Panasonic’s premium Technics EAH-AZ80 true-wireless earbuds got here out in 2023 and made our record of best-sounding wi-fi earbuds. Now Panasonic has launched a brand new set of flagship earbuds, the EAH-AZ100, which it says encompasses a extra compact design together with improved sound high quality, noise canceling and voice-calling efficiency. Launched at CES 2025, the buds can be found for buy in black or silver for $300.
Learn extra: Greatest wi-fi earbuds of 2025
I have not tried the AZ100s but however sit up for testing them contemplating how good the AZ80s sounded. In the event that they ship on their promise of providing improved all-around efficiency and a fair higher match, they are going to compete with the greatest earbuds available on the market.
I assumed the noise-canceling and voice-calling efficiency of the AZ80s might have been barely higher (the noise-canceling was less than the extent of the noise-canceling you get with Sony’s and Bose’s flagship earbuds). The voice-calling efficiency did not fairly stay as much as expectations.
The buds have a ten% smaller design than the AZ80s.
The important thing improve right here seems to be Panasonic’s newly developed proprietary Magnetic Fluid Driver it says creates “clear, high-resolution, low-vibration and low-distortion sounds for essentially the most genuine, balanced audio that is true to the unique supply.” In keeping with Panasonic, the “magnetic fluid” is an oil-type liquid stuffed with magnetic particles that’s “injected into the area between the driving force magnet and voice coil that permits low-distortion playback.” One of these driver is present in Technics high-end EAH-TZ700 wired in-ear screens ($1,200), and it has been miniaturized to be used within the AZ100s.
The AZ80s allowed you to connect with 3 gadgets concurrently and the AZ100s retain this triple multipoint Bluetooth pairing choice. The AZ100s add Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head monitoring, a pleasant bonus characteristic that you just’d anticipate in a pair of $300 earbuds.
The buds in black. The case options wi-fi charging.
Designed to suit extra ears comfortably, Panasonic says the Technics AZ100s are 10% smaller and 16% lighter than the AZ80s. A fifth medium-large ear tip has additionally been added to make sure extra customers get a good seal, which is essential to optimizing sound high quality and noise-canceling efficiency.
Battery life was one of many robust factors of the AZ80s and the AZ100s additionally seem to have superb battery life. They’re rated for as much as 10 hours with noise-canceling on at reasonable quantity ranges utilizing the AAC audio codec. For those who use the LDAC audio codec that is accessible with many Android gadgets, battery life is lowered to as much as 7 hours with noise canceling on.
I will have a full overview of the AZ100s as soon as I get my palms on a overview pattern.
Technics EAH-AZ100 key specs
- 10% smaller and 16% lighter than the AZ80s
- Magnetic Fluid drivers for low distortion, correct bass and high-resolution audio
- Improved adaptive noise cancelling with ambient/conscious mode
- Voice Focus AI know-how delivers superior noise discount whereas speaking and listening
- 3 microphones in every bud
- Spatial audio optimized for Dolby Atmos and Dolby Head Monitoring
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Multipoint connection to three gadgets, together with PCs, smartphones and tablets
- Contact controls (customizable within the companion app for iOS and Android)
- As much as 10 hours of battery life (noise-canceling on) with an additional 18 hours of battery life within the charging case
- IPX4 splash-proof
- Wi-fi charging
- Fast cost: quarter-hour of charging provides you 90 minutes of playback time
- LE audio
- Audio codecs supported: AAC, LDAC, LC3 and SBC
- Ear-detection sensors
- One-touch dialog mode
- Colours: black or silver
- Value: $300
