The flagship Technics AZ80 fully wireless headphones offer high sound quality, good noise cancellation, and the rare ability to simultaneously connect to three devices at once. I'll tell you how well they cope with all these tasks in this review.
Specifications of Technics AZ80
| Headphone type | in-channel |
| Connection type | True Wireless |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 |
| Range of action | 10 meters |
| Support for codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Management | sensory |
| Volume control | + |
| Microphones | support for noise reduction |
| Headphone weight | 7 grams |
| Case weight | 50 grams |
| Protection against moisture | IPX4 |
| Battery life | with AAC codec up to 7 hours on a single charge with noise reduction, 7.5 hours without it, + 24 hours with a case |
| Charging | USB Type-C, wireless |
| Recommended price in Ukraine | 10 999 UAH |
Package contents
The model comes in a small box, where, in addition to the headphones and the case, you can also find a charging cable, documentation, and 6 additional silicone tips.
Technics takes it very seriously that users can find the most comfortable fit and provide additional noise isolation.
Therefore, the additional tips not only have different sizes, but also lengths, which may be more convenient for people with a deeper ear canal. The manufacturer is to be applauded for such attention to detail.
Design and case
Technics AZ80 have an in-ear fit and a medium-sized plastic case. The shape of the headphones is ergonomic, they sit very comfortably in the auricle, but still protrude slightly from it.
The outer side of the emitters has a round shape with small concentric circles resembling polished metal. There is also a Technics brand logo.
The model is available in two colors: silver and black.
Each earbud weighs 7 grams, and they are almost imperceptible during prolonged use. If you choose the right size of the earbuds, you can do sports in Technics AZ80, especially since the headphones are IPX4 waterproof. This should be enough to protect them from sweat drops.
Over the past year, our editorial office has reviewed many TWS headphones, and from my own experience, I can say that the cost or premium positioning does not always guarantee a good quality case. Even in top models, it can be mediocre. So, those manufacturers who have problems with this can turn to Technics for help, because the AZ80 case is really well made.
It is not very large, weighing only 50 grams, made of plastic and has a metal lid with a very nice opening mechanism. Those who like to "click" the lid will be pleased.
There are no additional keys on the case, only a USB-C port for charging. By the way, there is also support for wireless charging via the Qi standard.
Connecting and setting up
Technics AZ80 uses Bluetooth 5.3 protocol with A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, and HFP profiles to connect to a smartphone, laptop, or other audio source. The headphones are automatically detected by Android smartphones and Windows computers, allowing you to quickly pair them and start using them.
AZ80 uses SBC, AAC and LDAC codecs. The latter was developed by Sony to deliver higher quality audio (up to 990 Kbps), but is a standard codec starting with Android 8.0 Oreo, so Hi-Res sound will be available to users of most modern Android smartphones. The standard AAC codec will be used to stream audio from Apple devices.
An interesting feature of Technics AZ80 is the ability to simultaneously connect not only to two but also to three devices at the same time. In this case, however, you will not be able to listen to higher quality audio, because the LDAC codec is not available with a triple connection. However, for those who listen to music through streaming services like Spotify or Google Music, this won't be a problem, because they don't really need LDAC.
The headphones hold simultaneous connection well, and there is even automatic switching between sound sources. But it's interesting that they have different priorities. For example, if you listen to music on an Android smartphone and turn on a video on a Windows laptop, the headphones will automatically switch to it. But it doesn't work the other way around; you'll have to pause the video on your laptop first, and then turn on the music on your smartphone. At the same time, during an incoming call, the smartphone is prioritized higher, and the headphones automatically switch to it.
For more fine-tuning of Technics AZ80, you can install the proprietary Audio Connect application, where you can change the noise reduction (ANC), transparency mode, equalizer, control gestures, headphone sensor, change connection and multi-point connection modes. In general, there are a lot of options, and the program interface allows you to change them quite conveniently.
It should be noted separately that Technics not only translated the Audio Connect app interface into Ukrainian, but also added Ukrainian voiceover for switching settings to the headphones themselves. It's quite unusual, but it's nice to hear "Connected" when you start using the headphones, instead of the usual "Connected".
Sound, noise reduction, microphones
The headphones are equipped with 10 mm drivers that produce very detailed sound. The model forms one of the widest imaginary scenes among the top TWS headphones, working perfectly in the mid and high range. Low frequencies are quite even here, and even the bass boost option does not make them more expressive. Given the overall detail, this is quite an adequate setting. This approach, of course, will not appeal to fans of strong bass, but they will most likely still look towards full-size models.
For listeners who appreciate good vocal reproduction and clear separation of instruments, Technics AZ80 is exactly what they need.
The noise canceling system in the headphones allows you to cut off monotonous sounds, so you can comfortably listen to music in public transport. At the same time, AZ80 do not create too much anti-noise and do not put pressure on the eardrums. In the Audio Connect app, you can adjust the noise reduction level, and it can be made minimal.
The headphones also allow you to activate the transparency mode, letting in extraneous sounds, and it works mediocrely. The microphones are quite sensitive and by default transmit just all the surrounding sounds, and amplify them, which may sound logical, but in practice creates loud and unpleasant white noise.
In the Audio Connect app, you can enable the voice focus option, which partially fixes the situation. But I would like the manufacturer to fix this problem in future firmware updates.
When operating in headset mode, the headphones provide fairly good voice transmission and effectively cut out even loud extraneous noise.
Technics AZ80, of course, could not avoid the effect of artificial voice; when the algorithm tries to distinguish your voice against a noisy environment, you will still sound a bit like a robot, but the interlocutor will be able to hear you, and that's the main thing.
Battery life
The capacity of the battery built into each headphone is 70 mAh, and there is another 650 mAh in the case. This allows the Technics AZ80 to provide a generally good level of autonomy, but it depends very much on which codec is used and whether the noise reduction system is active. With the AAC codec and active ANC, the headphones can work for 7 hours, and the case will add another 24 hours, but if you switch to LDAC, the autonomy will drop to 4.5 hours for the headphones and up to 16 hours for the case.
AZ80 support fast charging, 15 minutes in the case adds 70 minutes of listening time. As for full charging, it takes 2 hours for the headphones and 2.5 hours for the case. The latter is charged via USB-C and supports the aforementioned Qi wireless charging, but it takes up to 3.5 hours.
