In the pantheon of the best wireless earbuds makers, Technics holds a top spot next to Sony and Bose. The Technics EAH-AZ80 that debuted in 2023 are some of my favorite earbuds of the last 10 years, and the new Technics EAH-AZ100 — reviewed here — build on that legacy.

The big changes from the AZ80 are the new 10mm magnetic fluid drivers that offer lower distortion and improved bass response as well as a longer battery life of up to 28 hours when using the AAC codec and ANC set to ‘On.’ The AZ100 are also smaller and lighter than their predecessors with a fit that feels great for short bursts of time — as long as you don’t mind the feeling of earbuds that fill up your ear canal.

What the EAH-AZ100 share in common with the EAH-AZ80 are their impressive audio performance that’s ultra-clear with lots of details in the upper registers. Is all that enough to dethrone the class-leading Sony WF-1000XM5? Not quite. But it’s an incredibly close fight.

Technics EAH-AZ100 Wireless Earbuds review: Price and release date

The Technics EAH-AZ100 made their debut at CES 2025 and launched at $299 in the United States, £259 in the UK, and AU$499 in Australia. Several months later and that price has seen a small dip — they’re floating around $239 on Amazon — but they’re still not exactly affordable.

Their price isn’t a problem, per se, as these are premium wireless earbuds that are meant to compete with the $329 Sony WF-1000XM5 and $299 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, but the latter can often be found for hundreds less when they’re on sale — a feature that’s currently not shared by the AZ100.

Also in the discussion is the $209 AirPods Pro 3 and Apple AirPods Pro 2 that can be found for $199 on sale that offer many of the same features including Dolby Atmos support.

Technics EAH-AZ100 Wireless Earbuds review: Design

Technics’ earbuds have a beautiful two-tone design and are exceptionally light and small. Instead of using wing tips to keep themselves secure in the ears, the AZ100 are rotated into place when they’re inserted. The fit is surprisingly snug this way, but it might be uncomfortable for folks who don’t like feeling pressure inside their ear canal.

Personally, I don’t mind the fit. While I wouldn’t use them for a workout, I’d feel totally comfortable walking around town without any fear of them falling out.

Currently, Technics sells the AZ100 in three different color variations: black, silver, a champagne color that was released in mid-2025 and a new blue option. I own more black earbuds than I know what to do with, so the champagne color option was extremely appealing to me.

Playback controls are executed via the touch-capacitive panels on the outer parts of the earbuds. They’re one of the better touch controls I’ve tried recently, but they can occasionally be too sensitive if you’re someone who’s constantly fixing their hair and accidentally brushes up on them. (Guilty as charged.)

Last but not least, the earbuds themselves have a sensor inside them that knows when you’re wearing them. Pull one of them out of your ear and the music will automatically pause. It’s a handy feature, and one that will certainly save battery life.

Technics EAH-AZ100 Wireless Earbuds review: Performance

Until I heard the AirPods Pro 3, the AZ100 were the best-sounding earbuds I heard in the last 12 months: They’re crisp and made my music sound wonderfully detailed.

I played everything from Avenged Sevenfold’s “City of Evil” to HUNTR/X’s “Golden” on them, and I was impressed at every turn. The highs rolled off at just the right spot to prevent fatigue, and the lows thumped without bloating. As far as music listening is concerned, they’re top notch.

That said, the ANC is only decent. When my neighbors were out mowing their lawn, the rumbling of the engine made it past the ANC and my music. For that reason, I’m not sure these are the earbuds I’d want to bring with me on my next flight. Still, they’re good enough for a trip to the office — which is where I’d primarily want to wear them.

The bigger issue is the audio delay when watching video. This could be an iPhone-exclusive issue with AAC, so Android owners could see better performance over LC3 or LDAC, but there was a good half-second delay between when something happened on-screen and when I’d hear it over the earbuds. That’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s not the best experience when watching a video on YouTube.

Speaking of codecs, you’ll have to go into Technics’ Audio Connect app if you want to tinker with them, and it’s where you’ll find extra features like the EQ. The app itself can be a bit finicky and might not recognize that the earbuds are actually connected. Usually just restarting the app or re-pairing the headphones will help fix that problem. It’s also here that you’ll find the setting to enable spatial audio that sounds, well, just OK. Technics’ spatial sound isn’t on-par with Apple’s, but very few brands are.

The app isn’t my favorite, but it’s plenty useful and worth the storage space on your phone.

Technics EAH-AZ100 Wireless Earbuds: Battery life

Technics provides a range for the AZ100’s battery life, depending on which Bluetooth codec you plan to use and whether you have ANC set to on or off. With standard AAC Bluetooth paired with an iPhone 15, the AZ100 had no problem getting around 34 hours of battery life (up to 10 hours per charge for the buds and 24 hours from the case). And that was with ANC turned on.

In fact, I spent multiple weeks testing the AZ100 and only had to recharge them a handful of times. That’s on par with the competition like the AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM5.

If you listen to music at the loudest volume and opt for a more power-intensive codec like LDAC, you might fare a bit worse, but these will still get you through multiple days in the office.

Technics EAH-AZ100 Wireless Earbuds review: Verdict

For discerning listeners looking for a pair of wireless earbuds, the Technics EAH-AZ100 deliver class-leading sound with head-tracked Dolby Atmos audio. They’re slightly more expensive than their competitors and don’t quite live up to the highest-end earbuds, but this is about the best sound you’re going to get at this price point, especially with LDAC turned on.

With this level of sound quality, it’s almost forgivable that other aspects of these earbuds aren’t class-leading. They’ll last longer on a single charge than most earbuds and the ANC is enough here to compete — though not surpass — the likes of Bose and Sony.

In the end, though, it’s the minor issues that keep them from earning a perfect score. The audio delay and poor app design are tough to live with, and they don’t feel entirely in line with Technics’ asking price.

For half the price, these would be a no-brainer, but for the same price as all of the other flagship wireless earbuds, the EAH-AZ100 will have to settle for being a good audio-focused alternative.