These premium earbuds are packed with magnetic fluid for improved sound quality — let me explain

Technics AZ100 — (Image credit: Technics)

It's always an exciting time when a new pair of premium earbuds enters the ever increasingly busy space, and Technics latest might just be one of the most interesting yet. The AZ100 are replacing the older (and excellent) Technics AZ80, and Technics has packed in some very cool tech to justify their price.

From magnetic fluid in the drivers to AI that promises excellent call quality, the AZ100 could well be the standard that other earbuds have to measure themselves up against this year.

There's liquid in them there buds

The mission of the AZ100, Technics tells us, is to replicate you music exactly as the artist intended. Fighting words in Audiophile land, given that the pursuit of "As the artist intended" is generally what makes weirdos like me spend thousands of dollars on speakers, amplifiers, DACS, and headphones. But Technics has created new technology to bring us closer to the artists intent as possible, and I for one welcome anything that'll make it sound like I'm in the studio with the Backstreet Boys rather than the number 73 bus to the center of town.

The driver tech is the first big update to the buds, and there's some cool stuff going on. Technics has filled them with magnetic fluid, shrunk down from Technics wired monitors for the wireless AZ100. This will, apparently, allow for low distortion playback, while allowing for rich bass at 3Hz. The idea as well is to not color the music — they will play your tracks as you would hear them in the studio.

There's also Dolby Atmos built in, as well as head tracking that follows your head movements. You can connect them to 3 different devices with multipoint, so you could have them hooked up to your laptop, phone, and tablet without having to worry about heading into a settings menu. Then there's Technics AI implimentation, which will apparently improve call quality.

There's ANC on board as well, and an improved fit. Given how comfortable the last pair where this could make for the most comfortable pair of earbuds we've ever tested — although I'll have to get them wedged in my ears before I can make a final judgement. They sound amazing, and I'm excited to get them on my testing bench so that I can see whether they match up with the best wireless earbuds.

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Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.