Technics - Premium Hi-Fi EAH-AZ80-S

I just bought the AZ80 and MTW4 last week. The AZ80 lacked enough volume for my preferences so I sent them back. I would recommend the MTW4.

imo The Best wireless earbuds are AZ80, Pi8, Denon Perl Pro, Airpods pro.

I bought the Sennheiser TWM4s and have a pair of the AZ80s on the way. Planning to side by side them and return the ones I like less.

I ended up going with the Technics, simply for the fitment. Both sound awesome. I just have weird ears. I'm actually gonna return the technics and wait for the AZ100s to come out in Canada, then get those I think.

The AZ80s are amazing. I would rank them top 3 personally base on reviews I account their experiences also.

I have and had Perl Pro, AZ80, Elite 10. I also wanted to try MTW4 but i have the momentum 4 headphones. For some reason whenever i want to do critical listening i always reach for my az80s.

Not really calling them crap, but i had returned mine as well in favor of L3P and AZ80s. I just find the stock tuning odd specially the upper mids to treble region

I just got them for black friday. I have the AZ80 for a while now and i can safely say they can be in the same league with the Technics. Maybe a tad more refinement and resolution on the AZ80s, but the Jlab have stronger bass extension.

I have both technics az80 and nothing ear 2024. I believe the nothing ear has crazy value for the asking price. Bass is reaching basshead levels, decent clarity and separation. LDAC availability. Awesome software. Nice modern utalitarian design. My only complaint with them was some harshness and unrefinement on the treble region. There was a time a believe the AZ80s were muddy too. Im glad i didnt return them. I believe their tuning is not for excitement, but for long relaxed listening sessions. They are warm, lush, smooth and intimate. Best mids i ever heard on a tws. Total opposite of the nothing ears. Exciting, engaging, lively but can be thin and lackluster on the "audiophile" areas, which are mids and treble. I listen to some jpop jrock and i understand why you prefer the nothing ears. Jpop is a genre that needs more liveliness. The technics is too thick sounding for that. Ironically, i love listening to black and death metal on my AZ80s. They have a very forgiving nature, in a sense that poor recordings still sound pleasing on them. Both are good in my opinon, just on totally different flavors. Edit: I am lmfao when u said that the nothing transparency is trash. That what makes me not want to use them sometimes. It really is hot garbage lol. Technics transparency is really, really good.

Hollow and tinny sound might be a caused by a bad fit. You need to make sure that you are using eartips that fit well, and also make sure that you put the earbuds in your ear the right way. Sometimes you need to twist them a bit. But fit is very, very important. I returned my B&W Pi8’s because of this reason. I tried various eartips but I couldn’t get a tight fit. So I bought a pair of Technics AZ80’s and they fit great.

1. AZ80 My personal favourite for sound, it's very balanced but when you select the dynamic preset, they really comes to life with amazing bass whilst not muddying up the mids. LDAC allows for really good quality. ANC is good, the fit and comfort is good, the case size is good. I don't personally use transparency or call that often. 2. (Potentially) Gemini II I haven't tried these but people I trust say these sound better than the AZ80. 3. Denon PerL Pro A lot of people rank these number 1. I really like the sound on these, its got a really nice dynamic sound but there's a bit of a white noise that made me rank them lower. But that's a personal thing. You may find these no. 1. Fit and comfort wasn't that great for me because of the size, but that's subjective. 4. Status Between 3ANC Very good punchy sound, the tripple driver setup works really well. I found the comfort to be amazing too. ANC wasn't the best but still okay. I for some reason preferred the AZ80s sound overall so I went with those, but I would have been happy with these as my daily too. 5. Momentum 4 I was most excited for these, as I have the Momentum 4 over ear cans. I have their wired open back headphones too, so I'm a bit of a sennheiser fanboy. But these didn't impress me as much as the others. The sound quality is amazing, specially the vocals and its pretty dynamic. But even after the sound personalisation, I just couldn't get it to be as punchy is I'd like it to be. ANC was good but the case was also too big to comfortably fit in my pocket. 6. Nothing Ear Yet to try but heard a lot of good reviews, specially for the price

I currently have the AZ80 and Momentum 4, Liberty 3 pro, Linkbuds S Had PerL pro, Elite 10, Status 3anc, Pi7 S2 Tried a friends Nothings Ear (2024) and they have insane amount of bass compared to the rest! AZ80 with superbass preset gives me some mega clean bass. Momentum 4 can be personalised to give you a decent bass, not as bassy as momentum 3. Liberty 3 pro has more bass amount than both above, the subbass rumble is impressive. PerL pro and 3anc has slamming bass.

Pi7 s2 sounds great, on par with momentums for me. AZ80 and PerL Pro felt more dynamic and clear to my ears. Lack of EQ and comfort issues made me return them. I'm a b&w fan as iove my PX8, I expected these to be better. They should have improved the drivers from pi7 to pi7 s2 to be more competitive. Don't get me wrong, they're among the top.

After trying az80, xm5, jabra elite 10, momentum 4 true wireless, between 3anc, I settled on AZ80. It gives me the perfect balance with subjectivity best sound out of those, although between 3anc may edge in in some types of music. I don't think you can go wrong with most of those options. AZ80 felt most premium to with the brushed aluminium.

I agree these are great, I chose to keep the AZ80 in the end, but I was definitely considering keeping these aswell as it has a different sound signature that's quite punchy

If you look at my post history, I've made a few comments comparing the az80 and momentum tws4. I prefer the sound of AZ80. Momentum 4 just didn't have the same impact as the az80 on me. AZ80 has a strong bass in dynamic and superbass presets, more than airpods pro imo.

I think the 3ANC doesn't have many major drawbacks, it's a good daily driver option, after a similar situation with testing a whole bunch of earbuds to compare, my final decision was between the AZ80 and 3ANC..AZ80 won me over with the great EQ presets and build quality. I did appreciate how having multiple drivers on 3ANC create such a dynamic sound. Comfort and fit was great on them too. I was considering keeping both but I couldn't justify that!

Wait till they stop working, whilst I think they have better sound quality, I don't think it's worth spending money if you already have decent earbuds. APP2 has good enough sound quality, the difference will be the tuning/eq a bit better sound all around on the AZ80. You may even find you prefer the sound signature of the APP2 more..

Technics AZ80. Perfect for what you want.

There's only really 2 ways to go. Get the cheapest ones so you don't feel too bad when you lose them, or spend the coin and get some good ones. I went through like, 5 pairs of buds from soundcore A20i up to Technics AZ80. I could have saved so much money if i'd just bit the bullet, and gotten the AZ80, straight off the bat.

Never used airpods. Don't do apple. Long battery life, better ANC than anything not Bose. EPIC sound quality, ful;ly customizable, 3 device perfect multipoint, TOTALLY customizable, more comfortable than Bose QC. Perfect really.

AZ80? Yes. one of the best.

i have AZ80 and just bought the Bose QC Ultra buds on sale. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Earbuds/comments/1d01oti/review\_bose\_qc\_ultra\_tldr\_not\_good/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Earbuds/comments/1d01oti/review_bose_qc_ultra_tldr_not_good/) That's my review stacking them against AZ80, Momentum 4 headphones and others. If literally all you care about is ANC, get the bose. They sound good, they're comfy, and the ANC is like shutting an airlock door. There's NOTHING else like them. Total silence. except for electronic beeps. they go right through, no idea why. But they will piss you off, because the app sucks balls, you can't customize anything... yeah. read the review.

I ordered a handful of open box earbuds recently to try them all out and returned the ones I didn't like. I started with the Sony wf-1000xm4s. They were pretty good sounding and had excellent noise cancelling but they'd become uncomfortable when being worn for a couple hours. And I pretty much have one in the whole time I'm at work.  The Galaxy Buds Pro 2s were good as well. Even with Samsung's lossless codec (I have a z flip phone) I don't think their sound quality was quite on par with the Sony's but it was close. The bass wasn't as good but they were much brighter out of the box. ANC was a big step down and you can't use the ANC at all when only using a single ear bud. I think if these buds were cheaper they'd be a good option but they aren't quite there. Comfort though was superior to the Sony's.  Next ones I tried were the Galaxy Buds FE. Price was right when buying new but I bought all mine open box as I fully planned on returning most of them and they don't get a good discount. The FEs were extremely comfortable to wear throughout the day but the sound quality wasn't there.  Then I tried the Technics AZ80s. These are like $350 CAD new but open box you can find them for $200. These guys sounded great. Once you get them tuned to your preferences they were a huge step above the Sony's. ANC was good enough. They were big but did fit under my earmuffs at work. The only problem is comfort. I could only wear them for 45, 60 minutes before my ears started to hurt, they were just too big.  Next pair I tried was the Oneplus Pro Buds 2. They're like $250 CAD new but I found a place in Toronto that sells them refurbished for $100. Out of the box I wasn't too impressed. I'd say they are pretty much on par with the Galaxy Buds Pro 2. I found a recommended eq for them online though and once I applied that they sounded so good, easily the best sounding out of all the earbuds I had looked at. ANC is good enough, I think both the Sony and Samsung beat it but they just sound so much better then either of those.  The only problem is they use a stem design like the apple ear buds instead of a ball design  like the galaxies and my ear muffs at work catch those stems and pull the buds out of my ear.  I chose not to try the Sennheiser Wireless Momentum 4s as, while I've heard their sound quality is great, they have major reliability and quality control issues from what I've read.  For now I've kept the Oneplus Buds Pro 2 to use on walks and around my home and I found a really cheap pair of the og Galaxy Buds Pro to use at work. They don't sound nearly as good as the Oneplus but they're better than the FEs, cheaper, and comfortable enough to get me through a 12 hour shift. 

Big fan of the Technics AZ-80. So much so that I sold my Sony WF-XM5s.

My personal top-3 is: 1. Technics AZ-80 2. Bower & Wilkins Pi8 3. Sennheiser MTW 4

Az80 and the "just my voice" feature is great I wfh and these are my daily drivers for calls and teams meets etc, also their multipoint switching actually works like it should! Could maybe look at the cheaper az60 or other technics if they have the just my voice feature.

I have the Sony linkbuds s and technics az80 Sony wins for comfort/lightness/and ANC The technics wins for all else sound/multipoint/voice calling... While the the technics are "better" they are not the best at and IMHO (they are good but not quite Sony ANC)

Technics definitely needs eq and built in eq is useless. I have az80 but the sound should be pretty similar. In the end I used the autoeq to create the wavelet preset. I used az80 preset and the diffuse field 5128 (-1db Oct) with some additional minor corrections. https://imgur.com/a/uRthaKi

Nobody knows what is good for you. You have to listen to them. Also it's useful to look into their measurements curve. I didn't listen to the Denon,Jabras and Nothing Ear. Sony are linear but will not amaze you with details and clarity. Same to Technics. Sennheisers sounds just wrong for me with no lows. Bose are ok but initial tuning is too bassy for me. It's like one just increased the bass with eq. I personally have Devialet Gemini 2. Very linear with slight increase of lows and trebles which is easily compensated. Amazing resolution, imaging, separations you name it. But again, just listen to them. I listened to Nobles, B&W, Bang and Olufsen and they did not suite my needs. But maybe they are for you.

I've tried both (owned the Sennheisers). The Sennheisers sound better, the Sonys have better ANC. My biggest issue with sennheiser is the current state of their customer service though. If you need to make a warranty claim it could be months before Sennheiser replace them and you won't hear a word from them until they're shipping out the new pair. They've had some quality issues since splitting the company too. Truly awful customer service so I won't be buying anything from them again. Edit: I misread the title and thought it was about the headphones not earphones. I think the same applies to the in ears anyway. You should seriously consider Technics AZ80 over either of these. That's what I'm using now after trying a lot of top end TWS earphones.

Go for Technics AZ80 over MTW4

I've owned the AZ80s and the buds3 pros and the buds3 are actually quite a lot better. There would have to be a very big improvement in the AZ100s for them to be an upgrade for me personally. Bare in mind people have different shaped ear canals and preferences so you can never truly decide based on someone else's comparison. You've also got to consider the source and whether they tweak the EQ like I do (stock buds3 pro sound is a little muddy and bass heavy)

They're definitely not on the low end of ANC. It's very good.

I've owned the airpods pro 2 and currently own the AZ80 (and have owned lots of other high end earphones) the AZ80s are definitely better but if you have an iPhone and use apple music the airpod pro 2s are a solid choice. Sound quality is pretty good, ANC is amazing and their find my case feature is awesome (I misplace things a lot). I would be on the fence between the 2 if I still had an iPhone

I really hope my comment gets some traction, but I also had problems with buds falling out. Airpods will literally fall out at the tilt of the head. The only two earphones to fit my ear are the Sony WF-1000xm series but my absolute final love for earphones is at the Technics AZ-80. The AZ-80 fits my ears PERFECTLY and the sound signature is so pleasant. As someone that's had many many high end earphones, I can clearly say that these are the perfect wireless earphones for me. Please consider them!

For sure Bose if it’s noise canceling you need most. Sound quality would go to technics out of those on this list.

Love my technics Az80’s i heard bad things about the 100’s and that everyone just goes back to the 80’s

I work at a hotel that is currently doing a gigantic expansion project so a ton of construction and loud trucks when i go for my walk outside during lunch. Not even noticeable. I would try to focus on the sound of a bulldozer bucket dumping dirt and could only hear the music!

I absolutely love the Technics AZ80! It's an awesome choice for anyone who's into high-quality sound and sleek design. [I got a pair with FREE Shipping from Amazon.com](https://holisticsaffron.com/Technics-Az80-Buds1) The sound quality is top-notch, with clear highs and deep bass that make every song sound amazing. Plus, it's really easy to use, with simple controls and Bluetooth connectivity so you can stream your favorite music from your phone or other devices. If you're looking for alternatives, here are a few other options to consider: 1. Sony WH-1000XM5: These headphones are known for their excellent noise cancellation and comfortable fit, perfect for long listening sessions. 2. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: These earbuds offer great sound quality and noise cancellation in a compact and comfortable design. 3. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4: These earbuds deliver superb sound quality and a sleek, stylish design, making them a great choice for music lovers on the go.

Technics AZ80, Denon Perl Pro, and the M4. The M4 gets the most use, however. While the Technics and Denon have a slight edge in tuning (and the AZ80 in comfort), the M4 pulls ahead with solid ANC and transparency and overall a very competent feature set. The ANC can’t quite match the XM5 or QC Ultra, but it gets very close to their performance, while sounding better than both of those sets.

This can be somewhat subjective. M4 technically ranks higher on an attenuation graph, which is an objective measurement, but it’s going to be dependent on both seal and what frequencies you’re most sensitive to. I get more competent ANC with the M4. Since I travel and use TWS for work more often, the M4 gets a lot of use. That said, if I’m just consuming media the AZ80 is the easy pick. I’d be hard pressed to pick a winner between them and the Perl Pro for sound quality alone.

In the same price range, in order of sound quality, Denon Perl Pro (with AAT) Technics AZ80, and Sennheiser Momentum TW 4 (with Sound Personalization). In order of ANC/transparency performance, the MTW4, Perl Pro, AZ80. Because of app and feature set, I daily drive the MTW4, but without question the Denon’s are the better sounding set and the one I reach for if I’m just consuming media. My only gripe with the Perl Pros is the tips, which are too shallow for my tastes; I run them with the Divinus Velvets (if you change tips you’ll want to also rerun AAT). There are sets that are better from a pure sound quality perspective, like the Gemini II, but they’re not priced competitively and need some further revisions to codec, BT and application/feature set support before they’re ready for prime time. The Geminis reminded me a lot of the Levinson 5909, a phenomenal sounding set held back by the hardware and software included. Unfortunately, the APP2s are extremely difficult to beat from a pure value perspective (if you’re an iOS user). I still use them often during travel when I need the best ANC possible, but fit and other issues hold them back from being in my top 5. That, and Apple really needs to consider its prosumer customer base and provide access to some form of parametric EQ (something they’re unlikely to ever implement, sadly).

I would always go for a dedicated TWS like the Denon Perl Pro, Technics AZ80, or Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, with the Creative BT-W5 before any of the “gaming earbuds.” Of your list, I’ve either owned or tested many of these and the VR P10 is the best bang for your buck of all of them. The additional dongle feature works very well; I have one for all of my devices, and switching is easy. Sony’s buds do work well with their platform (and the Portal), but they are simply too pricey for the quality of the tuning and feature set. The only other option I would consider is Steelseries, just given the access to a very wide database of EQ profiles; you’ll likely find one that works for you, and Steelseries has done a genuinely decent job at emulating a parametric EQ in their Sonar app.

The three best for sound quality are the Denon Perl Pros (with AAT), Technics AZ80, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 (with Sound Personalization). I rank them in that order, from best to worst. The Sony XM5s are probably 6th on my list. Their ANC is superior to all but the Bose QC Ultra, but their tuning is poor. I use the Denon’s when I want sound quality that competes with some of my wired IEMs, but daily drive the MTW4 for their superior app, ANC and general feature set. AZ80s multipoint is convenient for travel and usually go with me when I’m abroad and/or on work trips. Any of those three will not disappoint.

I’d definitely still recommend any one of the three listed, yes. All three have very good sound quality, ANC, features, and good call performance. Denon is a very reputable Japanese brand that’s been in the consumer audio and enthusiast space for decades. This is their first real TWS, which is why you probably don’t recognize the name, but they have made excellent “hifi” headphones for many years. Of the sets above, as I said, I use the Sennheiser most due to having the best balance of all three. The Denon sound the best, followed by the AZ80. If you don’t care about multipoint, the AZ80 doesn’t bring anything unique to the table so it feels like a decision between the Denon and Sennheiser. Both are excellent.

Best will depend on your preferences, and whether you value comfort, ANC, or sound quality. Here's my personal shortlist, having tested dozens of these sets in the past few years: **Sound quality:** Denon Perl Pro (with AAT), Technics AZ80, Sennheiser Momentum 4 (with Sound Personalization), AirPods Pro 2, Sony WF-1000XM5s (with personalized EQ, Clearbass set to off), Beats Studio Buds+/Beats Studio Buds, Beats Fit Pros, Bose QC Ultra **ANC:** Bose QC Ultra, AirPods Pro 2, Sony WF-1000XM5s, Sennheiser Momentum 4s, Technics AZ80, Denon Perl Pro, Beats Studio Buds+, Beats Fit Pro, Beats Studio Buds **Comfort:** Beats Studio Buds+/Beats Studio Buds, Sony WF-1000XM5s (with Dunu S&S tips), Denon Perl Pro, Bose QC Ultra, Sennheiser Momentum 4s (very dependent on concha; ranked higher if you have larger ears), Technics AZ80 (another one that depends more on outer ear physiology) Any buds with a "locking" mechanism, or small ear hook, is very dependent on your individual ears. The Momentum's take this a step further, actually locking in behind your antihelix, resting in your concha. If these fit you, they're one of the most secure and comfortable fits on the market. They rank higher for me because they fit well, but are lower on my list because I think this can vary dramatically by person. For sound quality, I've gone back and forth between the Perl Pros and AZ80s on which sounds best. I used to rank the AZ80s higher, but I have a second AAT profile for the Denons, with Immersion at a +2, that handily beats the AZ80s. This could be due to the initial AAT profile being poorly done -- and yet, still somehow performed better than most of my other sets. With that profile, the Denon's compete with some of my midfi IEMs. They are exceptionally good. The Devialet Gemini IIs are also excellent, but are well outside of your budget and, honestly, not worth the investment. Gemini IIIs may be, if they improve codecs, BT support, etc. Don't sleep on the Beats brand of earbuds; for the price, they are genuinely great sets. The Buds+ are very good performers and the most comfortable set I own. With the Spinfit Omnis, these disappear in my ears. ANC is solid, transparency is serviceable. Sound quality is very good. The Fits Pros are the best option if you're active; one of the best "secure" fits out of dozens of buds, second only to the Powerbeats Pros. The Beats brand gets a lot of eye rolls due to brand stigma, but I don't care about the label on the box. If something works well for its intended use, I'll buy it. In this case, depending on the sales, the Buds+ can be an exceptionally good value. I did not include the device manufacturer earbuds on my list, like the Galaxy and Pixel Buds Pros; these are honestly excellent sets in their own right, but I do not use the devices they're most integrated with and thus I cannot test them fully so it's hard to do a fair comparison. But if you use those devices, they are also great -- and cheap -- options. For my part, I ended up daily driving the Sennheiser Momentum TW 4s; although it's not at the top of any of my lists, it is the best all around performer, getting close to the sound quality of the Technics and Denons, ANC that's nearly as good as the Sony's, but with an app and features that are more robust (and with better UX) than the Technics and Denon apps. On the whole, it's my favorite set to use for work and travel, some light media consumption, and around the house use. However, if I don't want to pull out one of my wired IEM, but I want to listen to music or other media and have the best possible experience, it's the Denons or Technics.

The best buds are the iFi Go Pods with a pair of dedicated IEMs. I'm running them with the Theiaudio Hype 4 For traditional earbuds, my personal ranking list: Technics AZ80 > Denon Perl Pro > Sennheiser Momentum TW 4 (w/ Sound Personalization) > Sony Linkbuds S > AirPods Pro 2 > Sony XM5 > Galaxy Buds2 Pro > Beats Studio Buds+/Beats Fit Pro > Powerbeats Pro I end up daily driving the Momentum 4s most days, just given their ANC/Transparency is competitive with other sets, and the app is fairly solid. Sound quality alone, toss up between the AZ80 and Perl Pro.

This is marketing and brand reach doing what it does best. There are plenty of brands doing great things in the market that aren't getting a lot of attention. JLAB's Epic Lab earbuds were fantastic; JBL, Moondrop, Nothing Ear, SoundPeats, numerous other brands tested very well against the top of my list, which consisted of the Denon Perl Pro, Technics AZ80, Sennheiser True Wireless Momentum 4, Sony XM5, AirPods Pro, B&W Pi7 S2 and Pi8. I have the AZ100s on the way, and I'm sure they'll occupy one of those top spots. It's important to note, however, that many of these brands do not need to push as many units to remain successful. At the economies of scale companies like Sony, Sennheiser, and Bose are operating at, the investment into their production, distribution, customer service, and operations pipelines is immense. They are likely expecting to sell tens of thousands of units, to the thousands that other brands need to turn a profit. And while you may see those more prolific brands everywhere, don't forget the communities of people on social media platforms that regularly market and recommend the opposing brands. They're not as common, but that's to be expected and will remain that way by nature. In other words, while the popular brands may be ubiquitous, that is by design. It doesn't mean opposing manufacturers are on a downward trajectory. This was the assumption when Jabra cancelled its TWS ANC lineup, and that may have been part of the decision, but Jabra had other, more profitable interests and chose to constrain their business goals around those interests because there was more opportunity there. As someone that's tested dozens of ANC earbuds (and has a wide ranging collection of dedicated, wired IEMs), I have very few biases when it comes to competing brands. If it works well, I'll use the thing. I have no qualms recommending a pair of Soundcore VR P10s, right alongside top-tier TWS sets if I think it fits the individual's use case. Recently, I took a long flight overseas and left all the other major TWS brands behind and took a cheap pair of PortaPros and a $20 pair of Aliexpress stem-style earbuds with me. Everyone else on the plane was wearing AirPods.

Technics Az80. Best overall soundscape on any bluetooth headset and can connect to 3 devices at once.

I've bought nearly every pair of flagship earbuds released in 2023 and 2024 and so far the JBL Tour Pro 3 are the best for phone calls. Overall, I have been very impressed with them. Sold my Sony WF-XM5, Pixel Buds Pro, Pixel Buds Pro 2, Galaxy Buds Pro 2. Kept the Airpods Pro 2 for occasional use with my work phone and kept the AZ80 for sound quality. If the AZ80 had better mic quality, they'd easily be the best.

I'm anxiously waiting for the Technics AZ100 announcement next week. Really really hoping they made mic and call quality improvements. My AZ80'S are, by far, my favorite for listening to music.

Can't find any retailers that have them up for sale yet. These are an insta buy for me. I love my AZ80 but call/mic quality sucks.

The tricky thing is I'm taking everyone else's word for it. I've done a ton of side by side A/B testing with multiple people giving me feedback. Calls always sound fine to me but it's way more important with my job for me to sound good to the person on the other end of the phone call.

About a year. No issues. I use them every day but money through Friday, I'm averaging probably 6-7 hours.

Technics az80 id say. I've tried Bose and Sony. Bose - master of noise cancelling and comfort mediocre at everything else Sony - too many quality issues and problems Technics az80 - jack of all trades, not really amazing at anything but its like all equaled out. One thing to note with the technics is it is definetly quieter compared to other earbuds I've used like id say 80% on other earbuds is this earbuds max volume.

Apple airpods pro and technics az80 are very good with voice calls and I use them daily. Airpods pro is very good in noisy and wind environments. Noice cancellation is also very good. I use AZ80 for my office zoom and teams meetings.

Love my Denon Perl Pro for pure SQ so much so I feel alot of my material isnt good enough. As DD buds for work, calls & such, its below average due to its form & bulk. Have a LG Tonefree FP8 I use as DD. Its decent in ANC, transparency & mic. SQ is ok ie.acceptable but nothing to write home about. Just got in a Roseselsa earfree i5 with factory foamies. A bit spicy in upper mids & ever so slightly bass deficient (in quantity but not quality) but both are easily managed with some EQ'ing. With the foamies, its fit & comfort is leagues above most inears I've used. SQ isnt on par with the DPPs but overall, its good to excellent. ANC is average tho. But the fit & comfort trumps all others & now, its my fav DD. So much so that if I can only have one, I'd choose the Roseselsa i5 > DPPs. Best of all, its only \~$60. IMO ofcos All that said, in your OP stated choices, I'd go Technics if SQ is my prime motivator

Incredible buds i had them but just a note... They are not loud enough for me at least. For exaple they have like the 75-80% volume of the max airpods 2 volume. Its like they are like 3 taps on your volume button lower than the max volume of airpods.

I'll vote az80s. I have those and previously had sony xm4 (well, still do.) I wrote some comments in the sub reddit here you can probably find. For me, sound quality is top, followed by call quality. The call quality on the Sony line is terrible. I've been told bose has similar problems. Call quality on the az80s is on par with airpods in my opinion. The clarity blows everything I've heard away though I admittedly like the more bassy sound on the sonys, but they are unusable for conference calls etc., The noise cancelation for the az80s is on par with bose over the ear. I've even used my az80s as pseduo hearing aides... By changing transparency to filter background noise so I could hear people next to me in noisy environments.

I'm currently using the technics az80s as well. They replaced a beloved pair of xm4s, which had recently suffered sudden battery drain issue. Because this seems to be software induced I will probably never own another set of Sony earbuds despite thinking they sound better than just about anything. I'm also a huge fan of foam tips. ====== For the az80s: I love the looks (have silver) and size of the case. Battery life so far is very acceptable... Clocking 4 to 5 hours of use with ldac enabled. The recharge rate is very quick. Several people have raved about the sound stage while a handful say it's not good. It took me a few days if listening to figure out why: The clarity / thd is spectacular.... Same clarity at 30% vs 100%. But they aren't as loud as competing products... Such as the xm4/xm5. So if you listen to a lot of heavier music you might not be happy. I think you need to really pay attention to the equalizer settings and remember some phones (like Samsung) have their own equalizer too. If you listen to anything other than heavy music they should easily best most anything else with clarity. ANC also gets a lot of mixed reviews. You have adjustments to make in the app. Please make them. Better ANC than anything I've tried including airpods pros and xm4s. Finally I'll comment on background noise reduction. This was the feature that made me pick them. I watched several reviews and in all of them the az80s handled background noise better than just about anything but Huawei free bud pro 3s. The xm4s did terrible on mic quality. Now trying az80s real world I've had more mixed results... You do need to make more adjustments in the app again. So far I'm pretty impressed with the background noise reduction for very loud areas with lots of voices. However underwhelmed for moderately noisy areas. May take some more tweaking. Hope this helps.

I will know Friday. I'm a big fan of foam tips and comply is the best brand by far. I had a set for my xm4s before they died battery death. Super comfortable. Excellent passive noise reduction. I will say the formulation for the default ear tips with the az80s is not as itchy as standard silicone tips. I also think that the noise reduction from the default tips is very good.... If you fit them properly.

MTW4 has crap sound quality. Technics AZ80 and Perl Pro are the best currently. Except Noble Fokus Rex5 just came out and I’ll report back how those sound.

I currently have the Technics AZ80’s and while they have the most balanced sound I’ve ever heard from a wireless earbud, it does lack punch, bass and it suffers from distortion.

I 100% agree! It has the widest soundstage I’ve ever heard from a wireless earbud but it could be better. I’m an audiophile and the distortion, bass, and low volume level bothers me to no end. I’m hoping the Bluetooth 5.4 and higher quality drivers will make the Rex5 the best ones yet! Also, my technics are already having battery issues just owning them for 5 months. So I’m not very happy about that. I guess that’s what you get with consumer brand earbuds! :/

I bought the Perl Pro, the sound on these is next level. I put my AirPods Max on after these and the APM sounded trash in comparison. But they weren’t the most comfy and did run into connectivity issues. After hearing how good the Technics AZ80 were I bought them to try. Much more comfortable, smaller, more reliable, better build quality, basically better at everything bar sound but even that is fantastic on them. Returned the Perl Pro. I should have been happy, the Technics do everything I want in an earbud. But they didn’t set my world on fire like the Denons did. If I had never heard the Denons I might have been more than happy with the Technics. But everytime I put them in my ears I just think, you’re just not the Denons. In the end I ordered them again in the Black Friday sales and am selling the Technics. I know, I’m crazy. I’m giving up a more comfortable, more reliable, better made all rounder earbuds with excellent sound quality for another earbud that is worse in all categories. Except sound. Man that sound is like a drug

Have tried most buds now and have settled on the AZ80’s. Not perfect and are beat in single categories by some other buds but for me they tick the most boxes. Best sound quality I’ve ever heard goes to the Denon Perl Pro, but that’s all they are best in. Best ANC are Bose QC Ultra, but that’s so they are best in. Best comfort and transparency mode are Airpods Pro but again thats all they are best in, exercise Jabra Elite 8 Active, watching movies TV Jabra Elite 10 etc etc but the Technics are a close second in almost all those categories. Best all round and sound is very close to the Denons, the Technics actually have more clarity and detail but the Denons have such good separation and wider sound stage. My only criticisms with the Technics are that they don’t go loud enough when connected to my tv by Bluetooth and I’m not the biggest fan of their implementation of volume controls (2 taps on left bud to decrease, 3 to increase), wish they would let us assign long press on each bud to volume up/down. Other than that they are the best earbuds I have tried.

Yep imo better than APP2 because I’m sound focused, APP2 have better comfort, ANC and transparency and slightly smaller case but not by much. Technics kill them on sound quality, battery life and customisation. If you want the best in ANC, Transparency, comfort and case go APP2. But if you want the best in sound with the other features almost as good as APP2 go Technics.

how long have you had them? I have the az80 and the tips hurt me for a week or two, but once the silicon softened they are SO comfortable.

I do enjoy them too, honestly don't even feel them most of the time. I've heard the az100 changed the tip shape and size so I'm worried about upgrading

the az80 ANC is amazing

No, they are still too bassy and have a small soundstage, very in your head sound. I've tried alot of earbuds, the best ones sound quality wise have to be the Sennheiser momentum 4 true wireless, Technics AZ80 (or wait for the upcoming AZ100 on the 10th), and airpods pro 2. Bowers and wilkins Pi8 is boring, its your average V shaped sound signature, too much bass and treble.

on sound quality and clarity alone, by a mile. The XM5s are just wasteful on high quality music because of the bloaty bass, alot of clarity thats found in instruments and vocals is lost in the mix. the AZ80s are just much more detailed and pleasing sounding. The AZ80 loses out in anc though. One thing to consider, the AZ100 just got revealed, so it's worth waiting for more comparisons, because those may even beat the AZ80s

airpods pro 2 still remain to be the most balanced sounding out of everything I've tried this year. But, the AZ80 and Momentum 4s were also fantastic but their form factors and ANC feel like compromises in comparison.

How long have you had your az80s? I've mine for less than a year and the charging case flaked out on me and it appears others have had the same problem. It won't charge more than 30%. I was hoping they would honor the warranty by just sending me a new case, but they require I send the defective unit back to be evaluated for a potential fix. Kind of a pain. Have you experienced any issues?

Yes very first warranty ever.

I'd definitely recommend the AZ80, I've been using them for about 6 months now and they're the best earbuds I've ever had. Their sound quality is great, noise cancelling is really good (only AirPods Pro have better NC imo), and their battery life is amazing. The app is pretty good aswell, lots of features and not as clunky as many others. They've got multipoint connection for up to 3 devices which is nice to have, support LDAC & the touch surfaces are configurable. 10/10 would recommend 👍🏻 Alternatively I'd go for the XM5 or Bose, but personally I'm not satisfied with Jabra.

Airpods have the best noise cancelling I've personally heard but I'd still recommend the Technics AZ80, they're noise cancelling is pretty good, gets close to airpods and doesn't degrade as quickly. And their sound quality is amazing!

If you're on an iphone I would serious consider the Airpod Pro 2. They're not at the top of the list for sound quality, but they're pretty high up the list. Meanwhile they have by far the best ANC which for what more people use True Wireless buds for, is a lot more important. I would avoid the sony. The XM5 is a step down from the XM4 in most Sony fan's eyes. And the XM4 has absolutely horrendous QA issues with battery life, to the point the top post in r/SonyHeadphones is about it and had to be stickied. For pure audio quality the Technics would be my pick, especially if you're willing to adjust the EQ to Treble+ in the app. But ANC is it's weak point. I have not tried the QC Ultra, but I dislike Bose as a company, so they are not on my list of contenders. For me after doing a bunch of research it was between the Technics and Apple. Honestly it would have been no-contest if airpods came in black. For less than the $400 colorware option.

The names that come up over and over again are all good. No amount of money is going to get you the best in every category. Just figure out what you prioritize and make a decision. Sound Quality? EAH-AZ80. Noise Cancellation? Airpod Pro 2 (if you're on ios) or Bose QuietComfort. etc. The only thing I will add is after the reliability nightmare that the XM4 was, I do not yet trust the XM5. The fact a lot of people prefer the sound quality of the XM4 is extra helpful in regards to eliminating them from contention.

Correct. They're also on the low end for Noise Cancellation. Fortunately or unfortunately there is nothing that dominates every category at any price.

I just have to note since they pointed out sports, I feel like the AZ80 was kind of designed for people with smaller ears. The default tips almost feel sized down one from what I am used to, and I wish the nozzle was just a little bit longer because they don't feel as secure to me as other TWS buds I've tried. The insertion depth is just slightly less than where I'd really want it. This might or might not be an issue for op.

... Weak bass

I think denon looks stupid, ex are old, uncomfortable, lacking bass and also visually unpleasant, az80s is something every reviewer likes but i never tested it, I heard the bass also lacks there, as for the pi8 I tested px8, and preferred my momentum 4, so I'm not exactly excited about the pi8, though it's still good. Edifier stax is a headphone, I don't deal with headphones anymore.

I just got my AZ80s today, would it be worth returning for this?

In that case I would be worrying about hearing damage or levels of tinnitus but I’m also very anal about those things. I bring custom molded earbuds to concerts, double up when drumming, as well as when shooting guns indoors. I’m excited for the az100. The brief time I had with the az80 was very enjoyable.

Even the AZ80s have better sound than the XM5. Well done, Panasonic!

Nope! Even the AZ80 have much better and refined sound than the XM5

I just got the AZ100s and I've only had them for a few hours, but they're fantastic. I would say the Denon Perl Pro, Pi8, Devialet Gemini 2, and BeoPlay EX still have a slight edge in terms of sound quality, but the AZ100 sound pretty fantastic and aren't that far behind, at least in LDAC (which is all I've tested). The AZ100 are better all-arounders than any of those, although I have no real complaints about the Devialet and Denon. My initial impression is that they've dethroned my beloved Sennheiser MTW4 for best sound in the $300-ish range, but I need to spend some more time with them to know for sure. I preferred the MTW4 over the AZ80 but so far I think the AZ100 has them both beat.

When it comes to earbuds, nothing comes close to the Bose QC Ultra's ANC. Except the older QC2: I never had a chance to compare the two side by side but I owned both on separate occasions and felt the ANC was roughly equivalent. The Sony XM5 ANC isn't in the same league, despite what a lot of people say. It's among the best *non-Bose* ANC, but the Bose is miles ahead of that pack. The Technics AZ80 ANC isn't even close, though they are truly excellent earbuds in most characteristics, their ANC is only so-so for a premium set of earbuds. That said, I haven't tried the Comply foam eartips that another commenter suggested. I'm interested in trying those, because improving the AZ80's ANC would make them nearly perfect. But even with improved ANC, I can't imagine they come close to the Bose. I don't have experience with noise cancelling headphones, but I'd be willing to bet Bose is in the lead there too. If I were to guess, I'd assume that your best option is whatever the latest premium Bose over-ear headphone is, and your second best option is the QC Ultra earbuds. But you may want to research the headphone side of things because I'm just extrapolating. For the record, I'm not a Bose fanboy. In fact I don't particularly love my QC Ultras. They do sound good, and if they were my only set of earbuds I wouldn't have much to complain about, but I have other sets that I like much more overall and wear much more often. But if I want the strongest noise cancelling, I reach for the Bose without a second's hesitation.

Is it safe to assume most here are using Android devices that can take full advantage of higher-res codecs? I’m an iPhone user and previously had the AZ80s, which sounded great until the sound quality deteriorated and felt stuck on SBC or worse, so I replaced them under warranty and eventually sold the new pair. I’m now considering the AZ100s or AirPods Pro 2 but wondering, as an iPhone user limited to AAC, if the AZ100s would offer a noticeable improvement over the AirPods Pro 2. Would love to hear your thoughts!

I have AirPods 2 Pro and just got the AZ-80’s. AZ-80 definitely beats the AirPods Pro 2 for music and sound quality, if you’re a busy person and talk on the phone a lot then stay with the AirPods. An other plus is that the AZ-80’s fit better in ear and they only really fall off with friction.

Denon perl pro or technics AZ80.

Odd. With custom audio test in the app, it makes it much better then stock. Then I have android and I use wavelet to eq even more and it's pretty nice. AZ80 needs less tweaks but more expensive. Not much touches these two in terms of sound in terms of the price beyond maybe OnePlus 3 pro, the earfun air pro 4. Sony's, bowers and Wilkins, Jabra, and status are some others that are competitive. Good luck!

Recently, I was testing tws earbuds, and the best picks are (;tldr) Technics AZ80, Denon Perl Pro or Devialet Gemini II. More detailed read: (remember, with headphones everyting is individual and based only on my own impressions, YMMV) Sony WF-1000XM5 – comfortable, excellent ANC, but the sound is very weak, with huge bass bleed into the mids; everything is muffled, and nothing has changed at Sony. I honestly don't understand what people see in the XM line. Bang & Olufsen EX – ANC is poor, almost as if it weren't there, despite the positive reviews online. I'm disappointed with the sound. They probably would have been fine a few years ago, but now there are cheaper and better headphones on the market. The price includes the B&O tax. Nothing Ear (2) 2024 – Big surprise. Cheap price, sounds better than Sony or B&O, they doesn't resonate when walking, ANC is okay (70% of Sony's), comfortable, great app, good connectivity, looks great. The sound is slightly V-shaped, but it doesn't lack clarity, brilliance, and balance. Galaxy Buds Pro - Harman tuning, overall disappointed with them. I expected a lot more for the money with AKG and Samsung's background. ANC is okay, the sound is very dry and clear, but they are comfortable. They are the kind of AirPods for Samsung users who will be satisfied with a fairly boring sound, but otherwise not much. Perfect for audiobooks and podcasts. Sennheiser Momentum TWS4 – I had a lot of faith in them, but I'm disappointed. Weak ANC, not great tuning, but above all, they sit very strangely in the ear, and I've tried many aftermarket earpieces. The sound is nothing special; even "Nothing" is much better. Technics AZ80 - Fantastic!! I wouldn’t hesitate to call them “audiophile TWS headphones.” The ANC is decent; they are comfortable, don’t resonate when walking or running, the app is very detailed, and the sound is simply brilliant. They play the entire spectrum of details, and they are fun. A great buy with a mature sound, almost like wired headphones, and they have a great soundstage. Given the LDAC, these are the best. Denon Perl Pro - My favorites in the sound department, but they are far from "the best" in everything else. They look crazy, but in fact, they are comfortable; you just have these sorts of plates on your ears ("in front of your ears"). But the sound is uncompromisingly perfect. The whole spectrum of details; they are fun, musical, and they have excellent technology for custom tuning with regard to hearing defects and the shape of the ear. It is phenomenal and it really works. It's not that strict neutral hi-fi, but rather a fun hi-fi that gets you moving and has body. Buts? Cheap charging box, they don't suit everyone (short stems), ANC is weak, passthrough is bad, but you'll forgive them everything once you start listening to them. They have such an effect that when you start playing songs on shuffle from a selection of your 1000 favorite tracks, a song you've already heard a hundred times and you don't really enjoy it anymore, you'll let it play because it will simply be fun again through these. Devialet Gemini II—I'll refer to the Denon Perl Pro as they have a lot in common. It's actually really hard to choose between them. If the Denon Perl Pro are a 9.5/10 to me sonically, then these are a 9/10 (the 10/10 goes to Technics if you don't listen purely to EDM and want that juicy low end). They are actually great, dense, tunable, fun, with a lot of details. They are diminished a bit by codecs, and that's a shame, but in the end, it doesn't matter to a lot of people. The reason they are not 10 out of 10 is purely because the Perl Pro simply has a little extra "magic" and they lack the clarity of Technics. With Perl Pros, I don't know if it's the technology compensating for age, hearing quality, and ear shape, but Denon's have mojo; these are "just great." But I was just talking about sound for now. Where the Denon's ANC is 5/10, the Devialet's are, without exaggeration, at the level of the best on the market. Plus, they add technology to deal with impact sounds and wind, and both work perfectly. And without negative pressure or unpleasant feelings. For me, Devialet simply has the TOP ANC on the market at the level of Sony, Bose, or Apple. The same goes for passthrough; it's like you don't have headphones on, really cool. Furthermore, the build quality is great, they're "small," they're comfortable to wear, there are numerous settings in the app, and they're easy to control - Geminis can justify its high price. I would get Technics if you can and want to use the LDAC codec and play your music at high bitrates. Also, they are not that bass-heavy; they sound almost analytical but fun nonetheless with an excellent soundstage. The Perl Pros are just magical, but they have their quirks. The Devialets are the "whole frickin' package" minus the codecs, so they will be absolutely fine with Spotify but they lack the magic of the Perl Pros or the sound quality of Technics. Edit: grammar

Sure, I can do that :) I'm actually using a dynamic preset. I was trying to achieve better results using the wavelet app, but the dynamic settings sounds best to my liking. I don't think switching to Devialet will give you anything special, especially if you're using LDAC. The sub-bass on Geminis goes deeper, and the bass has more impact, but if I had to express it with numbers with the Devialets being at 10/10, the Technics will be 9/10. And I don't mean the quality of the bass, just the sheer amount and overall kick. Devialets suffer from slight bass bleed and codec limitations (again, some can hear it, some don't). I don't mean it in a way that they are bad or even comparable to, for example, the Sony XM line, it's just that the AZ80 are that good and precise, especially being the tws. What is better for sure is the ANC. I think the Gemini IIs are one of the best commuter earbuds at the moment.

I tried them all except for Jabra's and the new JBL Tour (which I must try, I'm curious about them), and my pick is the Devialet Gemini II. With the right tips, these have better ANC and bass quantity and quality than the Technics. Don't bother with Sony or Sennheiser. edit: wife has Bose, excellent ANC but the sound is hit or miss.

The Technics really do have an outstanding sound, I can confirm that. For me, however, the 1more Evo is definitely the budget choice. They're always available for around €100 (Europe) and, to be honest, the sound is hardly any worse; the software even makes it very individual. The ANC is not at the highest level, but the case is extremely high-quality. Disadvantage: No foam attachments fit on the in-ears, otherwise they jam a little in the case

I’ve had experience with a few of these, and I can give you some insights based on your priorities. Here’s what I think, in terms of sound quality, Sony and Sennheiser are usually considered the best, with crisp highs and deep bass. For ANC, Sony and Bose are top-notch, but the Technics and Jabra also do well. Call quality is solid across all, but I’d give an edge to the AirPods Pro and Sony for clear, noise-canceling calls. Would love to hear what you decide!

Az80 is really good.

I recently upgraded from my best fit pros to technics az80s and I love them. The sound quality is excellent and better than my momentum 4. The only negative is the anc and transparency modes aren’t as good as my beat fit pros but I’d rather have better sound quality so it’s not an issue for me.

They were actually the last I tried because I had the same vibe. I haven’t seen this brand in ages. Well, the 100’s are pretty amazing. I was greatly impressed. Even the AZ-80’s are badass for $199. Plus you can get that awesome blue color.

Technics AZ80 if you have an iPhone Sony if you have Samsung Momentum 4 if you have a device that does AptX lossless or adaptive The technics do the best with the low bit rate iPhone codecs. The other two sound better if you can use the better codecs. The technics sound the most clean and clear The Sonys are smooth and laid back The M4 is the most dynamic/energetic If you consider the Sony, see if you can test them when walking. I found they weirdly amplified and echoed footsteps.

Undoubtedly. But it’s tonality suits aac from An iPhone the best.

I recently got the AZ80, and I’m very happy with it. It sounds good paired with my iPhone, and it sounds even better when paired with my Surface laptop. I’ve re-listened to my favorite songs (using the AZ80, and I heard so many details I haven’t heard before when I used other earbuds and speakers. I can hear more instruments and more background voices. Their tagline “Rediscover Music” is quite fitting.

I have the Technics AZ80! Sound quality is 👌👌👌

Did you get some cabin pressure and headaches with the AZ80? I swear I thought I was losing it, I would get uncomfortable, take them out, then even hours later get a migraine even sometimes. I kepy plugging away with them because they do sound so good.

I think the "best" is going to depend on each persons use case. As for the ones you listed the XM5 never had the same problems, but the tips dont suit everyone so maybe on paper you could say they are the best bud, AZ80 as others have said must be a contender, one of the best sounding buds by far with ok ANC, but personally and seen a few cases of pressure headaches from them, so sadly not my "best" bud, Airpods same story as XM5, great at everything, best at nothing, on paper you can argue best all round with XM5. But I think if you take one person vs another, lets say me, I wear buds walking, some quiet parks so sound quality is nice, then some busy streets with lots of traffic noise so average ANC wont do and then a gym that sounds like a EDM club. Not to mention, I live in a very rainy area and powerlifting is my thing so weight lifitng chalk everywhere, especially my hands, need that IP rating to be dust and water! So Jabra elite 10 gen 2 or maybe these incoming AKG N5 (have them on order) will be my GOAT for 2024? Take a look at how you use them first, what you need most, then go from there. First call, your device, what codecs it uses and how you use it, is it in a pocket? etc. Then make a shortlist like you have, pros and cons them. Again using me as an example, Samsung S24 Ultra, LDAC or Samsungs SSC for hi res, or I go to a good sounding older codec bud like Jabras or Gemini 2. Do they have dust resistance? The Jabra do, is ANC good? Reported comfy and good for the gym for hours? YES, got my GOAT.

I spent the last month extensively searching for a new pair of earbuds to replace my Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, which I’ve been using for the past year and a half. I tested several top brands and models that reviewers frequently recommend as great overall options, including the Technics AZ80, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and Jabra Elite 8 Active. Unfortunately, I encountered issues with each of them in key categories. My main priorities when it comes to earbuds are, in order: 1. Sound Quality 2. Comfort/Security in the ear 3. Microphone Quality 4. Battery Life 5. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) 6. Case Size \*\*Jabra Elite 8 Active:\*\* I enjoyed wearing these to the gym, but they quickly fell short compared to my previous earbuds. While the Jabra offered better sound clarity than the Soundcore, I would rate their sound quality a 6 out of 10, whereas the Soundcore gets a 7. I didn't feel it was worth testing the other categories further. \*\*Sennheiser Momentum 4:\*\* I’m unsure if I had a defective unit, but I encountered a strange issue with the microphone quality/volume. The ANC would aggressively reduce all sounds coming from the earbuds when there was noise around me. During calls or while listening to a podcast, I found the voices to be much quieter, and even at maximum volume, they were unacceptably low. Also, the soundcore had better microphone quality which was strange. Would expect Sennheiser to do a better job for the price. The sound quality was good, but they felt too aggressive and unbalanced. I typically try to boost mids and highs due to slight hearing loss, but that didn’t work adequately for me. After prolonged use, my ears became fatigued by how the music sounded. Additionally, the case was bulky, and the earbuds were uncomfortable for extended periods, leading me to return them. \*\*Technics AZ80:\*\* These were much better overall. The sound quality was more balanced and warm, with plenty of bass. The Dynamic preset was my favorite, and I almost decided they were worth the investment. Unfortunately, after two weeks of testing, I determined that I needed to keep searching. The main issue was comfort; my ears felt slight discomfort after about an hour of use, which only worsened over time. The battery life was also a bit on the low side when considering the case, but it was still acceptable. Eventually, I came across the Nothing Ear (2024) earbuds, and I am very happy with them so far. In terms of sound quality for me, they are better than the Technics and Sennheiser due to their extensive customizability. I was able to alter the sound to my taste, resulting in the best earbuds I’ve tested and used to date. Initially, the sound was a bit harsh with sound personalization, but I managed to adjust it to my liking. The comfort and security are great, good microphone quality, decent battery life—especially with ANC off and case + a unique and cool design. Great job, Nothing! My sound config for my nothing buds is: Personalized Sound 50% intensity ( Did it at least 10 times). Had to be sure I get the same results after repeated tries. More bass preset and Bass Enhance level 2. PS: After spending more time with the Nothing Ear, I feel that I should also mention the most annoying downsides. \- controls: the lack of swipe up/down for volume.I have to pinch 2 times and hold which is annoying \- bluetooth connection: the connection distance between the phone/laptop and how much I can move around the house without having the call become unstable is smaller than expected. \- case is very sensitive to scratches. it already looks like is been used for 6 months. \- very rarely the connection becomes unstable for 1 sec and reverts back. right now is not enough to bother me but if it happens more often I would be tempted to send them for a warranty check \- sometimes one earbud charges faster than the other. The difference is between 10-15%. If you leave them in the case for enough time they will both reach 100%.

Unfortunately they irritated my tinnitus even at low listening volume (~65db) I am returning mine. I did a bunch of research before buying, super bummed. Tinnitus doesn’t happen with my AirPods, can’t in down the reason why it happened with the AZ80.

This is likely the worst take on the AZ80 I've seen. Guy didn't even mention the excellent fit of the AZ80, which is a key factor contributing to its overall appeal. The AZ80 excels not only in sound quality (6.5 is laughable) but also in terms of fit, connectivity, and decent noise cancellation, making it the best all-around choice for Android users.

Easily to most debated topic in bluetooth right now ....Denon vs pi8s vs Az80...for me the pi8s have no equal in sound and comfort for me. However the Denon perl Pro are just under them and with their new price of $149..it is easily the best choice of them all now if you can take advantage of the price deduction now. But at their orginal price of $350...the Az80 at $280 was the best purchase. The Az80, while 3rd in sound, has the sound that is still amazing in timbre and at the cost to performance ratio,  represented a better value when all were new. Overall I still don't believe any bluetooth earphone is worth more than $300, let alone the overpriced cost of $399 for the PI8. I regret buying them still today becauee they don't live up to the cost-performance over the denon or az80. They have battery issues and the features work at a basic level at best. But again if all you asking is who is the top and best in sound regardless of margin of advantage it had over the other, the PI8 are it. Just be ready to spend the money and get issues with the battery life and charging sync consistency( You can find you earbuds only at 80% aftrt having them charging in the csse for 2 days) .  For those interested: Sound= 1. pi8:10 2. Denon perl Pro: 9.7 3. AZ80: 8.8  My overall score though with features, cost, and performance trust as of today 1. Denon perl Pro $149 2. AZ80 $260 3. PI8 $399

Interesting your take on the AZ80s. I’m giving the AZ80s another try right now. I think the Denons sound better also. There’s a few other cheaper buds I think are right up there with them but it’s true they are a really solid all arounder.

Right now I’m giving the AZ80 a second chance and switching back between those and the Soundpeats Capsule Pro+ and the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro. I think both of those are holding their own depending on what song is playing.

Cambridge audio Melamania m100 (under 200) Technics az80 (under 300) (Both have great sound quality all around but imo Cambridge is more balanced if that's what your looking for)

Perl Pro comments sound to me like Denon has a huge marketing budget. Galaxy Buds Pro 3 are actually lowkey epic. The AZ80's are also very good. Smooth sound? AZ80. Impact? Pro 3. That's all I've tested out of these "best SQ's" That said, Connectivity is GOD on the AZ80's. Like instant multipairing perfection gucci mane holy fk. All other multi pairing doesn't work for me.

Yes, Technics AZ80s offer excellent sound quality along with impressive battery life.

Just this minute hit buy on these to replace some xm4s that had the battery issue and then I broke while fixing. I spent all morning talking myself out of it but your post gave me enough fomo to make a decision. £209 GBP on Amazon prime day, which is under $300 USD all taxes paid which seems a good deal (silver only) Edit: can I ask... Du they have in ear detection? The technics website says yes, but some reviews say no

I've not tried these. The earfun's have 12mm drivers which definitely helps naturally with the bass rather than forcing it through tuning. I note the Anker have 10mm drivers. I would say if you are not a fan of bass then the earfun's might not be ideal for you. However, I would say when listening to non remastered 80s and 90s rock it was a revelation on these. (Faith no more - epic, sounded better on these than my technics AZ80s) The moon drop I couldn't get a huge amount of info on but they do attract great reviews. These have ANC so I suspect to squeeze that in for the cost there must be some cheaper bits somewhere. Basically for rock, 80s and 90s UK indy I'm reaching for these earfuns. They are also my gardening go to's For work, walking busy streets and housework I reach for my Earfun air pro 3s (for the ANC) For sitting and actually listening to the track and absorbing the music it's the technics AZ80. If it helps, I gave away some Soundpeats capsule 3 pro plus' this week to a friend cos I'd rather have these Earfun life's in my rotation. I actually think for a non ANC set they are the best I've tried. They have relegated my JBL reflect flow to the drawer as well

They have a ton of different sizes buds you can swap so one should fit anyone’s ear. I would just complain about the QA because my first one failed on me after two weeks. Got them replaced but still cautious. Never had earbuds fail on me before (Sony, Apple, Beats) so quickly.

User experience is not refined enough to justify the price tag imo. Sound and ANC are both great, but transitions between call/music and between multipoint devices are sloppy. Between call and music, the earbuds switch to ANC off before going to your actual ANC setting. Further, the earbuds seldom sync on startup before playing the "connected" chime, resulting in a weird phasey announcement most times I start listening to them. I really wanted to like them but had to return since the "polish" factor was just not there.

Tried the beoplay, B&W, divialet, denon, AKG, XM5, buds 2 pro, AZ80 and maybe a couple more I can't remember. I skipped a few other audiophile brands because they lacked too many features for TWE. Went with the AZ80. The beoplay did wow me at first but i don't think the AZ80 is any inferior. IMHO it's mostly a brand thing. Just because a company makes an "audiophile" speakers, doesn't mean their headphones will be better than, say, a Sony one. Also, it's what your ears like. Many people swear by the xm5 audio quality but I personally found it very harsh. The AZ80 sounds very balanced and natural to me. I mostly listen to pop, country and 90s r&b

Most will suggest the mainstream earbuds because they are the best “all-around” earbuds with sound quality combined with ANC and other wireless features. However an audiophile may not care about features and only wants the best sound quality. And are willing to pay the premium for it. And that’s what the higher priced earbuds, I assume, will focus on the most. Sound quality being their main concern with the other wireless features and comfort not as important. Like the other comments, yes you might hear a slight enhancement with one of the audiophile sets but will it be worth the extra price for that small minimal enhancement. To an audiophile it is. I am no audiophile but I do like scratching the surface of one. I own a few sets of IEMs from sennheiser, fiio etc and some Dacs. But to me I would rather have the best “all-around” wireless earbud set over the best sounding one. For that reason I also went with the more mainstream type and have the Technics AZ80s and love everything about them. Sound quality is excellent, comfort is awesome and features are solid and reliable. I prefer to have the whole package in one earbud set. If I want to listen to the best sound, that’s when I switch to my IEMs.

Because they’re all good in their own way. At least these on your list. I was on the hunt as well a month ago. What you have to do is first decide what feature or features are most important to you and then go from there. I ended up choosing the Technics az-80 after trying like 4 others. The technics checked all my boxes as far as what I was looking for in an earbud. Been rocking them for a month now and have no regrets. Love every part of them. My requirements, in this order, was compatibility first (I have a Sony Walkman that uses LDAC), then sound quality, then comfort. ANC, call/mic quality and battery life were last on my requirements because I mostly listen at home anyways. But your requirements may be different or in a different order. Just gotta go with what is most important to you in your use case.

I was debating between the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC, JLabs Epic Labs and the Technics AZ80. I ended up purchasing the JLabs on Amazon for $94.99 USD (53% off) Black Friday Sale. Seems like a no brainer at this price point.

Technics AZ 80. Ive used Sony xm5 and jabras's and tô me the technics are suberb.

Loving my new Technics !

"best" is very subjective. That being said the Technics AZ60 M2 or the AZ80 are imo the best ear buds you can get. Edit: I'm bad at reading.

The Technics, they excel at both.   The Jabras would be next. Hard to recommend them though now that Jabra is exiting the market.

Battery life is great especially if you don't use LDAC, even on LDAC I get 3-5 hours of usage on a single charge. Technics is owned by Panasonic, they make batteries so they know what they are doing. The earbuds shape on the 80s is super comfortable, the 60s I find less comfortable but not the worst either. They both come with 7 ear tip shapes and sizes so you're likely good to find a good fit. I swapped out for aftermarket tips myself but I can wear them pretty much all day.

It is true that sound quality is subjective everyone is going to give a completely different answer than what you'd hope, so I'm going to try and be as concise and honest as possible. One of my main hobbies is trying and returning earbuds on Amazon, so that I can do my best to help other people find the pair that best suits their needs. It's been close to 200 at this point, I'm sure. So here's an unpopular take, which many may disagree with, and I'm still trying to understand why i seem to be the odd one out. I've tried the status between 3, and the original beteeen pro that I ordered through kickstarter, and I'd put them in the same category as the nuraloop, which i also ordered through kickstarter in 2016. Sadly, the denon perl pro sound pretty much the same to me, which is, dynamic, but completely muddy, and as if a thick theater curtain hides the detail from you in all three pairs. They should all be worth less than 80 dollars for the way they sound, imho. I was very unimpressed. The momentum true wireless 4 have very delicate drivers that are incredibly sensitive to changes in eq, making them distort and crackle on aptx, and I didn't find them to sound that much better than my old galaxy buds 2 Pro, tbh. Similar sound signature. I've tried all of noble Audio's wireless earbuds, and I'd put them in the same category as raycons. Overhyped, oversold, unimpressive sounding, consumer targeted garbage that looks really cool. Sadly, my 20 dollar soundcore a20i sounded miles ahead of the Noble fokus prestige, which are supposed to be the "pinnacle" of true wireless. I don't understand why people like them at all, and I hope their iems sound better. The beoplay ex were very impressive for what they were, but were incredibly uncomfortable due to the plastic seam which held them together. I have yet to try the pi8. The master&dynamic mw08 sport were amazing earbuds, but only after an eq was applied, and then they did the same thing the mtw4 did, crackle and distort due to weak speaker drivers, but they were the best and most realistic I'd ever heard, so maybe put the new mw09 at the top as well? Not sure. The devialet gemini 2 seem to get both positive and negative reviews, so it may be a gamble, haven't heard them myself tbh. Svanar wireless are another I haven't tried, but seem legit. Possibly beyerdynamic's new pair. I would say the mtw4, xm5, az80, and buds 3 pro would probably satisfy most people generally, but I've heard so many earbuds that were impressive and downright atrocious sounding that I'd put those three in the category of "good enough", not something like the prestige category. Comparing those to the beoplay ex would be like comparing caviar to boba, its just not the same. Anyways, at this point I'm rambling and probably not that helpful, sorry. Good luck with your search!

Apple airpods pro 2 for iphone, technics az80 for android.

I would recommend you to try Technics AZ-80. They give you rich, detailed sound. Not absolutely flat like many other audiophile's earphones but still hi-fi. Also they support LDAC and their mics are pretty good (almost AirPods level).

Interesting. Wouldn't have thought something as relatively bass light as the first gen pros would work for that kind of music. Well I could recommend technics az80 or az60m2. Nothing ear (2024) are also really good (I'm just not into stem style buds). Jabra elite 8 active Gen 2 if you want something very rugged. OnePlus buds pro 3 seem to be a bit more on the dynamic side rather than neutral but seems to be pretty good

If you have some difficultly hearing yourself while on calls to regulate your volume, then you can set in the call tap controls to allow switching NC modes so you could change to transparency mode

No worries. But yeah just adjust whatever you like. Can turn off/customize certain touch controls if you like, you really don't need to tap that hard on the buds to get them to be responsive (I do the lightest of taps and it works for me); I adjust the transparency mode to 95 on the slider but most people I've seen online seem to prefer around 80; you could do the pre calibration thing for the ANC if you wanted but considering you like it is, then I Guess there's no need; can also adjust the touch notifications volumes/chimes/language also

No auto ANC. Has a 0-100 slider you adjust and a pre calibration slider you can use which can make a decent difference to the baseline performance(though I assume most people who mention poor ANC don't go into the settings to try it)

I find it pretty good with public transport and flights. Easily sleep through everything. Vocal suppression is decently good though not amazing. Slightly cuts down on loud cleaner vacuum noise but won't completely kill it (if the vacuum cleaner is mostly high pitched nose. Does much better if it makes more mid to low pitch noise) Though if you're listening to music or a video with ANC on, then I'm pretty much in my own world and can't hear anything. Feel like the ANC is developed to allow you listen to your content with minimal distraction (though you can still get a quieter napping experience even without listening to anything)

Technics Az 80’s They are really overall great!!

Mate, if they go toe-to-toe with the AZ80s, I'll be a very happy camper when my arrive in a couple of days! Have been really happy with my older AZ60s for the last few years, but they're just a tad bulky for certain situations - eg more vigorous exercise, etc, and thought these will be a good match.

This is just a little post, I got them, haven’t break them yet and only used them for 8 hours. With this I have a clear image of what this TWS offer. **Sound quality:** I'll start with the most important, to get it out of the way. They sound "fine". That's it. Any decent pair of cabled IEMS or Headphones will outperform this in any audio category, very fast, and very concisely. The audio perse lacks definition, let’s say "resolution", some nuisance disappear completely or get damped out by the stronger bass emphasis. The best audio setting for me would be "Treble", but then you loose I guess a tad much on the bass level. Custom EQ only does too much, and the definition is just not there. So I agree that “Dynamic” setting is the overall best. Soundstage is ok, not bad, very good even, but again, don't expect miracles from an audio perspective from this. Compared to another TWS, maybe the MTW4 do sound a little better, but again, it’s the same level. The B&W PI7 sound better for sure, but again, it’s so slight difference, or best said, the gap between the current TWS audio and the cheapest IEM or decent headset is too wide yet. I do love them, and I'll keep them, but this won't replace by any stretch the use of my dedicated audio experience. Even my Moondrop Chu V1 sounds way better, my H490 just seams luxury now. To end this category, in the audio quality they are really good for the consumer audience, and for sure anyone that doesn’t know better will say this are “Audiophile Grade”, which they are surely not. This doesn’t mean they are trash, they are In fact really good and I like them for what they are. Maybe this will change after 30 hours of use? I don’t know, if they do, I’ll update here, but it doesn’t seem that they will by the profile I perceive, maybe the bass will get tighter, and the sound will get a little more of “air”. But the resolution part for sure I don’t think will improve, if they do, I’ll let you know. **Volume:** It’s on the lower side. I won’t say unusable, and I even think they have a healthy top volume level. This is ok, but you may perceive at first that the max volume is to low, but with the excellent ANC you’ll get used to it. Give them, and you, some time to adjust, know each other and return to safe audio levels. **Audio Codecs:** LDAC DOES makes a difference, really, prioritize it over AAC and God forbit SBC. Disabling multipoint slightly increases the quality so consider this as well. 2 Devices with LDAC sounds sufficiently good in my opinion. **Connectivity:** 0 Issues, I move a lot in the office, and left my phone (OnePlus 12) in my office while I’m out and about. Cero disconnections even in the kitchen with many interference prone devices. Multipoint connection? These are the best damn set of TWS in the market in this regard, only air pods on IOS ecosystem MIGHT give them some fight, but anything else, and only for this, there is no competition. The true nature in the end for a TWS, is conveniency and ease of connection, and these shine above them all. The swap between devices is delightful, and I know this seems like an “ok nice” feature, but its actually game changing when you rely on them for work. One BIG caveat, for some reason Android 14, even on silence, prioritaizes any notification that arrives to the phone, pausing any video or media you're seeing in the other device, it's so anoying. Only solution I found was to activate a "Silence all notifications" toggle to the quick settings bar. **Battery:** Definitely there are better ones in this area, my Galaxy Buds + last way longer, but, its ok regarding the Sony XM4, I don’t care for case battery, my top priority is in bud battery, and so far the Galaxy Buds + have been one of the best I tried and I’ve have them I think for over 2 years now. This being said, I don’t think is an issue, fast charging does help, just keep in mind that you’ll have to charge them at least 20 minutes a day. I’m talking mostly on a work-related environment, lots of calls, 2 devices (sometimes 3), transparency on most of the time, for 8 to 10 hours a day. This already got at 50% by the 4 hour of use mark, but 10 minutes in the case took them up to 83%, so I know this won’t be an issue. **ANC:** This are good, as good as Sony WF-XM4’s, for sure, at least for constant low frequency noise. For high pitch noise they really don’t cancel them much, but they do to a sufficient amount. The ANC is better than my PCX 550, take it as you wish. I am happy with the level of ANC they provide and need no more. I felt a little of cabin presure but, nothing relevant. To compliment this part, and transition to the next, I tried some Spinfit W1 (horrendous), some Moondrop Spring tips, some Generic Comply Memory Foam tips, Regular silicon, and the stock ones. USE THE STOCK ONES, any other tip I tried outside the stock ones, really make the ANC WAY worse, by 60% I would say, and it’s not an exaggeration, the stock ones are good, but I know that for some they might itch after long sessions, sadly this is something I don’t think is worth not enduring, the ANC is so good with the stock ones. **Transparency:** It's good, and works as intended, no hiss or static, easy to activate. Can't decide which is better, normal setting or focus only on voice, but for now, they sound good. They are not as good as Air Pod Max nor Air Pods 2 Pro in this regard, but they are in a "premium" level for sure. **Comfort:** They are good, comfy overall, there are some IEMS for sure more comfortable, but for TWS, I think they are very very good, but to each their ears. The tips I use, that seal and gave the best fit were the stock L ones. Do try different ones and go through the tutorial in the app, but the best way to test the fit is, 1st, for them to stay in your ears and do some pressure, but not too much, and not be slightly loosen, then open a window and if the ANC blocks the street noise, you're set. They are extremely secure on my ears, the Moondrop Spring tips are better, but, sadly they don’t seal well. **Call quality**: They are better sets out there, but this are good. They work, you sound robotic, but people understand you. The only ones that would say are worth ditching everything else just for voice call quality would be the 1MORE Evo, very basic in everything in my opinion, but the voice call quality are next level, and honestly, anything else in the whole TWS market is, okish, usable or trash. I know this review started a little harsh, but I really love 'em earbuds, I think they offer the best all rounder feature set from all competitors, sound will for sure impress the masses, they are NOT for bass heads or people that want to crack the volume to trembling levels, but they do good. Worth the $300? Only if you want something premium. OnePlus buds 3, Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Galaxy Buds FE, Air pods 3, there are many options that, if they have the options you want, like the style, fit or something else, will do the same for you as this one. Multipoint, comfort, Audio, App & Features are what makes this set a $300 USD one. If you can live with one or 2 things, they are not for you, if you need them all, for sure. In my opinion, the offer more for the money than the Momentum TW4, Bose QC Ultra, Sony WF-XM5, Air pods Pro 2, OnePlus Buds 3 and 2 Pro, they are truly focused to appease the biggest amount of demographic they can, and I think, they succeed in doing so.

Actually they are pretty bassy for my taste. But I know people "want" bass, so, to let them know these don't have rumbling bass. What I complain is only clarity, treble is a little mild. But for sure, they sound better than most premium TWS.

Hi! Look, they are definitely better than the Buds2 Pro in all categories, and I love those sets, but obviously the AZ80 are at a premium. I would say that if you want the best, have a phone with LDAC, use Drezzer, Tidal, Apple Music, with Hi-Fi lossless settings, yes, the AZ80 sound amazing, once they break in, they are not that far away from audiophile grade if you know what you want. Other options that I consider better than the buds2 pro are the nothing ear 2 and OnePlus buds 3, an excellent option at a moderate price. I bought my Technics at $255 back then, now they are at between $340-$380. I wouldn't buy them today at that price. It's an amazing pair of earbuds, but only worth it if you have specific needs to fulfill, mostly call, work, transparency/anc, decent to very good music experience, multipoint. Battery on earbud is mid, fit is mid, ANC is good enough.

Yes, bass is deeper with ANC and / or transparency off, and sounds a little fuller. But this only matters if you're in a quiet environment and really paying attention to your music. In noisy environments ANC will win all the time.

Nah man, they aren't, by a long shot. Too much low end but not the rumbling type one, details are not that great and treble is too damped down, rock or guitars in general sound really weak. This being said, they are truly worth $250-$300 in my opinion for everything else, build quality, comfort, call quality, multipoint, decent ANC (a Starbucks shop might be too much for them tho) But also it's not fair to compare them with cabled IEM's or Headsets. Comparing it with Bose and Sony sound wise, I like the AZ80 better. But the xm5's are ok as well. By no means they sound bad, but in summary, maybe the tuning is not of my taste.

Just an update on this, just last week they started sounding better, details and technical performance is for sure higher now, treble is way clearer now as well. Another thing, before, they sounded best with ANC or Transparency off, now, they sound significantly better with ANC or transparency on, I'm as baffled as this reads. All this on Dynamic preset.

All is still good with the AZ80 so far, battery life is still consistent. But they are 6-8 hour buds at best before needing to go back to the case. They charge pretty fast tho.

Sony's are better in noice canceling, bass and volume. Az80 are better in treble, technicalities, soundstage & detail/resolution. I think I can summarize it like this.

They aren't, to be honest. The momentum 3&4 sound really good but, they are still a little far from a budget IEM. Now, to get audiophile grade audio, and the perks of a modern TWE, I think you will need to make compromises. These earbuds are for when you need to move or be at work, you won't be paying extra attention to music, they are fine and sound fantastic for that. But when you're in a quiet space, relaxing, and really digging into music, better get some cabled IEM or Headphones. Also, the best audiophile gear is not that great in the isolation department so, it's not ideal to use them on the commute or office or coffee shop etc. The AZ80 for me are on the same level as the MTW4. The Sennheiser are a little better in sound, but worse in everything else. Again, for true wireless earbuds, this is the flagship tier of earbuds.

I mean, coming from a constant minimum of 86db from other earphones, yes, but once you get accustomed it's ok, I use them at 50% normally, in the street or noisy environments with ANC I do have to be at 85-90% volume to hear "good". It's just, their top volume is not crazy levels of volume just, enough. I do think this might be an Android limitation, they are noticeably higher volume in windows for example, there is a codec for LDAC on windows, I recommend it, although, it's not free. Depending on your laptop BT Antena, your bitrate will be between 400kbps to 700kbps, 900+ is achievable with a very high end BT antena only.

Have u noticed a difference in sound when using anc vs when it's off. To me for some reason when anc is off it sounds more full, bass hits harder, and the mids r slightly more pronounced. Not to say anc sounds bad but it definitely doesn't "hit" as well as when anc is off.

Damn I just bought my AZ80s last month. If I'd known this I would've held out a bit longer for the AZ100. What a shame.

I found the AZ80 ANC way better than the MTW4, both with stock ear tips. 

I wish the app would have a list of the paired/connected devices. Kinda useless multipoint. Very good idea with terrible execution. Never know where the audio comes from. And can't even switch until I stop the music on the source device first. 

Unfortunately the app is so dumb and won't let to manage the connected devices.  Hopefully my third pair will be better as the second was sent back the other day (right earbud ocassionnaly stopped charging and the cradle drained the remaining charge of right bud) and  the first unit just simply arrived dead.  The Attention option within the Ambient mode didn't work properly either. It supposed to let the voices in and amplify them but still block out the other ambient noises.  Mine amplified everything on Attention mode. 

Hey man 👋 IMO this is one of those specs that is kinda irrelevant in real life. Yes other earbuds may go slightly louder but the AZ80 are still incredibly loud, especially if you’re using ANC. Hope this helps

Yep. I'm curious about those too. AZ80's that I bought unfortunately I had to return due to case not charging anymore after 2 weeks only. AZ100's I hope have fixed that issue, also I really hope they have a sound difference.

Technica az80 with creative bt-w5

Agree

Best are Devialet Gemini 2 and Noble Audio FoKus Rex5 The pro-sumer tier are: Technics AZ80, Denon PerlPro's and B&W Pi8 I am impartial to my AZ80s

Normal Pixel buds 2 with spinfit tips were the most comfortable buds I've ever worn. Sound quality is very average. The technics AZ80 are very comfortable with incredible sound

Call quality on both are average, AZ80s are better. WH-XM5 are the best call quality I've ever experienced but that's an over ear set

My AZ80s are my fav piece of tech. They're incredible

I love my AZ80s, incredible sound

Technics AZ80s are mine. Only buds that match my Fiio FA9s close enough in resolution and fidelity.

I bought them for the sound quality first and they're incredible. Genuinely stunning sound presentation. Phone calls are fine. ANC is meh to me but I have WH-XM5s. All other ANC is just inferior when comparing to them. If I only had them for ANC I'd be disappointed imo Connection is absolutely incredible as well.

ANC=WH-XM5 not WF-XM5 Pure sound quality = AZ80s

Just ordered mine, currently use the AZ80s so I’ll see how they compare.

I’ve tried so many brands so I’m hoping the search stops here 😂 otherwise I’ll stick with the AZ80s.

I’ve had quite a few earbuds in my ears in the last few months and these are my three favs for different reasons but they all work for your scenario, imo. Best EDC: Technics AZ80 (fine for most gym workouts) Best EDC for those who need their hearing unobstructed or don’t like things in their ears: Bose Open Ultra The EDC buds I keep coming back to because they’re excellent in the gym, have excellent mics, and are solid everywhere else if you use EQ: Beats Fit Pro The latter are bottom heavy which I want during workouts, but for more attentive listening I use the Electronic EQ setting in Apple Music or on iPhone I use the Boom app. On Android there are EQ apps as well.

I cannot praise highly enough the listening sound quality of the Technics EAH-AZ80. Absolutely beautiful, well balanced, sounds like it's using a hi-fi codec even though it's just LDAC. Pricey for wireless earbuds but just incredible. Ambient Sound and Noise Cancelling and voice call quality won't be as good as Airpods Pro, probably, but these ABSOLUTELY kick ass for listening to music. And they're comfortable.

I've had the Sony XM5 for a little over a year. If ANC is what you're looking for, the Sony's are very overrated. It's terrible. I have quite a few other gripes about them as well. I had the XM4s before and IMO, they were better earbuds overall. From your list, I would go with the Bose Quiet Comfort. In my quest to replace my XM5s I'm currently trying out the Technics AZ80s and Bowers and Wilkins Pi8. If ANC is what you're after, I definitely look into the Technics as well. Noise cancellation is pretty fantastic. They don't touch B&W from a sound quality perspective, but ANC is great.

Technics AZ80 are great

I've tried all of these. I would go with the Momentum 4 or AZ80. Both sound the best of any I have tried.

I would certainly include the Status Audio Between ANC3’s From your list, most of which I’ve auditioned, I’ve kept the AZ80’s and the Betweens (and the Apple Pro 2s … nothing beats these for daily use)

Technics AZ80 wireless nc buds.....and love them over the Sony XM's and Galaxy Buds3 pro

I own the Perlo pro and Az80 the Perl pro are bassier and definitely louder, but Az80 instrumental and voice separation is amazing Perl pro sound good but when I try both the az80 brings out some amazing details that I'd never noticed before on the perls I'm using both the Az80 voice and midrange shines I love both though

I had the AZ80 for 12 months. I’ve used AirPod Pro Gen 2, and audio technica twx9. The AZ80 had the best sound by far. I listen to quite literally all genres. The mids and the highs were noticeably MUCH better. It was really nice to be able to listen to a drums in the background of a big band song and to be able to pick out each individual cymbal being struck. They were truly amazing for sound. The downsides. The battery life isn’t as good as it says online. The call quality was awful for people trying to hear my voice. Regularly I’d get friends and family repeatedly saying what. Especially if trying to call from outside with any sort of a breeze at all. They tout having the tech to single out your voice for others but it doesn’t work. And after 13 months, both earbuds just finally popped, and the case stopped charging 3 months ago, I have to use pass through. Going to get another set now, and I’m getting a new job that will have me on the phone more so I’m going to center my choice around a bud that can do that well. If I didn’t care about the voice calling, I’d probably get them again just for the sound quality being that much better to my ears.

I absolutely love my AZ80s... Volume isn't super loud but the sound makes up for it. Noise canceling is superb as well. Coming from Bose Quietcomfort Ultra earbuds.

Yeah.. they kind of hurt my ear 2- whats up with that ? :( I have to think very hard if i can justify to keep them. Just going back to the az 80s that fit perfect in my ear. Am i using them wrong?

I have a pair of Denon PerL Pro, and I think the sound is elegant, and controlled, and just a joy every time I use them. However, I've tried a pair of Technics AZ80, and I think those are just a tiny little bit better.

I have a pair of PerL Pro, and I love the sound, but as I said in several comments on this sub, the AZ80, which I've tested for a couple of hours, sound a little, little bit better. Not by much though.

I have a pair, but I've tested the Technics AZ80, and I like those a little bit better.

I do Like the Technics AZ80 and Sony WF-1000XM5. They work really good in my opinion

I bought AZ80 because of all these \*REVIEWS\*. Sound quality is not better than EarFun Air Pro 4, it is a slightly different (little less bass, so little more voice). Of course, I have used LDAC 900kbps profile with both models. Sound quality can't be physically better, both models has single dynamic driver. I was hugely disappointed and returned AZ80 back to Amazon. AZ100 still have single dynamic driver, sound quality could not be better than AZ80. It is an limit of the technology.

Your words are not supported by theory or practice. It's just your words. Theory: show me at least few loudspeakers with SINGLE driver, lol. Quick example, my loudspeakers Wharfedale Jade 7 has 4 drivers for different frequencies. Practice: single driver Technics AZ80 sound quality similar to single driver EarFuns Air Pro 4. New AZ100 still have single driver, so there won't be any changes.

Similar things happened with mine. I sent them back into Panasonic and they sent me a refund.

Sounds plausible. As for TWS, in my opinion, the situation is the same. Single driver is not able to output excellent voice and excellent bass at the same time. You can get either excellent voice and weak bass (Technics AZ80), or good voice and good bass (EarFun Air Pro 4).

One common mistake I see people doing with the AZ80s is running the ldac codec at 96.0 kHz / 32 bits. I actually use the Bluetooth code changer app to run at 44.1 kHz / 16 bits. Doing this I find the AZ80s to sound much better. Most music, even the Flac files I have is at this sample rate. Although I cannot find proof of this, but there are plenty of people who say that android scales everything to 48.0 kHz no matter what. Give it a try. Btw to do this in developer options you have to switch to another codec AAC then back to LDAC before it will let you change the sample rate

The AZ80s to me are way better than Sony. Sony NC may be slightly better but the AZ80s sound better and fit me much better.

The AZ80s are my main gym drivers. They have a solid fit for me. I have zero issues with them moving or wanting to fall out while lifting

Most flacs are at 44.1 kHz / 16 bit. Go into developer options and change from 96/32 to 44.1/16. You will hear a difference. Also run playback quality at best for audio. You can use the Bluetooth codec changer app to automatically change when you connect the earb2

I came from the Galaxy Buds+ and Pro2, which I still use for calls and around the house. Both were good, and the Buds+ are still my favorite fitting earbuds. Picked up the AZ80s about 6 months ago for when i travel. ANC is good enough, and the fit is decent for me. Sound quality is amazing, and the battery life is also excellent. Good luck with your choice.

Xm5 is ass compared even to az80

From my personal experience: 1) Devialet Gemini II 2) Technics AZ80 3) Bowers and Wilkins Pi8 4) Sony XM5 The Gemini II are flat out best sounding buds period to me and I'm yet to find something that out ranks it in the sound department. I have to listen to my planar magnetic wired headphones to get better sound. Looking forward to a comparison between the Gemini II and the AZ100.

The biggest issue i had with the az80 was not the sound quality or NC...which was excellent...but the fact that the right ear volume would significantly drop and become miffled after a period of time. I went through 2 rma bc of this issue and the third pair just started doing it. Panny has acknowledged the issue and found many other reports on reddit about the same thing. Hoping the az100 fixes that as I would love to grab a pair.

I have the AZ80 for a while now, still keeping them. they replaced my Sony that had battery issues. Soundwise for me, I prefer the Technics. It's a bit more detailed sounding than the XM5.

I have the az80; mainly as they give imho the best mic quality and in my job as IT Consultant I feel I owe my clients and partners a clear voice, even if I’m somewhere outside/subway/cab/… For audio they are great too, maybe there are better ones. So if the az100 aren’t a step back with regards to the mic and isolating voice from background, they’ll be a good choice

Set AZ100 on LE mode. Sounds comfortable for my ears vs LDAC . The battery consumption on flight back from Japan . ANC on est 10% drop for an hour . Medium volume. I hav az80 too both sound diff .

My top Picks are 1. Technics AZ80 2. Bowers and Wilkins Pi8 3. Denon Perl Pro

Technics az80 are awesome. Don't buy Sony. If you have Samsung, consider the buds 2 pro or wait for buds 3 pro.

Dissapoint in AZ-80, they dont stick in ear at all...despite being one of the best in fitting category. Almost lost them then they pop up suddenly at night walk, so annoyng to move them back.

I've tried the technics and the sonys (on Android, s24 ultra). The technics were much better, but I went with the Beoplay Eleven - I got it for around 400 after student discount applied.

Unfortunately there are NO "one size fits all" and there are NO "best wireless earbuds" at rhe moment. Sound, ANC, fit & comfort are very much dependant on how they fit you. Eartips FROM Azla, Spinfit and Comply also enhance the experience with better grip and comfort. I've had all the buds on your list. I see Sonys mentioned a lot in this thread. They are awful imo. Very small footprint makes them loose in my ears. Terrible hybrid foam tips which are too small and have no grip. It's ANC gives a bad thudding body noise when ur exercising or when there's a loud noise near u. Turn anc off and it's gone. Call quality very average and poor in noise environments. They also have battery issues which u can read with a quick Google. Technics AZ80 have very good sound quality and decent battery life but they didn't stay in properly for me. ANC is average at best. The customisation and app is one of the best out there. Jabra Elite 10 are solid. Esp when paired with Azla eartips. Good anc, good sound good call quality. Bose QC Ultra have good sound, best in class anc but they also have a thudding noise when anc is on, although not as bad as the Sonys. Call quality is average and bad in noise environments. App control and connection and stability are not great. Sennheiser MTW4 are what I stuck with. Good sound (esp when personalised and tweaked), good comfortable fit for me, good anc, good battery. Call quality is average. Good app and customisation.

Yup. LDAC with Az80 is the shit.

I can chime in my experience with AZ80 and XM5. The Az80 wins in every category. Somewhat ties on ANC.

I have the AZ80 and Space A40 from this list. I also have the Earfun Air Pro 4, Soundcore Liberty 4NC, Soundcore Sport X20, and I've had several others over the last couple of years including the Jabra Elite 10 gen1. The Earfuns are my favorite for music. The AZ80s are my favorites for day to day use, including phone calls and transparency mode. What I've learned is, the difference between the really high dollar options and mid-priced ones is much smaller than you would expect. I hadn't used the A40s in a while, and they were my absolute favorites for a long time. While they aren't as good as my Earfuns or Technics, unless you're comparing them side to side, you'll probably be okay.

First, I would say after owning several, that what is your favorite doesn't have to be the "best". But since you ask, I would give the best to the Technics AZ80. They are incredibly well rounded and do pretty much everything well. The only negative I can say is, mine had to be replaced because the case stopped charging. I actually had the AZ60M2, and Technics upgraded me to the Az80 as a replacement. There's not a huge difference between the two, but the AZ80s have the slight edge The ones I use most often are the Earfun Air Pro 4. These have been a major surprise. I like them because of how comfortable they are. I also really liked the Oneplus Buds 3, but the Air Pro 4 edged them out on sheer comfort. If you don't want to spend AZ80 money, then the Oneplus Buds 3 or Earfun Air Pro 4 is absolutely where I'd stay and I'd be very happy.

AZ80 sounds miles better from Android using LDAC than iPhone still.

AZ80 is my favorite. I've not compared as many as the OP. Looking for a new set. I just like newer and better things. It's an illness lol

absolutely not even in the same category as thr technics.

Vouch. Pristine sound quality.

I went with the Technics. They’re fantastic

I'll keep riding shotgun on your bandwagon. AZ80s are exceptional in every single way. Let's be real though. Every ear is shaped differently. Everyone hears in different frequencies. No amount of recommendations and reading is going help, only confuse. Buy a pair of quality earbuds, give them a thorough test drive. If you don't like them, return them and keep trying. If it's a budget thing, I'd recommend getting the Technics AZ60M2s as a jump off point. They're honestly so close to the 80s it's worth the price break. Best of luck! . Edit: Using reply to speak to OP. Homer move *shrug*

Shame. AZ-80s are better than all of those and Woot has them right now for $209. New. They won't last long.

AZ80 are the best all round for sure. The only problem is the price on them.

Don't believe it. I have them for like 3 weeks now and I never had any problem. The sound on these buds is out of this world. I had Technics AZ80 and I returned them. They were in the quiet category.

With my AZ60 I get vastly different sound when I use the S2 eartip compared to when I use the S1 eartip. S2 is shorter and the bore is of some other material I think. I think that AZ80 comes with the same eartips, hence this comment. With S1 there isn't much subbass at all and there is lots of treble. The EQ can't boost the subbass. I don't like that sound at all. With S2 there is plenty of subbass but treble is a bit muted do I have to EQ it slightly and then the sound is very lovely. (My EQ is like an upward slope increasingly boosting everything except the lowest band) Size S is almost a little too small (passive isolation suffers slightly) for me and the M eartips are as long as S1 and produce the same sound that I don't like. So currently I'm stuck with S2 until I find some third party eartips that retains the super lovely sound I get with S2. TLDR Try different eartips, wild how much of a difference they can make.

They have great clarity, and honestly the first few days sounded good when I didn’t have anything to compare them to. It’s when you put them side to side next to a pi8 or the Perl pros where they really sound lacking on low frequencies/bass. I’ve seen reviews vary on technics too.

I wanted to like the Denons, but, those damn things just wont stay in my ears, regardless of the 6 or so different tips I tried, so I tried the PI8's and low and behold, mind boggling sound, and they stay put in my ears.. AZ 80's are solid, premium buds, but sound wise, the B&W PI8 and the Denons pearl pros definitely sound better

While the XM5 has a really beautiful sound, I found it (1) really hard to find the spot in my ear when I knew it was "in" and (2) the glossy nature felt slippery taking in and out. Otherwise zero complaints, great headphones. The Technics AZ80 (and even AZ60s) are fantastic. The latter if price is an issue. A little larger than expected but like a butter in the ear and you forget about the size quickly. Sound is superb. Case is larger than the XM5 but not unmanageable. These are my recent favorites. Buds Pro 3 if you use Samsung ecosystem are excellent too.

Technics! AZ80 and looking forward for the new version, whenever it will be out!

I just tested out those crystal pods, they sound better than airpods pro 2’s. And not much different than technic AZ-80’s. The anc isn’t as good, and I didn’t test out the call quality, but im getting a 2nd pair before the price goes up!

They're better sounding than AZ80s, pretty much across the freq spectrum, more controlled and precise sounding.

LMAO, wait you really think single dynamic drivers all sound the same. The AZ100 sound very different to the 80s, but you go on using that trash. Hahaha, ahahaha, ahahahhahahhahahhahahhahaa. Wow. Just...wow.