2025
Hi-fi audio is a funny thing. Someone could say the words “high fidelity” until you’re both blue in the face, but it’s hard to understand unless you hear it for yourself. I mean, how high is high, anyway? Great audio is as high as your frame of reference is, and if you’re like most people and you’re used to sticking AirPods in your ears and calling it a day, then that’s your baseline. But not everyone is so easily wooed by Apple’s ecosystem, and for those baptized in the expensive waters of hi-fi audio, the ceiling is damn near cathedral-length. With that extra headroom, however, comes an even loftier hit to your wallet. But how good can Panasonic’s $299 Technics EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds that cost more than Apple’s ubiquitous white buds really sound?
I got a chance to test out the EAH-AZ100, and at the risk of spoiling the surprise here, I can tell you that they sound pretty freaking next level. At the core of that great sound are proprietary magnetic fluid drivers, which are as cool in theory as they are in practice. I wouldn’t usually bother to get into the nitty-gritty of how drivers work, but in this case I think it’s worth explaining to make you appreciate these buds’ uniqueness.
Technics EAH-AZ100 The Technics EAH-AZ100 are costly wireless earbuds that are worth every penny. See at Amazon Pros Incredible, nuanced sound
Incredible, nuanced sound Great battery life with ANC on
Great battery life with ANC on Comfortable
Comfortable Full-featured Cons ANC is solid but not great
ANC is solid but not great Not the sleekest-looking buds
When it comes to sound quality, mitigating distortion is the name of the game. Distortion happens in a number of ways, but usually distorted sound emanates from some kind of deficiency in the driver. That deficiency can be the result of materials, design, and other factors, but Panasonic’s magnetic fluid drivers focus on one thing in particular, which is stability, so to speak. While most wireless earbud drivers will vibrate in random directions while pumping out sound, causing distortion along the way, the EAH-AZ100’s drivers are immersed in an oil-like substance with magnetic particles that prevent unwanted movement and the dreaded distortion that happens. The results? I’m not going to lie, they’re impressive.
I listened to almost the entirety of one of my favorite rock albums of the past five years (Geese’s “3D Country”), and it felt like hearing some of those songs for the first time. Distorted guitars are perfectly crunchy, bass and low end are natural-sounding and don’t feel oversimulated, and vocals are clear, crisp, and nuanced. I switched genres and listened to hip-hop (Milo’s song, “Tiptoe”), and the same held true. In fact, across all the genres I tested these wireless earbuds on—indie rock, folk, hip-hop, and electronic—they sounded great. Even though I was listening to compressed audio files on Spotify, it felt like I was one step closer to hearing songs like those artists intended when they entered the studio. I also happened to be testing Bose’s second-gen QuietComfort Ultra wireless earbuds at the same time and can say confidently that the Technics EAH-AZ100 win in the clarity department and by a noticeable margin.
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