The Technics EAH-AZ100 are premium flagship earbuds from the Panasonic subsidiary, Technics. Released in 2025, the earbuds are backed by the brand's 60 years of HiFi engineering experience. They feature magnetic fluid drivers, designed to reproduce low-distortion audio, and novel features like 'Voice Focus AI,' which can attenuate noise from other participants present on phone calls. The brand has also improved on the AZ100's predecessor, the Technics EAH-AZ80, by reducing their size and weight while significantly increasing battery life, among other enhancements. That said, if you've owned previous iterations of the flagship buds, their companion app and touch controls remain quite similar.
Our Verdict
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are great for sports and fitness. While they don't have ear stabilizers, the earbuds likely won't fall out of your ear, even when performing exercises that involve more explosive movement like box jumps. That said, their deeper in-ear fit can create a cabin-pressure feeling, which is intolerable for some people. The buds also have an IPX4 rating against water exposure, so you can take them for a run in the rain. The earbuds' battery lasts for over 12 hours, and the buds will be well protected in their small carrying case even if you leave them in your gym bag between workouts.
Long 12.2-hour battery life.
IPX4 certification against water exposure.
Deeper in-ear fit isn't for everyone.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are great for travel. Their ANC strongly attenuates bass range noise from airplane and bus engines. They also have a 12.2-hour battery life, which should cover you for most lengthy flights. That said, you can pop the earbuds into their relatively small case to top up their battery or for safekeeping while you go through airport security. They're also quite comfortable, though not everyone will like their deeper in-ear fit.
Long 12.2-hour battery life.
Excellent noise isolation performance.
Deeper in-ear fit isn't for everyone.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are very good for office work. They have top-tier noise isolation, so you can focus for a sprint without being distracted by background chatter. If you need to take calls, their microphone will do just fine, even if you're on the go and there's some background noise. Plus, you can connect to up to three devices simultaneously via Bluetooth if you're juggling calls between multiple devices. They also have over 12 hours of battery life, so you likely won't need to charge them, even if you have a long commute to and from the office.
Supports Bluetooth multi-point with up to three devices.
Long 12.2-hour battery life.
Deeper in-ear fit isn't for everyone.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are Bluetooth-only earbuds that don't have a dongle. They also don't support GMAP, the LC3 codec dedicated profile for gaming. As a result, you'll likely experience noticeable audio/visual desync.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are truly wireless buds; you can't use them wired.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 have very good audio reproduction accuracy. Their frequency response hardly deviates from their warm sound profile. The earbuds' bass emphasis bleeds into the mids, which can clutter denser mixes and overwhelm their relatively underemphasized treble. Depending on your content and preferences, this can lend a smoother quality to their sound. Meanwhile, the L/R drivers are properly matched, reproducing a stereo image without bias or gaps with accurately placed sound objects. Additionally, the drivers generate minimal harmonic distortion even at high levels, so you won't hear any unintended timbral coloration.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are exceptional for noise isolation. Their ANC system easily makes up for their ear tips' relatively lackluster passive isolation by attenuating most noise in frequencies from the mid-bass and up. The earbuds will easily mitigate noise from the din of airplane cabins to the rev of trucks accelerating on the street. In terms of leakage, close observers may notice a thin version of your audio that barely exceeds the noise floor of a calm room bleeding from the earbuds.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 have an unremarkable microphone. Recordings will lack body and brightness, though you'll still be intelligible. With the 'Voice Focus AI' feature enabled, you'll remain audible without being drowned out by loud, sustained background noise.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 have excellent frequency response consistency. With the appropriate ear tips and a good seal, the earbuds' audio delivery will remain replicable, and our frequency response measurements will represent most people's listening experience.
Performance Usages
Changelog
-
Updated Mar 12, 2026:
We've added a mention of the Sony WF-1000XM6 in the Noise Isolation - Full Range box.
-
Updated Mar 12, 2026:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
- Updated Mar 12, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test, and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
-
Updated Jan 14, 2026:
We've updated the Variants and Style sections of the review to reflect two new color options: 'Champagne' and 'Blue.'
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Technics EAH-AZ100 come in four variants: 'Black' (EAH-AZ100-K), 'Silver' (EAH-AZ100-S), 'Champagne' (EAH-AZ100-N), and 'Blue' (EAH-AZ100-A). Our unit is 'Silver'; you can view their label.
Let us know in the comments below if you encounter another variant, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are the updated version of the 2023 Technics EAH-AZ80. The brand has since made improvements to the hardware, cutting down on their physical footprint and boosting their battery life, while also introducing new features under the hood like LC3 codec support via Bluetooth LE. That said, competing flagship entries, like the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, have similarly wide codec support, matching the Technics coverage of LC3 and LDAC. Meanwhile, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) live up to their name by offering a less intrusive fit, though their battery life is shorter than the aforementioned products. In terms of noise isolation, the AZ100 easily matches the performance of the incumbent leaders in earbud ANC like the Sony and Bose. The Technics also have a warm sound profile, which is fairly common among other flagship earbuds like the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 and the Devialet Gemini II True Wireless.
If you're looking for more options, check out our articles on the best noise cancelling earbuds and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are the successor to the Technics EAH-AZ80. The AZ100 are better in most aspects; their ANC performs better across the board, especially when dealing with bass range noise like engine rumble, their battery life is significantly longer at 12.2 hours, and they support newer features like Bluetooth LE's LC3 codec and virtual surround for immersive listening. That said, the AZ80 are substantially cheaper and have most of the same features.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 and the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are similar earbuds. While the Sony are less expensive, there are some performance tradeoffs: their battery life is a shorter 8.75 hours compared to the Technics' 12.2 hours, their virtual surround feature requires specific applications (like Sony's 360 Reality Audio Live) compared to the more ubiquitous Dolby Atmos required by the Technics, and they have less customizable controls. Both earbuds have comparable, top-tier ANC systems that handily tackle noise from airplane cabins to busy streets.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are better earbuds than the Status Pro X. The Technics offer noticeably better ANC, far superior battery life, three-way Bluetooth multipoint, and a more controlled, even sound profile. That said, the Status buds do come in a nicer case, and the two pairs have comparable mics. But, otherwise, the Technics are the clear choice.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are better earbuds than the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4. They have a longer battery life, a more comfortable fit, and a more comprehensive, feature-filled app. The Technics' companion app supports ANC adjustment, customizable Bluetooth multi-point with up to three devices, and virtual surround for immersive listening, to name a few. That said, the Sennheiser have a microphone with better raw recording quality and have a similarly effective ANC system. Their ear stabilizers can work better for individuals who have trouble getting earbuds to fit properly.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
