Technics - AZ100

I recently got the technics az100 since rtings.com rates them as the best. Love them in every way, especially getting them $80 off from $300 base price. I wear them at busy kava bars.

my point is, i've eq'd my technics az100 to my preferences. If I had to listen to the ear-piercing signature of the Anni without eq i'd take my tws. And that's the subjectivity of this hobby, some like bright stuff some don't. Not only is it due to preferences but literally due to anatomy.

Till 300 dollars the sound is somewhat proportional to the amount you spend, maybe one can extend it to 500 even but I'd argue otherwise. Anything more and you're paying more and more for design, build quality and most importantly the exclusivity/luxury factor. The luxury tax applies. The BMW M3 is like double the price of the 3 series, is it double the car? Hell no. Is it better? Hell yes. But the improvements are minor if you think about it and the same couldnt be truer for audio. IEMs are a compromise in sound compared to headphones, which themselves are a compromise in sound compared to speakers. I personally havent heard expensive iems but i have heard expensive headphones and good speakers. The improvement is there but it's not too drastic. I have a Moondrop X Crinacle DUSK and a Hifiman HE1000 V2 Stealth but I still end up using my Technics AZ100 a lot and still loving it. Technicalities are my main reason for paying more but enjoying music is my ultimate goal and my wireless set is just as enjoyable for me. Don't fall for FOMO, it's the biggest trap in this hobby. If you're scared of EQ, find a signature you like, set a max budget then get the most technical iem that fits that signature. Even then, you need to worry about the thing fitting you and being comfortable for you. So yeah, loads of different things to think about but at the end of the day remember, what's good for someone else can be SHIT for you, that's the subjectivity of this hobby. I mean music itself is subjective so it kind of makes sense this hobby is as well

PEQ with Chu2 can make em sound amazing. Their range is super wide depending on your taste. I have AZ100 and a bunch of headphones and IEMs including an endgame (Arya Organic), and I still use Chu2 regularly because of sound and comfort. AZ100 is great too after EQ.

I decided on the Technics AZ100. See my comment comparing a bunch of models [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Earbuds/s/da9pAcW8Gw). Edit: Also see my comment [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Earbuds/s/JkYNWkCpYU).

If it's longevity, OnePlus Buds 4 for around 89 bucks are the best performance x price earbuds. Outstanding 55 dB ANC (on par or even better than most midrange premium and premium earbuds 200-250$ category), 3D Audio (head tracking) great transparency mode (hearing people talking clearly while listening to music, good to go for conversations), solid bass with Basswave™️. On ANC up to 6 hours, 9 hours on normal. The only negativity is the ambient mode, which you should evade to use (it's a common problem on most earbuds even premium ones). The switch between ANC and Transparency is very delayed and inaccurate, but that's it. It's the best sounding budget earbuds with dual drivers! They are also ergonomically well built, and fit in ears perfectly. I use it combined with my OnePlus Watch 3, it can check my posture thanks to the earbuds, so if I have bad posture, it will notify me, how cool is that! Next are the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 FE, for around 100 bucks. Although no dual drivers, the sound is okay, less bass in comparison to OnePlus buds, but clearer mids and vocals. Battery life is similar to OnePlus buds (a little better). For 150-180 you can get the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, depending on your region. I like how you have the tiny lights on the earbuds on the Buds3 Pro, stylish. Maybe to flex as well 😄, and finding them in the darkness, in case you lost them. Sony LinkBuds S for 129$ are packed with features! Solid ANC and Transparency can be customized up to 20 levels. But it has pretty much white noises, might be annoying for somebody. The battery life is good, but vs Samsung and OnePlus buds, slightly worse (especially if you have HiRes Audio/DSEE Extreme turned on). The only downside is, same with the more expensive WF series, they don't hold well in ears, they're not suited for activities. The Ambient mode is better here. CMF by Nothing buds 2 are solid budget earbuds with the price of less than 60$. Transparency is okayish, ANC solid, battery is great too, probably the best entry earbuds I can recommend, if you don't want to spend much, but want some fine buds! Technics EAH-AZ80, now Technics EAH-AZ100 are outstanding earbuds, for me, the best sounding premium/flagship earbuds that you can get. Perfect in all aspects, but expensive, that's where the less pricey AZ80 comes forward. Well they're at the average of 200$, but in my country, they're on sale for 159$. the AZ80 lacks the incredible Magnetic Fluid Driver, Dolby Atmos, superior ANC, and the newest Bluetooth 5.3 that makes AZ100 so great, but the AZ80 are still keeping up! I personally have/had these, so I can guarantee you, they're great choices. The prices are according to my region (Germany, the Netherlands, Czechia average price). If you're for example in the US, it may be more expensive.