EAH-AZ100

I'm not really someone who can speak to as new price since I tend to be happy with buds in Open Box, Used - Like New, or Refurb'd condition. I feel like I get a lot more for my sound dollar. That said, I am able to comment on sound and fit/comfort. I find the Sony WF-1000XM5s to have excellent sound, but their fit and long-term comfort let me down. I find the WF-1000XM4s much more comfortable and their sound is very good in its own right. I've owned many other Technics earbuds, but never the AZ100s. I recall their sound as being good to very good, with very good noise cancelling. Fit and long-term comfort were very good across the board. The controls were also solid. I moved on from them because I always thought the midrange was a touch veiled and they were not the last word in dynamics. I only own the Bose QuietComfort earbuds, but I find their sound and noise cancellation excellent overall. Long-term comfort is good for me, but I feel the fit could be a touch more secure. The Ultras are less interesting to me because I don't really like earbuds in the mic boom form factor. I've only owned the Sennheiser Accentum earbuds. They aren't bad, but I found the fit a bit odd. I feel like it's possible to get better sound for similar money. The Technics EAH-AZ40s would be a huge upgrade. I should like the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro for their compact form factor, but I feel the fit and long-term comfort should be better than good or very good. Sound is good but nothing spectacular. The multipoint connectivity between my phone and laptop could also be more seamless. I feel like my Sony WF-C700Ns have flawless multipoint and at least 90% of the sound + noise-cancelling for a lot less money. I've never owned the Liberty 4, but if you're on a tight budget the Anker Soundcore Space A40s are tough to beat. Very good sound, NC, fit, and long-term comfort. If you are on a super tight budget and can live with passive isolation the Soundcore Life A1s are worth a listen. I own a ton of Jabra Elites over the years, including the 75ts, 4s in Black and Blue, 5s (currently missing), and 7s. I tend to find them cheap on eBay. I find their sound and NC good to very good. I like their tiny form factor, which makes the long-term fit and comfort excellent for me. This makes the Jabra Elites my favorite workout buds. My 75ts have held up to years of runs and workouts in all manner of conditions. Because of this, I'm bummed Jabra are leaving the earbud segment. In conclusion, I need to declutter and sell off my ridiculously large collection of earbuds!

AZ100 mic is one of the best in the industry

It doesn't sound terrible, it can sound "metallic" if you are in a place with INSANE background noise. I was amazed that managed to isolate only the speakers voice, even if it didn't sound super natural, you could understand everything the person was saying without an issue. In my own experience, everyone always heard with me great clarity, especially when I am cycling and having calls. They can't hear the noise, cars around, etc, only my voice, so I am pretty happy with it. But what I really love about these earbuds is the sound. This fucker put me in the audiophile game, something that Boses or Sonys didn't manage to do.

Right now, the 3 I use the most are Status Audio Pro X, Devialet Gemini 2, and Technics AZ100's.

The Technics don't get very loud at all... Pi8 gets loud, but I was/am sorely disappointed in them and their sound quality. The Rex5 gets plenty loud but, in my opinion, can be too analytical for casual listening. The Devialet are just plain awesome all the way around, once you get rid of the stock tips.

I'll second the AZ100's for their call quality

The AZ100 is the way to go

I'll also recommend the Technics AZ100 for call quality. Their AI voice enhancement really does a good job of elimination background noise. I do suggest swapping tips out though. Their stock tips are ok, but there are better out there that help get a better seal, which in turns improves the ANC.

Depending on your budget... The Technics AZ100 has excellent battery life, I get about 7 hours out of a single charge. The sound pretty good, outstanding call quality, and decent anc (with stock tips). The retail is about $279, got mine when they first dropped. My second recommendation is the Earfun Air Pro 4+. I get between 6-7 hours on a single charge. They sound decent, anc is ok, and call quality is good. They can be found for about $100.

With ANC and multipoint on, I've always gotten about 7 hours since I got them.

Yes, but they are more expensive... The Noble Fokus Rex5 is comparable and the Noble Fokus Prestige Encore which cost about twice the Status Pro X. Devialet Gemini 2 is also another good option. My top 5 are: #1 - Noble Fokus Prestige #2 - Status Pro X #3 - Noble Fokus Rex5 #4 - Devialet Gemini 2 #5 - Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 I personally own and use all of these. I also own the Status Between 3ANC, Technics AZ100, Denon Perl Pro, and EarFun Air Pro 4+.

I don't ever recall them doing that... To be honest, I don't recall having a single issue out of them.. I use them witha Samsung S24 Ultra and my Samsung Tab S8+. The only thing I wish they would improve is on the multi-point... I will have them connect to both my phone and tablet, walk away and they disconnect from my tablet. Then, when I walk back to my tablet, I wish they would automatically reconnect.

The first thing to keep in mind is that features like anc, ldac, and multipoint all continuosly use battery. So, if you disable the features you don't really need, it will extend you battery life, on any earbud. My first choice would be the Status Between 3ANC, currently on sale for $125. Second choice would have to be the Denon Perl Pro, not sure of current pricing. Third would be the Technics AZ100. All of these will get you somewhere around the 6-7 hour mark on a single charge with anc and multi-point enabled. That being said, i would have to know exactly what do YOU call long battery life... If approximately 5 hours of music playback, with anc, multipoint, and ldac on, is long enough... Then I would definitly suggest the Status Pro X, currently priced at $249. Another option that I have started sharing is that if you are ok with wired iem's, $250 will get you a really good set. The upside to the iem, no batteries... So, they will outlast any tws.

The AZ100 is a good all-around earbud. They sound decent, call quality is really good, battery life is excellent, ANC is good with non-stock tips... They're a good choice.

Earfun Air Pro, Status Between 3ANC, and Technics AZ100. All three have good battery life and are just good all around buds.

The Gemini 2's are excellent, I love mine. The audio source plays a huge factor into their performance... Not to mention, finding the right ear tips, the stock tips are pretty crappy. They are currently #4 in my current rotation. The AZ100 are my current #9. #1) Noble Fokus Prestige Encore #2) Status Audio Pro X #3) Noble Fokus Rex5 #4) Devialet Gemini 2 #5) Denon Perl Pro #6) B&W Pi8 #7) Status Between 3 ANC #8) Noble Fokus Triumph #9) Technics AZ100 #10) Jabra Elite 10 Gen2

Yes, it is a matter of preference... To me the Rex5 is an outstanding earbud with amazing detail... That being said, no matter how much I eq them, they sound cold and recessed when it comes to vocals, especially solo female vocals. I also find at times that the Rex5 can be too analytical and highlights many flaws in a track. For casual listening, it can detract from the joy of just simply listening to music... Don't get me wrong, I love my Rex5's, it is an amazing set of buds. When you get to that highend tier of earbuds, it does become a matter of personal preference.

I guess it's all about personal preference and what you want from the unit. For me it's the XM6 because for TWS buds I value ANC over everything else. To be honest I find the sound quality of the XM6 and AZ100s pretty darn close - it's marginal for me, not night and day, and in any case if I want banging musicality I'll either reach for my plethora of IEMs or my AKG K371s (to my first point about use case).

A simple tip change does wonders for the fit.