TechnicsReference Class Hi-Fi Wireless Earbuds, Dolby Atmos with Head Tracking, Adaptive Noise Cancelling, 3 Device Multipoint, 10-hr Battery, Wireless Charging, Improved Fit - EAH-AZ100-S (Silver)

Amazing sound! Best I've ever heard from a set of earbuds. I moved up from a cheap pair with no ANC, and the difference in quality is immensely noticeable.I spent WEEKS mulling over which brand and model to buy. I'm a casual audiophile, so I wanted incredible sound while also factoring in comfort, features, battery life, and user reviews.I narrowed down my options to this and the B&W Pi8, which I knew would also be a good choice. The reason I chose this over the Pi8 is use reviews. Nobody complains about the sound quality of the Pi8, but the overall user experience for the AZ100 was higher, so that swayed my decision.Let me tell you, brother, I am more than happy with my choice! Here is what I love about this product:Sound quality: Listening to Ultra HD music with LDAC enabled is a religious experience. I'm listening to some music I've heard a LOT before, but it's an all-new experience for me. It's like falling madly in love with the same person all over again! I prefer stereo mode, but using positional audio with Dolby Atmos and head tracking is a nice option, and I've found it to be really great on certain tracks, especially those specifically designed with 360 audio in mind.Comfort: My old, cheap earbuds were pretty good, for the price, but I had to fiddle with them a lot to get to stay in and feel okay. Once you go through the guide to figure out what size tips to use, these earbuds "lock in" better and feel great. It's like I forget they are even there. The longest I've ever used them so far is two hours straight, and I felt zero discomfort.Noise cancelling: Impressive! I've never experienced ANC before, so I cannot compare it to Sony or other brands, but this is a game-changer for me. I live in a very quiet house in an extremely quiet neighborhood in the middle of nowhere, and I thought ANC would be overkill at home, but I was wrong. It's crazy how much ambient noise there is that you don't even think about. When I turned ANC on at home, I think I audibly gasped! I had never "heard" so much silence before! 😂When I started listening to music, it was something special, and I knew I had made the right choice to spend good money on a premium product.Customization: The app lets you adjust equalizer settings to your liking, which is a must for me. I know this is standard for premium earbuds, but my last one only had presets, and no matter what I did, the bass was always too much, even with the "Bass reducer" setting. I don't understand the appeal of the power frequencies overpowering everything... but I digress.Beyond the equalizer adjustment, you also have so much control over the noise cancelling settings. When I'm at work, I can not only turn off ANC altogether, but I can adjust how much of the outside world is boosted. I have to be attentive to my coworkers and notifications on my computer, so it's amazing to be able to hear everything so clearly and still be able to hear the music in such amazing detail.I cannot say anything negative about this. $300 is a lot to spend on earbuds, so that may be one aspect of this that some would find as a negative, but this is probably the last set of earbuds I'll buy for a VERY long time, so that's one way I justify the price. The other is that you really get what you pay for here. Multiple professional reviewers list this as the best overall option for 2025, and they have done that with good reason. If you are on the fence like I was, and you can afford the premium price tag, I think you'll be beyond satisfied with your purchase.

I’m giving these 5 stars, as the sound is incredible, the battery life is top notch (I’m probably past 6 hours since my last charge and the case is still at 50%), and the case is super small and light. I can see why people might complain about the noise cancelling since it isn’t perfect, but I prefer to hear slight background noise and not be completely deaf to the outside world (that’s insane in my opinion). But I can still use my lawnmower or chainsaw with no pain to my ears. They connect seamlessly as soon as they hit my ear.Small cons: while they don’t bother my ears, I can see why people might have an issue with them after extended use. I also hate that they aren’t MagSafe compatible, that drives me crazy.Overall great product and worth the money.

I bought this because my over-the-ear cans were too bulky when I was out and about town, and my other set of earbuds did not cancel ambient noise on my side when I was on calls. The over-the-ears I will be comparing them to are my Sennheiser BT450s, and my Bose NC700, and the TWS in my comparison are my B&W Pi8's, though I will mention my experience with Sony WF1000M3 that I used to own and a recent LG TWS. What I discovered in half a week of using my Technics AZ100's is that they are surprisingly good earbuds for a reason I didn't consider previously.Drivers and EQI have experienced with a few headphones, TWS or otherwise, a hiss. The headphones would cancel noise well enough when there is noise, but when there isn't or during quiet moments in a video, there would be a hiss. The AZ100 doesn't have a hiss that I have been able to detect.Above that, the app offers the most precise EQ of all of my devices. Most just offer three frequency ranges, Bass, Mid, and Highs. This app offers seven, eight? The SoundGuys website commented the factory tuning is clumsy and bass heavy. If you take the time with these equalizers, you can get closer to the ideal EQ settings than if you only had three bars to adjust.I would say these drivers produce sound that is equal to any Sennheiser I have used. Out of the box, they sound like my Bose NC700 with punchier percussions -- which is really nice. These are more capable drivers than Sony's and LG's in-ears. I haven't gotten them to sound as good as my BW Pi8, but I'm being picky and the Pi8 are 33% more expensive.Call QualityThe only weakness of my Pi8 is that it lets in too much ambient noise when I'm on a call. One time, I was doing the dishes and the AC was blowing, and my mother, who is hard of hearing, was able to call out every one of my activities. I guess it is a way to make the other party feel like they're right there with you, but I don't think that's what most people mean when they say that.I repeated the same test with the AZ100 and my mother could not tell when I turned on the tap or stopped it, when the AC kicked in or stopped, or when I was next to my audible dishwasher. The complaint from mom was that my voice sounded robotic and occasionally I'd sound farther away.The other party on the other end was easy to hear for me. This was not anything that was a weakness of any of my earphones, but I believe with the AZ100, their voice is processed via the EQ.ANC.The Pi8's ANC design is quite nice in that, around the office or at a restaurant, it lets in some of the ambient sound but doesn't let it interfere with what I'm listening to. I hear my environment, so I don't miss my colleague asking for my attention or my server approaching. I hear things but I don't, if that makes sense.The reason I mention that is that the AZ100 doesn't seem to be so well tuned in that regard. At a restaurant playing loud music, it is fainter, but my podcast is still competing against it. At the same time, in the office, faint sounds drop off into near silence but louder sounds don't seem to be affected.At its best, the AZ100 perform as well as my Bose NC700 or the Sony WF1000M3, but I feel this isn't going to be one of its best traits. It's still very good, mind you -- I'm pitting it against class leading cans of the last few years after all -- but if this is something that is very important to you above all else, then it's probably not the best TWS for you.Portability and Touch ControlsThe case is tiny. I alternate between these and my Pi8 on the weekdays. I carry both in my pocket. This case is smaller, lighter.I did not perform a drop test, because they're new and they're expensive. I did perform drop tests by accident on my Pi8's. Both the case and buds were dropped from hip height and ear height onto tile with no apparent scuffs to the plastic shell or the internal electronics.The touch controls of the AZ100 are more responsive, it felt.The SurpriseThe AZ100 went in a different direction than the other buds in one major way. They are extremely light. They are lighter than any of the buds I have ever worn.This has a surprising effect. The buds stay very stable in the ear. I can turn my head quickly, and they won't go flying out. I can walk around, and there isn't even the slightest bit of movement. (In my review of the Sony WF1000M3, I commented that they were so heavy and jutted out so much that once, when I was crossing a street and hurried just a little at the end, the buds fell and I was lucky enough to catch them.) Something like that probably won't happen with these, though, once again, I won't be repeating that experiment.These are a compelling entry into the TWS field. If these were released the same time as the WF1000M3, these are probably better in every category except for the ANC tunings. These are better than the LGs, but the LG's offer a UV self-cleaning feature. And the AZ100 can compete directly against many of the higher-end over-the-ear headphones.