Technics EAH-AZ60 Review: These Brilliant Wireless Earbuds With LDAC Bluetooth Are The Real Deal!

TL;DR

The Technics’ EAH-AZ60’s strong ANC, call clarity, and detailed yet easy-going sound signature put them amongst the best True Wireless Earbuds on the market. The Bass can come on a little strong at times, but for the most part, it adds a nice weight to the music.

Intro

Technics is mainly known for its premium turntables and stereo component systems, but back in 2020, they released their first pair of upscale True Wireless Earbuds, the EAH-AZ70W.

When we reviewed them, we loved their top-quality build, as well as their sound, but we also noted they had some fit issues and lacked the advanced Bluetooth codecs (like aptX or LDAC) you would expect in a top-of-the-line wireless earphone.

Today we’re checking out one of Technics’ second-generation True Wireless Earbuds, the $229 Technics EAH-AZ60 True Wireless Earbuds. While it looks somewhat similar to their previous model, It’s an all-new design that boasts new technology and features.

At its price point, it competes with a lot of heavy hitters from Sony, Apple, and Samsung. So how does it match up with the competition? Does it provide a “superior listening experience” as promised? Well read on, and I’ll give you the scoop!

Disclaimer: The EAH-AZ60 was sent to us by Technics in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. No input was given regarding this content. They do not have to be returned once our evaluation is complete.

Build/Features

As already stated, the EAH-AZ60 looks a lot like its predecessor, the EAH-AZ70W, which makes sense since it had a very attractive design. As I always say, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

However, while the AZ70 was quite striking, it did have some fit issues– mainly difficulty keeping them inside your ear. To that end, Technics has made some clever modifications to improve ergonomics on the new model.

First of all, they’ve adjusted the shape of the earpieces to fit more snug, with a longer nozzle that goes deeper in the ear canal.

Secondly, they’ve provided seven different sizes of silicone ear tips, providing a greater chance of finding one that fits your ear, which in turn helps the buds stay in better. This, along with IPX4 resistance to sweat and rain should make them good for light exercise at the very least.

I personally had an issue keeping the original Technics buds in my ears, but the AZ60’s lightweight, low profile enclosures and longer nozzles fit my ears a lot better, keeping them from falling out.

Now, the deeper fit did take some getting some used to, but the adjustment period was quick. I recently wore them for a couple of hours in the airport, followed by a short two-hour flight, and after the first ten minutes or so, I basically forgot they were there.

During the flight, I found the AZ60’s dual-hybrid noise canceling to be superb when it came to shutting out both engine noise and the conversations of other passengers. I would say slightly better than the Apple Air Pods Pro or Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro that I usually use when I travel by plane.

I also found the AZ60’s Ambient sound mode to be remarkably natural and effective, allowing me to clearly hear the announcement of the flight crew without blasting my ears with background noise.

The AZ60 uses Bluetooth 5.2, which makes for super quick, almost instantaneous connections to your phone or tablet, and voice prompts inside the earphones do an excellent job of keeping you abreast of connection status.

BT 5.2 also opens the door for slightly above average battery life. These earphones give you between 7-5 hours of playback, depending on which Bluetooth codec you use (and whether or not ANC is engaged).

The included charging case can recharge the earphones up to three times before it has to be charged itself. The case and the earbuds take about 3.5 hours to fully charge, but a 15-minute quick charge will give you about an hour of playback time.

Unlike the first Technics wireless earbuds, the EAH-AZ60 is compatible with the LDAC BT audio codec (along with the more common AAC & SBC codecs). LDAC gives you the equivalent of 24/96 Hi-Res audio, and if your phone has it, you can get sound almost equal to what you hear from wired earphones.

If your device doesn’t have LDAC, the alternative AAC, and SBC BT codecs also sound decent on these earphones, but you want to use LDAC if possible, as it sounds a lot better. Unfortunately, aptX isn’t on deck, which is usually my codec of choice if LDAC isn’t available.

Along with advanced BT audio codecs, the BT section of the AZ60 also has Multi-Point connectivity, which means it can connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time. This is pretty cool because it means you can play music from a laptop while staying connected to your smartphone to take calls.

Without Multi-Point, you would have to disconnect from your computer first, then connect to the phone, which is a hassle, and would probably take too long.

On the side of each earbud, there are Easy-Touch sensors that allow you to perform a multitude of functions, including music play/pause, volume, call handling (answer/end/reject), and switching between the aforementioned sound modes.

You can also connect to the voice assistant of your choice, whether it be Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant. I found the touch controls to be quite responsive, providing quick access to all functions.

In addition, the AZ60 also does a great job when taking phone calls. During my conversations using the Technics’ earbuds, I was able to hear the other party clearly, and even more importantly, they were able to hear me clearly without me having to yell. Technics’ “JustMyVoice” technology which uses 8 individual mics and wind noise reduction to present your voice to the caller on the other end, seems to work as advertised.

Simply put, this is excellent, because there is nothing more annoying than talking to someone on a headset, and having them constantly say “Huh?” or “What did you say?”

For the most part, I love the functionality of the AZ60. There’s only one feature I really wished it had, and that would be Auto Ear-Detection, as you find on the Apple Air Pods Pro and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. This feature automatically pauses and plays music when you remove an earbud from your ear, and it’s something I find really convenient, especially when someone is talking to you.

Not having it isn’t the end of the world, as you still have the ambient sound modes, but it’s just worth mentioning, just in case you’re looking for this feature in particular.

About The Technics Audio Connect App

Like most premium True Wireless Earbuds out right now, the AZ60 earbuds have an app that lets you customize their functions. In this case, it’s the Technics Audio Connect App, which opens up a great many features, many only accessible via the app.

For example, from the app, you can adjust the strength of the ANC and Ambient modes, as well as select between two ambient modes (Transparent and Attention). Transparent mode lets all sound in unchanged, and Attention mode emphasizes voices, so you can hear people talking. It’s a nifty feature that worked well when I tried it.

The app also lets you set preset EQs (Bass +, Treble +, Vocal, or Dynamic) or create your own custom EQ. You can also find your headphones on a map, customize the touch controls, check the battery life of each bud individually, select the BT audio codec, and much more.

All in all, I think the app works well, as it picks up the headphones quickly and is responsive in general. My only complaint is the LDAC setting in the app, as it doesn’t let you select the version that is optimized for audio quality. If you want the highest quality LDAC setting, you have to set it either in the phone’s Bluetooth settings or in Android’s Developer options, depending on the smartphone model.

Sound

For my listening tests, I connected the EAH-AZ60 to my Samsung Galaxy s21 Ultra via LDAC (Optimized for audio at 990kbps). Then I played a bunch of music via TIDAL to see what these Technics earbuds could do.

Listening to Patricia Barber’s latest album “Clique”, I was pleased by the detailed and rich midrange highlighting Barber’s hauntingly beautiful voice along with the piano. That coupled with the deep and articulate low end made the upright bass anchoring the first track come alive.

As far as tonal balance goes, there’s some roll-off at the top which takes a little bit of the sparkle and air out of the presentation, and a tad bit of bass bleed that encroaches on the lower mids during heavy bass tracks.

That said, the laid-back top end gives the AZ60 a smoothness that makes them easy to listen to, and the deep bass adds some welcome richness on all but the most bass-heavy tracks.

Also, usually, when you get the midrange right, it covers a multitude of sins, and I find that is the case here. The mids have a special richness that brings out the trailing edges of notes and provides a natural tone to the whole presentation.

Overall, with no EQ applied, the AZ60 has a warm, smooth, yet detailed sound. It could use just a touch more presence, but for the most part, I loved the laid-back presentation.

Also, keep in mind, if you do run into a track where the bass is too deep, you can engage the EQ, and flatten things out to your liking.

Vs. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

I compared the sound to my to-go Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds, and they were a little more balanced with more presence and openness up top and a more controlled bottom end that had just the right lift in the sub-bass.

On the other hand, the Technics earbud had more detail and resolution especially through the midrange, making instruments and vocals sound more realistic.

The AZ60 also has slightly better ANC and Ambient sound modes, while comfort is pretty much a wash.

The Wrap Up

The Technics EAH-AZ60 is a great-looking set of True Wireless Earbuds that has decent comfort, responsive touch controls, superb ANC, plus excellent call handling and a slick app that lets you customize features to your liking. They also sound great (especially in LDAC mode) with a rich midrange that brings your music to life.

I do wish the mid-bass was toned down a little bit out of the box, but you can adjust it with the app-based EQ if you wish. Nevertheless, the AZ60 does provide a top-notch sound experience and competes well with the competition from Apple, Sony, and Samsung, especially if you like deep bass. They are definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for an alternative.