For anyone that spent time in clubs and around DJs any time between the 1970s and 2000s, the Technics brand is synonymous with its legendary SL-1200 line of pitch-shifting turntables. After a brief hiatus that ended thanks to the resurgence of vinyl, that heritage of bombproof direct-drive decks continues with the recently released SL-1300G—a turntable […]
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For anyone that spent time in clubs and around DJs any time between the 1970s and 2000s, the Technics brand is synonymous with its legendary SL-1200 line of pitch-shifting turntables. After a brief hiatus that ended thanks to the resurgence of vinyl, that heritage of bombproof direct-drive decks continues with the recently released SL-1300G—a turntable aimed more at audiophiles than festival headliners. In 2023, Technics released premium Bluetooth earbuds to extend its legacy from the LP bins into the streaming era. The company is back a year-and-a-half later with the flagship EAH-AZ100 (buy now for $299), a significant upgrade both inside and out. The earbuds are revealed today at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, but PopSci has been able to test them for a little under a month under embargo and we've walked away (and walked with them) impressed. Disclosure: Our review sample was seeded during a press trip to Kyoto, Japan, paid for by Technics parent company Panasonic. The build Of the many changes Technics made to these earbuds, the one that immediately jumps out is their size. Whereas the EAH-AZ80 was somewhat teardrop/shaped, the AZH-100's housing is more compact and cylindrical and trims a gram off the weight (down to 6g per earbud). These stemless earbuds are a lot smaller than the typical Bluetooth earbuds we've tested, which came with a big advantage: they're a lot more comfortable to wear. Once we popped them in, we could listen to hours without pressure or fatigue setting in. Technics includes multiple sizes of eartips in the box—we stuck with the standard medium, which are installed by default, and we recommend trying out a couple of tip sets before deciding which ones work best. Our assessment is entirely subjective, and if you don't like stemless True Wireless (TWS) earbuds, the EAH-AZ100s may not be for you. We didn't have any trouble with them falling out of our ears, even during exercises like jumping jacks, but your experience…