside from the bass, it would be that the timbre isn’t the most realistic, as it favors extra detail over sounding natural or organic.
I think where the AZ100 shines is with the more modern music genres of Pop, Hip Hop, and EDM.
It still sounds great with Rock and Metal, as the dynamics are above average as well, with snare drums having a real satisfying punchiness.
The AZ100 is currently my favorite earbuds to listen to, and competes nicely with the other audiophile standouts of Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Noble FoKus Rex 5, Denon PerL Pro, and Status Audio Pro X.
I find it to be a clear level above earbuds like the AirPods Pro 3, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, Sony WF-1000XM5, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and Google Pixel Buds Pro 2.
For me, it would take the high-end over-ear wireless headphones to give the AZ100 a run for its money when it comes to sound quality.
Sound Quality Score: 8.7 out of 10
Value
The Technics EAH-AZ100 retails at $299.99 but is currently on sale for $249.99.
This does put it slightly above some mainstream brands like Apple, Samsung, Sennheiser, but around the same price as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd gen.
But what really puts the AZ100’s price into context is its more direct competition like the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 at around $499 retail and $400 market price, and the Noble FoKus Rex 5 at $449.
I find the AZ100 to be a relative steal when you factor in the $400+ pricetags of the audiophile brands it competes against.
The sound quality is a clear cut above the more popular brands in its price range, while still having decent noise cancelling performance and mic quality for practical use.
Overall, I think the total package of the AZ100 makes it a solid all-around value for the dollar.
Value Score: 9.0 out of 10
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Comfort + Features (15% of score): 9.0 / 10
Noise Cancelling (25% of score): 8.5 / 10
Sound Quality (50% of score): 8.7 / 10
Value (10% of score): 9.0 / 10
Total: 8.7 out of 10
Is the Technics EAH-AZ100 Worth it?
Having tested over 20+ wireless earbuds to date, it’s quite rare to come across a product that has virtually no weaknesses.
Currently, I think the Technics AZ100 is one of the best all-arounders you can buy today due to its true audiophile-level sound quality, better than average noise cancelling performance, and solid mic quality for daily practical use.
Not to mention, it’s currently priced $100 to $150 less than the audiophile brands of Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 and Noble FoKus Rex 5, making it a steal of a value.
If there’s one earbud that I think gives the Technics AZ100 a run for its money as an all-arounder, it would be the AirPods Pro 3 due to having even better noise cancelling and mic quality, but clearly falling short on sound quality.
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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