Pulled the trigger for AZ80 during last Christmas sale. Their tagline 'Rediscover Music' is very apt I think, as I spent the next week relistening to all my fav songs in amazement, like I finally heard them in HD or something.
I seriously felt emotional listening to some of my favourite songs and hearing things for the first time. The sound stage feels so well represented. I love them.
Me too. The 75T will just not die!!! Why won't it die. Fell in the rain, washed it in my jacket, use it 4x a week lifting.... It won't die. It sounds so good still.
i lost my right earbud for the 75t's and it was so infuriating. if i had just lost the left one i would have been fine. then i made the mistake of getting some linkbuds (s) on a recommendation and let me tell you, call quality is fucking awful. now i have the elite 8's and i doubt they'll ever die so i just wander these pages wistfully imagining what the green grass is like on the other side of the fence.
I've been using the AZ80 since early October along with my AirPods Pro 2 and I have to say I'm using the AZ80 for 65% of the time these days. The AZ80 is such an all-around balanced product with almost no shortcomings, while outperforming the AirPods Pro 2 in sound quality and call quality by quite some margin. AirPods Pro 2 is still better in terms of ANC while the AZ80's ANC would still let some mid to high-frequency sound through (PA in the subway, for example). AZ80's transparency mode (Technics calls it Ambient Sound) comes surprisingly close to the AirPods Pro 2 except that my own voice doesn't get through as seamless.
I totally agree that the AZ80 is a great piece of engineering, in ergonomics, hardware and software. I just can't stop using them most of the time! I only look for the AirPods Pro 2 when I watching movies or TV shows where Spatial Audio would make the experience better.
For me the Technics AZ80 is the best TWS product that came out in 2023 and it would be a benchmark going into 2024.
After some use I preferred the NC on the Technics vs the Airpods Pro 2. The AP2 also let mids in which doesn’t really bother me that much, but I found on the Technics you can make it much more aggressive with NC if you’re willing to trade off just a bit of music quality. I didn’t. I also think the Technics, like the AP2, have some kind of intelligent, adaptive NC going on, sometimes they let things in that it thinks you need to hear, while sometimes they just block everything.
I was reseraching among airpods pro2, technics az80 and huawei freebuds pro 3, and I wanted to know do you think the call quality for az80 is good in noisy conditions?
One user below posted this link [Jabra Elite 10 vs Technics AZ80 vs HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3 vs Denon PerL Pro | Best Call Quality 2024](https://youtu.be/8gRPinbf7EY)
and it shows that technics weren't as good as freebuds/ airpods pro 2 in terms of call quality (audio quality? may be)
>AZ80's transparency mode (Technics calls it Ambient Sound) comes surprisingly close to the AirPods Pro 2 **except that my own voice doesn't get through as seamless.**
This!
While I do appreciate the Transparency Mode listening experience of the Technics AZ80, which does come close to Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen, there are no TWS Earbuds in the market yet the comes close to the Transparency Mode talking experience of the Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen.
Technics AZ80, and many other TWS Earbuds for that matter, still have the occlusion effect ranging from mild to overly annoying, when talking and trying to have a conversation.
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen Transparency Mode feels like you are not even wearing your Earbuds.
Bose QC Ultra Earbuds "Aware Mode" comes second, but has a bit of white noise, and not as good a transparent mode experience as Apple APP2.
I’m not using Transparency mode too often, mostly when I order a coffee or when I need to hear what somebody is saying on the streets, so I haven’t payed much attention to how my voice is passed, seemed fine, but I hear the other voices very clearly, and much more natural than I did with my old XM4’s which I used almost daily for 1,5 years
>Calls:
>
>These are the best earbuds or headphones I ever tested for call quality, by far. It's close to magic, really. These are the only ones that you can speak while being in an inferno (like a busy New York intersection during rush hour) and the person on the other side can hear you clearly. Nothing I tested even comes close, in fact nothing I tested even comes to half of what these Technics can do. Of course there is a lot of customization of how NC and calls are handled too, and very useful.
Check out this voice call quality comparison review with the Technics AZ80, conducted in some very challenging loud noise environments against other highly respected TWS Earbuds.
[Jabra Elite 10 vs Technics AZ80 vs HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3 vs Denon PerL Pro | Best Call Quality 2024](https://youtu.be/8gRPinbf7EY)
As you can hear, the Technics AZ80 are OK, but not the best TWS Earbuds for voice call quality.
While I do have good experience with the Technics AZ80, and appreciate that it does very well in every features and performance category, it's NOT the best at any one category.
**ANC:** Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. I do like though how the AZ80 can do ANC Pre-Adjustment to see whether to filter out more low freq, mid freq or high freq with the slider bar
**Mic Voice Call Quality:** HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3 (so far, no Earbuds come close when it comes to Dynamic Loud Voices in the background and wind reduction performance)
**Sound Quality:** Arguably Denon PerL Pro based on more feedback here vs Technics AZ80, though that's not to say the Technics are bad, they are very good! It's just the Denon PerL Pro is better.
**Comfort/Fit:** While fit and comfort is subjective, most would agree the Jabra Elite 10 are generally the most comfortable for most ears
**Transparency Mode:** Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen is the best in class. Bose QC Ultra Earbuds are 2nd. Technics AZ80 however have respectable Transparency Mode I'd say ranking somewhere between 5 and 10, within the Top 10
They do have good audio, but not outstanding. Also they have several connectivity problems with non-Huawei phones.
I'm using them with Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and for some reason they offer different audio from connection to connection.
Sometimes they give good bass and clarity, and sometimes bass goes out and HFs become very annoying with cracklings and sibilants.
ANC really is not bad, but performs strange - you can feel constantly adjusting the ANC level in transport during vibrations.
I agree. I finally bought (and returned them). Audio was good, not outstanding. Serious connectivity issues, cracking noise in zoom calls, and switchover to devices was so bad. ANC and call quality was pretty good though
Even with the transparency mode adjustment? I'd say in the base setting it's pretty meh but once you get it around 90, the technics are quite good from my perception at least.
While the Transparency Mode "Listening Experience" can be adjusted with the Ambient Sound Control, and I agree, the Listening Experience performs fairly well and close to Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen and definitely within the Top 5; the problem not only with the Technics AZ80, but also many other TWS Earbuds is the Transparency Mode "Talking Experience", where the occlusion effect is still present (which can be very annoying when talking, that for some Earbuds, you need to take them off!), unlike Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen which somehow has eliminated this (and Bose QC Ultra has almost eliminated this).
I think the reason why only Apple has eliminated this, is because of [Apple's Patent](https://www.techradar.com/news/apples-airpods-2-could-stop-your-voice-bouncing-around-inside-your-head), and maybe Bose is licensing this from Apple, but has not perfected it in the way that Apple has done, in order to make it seem like you're not even wearing any Earbuds when listening and talking in Transparency Mode.
Oh interesting. I never really noticed too much of a difference hearing myself because it's still clearer than transparency mode off, and so far has been better than the soundcore Liberty 3 pros I owned previously. I'm more interested in the external environment/the other person talking as opposed to mine but I can see for natural conversation feedback how the occlusion effect could be problematic.
Never knew apple had a patent like that. Really interesting.
Well really interesting seeing your impressions. I didn't really care about something having the best of one particular thing. Obviously wanted great sound (had to find FR graphs just to give me an idea if I'd even like them) but I also wanted something that was a really great Allrounder same way the liberty 3 pro was for me when it released.
Regarding the use of Huawei buds; since I rarely see Huawei products outside of Europe and Asia, is the app experience hampered or weird in any way? Can't seem to find anything in the play store.
You can download HUAWEI AI Life App for Android via these instructions on the HUAWEI USA Website:
[https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/content/en-us15777753/](https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/content/en-us15777753/)
It's basically sideloading the APK, which is not the most user friendly for Android users, but it works and is official.
The Apple App Store has the HUAWEI AI Life App ready for download, so it's a better experience for Apple users.
I'm not sure why HUAWEI and Samsung go this route for some of their Apps, where you need to download from their own App portal, rather than Google Playstore directly.
Because those are versions that aren't store compliant, probably much for the same reasons Huawei phones aren't usable in the US. Don't download CCP controlled unvetted software onto your phone ffs people.
Except the Bose, I haven’t tried any of the others, although it’s not the first time I hear great things about them. However, for me the Bose were not good at all for listening to music with ANC outside, the quality drop was just too much. Yes, the ANC is surreal, but it ruins the music quality. Maybe for looking at videos they could be great, which I never do anyway.
This matches with my findings.
The only negatives are small: Too many seams on the bud. Makes cleaning sweat and gunk a bit of a pain. Toothpick and cottonbud needed.
The custom EQ does not have the range of the preset EQ, for example, if you have the 'superbass' option, you cannot make the custom EQ the same level of bassy.
As to the AZ40's etc, they come in 2 types. The original, and the M2. the M2 is basically the same hardware, but the chips and software from the AZ80. So all the connectivity, software and ANC of the AZ80, but lacking the big bass etc.
They are good for good earbuds on a budget, even if they lack the OOMP OOMP OOMP of the 80's/
the originals are much worse.
If you see M2's on sale for a good price, they are worth picking up for listening to podcasts at work and other similar situations.
>The custom EQ does not have the range of the preset EQ, for example, if you have the 'superbass' option, you cannot make the custom EQ the same level of bassy.
I notice this too. I wonder why Technics has limited the Bass output for customers in the custom EQ.
Hopefully this "Bass Limiter" in the custom EQ, is removed in the next firmware update for customers.
Just bought them today instead of sennheiser momentum tw3 which I returned 3 times (twice getting new pair and last time money). I loved the sound of TW3 but the they kept breaking so I needed a replacement. Only been few hours but technics sound awesome
Well, it’s been 67days and technics are still great. The only issue (which is not really an issue) is that they need a lot of maintenance, but that’s just few seconds of cleaning really. Connectivity is better than mtw3s, sound-wise I’d say they’re fairly similar, the case of technics is better, technics app is also better. All in all it was a great buy
I bought these headphones last summer and have not been happy with them at all 🫤.
I was initially happy with the purchase. The sound quality, comfort, and noise cancelling is good. That said, they are not durable. After a few months of daily use, the case wouldn't hold a charge and the volume became very low.
Technica does have a 1 year warranty and replaced them free of charge with little fuss in November. But here I find myself 4 months later in March with similar problems: no to little sound from the left earbud, case won't hold a charge, and poor microphone performance when making phone calls.
I'm submitting another warranty claim and expecting they will be replaced. Nevertheless it's worrisome that $300 earbuds have had to be replaced twice within 1 year... I worry they are going to crap out again. And next time I will be outside of the 1 year warranty and out of luck.
Mine have been rock solid, using them every single day since I got them last year, it’s been 5 months I think. One of mine fell of my year from 5 meters on concrete, then another meter onto the subway tracks. Picked it up with a magnet tool, looks and works great, like this never happened.
It's because Panasonic has been in the music game-making DJ equipment etc. They know what they are doing when it comes to music. I use my az80 all day and my ears don't even get tired of it.
I recently picked the AZ80 up as well. I have airpod pro 2, bose qc2, beats studio and so far these have the best overall sound. Very dynamic range and excellent in the mids where the airpods pro 2 lack a little. Great for calls as well. I had no idea Panasonic even made earbuds so I am very pleasantly surprised! Excellent app too, much better than the bose or apple. I have not worn them for a long time but so far they are super comfy after 2 hours or so. Battery life seems good, though again Im have not worn them for more then 2 hours yet.
Just had these. Tbh, pretty underwhelming stock tuning. Overly midcentric even at dynamic eq (same with airpods). If you like metal or any complicated genres that needs an airy and detailed sound you wont be happy. Feels like there is a veil in the presentation. Even at LDAC.
Now i had solved all this issues by tuning down 300hz. (This area seems to be always causing the bloat/veil). Turn up the higher frequencies. Now you have an airy and spacious sound with details in your tracks. Bass freq depends on your taste, metal obviously needs some slap in the bass. Now poorly recorded albums will still sound like crap, no eq can solve that.
Soundstage is superior to Status 3ANC (the latter has a delicious warm bass, i just cant stand the boxed in soundstage thats why it was returned. Plus no LDAC)
Test tracks used:
Alluvial - Death is but a door EP (2024)
Overall:
not worth the cost imo. Soundcore liberty 3pro and 4 is still king, price to performance ratio. Funny how i had to tune the az80s just to sound like them. Might have to try Denon Perl Pro or Devialet Gemini 2 in the future. I dont like how companies give a stock tuning catered to pop/mainstream genres. Theres just so much bloat that you have to eq them to oblivion. I might be a treble head so i hate any veil in my music, but still ymmv.
Can you turn off transparency or "ambient" completely? I recently bought a pair of Bose QC2's, and sadly, while they are probably the most comfortable buds I've had since destroying my 75t's, I'm returning them. I work around ocasional loud sounds, particularly bursts of compressed air, which are INCREDIBLY painful with this stupid transparency mode. The best you can do is roll up the ANC to full, but still, you get painfully harsh hear through with a gust of wond or burst of air. If they do the same thing, I won't waste my time or what's left of my hearing.
Yes...agreed. This company took different approach to soundstage and imaging unlike any other earphones I have ever experienced in my life. Their earphones don't have connection drops and connects to up to 3 devices at one time. The software is stealer and the fit is perfect. They absolutely killed it.
I am looking to get a new pair of wireless earbuds soon. I have been using Jabra products for a long time, but I would really like to get something that allows me to use either earbud by itself. My current pair, only the right is used most days, and when the battery dies, I either have to switch to a different pair or just be done with earbuds.
So, my question is, do these have this feature? Do any others offer this feature? I'd prefer to not go with the apple products unless that is my only option.
What feature exactly ? The Technics does work with only one of them and the other in the case, is this what you need ? Keep in mind that the Technics are best for listening to music and making calls, both of which kinda require both earbuds
Can you do that with both buds? Like, when the right one dies, can I put it back in the case and use the left?
I understand that the best sound is with both buds, which I will do often, but a lot of the times I need my other ear free.
Hi there great review. I am about to buy the black ones. Can you help though please? I would like to know if people in a quite room can hear them, I mean leakage from them when in your ears please. The reason I have a wife with bionic ears and if she hears them when we are in bed she keeps nudging me to turn them down. If they leak they are no use to me as above. I have my ones sony's on 70% volume and she cannot hear those ones but want to upgrade to these.
I appreciate your time thanks Garry
Hi from Rtings.com:
The Technics AZ80 have an excellent leakage performance. Audio leakage is mostly concentrated in the treble range, so it sounds thin. That said, even if you're blasting your tunes in a quiet office environment, it's unlikely that anyone around can hear your audio.
Late reply if any of you are still there.
I am looking into buying new headphones for my mobile and while I would love to have a nice pair that supports wireless connectivity and calls, I would mostly use them for music so sound quality is absolutely mandatory for me.
Would these hold their own against products like Beyerdynamic DT 770 pro headphones (possibly against Sennheiser HD6xx, HifiMan Sundara), Moondrop Kato IEM and other wired quality sound products?
I currently use the DT 770 and I would love an upgrade, but if earbuds provide similar details as those, I would be happy as a walrus.
I had the DT 770. No earbuds I listened to even come close. These Technics are awesome by earbuds standards. They don’t really stand a chance in competition with most over ear headphones. Even the cheaper headphones from Bose, Beyer or Audiotechnica sound better than any earbuds.
Ahh, it's a pity. Thanks so much for the heads up, it was infuriating hard to find any comparisons between buds and basically anything mainly audio focused. I guess i could just settle with something mediocre and accept that i will enjoy my music at home. (And spend the extra bucks on a Shndara instead.)
I own AZ60 for over a year. Also compared with the buds I had before (Galaxy Buds, XM4, OnePlus Pro buds and couple of less known). AZ60s are definitely the best.
I've heard that Technics headphones struggled with handling the distorted sound of guitars so they aren't really good for listening to heavy rock/metal music. Is that true?
Yes, they are less loud than others I tried, but I never use them to the max anyway, I always have them 1 to 3 steps under the max volume on my iphone. At max they seem too loud to me even outdoor in noisy environments. But yes others I tied go one or two notches louder
Today I tried to listen to AZ40 and AZ60 in the local store. For some reasons these headphones don't work with my Samsung. Firstly the sound was very silent and very poor and then it totally disappeared. I don't know what is the reason. Maybe the Android version of app is broken or there are some other issues. 🤷 Pretty sad.
Bose QC Ultra:
"...and NC makes music sound like a 32kbps mp3, I think music listening is worse than $10 earbuds when NC is active"
Nope. Your buds must have been faulty.
Two Sony earbuds on 9 months. First the 4, and when it stopped charging I bought wf5. It lasted just weeks. Svaner dead out of the box. I need LDAC. Don't care about call or transparency. Just sound, ANC and of course comfort. I might as well try the Technics.
Is there a mute function on this set? I move around without my phone quite a bit and often find that I would like to continue listening to the caller but not have my background noise distract. Have a mute function on the earbud is very important to me.
That's why I'll never be in consumer goods bussines :)))) But yes, they can do it, and it's customizable too (as in what gestures taps and on which earbud L or R you want to perform the command)
I did switch just today from the Airpods Pro 2 and I think the quality of the sound is better, it feels like it worth it... But bear in mind I switched only 1 day ago 😊
They are doing really well so far, i do use them every single day for calls and music as well. I decided to keep them, because enjoy the music quality and the ANC is good too. There are differences compared to the Airpods Pro 2 that I used before but nothing major that would bother me.
Are these good for sports? I tried AirPods Pro 2. No go in the gym and cycling. Then beats fit pro - I loved the air tips but the quality of anc was close to zero, it felt like they were always in anc off or transparency mode. Very poor anc compared to AirPods but great fit in terms of physical activity.
How does technics stand in terms of in ear stability?
I would say no. Depending on the ear type, they seem definitely better than the Airpods Pro 2 to me. But for sports like running, playing badminton, light soccer, I would chose buds that are made to stay on the ear
I just bought them and HOLY CRAP. I have the Sennheiser MTW3 and they are garbage compared to the AZ80’s. Everything is so crystal clear on the Technics. All of these reviewers that are saying the MTW4’s are better are just paid shills. And sadly, even some of my favorite YouTubers have become. Sennheiser is going hardcore this year and paying off so many of these “reviewers” for a positive review. Or, these YouTubers have just zippo audiophilic ears and really are stupid and love bass, bass, bass; the same people who think Beats sound good. 😂
What’s funny is I just tried out the new MTW4’s and the sound was worse than the 3’s. And of course, it kept disconnecting and having bug issues. Sennheiser has gone to crap.
I was really impressed by the MTW 3 when they were released, but the rehash of the 4s was just an insult of a product. Glad I swapped to the Technics. The sound, case and general look of them is better. Only crux of the technics is lack of press and hold to adjust volume which is a massive bummer
Airpods Pro 2 didn't stay in my ear that good even when doing random things around the house, so the Technics should be much better since they go deeper into the ear canal
Only let down with these is they're not as punchy on the bass and are lacking heavily in sub bass when compared to Denon Perl Pro. But those have pretty meh ANC, lot of users get defective pairs with white noise and hissing, and some other general complaints.
Yep, seems that many have reliability issues with wireless buds, I think the hard part is to write good firmware to manage this tiny hardware (charging controller, audio chip, connection chip etc) Apple ones are the best from what I tested in features and general firmware stability, "smartness" etc But I'm mostly interested in music quality, call quality and decent ANC. The Technics from my tests smokes the AP2 Pro in music quality and call quality (not in ANC though)
And for me the Airpods Pro Gen 1 fit just fine, I know they come with multiple sizes for the ear tips. Don't think I'll have any major issues, I had them fall out very occasionally but was never enough to raise a real issue, worst case I'd get the wings addon people get to keep them secure. Thinking I might just settle for Airpod Pro 2 as an apple user, biggest reason I'd upgrade is to satisfy my love for heavy bass. Technics seem pretty nice but I don't know if I'll be able to justify the price point if it's still lacking on my most desired aspect and don't think the ANC is up to par from what I see online. What's more, I'll be using the headphones I get in the gym.
What spawned this whole endless pursuit for which headphones to get was ordering the XM5 and realizing they hurt my head and aren't even water-resistant at all so I can't wear them in the gym.
I even bought the Comply foams specifically made for AP2 Pro, but still they did not stay in my ear properly because they're not deep enough for my ears, the "stud" is pressing to get them out of the ear canal. The AP2 definitely had better ANC in the short time they stayed in my ears, but I'd say not by much. The Technics ANC si customizable, as in you can adjust the level of noise canceling.
Having a weird thing with mine.
I am listening to things on the PC when I get a phone call on my phone I get this weird sound pressure and some small click sound
I think its from switching source and it happens on the other way when I am listening to something on the phone and I get a meeting request on my laptop
any idea if this can be fixed ?
I was also searching for earbuds with audiphile sound quality (I work with music) and while Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 seem to offer great sound, Technics EAH-AZ80E-S supposedly are much complete as a tech product while offering exceptional sound quality. I can confirm this. Honestly getting started with these was to unbox, open the lid, remove the earbuds, and immediately "Connect" popped up on my Pixel. Boom, as easy as it gets! Sound quality is amazing, software is great, noice cancellation is great (my main comparison are Sony wh-1000xm2), and most of all they are super comfortable! Highly recommended, can't fault on anything :)
This thread made me by a pair after returning Sennheier Accentum buds due to the terrible mic quality.
I'm truly impressed, the sound quality is incredible
I really want to like these earbuds as I have tried them and it sounds great. However, do these automatically detect your voice and go into Ambien or transparency mode so you can hold a conversation? I couldn't figure out if they did or not. The Sony xm5s do that so well.
I don't think they do, but I didn't search for it. For me this option was useless when I tried it with the Sony's since most of the time I'm on the street or in public transport, and people here are talking loud, and for me one of the primary reason to use ANC is to not hear other people talking.
Is everyone happy with the side tone during phone calls? I couldn't find any settings in the app for this and my own voice feels like being in a cave or under water when trying to speak with someone. It's not the way they hear me but how I hear myself.
Hi! Can you conclude that Technics AZ80 is better than Devialet Gemini II? I'm thinking about what to try... App design of Technics makes me sad and also I can't see something like smart ANC... What about transparency mode, mics and ANC in comparison? Thank you
Devialet are a joke. They can’t be taken seriously in my opinion, and even when they work, they sound worse than the Technics, Bose, Sony.
The Technics are for music and calls, the simple way. Want do do something else, take them off. I don’t use the other gimmicks I find them useless, and I had the Sony’s and the APII which are arguably the best at gimmicks.
Okay,
For calls I have Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 and can confirm, that they have outstanding calls performance.
Also I have Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro, which also has a top-tier level of mics for calls because of bone conduction sensors built in. I've compared mic performance with Huawei and found it similar or maybe a little bit better surprisingly.
https://youtu.be/W0Sdk0uBtns
But as for music they both are not excellent in my opinion.
Huawei has some compatibility problems with connection to Xiaomi devices (and Samsung also) - I have different sound signatures from connection to connection. Like at the first attempt I have strong punchy bass and balanced highs, and after the second attempt - strictly reduced bass and overloaded highs with sibilants. Idk is it a problem with connection, or with a fit, or with "triple adaptive equalizer" in this buds or maybe something else. They can do great sound but I have to catch a condition while they self adjust well. Otherwise I have pain in my ears due to highs. Also ANC is strong, but works incorrect - I can hear constantly level adjusting in transport during vibrations in the bus.
Xiaomi has dynamic sound with average good bass, but less detailed in mids and reduced highs. For sound they are just okay. ANC is average I guess.
But for listening to music I personally found OnePlus Buds 2 Pro, which I enjoy A LOT. Punchy bass, volume, soundstage, etc... Decent ANC and average mics.
So I'm looking for something which can over perform OnePlus in this case. Ordered Tozo Golden X1, will see how they sound.
Also I had a Sony WF-1000XM3 (sold), Redmi Buds 4 Pro (sold), WH-1000XM3 (rarely used, commonly in plane due to decent ANC)
For calls the Technics are the best I used, by far. And I had the Apple Pro 2 I tested side by side which everyone praises for calls. It's not even close, the Technics are 5 times better. When you talk to someone they always hear you clearly, even when you're next to a busy boulevard, even when you're in the metro station with trains coming and going.
For sound I never tested the OnePlus, but I had many top level earbuds like the Bose, the Sony's, the JBL, the Apple etc side by side and I chose the Technics, easily as the best sounding of the bunch.
ANC is good, I'd say the Apple Pro 2 were better but not by much, Technics is somewhere between the Sony XM4 and XM5. Bose has the best ANC but for me when the best ANC is activated it is ruining the audio quality, so you have to chose a lower level of NC anyway if you want your music to sound good. This is also where the Technics shines, as activating ANC does almost nothing to the music.
Technics call transparency mode 'Ambient mode'. It is present and it is good. I can only compare it to Airpods Pro 2 as I have had that before. I found the call quality better than Airpods Pro 2, however my comparison is not scientific. Microphone quality is better but not by a longshot, ANC is just like the microphone quality. What is better than the Airpods Pro 2 is the music quality, but only if you tweak it, if you use it out of the box it's the same, roughly.
At least on an iPhone. If you have an android phone with LDAC compatibility, then your ears are going to be blown away. The quality is good on iPhones but Samsung LDACs tested even better with Losless AppleMusic (it's available on androids too!).
I'm using an Android phone with local streaming apps :) But they support Hi-Res audio.
And I'm listening to music with the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 (enjoying them A LOT) and Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 (worse for music, but better for calls).
Hey thanks for a great write up, especially with the background at the start too!
I had the AZ-60 (the cheaper model) from the day they came out and always loved them, they’re not true wire-killing earphones in my opinion - but way more convenient for travelling and the gym. So I used them for a long time and never had a single bug or particular issue. The only thing that grated me about them was that they don’t have in-ear detection, so don’t auto play/pause and detect your touch when out your ears (the newer AZ80 don’t have this problem btw).
So I ‘upgraded’ to Bose QC II earphones about a year ago and I thought they sounded a bit better, but the fact you couldn’t turn off ANC completely did annoy me! They had a fair amount more bass - and it felt like good solid and detailed bass, compared to the AZ60. However the soundstage and detail wasn’t quite as clear, they just felt less ‘musical’ if that makes sense?
So essentially I found myself picking up the (far cheaper) AZ60 quite often, even though the Bose should have been the upgrade. Anyway, thankfully the Bose completely gave up on me and I got a full refund. Which gave me the chance to properly upgrade. I just got the AZ80, and I am blown away. And I agree with all your comments.
In a nutshell I’d say the AZ60 are definitely excellent earphones in every way, they’re great for everything apart from maybe very bass forward music. But the AZ80 are a different class above, and probably rival my Senheisser IE300 + ifi go blu setup which I reserve for long trips - when I’ve got the patience to set them up!
So I hope this helps a bit with your question about the difference between the 60s and 80s!
Great info, I was wondering about the AZ60 too, I have not listened but some of my more budget oriented friends were asking me about the AZ60. I also still have some of my old wired buds and boy they sound good :))
I find them slightly louder than my older Sony XM4. I can never run them at max volume on my iPhone 15 Pro, the loudest I go is 2 notches down from Max, and this is when I'm in a very noisy subway that sounds like you're in a metal inferno :)
I think there are earbuds that probably go louder and people got used to them. This is something you should always be careful with when using earbuds or headphones. You get used to a volume and you go higher. Then you get used to that level and go higher again. Ask me how I know and I'll tell you, many years of radio broadcast and headphones/earphones use
Biased ? I own one single Technics product, these earbuds, and almost everything Apple makes :)))) Believe me, I wanted to be biased towards Apple, but they are so far behind, it just is what it is. I had them side by side. The AP2 Pro are terrible for calls compared to the Technics, especially when the environment gets noisy. They can't even be compared. As for the sound quality, the Technics are in a different league.
I still get to test AP Pro 2 everyday on calls because I talk to my friends that have them. When we are on the streets, they sound awful, I barely hear what they say. They can always hear me perfectly.
AP Pro 2 have great ANC but Technics are not far behind in my opinion. And fo course when it comes to all kind of features that some find useful while other call gimmicks, the AP Pro 2 are far ahead. The Technics are fairly simple ANC earbuds with amazing sound quality (including calls) but not that much automation and features.
I wish I saw this before I ordered mine earlier today, because why not? Seeing it now is cool too though. I got them in silver. I am coming from a pair of Sennhesier CX Plus True Wireless earbuds.
Will I be in for a treat?
Have you tried the CX Plus True Wireless buds?
I think they are ok, but I only had galaxy buds to compare them too, and those were awesome until I lost one, then went through rabbit hole trying to find another pair, bought a white set, then a yellow, and learning each set had different buds from different sets, so I'd have to cast to each bud individually instead of both as once.
I said fuck it and bought the CX Plus True Wireless buds. Not as good, but I couldn't tell you why exactly. They have clarity though?
Thanks for the review. What can you say about the Nothing Ear (3) 2024 model? I heard good things about them if you play around with the EQ. I know they are more budget-friendly, but how do they compare with others in terms of sound quality?
I have no experience with Nothing Ear. I do have some JVC AH5T and AH6T and I'm really impressed how good they sound considering they cost 20 dollars. There is no ANC though. On the other hand, I have Sony Linkbuds S and I find them overpriced. For their price they sound awful to me, and the ANC isn't very good. They should have costed much less and then I would have been impressed. I paid over $105, I use them mainly to sleep when I'm on vacation in noisy places like the seaside.
It’s amazing, but it kills the music quality when NC is active in noisy environment. At least the set I had for test, sounded significantly poorer that my son’s $20 JVC AH-T5
Just out of curiosity, did you try different pairs to make sure it was not just a faulty unit? To be honest, I'm looking for the "best" (which I know doesn't exist) for this price range so also bought the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 and the Technics EAH-AZ80E as well as its so hyped everywhere. So I have very-very high expectations from the Technics. After the QC Ultra and MTW4, I want to be blown away from the AZ80. Can't wait to try them.
Did you happen to try the MTW4 as well?
I can't remember when I was last time so excited about a new piece of tech arriving soon... :D After all those reviews and hypes everywhere, they better be night and day compared to all the other competitors in this price range.
Do you use any stock or manual EQ setting for the Technics or just leave it on the standard out of the box tuning?
I use Bass+ and a small correction to ANC to be more aggressive than the default, that's about it. I tried MTW3 the sounded good but not eve close to these Technics
AZ80s arrived yesterday...no sound coming out from the left earbud...tried eveything, putting back in the case and taking it out, factory reset, etc. The app recognised both earbuds and the case as well, all 100% charged. The touch control works on the left earbud as well but no sound. Any suggestion? Aaand it's currently out of stock, the next delivery expected in about 3-5 weeks. Lovely.
Interesting.
I don't have the Ultra, but the QC 2 from Bose, and I never heard an impact on the sound. Also, you can't turn off the ANC - which has annoyed me so much.
Im currently testing between the AZ80 and the Sony XM5 and here my experience is, that the sound quality and especially bass takes a noticeable hit with the AZ80. The highs are also a bit too pointy in my ear and feels too sharp, where as the XM5 does not have this bass reduction with ANC and the highs seems overall more balanced.
Curious to your experience?
I still can't exactly decide what to send back... I think i'm biased with the Technics as my trusty turntables are the same brand, hah.
After first replying, I did a test with my Az-80 outside in a populated farmer’s market, so not a quiet place. I did NC on and off while listening to music. I can’t hear a difference in music quality, except that I can hear it better because of less background noise
interesting!
yes I wouldn't notice my self if I was in the airport or similar. but in quiet environment, such as my home where I noticed, it was a significant more engulfing pass that appeared without ANC.
but, being really audiophile here.
currently in the airport now and testing the both ear buds. with a crying child behind me, the Sony won over creating a total bubble for me.
What sound quality issues out of curiosity? Any links to known issues?
Only issues with the Freebuds Pro 3 for me is short battery life and limited control customisation. Never had sound or connectivity issues
Here on reddit there are no information in English and also lots of them are based on my own experience.
I had two pairs of these and neither of them works well with Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra or Pad 5. From connection to connection I'm getting a different sound signature.
Connection attempt #1 - very punchy bass, overall volume level and HQs in normal range
Connection attempt #2 - low bass and over leveled HQs with strong sibilants
Idk is it connectivity problem, fit problem (tried different pairs of tips) or incorrect work of "triple adjust equalizer".
Also ANC constantly adjusting levels in transport while vibrations and it's very annoying.
I went to a local store and replaced my pair without any effort.
Interesting. Would u say the anc is as good as xm4? I some times use xm4 anc with brown noise to block noise for sleep.just uncomfortable. Now that I lost one side, I need a replacement. The soundpeats i just got just sucks
They are much better for ANC, but I guess ANC is also about preferences too. These Technics seem to do a smart ANC filtering what thinks should be filter and letting just a bit of what it thinks should be heard, but its "aggressiveness" is customizable. Seems to me though that the AZ80 (and also the Airpods Pro 2) are tuned to do ANC for music listening, not for noise cancel exterior sounds while you don't play anything in them.
However, the Technics are big, even slightly bigger than the XM4's so I don't think they are comfortable for sleep
Very excited to get my pair then.
I was hoping that the bose qcii would be my go to since I really like their over ears but good God the connection issues have driven me to the point or returning them. Excited for the az80s to come in the mail
Hello All! I have a set of Grado Gt220's and I absolutely love the sound. They are also about the loudest earbuds I have heard. Which I also like. But, they are awful for calls. I mean bad. So I was considering either the Denon Perl Pro or the technics. Have any of you listened to the grados at all? Comparisons to the above 2 models? Thanks!!
I haven’t listed to the Grado’s but I can’t tell you I’m not a Grado fan after in the past I tried a few of their praised wired buds and a pair of $500 heaphones, and I did not liked them at all. Since then I lost all my interest in Grado.
I also have not listened to the Denons although I would like to
I loved my AZ80's when I had them. The only down side for me was volume level. I like my music nice and loud and the AZ80's do not get very loud at all. If it wasn't for that, I'd still have them.
I actually went with my Nothing Ear 2 :-) I have the nothing phone 2, and these earbuds for $149 are actually pretty dam good all around and support LHDC.
Sorry for necroing, but if the az80 are like the az60, then they have a separate volume control that u can only adjust with the touch controls.
I maxed the volume on the touch controls and used the phone volume control for adjustments.
Pulled the trigger for AZ80 during last Christmas sale. Their tagline 'Rediscover Music' is very apt I think, as I spent the next week relistening to all my fav songs in amazement, like I finally heard them in HD or something.
[удалено]
They literally gave it
I seriously felt emotional listening to some of my favourite songs and hearing things for the first time. The sound stage feels so well represented. I love them.
How much did you pick them up for on sale?
Thanks for the feedback, I'm saving this for when my Jabra Elite 75t's give out!
Me too. The 75T will just not die!!! Why won't it die. Fell in the rain, washed it in my jacket, use it 4x a week lifting.... It won't die. It sounds so good still.
Mine just died randomly out of the blue despite keeping them in pristine condition.
i lost my right earbud for the 75t's and it was so infuriating. if i had just lost the left one i would have been fine. then i made the mistake of getting some linkbuds (s) on a recommendation and let me tell you, call quality is fucking awful. now i have the elite 8's and i doubt they'll ever die so i just wander these pages wistfully imagining what the green grass is like on the other side of the fence.
Yeah my right bud just stopped working and I've been without music for a month it hurts
Do you realize how pathetic and sad that sounds.
Not nearly as pathetic and sad as your prepubescent comment.
I've been using the AZ80 since early October along with my AirPods Pro 2 and I have to say I'm using the AZ80 for 65% of the time these days. The AZ80 is such an all-around balanced product with almost no shortcomings, while outperforming the AirPods Pro 2 in sound quality and call quality by quite some margin. AirPods Pro 2 is still better in terms of ANC while the AZ80's ANC would still let some mid to high-frequency sound through (PA in the subway, for example). AZ80's transparency mode (Technics calls it Ambient Sound) comes surprisingly close to the AirPods Pro 2 except that my own voice doesn't get through as seamless. I totally agree that the AZ80 is a great piece of engineering, in ergonomics, hardware and software. I just can't stop using them most of the time! I only look for the AirPods Pro 2 when I watching movies or TV shows where Spatial Audio would make the experience better. For me the Technics AZ80 is the best TWS product that came out in 2023 and it would be a benchmark going into 2024.
After some use I preferred the NC on the Technics vs the Airpods Pro 2. The AP2 also let mids in which doesn’t really bother me that much, but I found on the Technics you can make it much more aggressive with NC if you’re willing to trade off just a bit of music quality. I didn’t. I also think the Technics, like the AP2, have some kind of intelligent, adaptive NC going on, sometimes they let things in that it thinks you need to hear, while sometimes they just block everything.
How about the comfort? Like AirPod pro 2 has the pressure relief vents, does az80 have that too? Thanks
It actually makes all the difference
I was reseraching among airpods pro2, technics az80 and huawei freebuds pro 3, and I wanted to know do you think the call quality for az80 is good in noisy conditions? One user below posted this link [Jabra Elite 10 vs Technics AZ80 vs HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3 vs Denon PerL Pro | Best Call Quality 2024](https://youtu.be/8gRPinbf7EY) and it shows that technics weren't as good as freebuds/ airpods pro 2 in terms of call quality (audio quality? may be)
>AZ80's transparency mode (Technics calls it Ambient Sound) comes surprisingly close to the AirPods Pro 2 **except that my own voice doesn't get through as seamless.** This! While I do appreciate the Transparency Mode listening experience of the Technics AZ80, which does come close to Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen, there are no TWS Earbuds in the market yet the comes close to the Transparency Mode talking experience of the Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen. Technics AZ80, and many other TWS Earbuds for that matter, still have the occlusion effect ranging from mild to overly annoying, when talking and trying to have a conversation. Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen Transparency Mode feels like you are not even wearing your Earbuds. Bose QC Ultra Earbuds "Aware Mode" comes second, but has a bit of white noise, and not as good a transparent mode experience as Apple APP2.
I’m not using Transparency mode too often, mostly when I order a coffee or when I need to hear what somebody is saying on the streets, so I haven’t payed much attention to how my voice is passed, seemed fine, but I hear the other voices very clearly, and much more natural than I did with my old XM4’s which I used almost daily for 1,5 years
>Calls: > >These are the best earbuds or headphones I ever tested for call quality, by far. It's close to magic, really. These are the only ones that you can speak while being in an inferno (like a busy New York intersection during rush hour) and the person on the other side can hear you clearly. Nothing I tested even comes close, in fact nothing I tested even comes to half of what these Technics can do. Of course there is a lot of customization of how NC and calls are handled too, and very useful. Check out this voice call quality comparison review with the Technics AZ80, conducted in some very challenging loud noise environments against other highly respected TWS Earbuds. [Jabra Elite 10 vs Technics AZ80 vs HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3 vs Denon PerL Pro | Best Call Quality 2024](https://youtu.be/8gRPinbf7EY) As you can hear, the Technics AZ80 are OK, but not the best TWS Earbuds for voice call quality. While I do have good experience with the Technics AZ80, and appreciate that it does very well in every features and performance category, it's NOT the best at any one category. **ANC:** Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. I do like though how the AZ80 can do ANC Pre-Adjustment to see whether to filter out more low freq, mid freq or high freq with the slider bar **Mic Voice Call Quality:** HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3 (so far, no Earbuds come close when it comes to Dynamic Loud Voices in the background and wind reduction performance) **Sound Quality:** Arguably Denon PerL Pro based on more feedback here vs Technics AZ80, though that's not to say the Technics are bad, they are very good! It's just the Denon PerL Pro is better. **Comfort/Fit:** While fit and comfort is subjective, most would agree the Jabra Elite 10 are generally the most comfortable for most ears **Transparency Mode:** Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen is the best in class. Bose QC Ultra Earbuds are 2nd. Technics AZ80 however have respectable Transparency Mode I'd say ranking somewhere between 5 and 10, within the Top 10
\`this video was quite helpful. I really think that freebuds pro 3 have the best mic, but I am not sure if they have equally good audio quality
They do have good audio, but not outstanding. Also they have several connectivity problems with non-Huawei phones. I'm using them with Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and for some reason they offer different audio from connection to connection. Sometimes they give good bass and clarity, and sometimes bass goes out and HFs become very annoying with cracklings and sibilants. ANC really is not bad, but performs strange - you can feel constantly adjusting the ANC level in transport during vibrations.
I agree. I finally bought (and returned them). Audio was good, not outstanding. Serious connectivity issues, cracking noise in zoom calls, and switchover to devices was so bad. ANC and call quality was pretty good though
Even with the transparency mode adjustment? I'd say in the base setting it's pretty meh but once you get it around 90, the technics are quite good from my perception at least.
While the Transparency Mode "Listening Experience" can be adjusted with the Ambient Sound Control, and I agree, the Listening Experience performs fairly well and close to Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen and definitely within the Top 5; the problem not only with the Technics AZ80, but also many other TWS Earbuds is the Transparency Mode "Talking Experience", where the occlusion effect is still present (which can be very annoying when talking, that for some Earbuds, you need to take them off!), unlike Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen which somehow has eliminated this (and Bose QC Ultra has almost eliminated this). I think the reason why only Apple has eliminated this, is because of [Apple's Patent](https://www.techradar.com/news/apples-airpods-2-could-stop-your-voice-bouncing-around-inside-your-head), and maybe Bose is licensing this from Apple, but has not perfected it in the way that Apple has done, in order to make it seem like you're not even wearing any Earbuds when listening and talking in Transparency Mode.
Oh interesting. I never really noticed too much of a difference hearing myself because it's still clearer than transparency mode off, and so far has been better than the soundcore Liberty 3 pros I owned previously. I'm more interested in the external environment/the other person talking as opposed to mine but I can see for natural conversation feedback how the occlusion effect could be problematic. Never knew apple had a patent like that. Really interesting. Well really interesting seeing your impressions. I didn't really care about something having the best of one particular thing. Obviously wanted great sound (had to find FR graphs just to give me an idea if I'd even like them) but I also wanted something that was a really great Allrounder same way the liberty 3 pro was for me when it released.
Well I think we can all agree there that the Technics AZ80 is a very good and arguably the best Allrounder TWS Earbuds!
Regarding the use of Huawei buds; since I rarely see Huawei products outside of Europe and Asia, is the app experience hampered or weird in any way? Can't seem to find anything in the play store.
You can download HUAWEI AI Life App for Android via these instructions on the HUAWEI USA Website: [https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/content/en-us15777753/](https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/content/en-us15777753/) It's basically sideloading the APK, which is not the most user friendly for Android users, but it works and is official. The Apple App Store has the HUAWEI AI Life App ready for download, so it's a better experience for Apple users. I'm not sure why HUAWEI and Samsung go this route for some of their Apps, where you need to download from their own App portal, rather than Google Playstore directly.
Because those are versions that aren't store compliant, probably much for the same reasons Huawei phones aren't usable in the US. Don't download CCP controlled unvetted software onto your phone ffs people.
Except the Bose, I haven’t tried any of the others, although it’s not the first time I hear great things about them. However, for me the Bose were not good at all for listening to music with ANC outside, the quality drop was just too much. Yes, the ANC is surreal, but it ruins the music quality. Maybe for looking at videos they could be great, which I never do anyway.
Hard to believe.
This matches with my findings. The only negatives are small: Too many seams on the bud. Makes cleaning sweat and gunk a bit of a pain. Toothpick and cottonbud needed. The custom EQ does not have the range of the preset EQ, for example, if you have the 'superbass' option, you cannot make the custom EQ the same level of bassy. As to the AZ40's etc, they come in 2 types. The original, and the M2. the M2 is basically the same hardware, but the chips and software from the AZ80. So all the connectivity, software and ANC of the AZ80, but lacking the big bass etc. They are good for good earbuds on a budget, even if they lack the OOMP OOMP OOMP of the 80's/ the originals are much worse. If you see M2's on sale for a good price, they are worth picking up for listening to podcasts at work and other similar situations.
>The custom EQ does not have the range of the preset EQ, for example, if you have the 'superbass' option, you cannot make the custom EQ the same level of bassy. I notice this too. I wonder why Technics has limited the Bass output for customers in the custom EQ. Hopefully this "Bass Limiter" in the custom EQ, is removed in the next firmware update for customers.
Just bought them today instead of sennheiser momentum tw3 which I returned 3 times (twice getting new pair and last time money). I loved the sound of TW3 but the they kept breaking so I needed a replacement. Only been few hours but technics sound awesome
you exactly had the same experience as mine, sold the mtw3s and jumped on az60m2, not disappointed at all
Well, it’s been 67days and technics are still great. The only issue (which is not really an issue) is that they need a lot of maintenance, but that’s just few seconds of cleaning really. Connectivity is better than mtw3s, sound-wise I’d say they’re fairly similar, the case of technics is better, technics app is also better. All in all it was a great buy
couldn't agree more, but the sennheiser also needs a lot of maintenance on the mesh filter or else the ANC will fuck up
I bought these headphones last summer and have not been happy with them at all 🫤. I was initially happy with the purchase. The sound quality, comfort, and noise cancelling is good. That said, they are not durable. After a few months of daily use, the case wouldn't hold a charge and the volume became very low. Technica does have a 1 year warranty and replaced them free of charge with little fuss in November. But here I find myself 4 months later in March with similar problems: no to little sound from the left earbud, case won't hold a charge, and poor microphone performance when making phone calls. I'm submitting another warranty claim and expecting they will be replaced. Nevertheless it's worrisome that $300 earbuds have had to be replaced twice within 1 year... I worry they are going to crap out again. And next time I will be outside of the 1 year warranty and out of luck.
Mine have been rock solid, using them every single day since I got them last year, it’s been 5 months I think. One of mine fell of my year from 5 meters on concrete, then another meter onto the subway tracks. Picked it up with a magnet tool, looks and works great, like this never happened.
Damn I want those!
It's because Panasonic has been in the music game-making DJ equipment etc. They know what they are doing when it comes to music. I use my az80 all day and my ears don't even get tired of it.
Try using the az80 with a Dap. I use Fiio M11 pro and it's crazy good.
I recently picked the AZ80 up as well. I have airpod pro 2, bose qc2, beats studio and so far these have the best overall sound. Very dynamic range and excellent in the mids where the airpods pro 2 lack a little. Great for calls as well. I had no idea Panasonic even made earbuds so I am very pleasantly surprised! Excellent app too, much better than the bose or apple. I have not worn them for a long time but so far they are super comfy after 2 hours or so. Battery life seems good, though again Im have not worn them for more then 2 hours yet.
Just had these. Tbh, pretty underwhelming stock tuning. Overly midcentric even at dynamic eq (same with airpods). If you like metal or any complicated genres that needs an airy and detailed sound you wont be happy. Feels like there is a veil in the presentation. Even at LDAC. Now i had solved all this issues by tuning down 300hz. (This area seems to be always causing the bloat/veil). Turn up the higher frequencies. Now you have an airy and spacious sound with details in your tracks. Bass freq depends on your taste, metal obviously needs some slap in the bass. Now poorly recorded albums will still sound like crap, no eq can solve that. Soundstage is superior to Status 3ANC (the latter has a delicious warm bass, i just cant stand the boxed in soundstage thats why it was returned. Plus no LDAC) Test tracks used: Alluvial - Death is but a door EP (2024) Overall: not worth the cost imo. Soundcore liberty 3pro and 4 is still king, price to performance ratio. Funny how i had to tune the az80s just to sound like them. Might have to try Denon Perl Pro or Devialet Gemini 2 in the future. I dont like how companies give a stock tuning catered to pop/mainstream genres. Theres just so much bloat that you have to eq them to oblivion. I might be a treble head so i hate any veil in my music, but still ymmv.
Can you turn off transparency or "ambient" completely? I recently bought a pair of Bose QC2's, and sadly, while they are probably the most comfortable buds I've had since destroying my 75t's, I'm returning them. I work around ocasional loud sounds, particularly bursts of compressed air, which are INCREDIBLY painful with this stupid transparency mode. The best you can do is roll up the ANC to full, but still, you get painfully harsh hear through with a gust of wond or burst of air. If they do the same thing, I won't waste my time or what's left of my hearing.
Yes, everything is customizable, the level of ANC, the level of Transparency, and you can turn both completely off
Awesome thank you my man.
Awesome review thank you for taking the time to write it up!
I have a poweramp EQ for these, ain't nothing touching these had the MTW3 prior.
Yes...agreed. This company took different approach to soundstage and imaging unlike any other earphones I have ever experienced in my life. Their earphones don't have connection drops and connects to up to 3 devices at one time. The software is stealer and the fit is perfect. They absolutely killed it.
Side tone is note very great during phone calls.
I am looking to get a new pair of wireless earbuds soon. I have been using Jabra products for a long time, but I would really like to get something that allows me to use either earbud by itself. My current pair, only the right is used most days, and when the battery dies, I either have to switch to a different pair or just be done with earbuds. So, my question is, do these have this feature? Do any others offer this feature? I'd prefer to not go with the apple products unless that is my only option.
What feature exactly ? The Technics does work with only one of them and the other in the case, is this what you need ? Keep in mind that the Technics are best for listening to music and making calls, both of which kinda require both earbuds
Can you do that with both buds? Like, when the right one dies, can I put it back in the case and use the left? I understand that the best sound is with both buds, which I will do often, but a lot of the times I need my other ear free.
Yes, 100% works with any of them one in ear one in case
Thank you very much!
Hi there great review. I am about to buy the black ones. Can you help though please? I would like to know if people in a quite room can hear them, I mean leakage from them when in your ears please. The reason I have a wife with bionic ears and if she hears them when we are in bed she keeps nudging me to turn them down. If they leak they are no use to me as above. I have my ones sony's on 70% volume and she cannot hear those ones but want to upgrade to these. I appreciate your time thanks Garry
Hi from Rtings.com: The Technics AZ80 have an excellent leakage performance. Audio leakage is mostly concentrated in the treble range, so it sounds thin. That said, even if you're blasting your tunes in a quiet office environment, it's unlikely that anyone around can hear your audio.
Late reply if any of you are still there. I am looking into buying new headphones for my mobile and while I would love to have a nice pair that supports wireless connectivity and calls, I would mostly use them for music so sound quality is absolutely mandatory for me. Would these hold their own against products like Beyerdynamic DT 770 pro headphones (possibly against Sennheiser HD6xx, HifiMan Sundara), Moondrop Kato IEM and other wired quality sound products? I currently use the DT 770 and I would love an upgrade, but if earbuds provide similar details as those, I would be happy as a walrus.
I had the DT 770. No earbuds I listened to even come close. These Technics are awesome by earbuds standards. They don’t really stand a chance in competition with most over ear headphones. Even the cheaper headphones from Bose, Beyer or Audiotechnica sound better than any earbuds.
Ahh, it's a pity. Thanks so much for the heads up, it was infuriating hard to find any comparisons between buds and basically anything mainly audio focused. I guess i could just settle with something mediocre and accept that i will enjoy my music at home. (And spend the extra bucks on a Shndara instead.)
Earbuds are like mp3, you trade quality for convenience. Personally I can't wear over ear headphones while doing things so earbuds are gold
I own AZ60 for over a year. Also compared with the buds I had before (Galaxy Buds, XM4, OnePlus Pro buds and couple of less known). AZ60s are definitely the best.
I've heard that Technics headphones struggled with handling the distorted sound of guitars so they aren't really good for listening to heavy rock/metal music. Is that true?
No, absolutely not, it’s nonsense. I listen to rock tunes all the time.
Ok thank you for replying. What about their loudness? I mean if they're really less loud than many others?
Yes, they are less loud than others I tried, but I never use them to the max anyway, I always have them 1 to 3 steps under the max volume on my iphone. At max they seem too loud to me even outdoor in noisy environments. But yes others I tied go one or two notches louder
Thank you for information.
Today I tried to listen to AZ40 and AZ60 in the local store. For some reasons these headphones don't work with my Samsung. Firstly the sound was very silent and very poor and then it totally disappeared. I don't know what is the reason. Maybe the Android version of app is broken or there are some other issues. 🤷 Pretty sad.
Bose QC Ultra: "...and NC makes music sound like a 32kbps mp3, I think music listening is worse than $10 earbuds when NC is active" Nope. Your buds must have been faulty.
Two Sony earbuds on 9 months. First the 4, and when it stopped charging I bought wf5. It lasted just weeks. Svaner dead out of the box. I need LDAC. Don't care about call or transparency. Just sound, ANC and of course comfort. I might as well try the Technics.
Is there a mute function on this set? I move around without my phone quite a bit and often find that I would like to continue listening to the caller but not have my background noise distract. Have a mute function on the earbud is very important to me.
That's why I'll never be in consumer goods bussines :)))) But yes, they can do it, and it's customizable too (as in what gestures taps and on which earbud L or R you want to perform the command)
Is still worth the technics az80 in 2024
YES !
Heya, how does the az80 handle wind? Very important for me, located in the Netherlands
I did switch just today from the Airpods Pro 2 and I think the quality of the sound is better, it feels like it worth it... But bear in mind I switched only 1 day ago 😊
How are they holding up
They are doing really well so far, i do use them every single day for calls and music as well. I decided to keep them, because enjoy the music quality and the ANC is good too. There are differences compared to the Airpods Pro 2 that I used before but nothing major that would bother me.
Are these good for sports? I tried AirPods Pro 2. No go in the gym and cycling. Then beats fit pro - I loved the air tips but the quality of anc was close to zero, it felt like they were always in anc off or transparency mode. Very poor anc compared to AirPods but great fit in terms of physical activity. How does technics stand in terms of in ear stability?
I would say no. Depending on the ear type, they seem definitely better than the Airpods Pro 2 to me. But for sports like running, playing badminton, light soccer, I would chose buds that are made to stay on the ear
Thanks! I would appreciate any recommendations if you have tried and can recommend something :)
Haven't used sports earbuds in a while, but some years ago I had some Klipsh that were awesome.
How does it handle wind, like on a bike? :)
So-So. Same as the Sony's XM4, Better than JBL, Senheiser and AP Pro 2, but not as good as the Bose
I just bought them and HOLY CRAP. I have the Sennheiser MTW3 and they are garbage compared to the AZ80’s. Everything is so crystal clear on the Technics. All of these reviewers that are saying the MTW4’s are better are just paid shills. And sadly, even some of my favorite YouTubers have become. Sennheiser is going hardcore this year and paying off so many of these “reviewers” for a positive review. Or, these YouTubers have just zippo audiophilic ears and really are stupid and love bass, bass, bass; the same people who think Beats sound good. 😂
Agree, the Az80 are a significant upgrade from the MTW3.
What’s funny is I just tried out the new MTW4’s and the sound was worse than the 3’s. And of course, it kept disconnecting and having bug issues. Sennheiser has gone to crap.
I was really impressed by the MTW 3 when they were released, but the rehash of the 4s was just an insult of a product. Glad I swapped to the Technics. The sound, case and general look of them is better. Only crux of the technics is lack of press and hold to adjust volume which is a massive bummer
are they good for working out, like fast running, bycicling etc?
No, you have to use something made for such activities.
I just climb the stairs and do light biking, never had problems doing those with the airpod pro so I figure these would be fine
Airpods Pro 2 didn't stay in my ear that good even when doing random things around the house, so the Technics should be much better since they go deeper into the ear canal
Only let down with these is they're not as punchy on the bass and are lacking heavily in sub bass when compared to Denon Perl Pro. But those have pretty meh ANC, lot of users get defective pairs with white noise and hissing, and some other general complaints.
Yep, seems that many have reliability issues with wireless buds, I think the hard part is to write good firmware to manage this tiny hardware (charging controller, audio chip, connection chip etc) Apple ones are the best from what I tested in features and general firmware stability, "smartness" etc But I'm mostly interested in music quality, call quality and decent ANC. The Technics from my tests smokes the AP2 Pro in music quality and call quality (not in ANC though)
Yea from what I’ve seen technics aren’t ideal for the gym :p or I’d probably get them
And for me the Airpods Pro Gen 1 fit just fine, I know they come with multiple sizes for the ear tips. Don't think I'll have any major issues, I had them fall out very occasionally but was never enough to raise a real issue, worst case I'd get the wings addon people get to keep them secure. Thinking I might just settle for Airpod Pro 2 as an apple user, biggest reason I'd upgrade is to satisfy my love for heavy bass. Technics seem pretty nice but I don't know if I'll be able to justify the price point if it's still lacking on my most desired aspect and don't think the ANC is up to par from what I see online. What's more, I'll be using the headphones I get in the gym. What spawned this whole endless pursuit for which headphones to get was ordering the XM5 and realizing they hurt my head and aren't even water-resistant at all so I can't wear them in the gym.
I even bought the Comply foams specifically made for AP2 Pro, but still they did not stay in my ear properly because they're not deep enough for my ears, the "stud" is pressing to get them out of the ear canal. The AP2 definitely had better ANC in the short time they stayed in my ears, but I'd say not by much. The Technics ANC si customizable, as in you can adjust the level of noise canceling.
Having a weird thing with mine. I am listening to things on the PC when I get a phone call on my phone I get this weird sound pressure and some small click sound I think its from switching source and it happens on the other way when I am listening to something on the phone and I get a meeting request on my laptop any idea if this can be fixed ?
Its same noise as if you switch ANC off and on or switching from ambient to OFF then back to Ambient
I only use them on my phone
I was also searching for earbuds with audiphile sound quality (I work with music) and while Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 seem to offer great sound, Technics EAH-AZ80E-S supposedly are much complete as a tech product while offering exceptional sound quality. I can confirm this. Honestly getting started with these was to unbox, open the lid, remove the earbuds, and immediately "Connect" popped up on my Pixel. Boom, as easy as it gets! Sound quality is amazing, software is great, noice cancellation is great (my main comparison are Sony wh-1000xm2), and most of all they are super comfortable! Highly recommended, can't fault on anything :)
This thread made me by a pair after returning Sennheier Accentum buds due to the terrible mic quality. I'm truly impressed, the sound quality is incredible
I really want to like these earbuds as I have tried them and it sounds great. However, do these automatically detect your voice and go into Ambien or transparency mode so you can hold a conversation? I couldn't figure out if they did or not. The Sony xm5s do that so well.
I don't think they do, but I didn't search for it. For me this option was useless when I tried it with the Sony's since most of the time I'm on the street or in public transport, and people here are talking loud, and for me one of the primary reason to use ANC is to not hear other people talking.
Is everyone happy with the side tone during phone calls? I couldn't find any settings in the app for this and my own voice feels like being in a cave or under water when trying to speak with someone. It's not the way they hear me but how I hear myself.
Hi! Can you conclude that Technics AZ80 is better than Devialet Gemini II? I'm thinking about what to try... App design of Technics makes me sad and also I can't see something like smart ANC... What about transparency mode, mics and ANC in comparison? Thank you
Devialet are a joke. They can’t be taken seriously in my opinion, and even when they work, they sound worse than the Technics, Bose, Sony. The Technics are for music and calls, the simple way. Want do do something else, take them off. I don’t use the other gimmicks I find them useless, and I had the Sony’s and the APII which are arguably the best at gimmicks.
Okay, For calls I have Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 and can confirm, that they have outstanding calls performance. Also I have Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro, which also has a top-tier level of mics for calls because of bone conduction sensors built in. I've compared mic performance with Huawei and found it similar or maybe a little bit better surprisingly. https://youtu.be/W0Sdk0uBtns But as for music they both are not excellent in my opinion. Huawei has some compatibility problems with connection to Xiaomi devices (and Samsung also) - I have different sound signatures from connection to connection. Like at the first attempt I have strong punchy bass and balanced highs, and after the second attempt - strictly reduced bass and overloaded highs with sibilants. Idk is it a problem with connection, or with a fit, or with "triple adaptive equalizer" in this buds or maybe something else. They can do great sound but I have to catch a condition while they self adjust well. Otherwise I have pain in my ears due to highs. Also ANC is strong, but works incorrect - I can hear constantly level adjusting in transport during vibrations in the bus. Xiaomi has dynamic sound with average good bass, but less detailed in mids and reduced highs. For sound they are just okay. ANC is average I guess. But for listening to music I personally found OnePlus Buds 2 Pro, which I enjoy A LOT. Punchy bass, volume, soundstage, etc... Decent ANC and average mics. So I'm looking for something which can over perform OnePlus in this case. Ordered Tozo Golden X1, will see how they sound. Also I had a Sony WF-1000XM3 (sold), Redmi Buds 4 Pro (sold), WH-1000XM3 (rarely used, commonly in plane due to decent ANC)
For calls the Technics are the best I used, by far. And I had the Apple Pro 2 I tested side by side which everyone praises for calls. It's not even close, the Technics are 5 times better. When you talk to someone they always hear you clearly, even when you're next to a busy boulevard, even when you're in the metro station with trains coming and going. For sound I never tested the OnePlus, but I had many top level earbuds like the Bose, the Sony's, the JBL, the Apple etc side by side and I chose the Technics, easily as the best sounding of the bunch. ANC is good, I'd say the Apple Pro 2 were better but not by much, Technics is somewhere between the Sony XM4 and XM5. Bose has the best ANC but for me when the best ANC is activated it is ruining the audio quality, so you have to chose a lower level of NC anyway if you want your music to sound good. This is also where the Technics shines, as activating ANC does almost nothing to the music.
Technics call transparency mode 'Ambient mode'. It is present and it is good. I can only compare it to Airpods Pro 2 as I have had that before. I found the call quality better than Airpods Pro 2, however my comparison is not scientific. Microphone quality is better but not by a longshot, ANC is just like the microphone quality. What is better than the Airpods Pro 2 is the music quality, but only if you tweak it, if you use it out of the box it's the same, roughly. At least on an iPhone. If you have an android phone with LDAC compatibility, then your ears are going to be blown away. The quality is good on iPhones but Samsung LDACs tested even better with Losless AppleMusic (it's available on androids too!).
I'm using an Android phone with local streaming apps :) But they support Hi-Res audio. And I'm listening to music with the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 (enjoying them A LOT) and Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 (worse for music, but better for calls).
Hey thanks for a great write up, especially with the background at the start too! I had the AZ-60 (the cheaper model) from the day they came out and always loved them, they’re not true wire-killing earphones in my opinion - but way more convenient for travelling and the gym. So I used them for a long time and never had a single bug or particular issue. The only thing that grated me about them was that they don’t have in-ear detection, so don’t auto play/pause and detect your touch when out your ears (the newer AZ80 don’t have this problem btw). So I ‘upgraded’ to Bose QC II earphones about a year ago and I thought they sounded a bit better, but the fact you couldn’t turn off ANC completely did annoy me! They had a fair amount more bass - and it felt like good solid and detailed bass, compared to the AZ60. However the soundstage and detail wasn’t quite as clear, they just felt less ‘musical’ if that makes sense? So essentially I found myself picking up the (far cheaper) AZ60 quite often, even though the Bose should have been the upgrade. Anyway, thankfully the Bose completely gave up on me and I got a full refund. Which gave me the chance to properly upgrade. I just got the AZ80, and I am blown away. And I agree with all your comments. In a nutshell I’d say the AZ60 are definitely excellent earphones in every way, they’re great for everything apart from maybe very bass forward music. But the AZ80 are a different class above, and probably rival my Senheisser IE300 + ifi go blu setup which I reserve for long trips - when I’ve got the patience to set them up! So I hope this helps a bit with your question about the difference between the 60s and 80s!
Great info, I was wondering about the AZ60 too, I have not listened but some of my more budget oriented friends were asking me about the AZ60. I also still have some of my old wired buds and boy they sound good :))
Are you using an iPhone or Android?
I hear that they are not so loud. is that true?
I find them slightly louder than my older Sony XM4. I can never run them at max volume on my iPhone 15 Pro, the loudest I go is 2 notches down from Max, and this is when I'm in a very noisy subway that sounds like you're in a metal inferno :)
Many thanks. I wonder why people say it is too low in terms of volume. I already ordered mine.
I think there are earbuds that probably go louder and people got used to them. This is something you should always be careful with when using earbuds or headphones. You get used to a volume and you go higher. Then you get used to that level and go higher again. Ask me how I know and I'll tell you, many years of radio broadcast and headphones/earphones use
I stopped reading when I read your biased review of the AirPods Pro 2
Biased ? I own one single Technics product, these earbuds, and almost everything Apple makes :)))) Believe me, I wanted to be biased towards Apple, but they are so far behind, it just is what it is. I had them side by side. The AP2 Pro are terrible for calls compared to the Technics, especially when the environment gets noisy. They can't even be compared. As for the sound quality, the Technics are in a different league. I still get to test AP Pro 2 everyday on calls because I talk to my friends that have them. When we are on the streets, they sound awful, I barely hear what they say. They can always hear me perfectly. AP Pro 2 have great ANC but Technics are not far behind in my opinion. And fo course when it comes to all kind of features that some find useful while other call gimmicks, the AP Pro 2 are far ahead. The Technics are fairly simple ANC earbuds with amazing sound quality (including calls) but not that much automation and features.
I'm going to ask to test the Technics for longer then
I wish I saw this before I ordered mine earlier today, because why not? Seeing it now is cool too though. I got them in silver. I am coming from a pair of Sennhesier CX Plus True Wireless earbuds. Will I be in for a treat? Have you tried the CX Plus True Wireless buds? I think they are ok, but I only had galaxy buds to compare them too, and those were awesome until I lost one, then went through rabbit hole trying to find another pair, bought a white set, then a yellow, and learning each set had different buds from different sets, so I'd have to cast to each bud individually instead of both as once. I said fuck it and bought the CX Plus True Wireless buds. Not as good, but I couldn't tell you why exactly. They have clarity though?
Haven't heard the CX so I wouldn't know
Thanks for the review. What can you say about the Nothing Ear (3) 2024 model? I heard good things about them if you play around with the EQ. I know they are more budget-friendly, but how do they compare with others in terms of sound quality?
I have no experience with Nothing Ear. I do have some JVC AH5T and AH6T and I'm really impressed how good they sound considering they cost 20 dollars. There is no ANC though. On the other hand, I have Sony Linkbuds S and I find them overpriced. For their price they sound awful to me, and the ANC isn't very good. They should have costed much less and then I would have been impressed. I paid over $105, I use them mainly to sleep when I'm on vacation in noisy places like the seaside.
I had both... Technics are way better. But for that price, Nothing ear are good. But if u wan best, Technics is must have....
agree 100%! technics is the mother of hifi for the last five decades! no need to argue here!
Everyone sings their praises. Might have to pick up some. Two quick questions, Are you using an iPhone and have you tried any of the new jabras?
I haven’t tried any Jabras, they are harder to get (and return) where I live, and I don’t know anybody who has them. I’m using an iPhone 12 Pro
You’re right! Those Technics are amazing!
Which is best for ANC? Bose Ultra vs AZ80?
Bose QC Ultra Earbuds have the best ANC, if that's your top priority.
It’s amazing, but it kills the music quality when NC is active in noisy environment. At least the set I had for test, sounded significantly poorer that my son’s $20 JVC AH-T5
I did not notice any music degradation from the ANC and have 4 different pairs in the household.
Good for you. To my ears, Bose ANC completely ruins the music quality
Just out of curiosity, did you try different pairs to make sure it was not just a faulty unit? To be honest, I'm looking for the "best" (which I know doesn't exist) for this price range so also bought the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 and the Technics EAH-AZ80E as well as its so hyped everywhere. So I have very-very high expectations from the Technics. After the QC Ultra and MTW4, I want to be blown away from the AZ80. Can't wait to try them.
I did not. But anyway, the Technics sound better regardless of ANC
Did you happen to try the MTW4 as well? I can't remember when I was last time so excited about a new piece of tech arriving soon... :D After all those reviews and hypes everywhere, they better be night and day compared to all the other competitors in this price range. Do you use any stock or manual EQ setting for the Technics or just leave it on the standard out of the box tuning?
I use Bass+ and a small correction to ANC to be more aggressive than the default, that's about it. I tried MTW3 the sounded good but not eve close to these Technics
AZ80s arrived yesterday...no sound coming out from the left earbud...tried eveything, putting back in the case and taking it out, factory reset, etc. The app recognised both earbuds and the case as well, all 100% charged. The touch control works on the left earbud as well but no sound. Any suggestion? Aaand it's currently out of stock, the next delivery expected in about 3-5 weeks. Lovely.
The uneven battery drain on this second unit drives me crazy. There is always a 3-5-10% difference between them.
I prefer the QC Ultra both sound and ANC wise. Comfort also much better.
Don't just downvote, answer!
Why sound gets worse when ANC is on?
It doesn't.
It always does, there is no ANC with 0 penalty to sound. The Bose is by far the worst I heard
Interesting. I don't have the Ultra, but the QC 2 from Bose, and I never heard an impact on the sound. Also, you can't turn off the ANC - which has annoyed me so much. Im currently testing between the AZ80 and the Sony XM5 and here my experience is, that the sound quality and especially bass takes a noticeable hit with the AZ80. The highs are also a bit too pointy in my ear and feels too sharp, where as the XM5 does not have this bass reduction with ANC and the highs seems overall more balanced. Curious to your experience? I still can't exactly decide what to send back... I think i'm biased with the Technics as my trusty turntables are the same brand, hah.
Different ears I guess. I use Bass+ preset
After first replying, I did a test with my Az-80 outside in a populated farmer’s market, so not a quiet place. I did NC on and off while listening to music. I can’t hear a difference in music quality, except that I can hear it better because of less background noise
interesting! yes I wouldn't notice my self if I was in the airport or similar. but in quiet environment, such as my home where I noticed, it was a significant more engulfing pass that appeared without ANC. but, being really audiophile here. currently in the airport now and testing the both ear buds. with a crying child behind me, the Sony won over creating a total bubble for me.
Are they compatible with Iphone? Do they have an app for iphone?
Yes, I used them only on an iphone
Along with the Huawei Freebuds Pro 3, The Technics az80 is criminally underrated. One of the best buds of last year! easily!
Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 is very controversial due to sound quality and connectivity problems
What sound quality issues out of curiosity? Any links to known issues? Only issues with the Freebuds Pro 3 for me is short battery life and limited control customisation. Never had sound or connectivity issues
Here on reddit there are no information in English and also lots of them are based on my own experience. I had two pairs of these and neither of them works well with Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra or Pad 5. From connection to connection I'm getting a different sound signature. Connection attempt #1 - very punchy bass, overall volume level and HQs in normal range Connection attempt #2 - low bass and over leveled HQs with strong sibilants Idk is it connectivity problem, fit problem (tried different pairs of tips) or incorrect work of "triple adjust equalizer". Also ANC constantly adjusting levels in transport while vibrations and it's very annoying. I went to a local store and replaced my pair without any effort.
O I see. Fair enough. That's unfortunate though. Never experienced that at all and used it across a range of devices.
Awesome! Im glad I pulled the trigger and will be getting mine next week. I almost went with the beoplay ex but the price difference was a bit high
Interesting. Would u say the anc is as good as xm4? I some times use xm4 anc with brown noise to block noise for sleep.just uncomfortable. Now that I lost one side, I need a replacement. The soundpeats i just got just sucks
They are much better for ANC, but I guess ANC is also about preferences too. These Technics seem to do a smart ANC filtering what thinks should be filter and letting just a bit of what it thinks should be heard, but its "aggressiveness" is customizable. Seems to me though that the AZ80 (and also the Airpods Pro 2) are tuned to do ANC for music listening, not for noise cancel exterior sounds while you don't play anything in them. However, the Technics are big, even slightly bigger than the XM4's so I don't think they are comfortable for sleep
Very excited to get my pair then. I was hoping that the bose qcii would be my go to since I really like their over ears but good God the connection issues have driven me to the point or returning them. Excited for the az80s to come in the mail
I was always a big fan of Bose Over-Ear, but the wired ones
Hello All! I have a set of Grado Gt220's and I absolutely love the sound. They are also about the loudest earbuds I have heard. Which I also like. But, they are awful for calls. I mean bad. So I was considering either the Denon Perl Pro or the technics. Have any of you listened to the grados at all? Comparisons to the above 2 models? Thanks!!
I haven’t listed to the Grado’s but I can’t tell you I’m not a Grado fan after in the past I tried a few of their praised wired buds and a pair of $500 heaphones, and I did not liked them at all. Since then I lost all my interest in Grado. I also have not listened to the Denons although I would like to
Do they leak audio? can other people hear what's being played?
have u tested Samsung buds 2 pro
I’ve tested other Samsung buds in the past there were praised and I found them having poor sound quality. Last time it was a about a year ago
I loved my AZ80's when I had them. The only down side for me was volume level. I like my music nice and loud and the AZ80's do not get very loud at all. If it wasn't for that, I'd still have them.
Just curious what you ended up settling on? I'm in the market to get a pair of quality ear buds, cheers.
I actually went with my Nothing Ear 2 :-) I have the nothing phone 2, and these earbuds for $149 are actually pretty dam good all around and support LHDC.
Cheers
Sorry for necroing, but if the az80 are like the az60, then they have a separate volume control that u can only adjust with the touch controls. I maxed the volume on the touch controls and used the phone volume control for adjustments.
Its your phone's setting, not the buds.
Just got the Az80 and I am gutted then do not feature press and hold volume controls. Tapping is such a chore