2025-01-07 18:30:04| Engadget
Panasonic has debuted several sets of earbuds under its Technics brand at this point. At CES 2025, the company is adding one more, but this one has some more interesting tech inside than the others. The new Technics flagship earbuds, the EAH-AZ100, have newly-developed magnetic fluid drivers that the company says allowed it to significantly improve audio quality. The previous model, the EAH-AZ80, already sounded great, so Technics really had it work cut out for it in order to improve things even further. But after hearing them for myself, I can confirm the company managed to make yet another sonic leap.
Technics says the 10mm magnetic fluid drivers inside the AZ100 produce "clean, high-resolution, low-vibration and low-distortion sounds," which it further describes as "the most authentic, balanced audio thats true to the original source." The drivers utilize technology that has be miniaturized from the company's EAH-TZ700 wired in-ear monitors. That magnetic fluid is an oil-like liquid that's filled with magnetic particles before Technics injects it between the driver magnet and coil. The driver also has a free edge that enables 3Hz of deep bass, plus there's an aluminum diaphragm that produces natural sound separation and details at high resolution.
Spatial audio is in play as well. The AZ100 supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Head Tracking for a full 360-degree listening setup. You can also listen to LDAC content on these earbuds, but battery life takes a hit when you do. Robust adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC), Voice Focus AI for calls, touch controls and three-device multipoint connectivity are all on the spec sheet. There's a one-touch Conversation Mode too, allowing users to instantly pause content and activate transparency mode when needed. Auracast and Google Fast Pair made the cut as well.
You can expect up to 10 hours of ANC use on a charge, with another 18 hours worth of power in the case. That accessory supports wireless charging with Qi-certified devices and a 15-minute quick charge is enough for 90 minutes of playback with noise cancellation enabled. The AZ100's updates also include a refined shape as well as size and weight reductions, all of which should lead to a more comfortable fit for the IPX4-rated earbuds.
Panasonic's preview event was in a dark Vegas nightclub, so apologies for the image quality.
Billy Steele for Engadget
I was able to try the AZ100 for a few minutes at Panasonic's preview event at CES. When doing a direct comparison with a set of AZ80 earbuds that were also available, the difference in sound quality was striking. The AZ80 was well-reviewed, and some outlets even picked them as the best option in terms of pure audio performance. The AZ100 blows them out of the water.
The first thing I noticed was how much louder the AZ100 is at the same volume level. What's more, all of the claims Technics made about the detail, clarity and deep bass from the new fluid drivers holds true. Across songs from Lewis Capaldi, Dua Lipa, Train and The Eagles (I didn't pick the playlist), there was a wide, immersive sound stage that enveloped my ears with guitars, drums, beats and vocals. There was driving low-end tone when a dance track like "Don't Start Now" called for it, and there was also pristine detail in softer acoustic guitar in "Hotel California." I'll note that Technics offered FLAC files for the demo, so I'll be interested to see how the AZ100 fares with "regular" quality tunes from a streaming service.
ANC performance was also quite good during my short introduction. The noise-blocking tech was robust enough to silence most of the clamor from the showroom in a Vegas nightclub, though it struggled with the voices of the people closest to me. Transparency mode sounded pleasantly natural as well, but I'd like to test it in a less-crowded environment before I can say for sure how good it really is.
The AZ100 is available today for $300 is silver and black color options.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/technics-az100-earbuds-hands-on-ces-2025-173004465.html?src=rss
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