This year marks Panasonic Technics’ 60th anniversary, and the company is celebrating with the launch of the EAH-AZ100 true wireless earbuds. A follow-up to the EAH-AZ80s, these buds pack plenty of enhanced audio technology and usability features in an elegantly compact package. I first had the chance to experience these earbuds at an exclusive press event in Kyoto, Japan in early December 2024. I have been testing them ever since in all types of scenarios, from planes to morning walks, at home, while commuting, and more. Here’s my review.
Technics EAH-AZ100s: The Highlights

Before diving into my experience, let’s look at some of the key things to know about these earbuds.
Audio Technology: Audibly, the Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 incorporate a proprietary magnetic fluid driver that purports to offer clean, high-resolution, low vibration and low distortion sound. This is the same technology found in the EAH-TZ700 wired in-ear monitors but miniaturized to fit these wireless buds. Along with low distortion, the ultra-thin free edge ensures a low frequency of 3Hz for rich bass while the aluminum diaphragm produces natural high resolution sound separation and detail.
The oil-type liquid is filled with magnetic particles that’s injected into the space between the driver magnet and voice coil. This enables low-distortion playback and creates a dynamic, rhythmic, detailed listening experience, says Technics, so you hear music as it was intended.
Voice Focus AI: When using these earbuds for phone calls, this feature combines an AI noise reduction chip and three mics in each earbud so both the person speaking and the one listening enjoys the best and clearest call experience possible, regardless of background noise. This includes common background noises like a busy street, wind, or noisy kids, but also works to improve the sound of the caller overall based on surrounding audio, like from a work conference or with others talking in the background.

Adaptive Noise Cancelling: As noise cancelling earbuds, these are designed to cancel out background noise levels. When you use the adaptive setting, noise cancelling adjusts on the fly based on the individual shape of your ear and the situation.
Immersive Audio: Integrating with spatial audio optimized for Dolby Atmos, the buds provide enhanced clarity of voice with Dolby Audio content. They also include Dolby Head Tracking to respond to head movements for a more realistic sound field, no matter where your head is facing.
Multipoint Connectivity: Like the previous generation EAH-AZ80, the EAH-AZ100 includes three-device multipoint connectivity. Most buds that support multi-point limit it to two devices at the same time. With these, you can connect to your laptop, tablet, and smartphone simultaneously and seamlessly switch among them as needed. Pair them with up to 10 devices total.
One-Touch Conversation Mode: The buds automatically pause the music and switch to transparent mode so you can hear the person speaking without having to remove them from your ears. When you do remove the buds, music is paused and touch sensors disabled to prevent unwanted controls from being triggered. Once you put them back in, both audio and control resumes.

Shape, Fit, and Design: Employing the same concha-fit and shape as the EAH-AZ80s, the size and weight of these buds have been reduced to provide all-day comfort. The buds also come with a fifth ML size ear tip to ensure you find the best fit for optimal audio performance and noise cancellation. They come in silver or black with a matching coloured case. The smaller size and lighter weight also results in more eco-efficient shipping while the packaging is 100% plastic-free as well.
Battery Life and Charging: The EAH-AZ100s charge in the included Qi wireless charging compatible case. They also afford improved battery life at up to 10 hours with advanced noise cancelling on, and up to 28 hours with the charging case.
Enhanced Connectivity: The EAH-AZ100s support the new Bluetooth LE Audio standard and Auracast for sharing an audio experience. There’s also the LC3 codec for low-latency audio when gaming and viewing videos. Compatible with Google Fast Pair, Android users can sync nearby devices and accessories automatically.
App Control: The Technics Audio Connect app is available on iOS or Android devices for easy access to preferences and personalized sound tuning, and convenient features like location tracking if the earbuds are misplaced.
Price: The Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 will be available for $400 in Canada.
Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 Review

How do they sound, work, and look? As noted, I wore the Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds in a variety of scenarios, including during various demo sessions at the event in Kyoto, while traveling by plane, in a bustling local coffee shop, on outdoor walks in all types of weather including heavy winds, and at home. I also compared them to the Technics EAH-AZ80s to see how the improvements play out in real-world scenarios.
First, the design. They’re stunning, as is the included charging case. I love how easy they are to pair by simply holding down sensors on both earbuds at the same time until they enter pairing mode. You’ll hear a melody to confirm, then connect all your devices. As noted above, they can connect to up to three at the same time. I connected my MacBook, iPhone 15 Pro, and a separate Android smartphone and love how they seamlessly and intelligently switch audio sources based on what’s playing. Multi-point connectivity is not only usually limited to two devices, it also forces the most recently connected device to overtake the previous one, which doesn’t happen with these. Whatever of the three connected devices is playing audio will play through the earbuds.

The buds connect to the Technics app where you can adjust modes like noise cancelling, adaptive noise canceling, and transparency, EQ presets or customizations, controls, and more. For my testing period, I used a beta version of the app. It works identically to the real one, which I have previously used with the EAH-AZ80s (I was able to connect the AZ80s to this same beta app for consistency).
Noise cancelling works wonderfully in all types of scenarios, effectively blocking out surrounding distractions so you can focus. I used them on a flight from Miami to Toronto and while they don’t rival over-ear noise cancelling headphones from brands like Bose and Sennheiser for travel on an airplane, they do a pretty darn good job for earbuds that don’t actually envelop your ears to provide passive noise isolation as well.
I found that for a setting like a flight where ambient noise is a consistent hum of the plane, using adaptive ambient mode wasn’t as necessary. But for other scenarios where sounds and sound levels change more frequently, like while at home or the office while construction is going on, this option is useful. I also love how responsive the touch controls are: I was easily able to touch and hold to switch from noise canceling to ambient when the flight attendant came by to ask about drink or food orders.

When wearing the buds in a busy local coffee shop, they wonderfully blocked out the hum of nearby conversations as well as the rather loud background music. While I could still hear the music, of course, the audio was significantly reduced such that I could focus on concentrate without feeling distracted by the lyrics.
At home, listening to my baseline track “Creep” by Radiohead, sound was crisp, clear, and detailed. It sounded like I was right in the studio listening to him record the tune. I listened to a variety of other tunes in various genres, from R&B to soft and hard rock, and pop, and sound was pleasant, balanced, and faithfully reproduced.

In terms of clarity and audio quality, overall, these buds really showcase Technics’ audio prowess and 60-year dedication to improving audio quality through all its products. Songs were crisp, clear, and detailed, with fabulous sonic separation. I heard notes in tunes that I hadn’t previously heard with other buds, or at least not as prominently.
I compared them to Sennheiser and B&W wireless earbuds that are within the same price range and did a quick commuting comparison with the Apple AirPods Pro. These earbuds blow them all away, and then some. The sonic clarity and quality of sound shines through in every track. Their closest rival among the earbuds I have on hand are the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro, custom engineered with Dynaudio.
Panasonic EAH-AZ100s vs. EAH-AZ80s

Finally, I wanted to compare these to the previous generation EAH-AZ80s to see if they’re worth the upgrade. Listening to “Creep” along with several other songs like “Master of Puppets” by Metallica and “What’s Going On” by Four Non Blondes, there is a noticeable difference.
Sound is crisper with the AZ100s. While the AZ80s still sound wonderful, there’s a slight muffle to the sound. When the instruments kick in, it’s harsher and punches way harder, which some listeners might prefer. But this sometimes overpowers the vocals. The better balance with the AZ100s is appreciated, especially when listening to tunes that switch so rapidly from softer to louder, heavier moments. (Note: I listened using the same Direct sound mode to ensure that any differences could not be attributed to the chosen equalizer mode).

The opening guitar riffs in “Master of Puppets,” for example, sound more true-to-life with the AZ100s, as though I’m right there at a concert. In “What’s Up?” by Four Non Blondes, the beautiful balance is further solidified as is the nuanced sound, including everything from the slight cymbal in the background to the subtle drum taps and even synth sounds in certain parts.

In terms of design, the AZ100s also feel more comfortable. They’re smaller in size, suitable for my smaller ears. The charging case is also more compact with a more refined design. They are more comfortable to wear for long periods of time thanks to this new design, not to mention the inclusion of another ear tip size for those who have typically found that size medium is too small yet large is too big.


When it comes to noise cancellation, there was a noticeable difference in how well the AZ100s were able to cancel out the background music in a local coffee shop. The venue’s own music was more discernable and thus distracting with the AZ80s. However, both pairs did an equally good job of masking the sound of people nearby chatting.
Should You Buy the Panasonic EAH-AZ100 True Wireless Earbuds?

When you think about the true wireless earbuds space, there are so many brands that come to mind. There are recognizable ones in the audio space, like Bose, Sennheiser, JBL, and Sony. There are the brand-specific ones designed to pair perfectly with your smartphone, like Samsung Galaxy Buds, Google Pixel Buds, OnePlus Buds, and Apple AirPods.
With the Technics brand having been discontinued in 2010 then revived in 2015, some people forget its long history in the music business. In fact, if you search for “technics,” one of the top Google results is “Does Technics still exist?” Despite this, the brand continued to have a legion of passionate followers from all walks of life, from musicians to DJs and audio purists.

The Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 are a solid pair of headphones from a brand that knows what it’s doing in the audio space. You’ll find buds for less that sound wonderful, but they don’t have the same depth and presence, helping you melt right into your music. Beyond audio, they look and feel great, too.
You’ll appreciate subtleties like the inclusion of an additional eartip size, the ease at which you can switch among three devices to go from an active Zoom call on your laptop back to music from your phone or a news report on your tablet. The attention to call clarity is appreciated as well, as is the effective noise cancellation. You can use these for work, travel, commuting, and home, and they suit just about any enviromment.

I’d recommend the Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 for anyone who wants a nicely balanced pair of true wireless headphones, in every sense of the term.
Get the Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100s for $400.