Technics has released two new sets of true wireless earbuds in New Zealand that have quickly earned highly positive reviews.
The EAH-AZ80 is the new flagship model that Trusted Reviews calls a "compelling alternative to the likes of Bose and Sony", while the EAH-AZ60M2 is an updated version of the acclaimed 2021 model reviewed by Newshub as "right up there amongst the best earbuds and headphones I've tested all year".
The Japanese brand is highly respected among the world's audiophiles, especially those in the DJ industry. It appears the company now intends to dominate the true wireless in-ear headphones market.
Both the EAH-AZ80 and EAH-AZ60M2 feature three-point Bluetooth connectivity - more than the two offered by most premium competitors.
Both models also feature active noise-cancelling (ANC), Qi wireless charging, around 7 hours of battery life, IPX4 water resistance, LDAC, Bluetooth 5.2, an improved 'JustMyVoice' technology which isolates voices during phone calls and LC3, the new audio codec coming in a firmware update later this year.
As for the differences between them, the AZ80 features a larger driver than the AZ60M2 - 10mm vs 8mm - as well as a concha-fit shape rather than the classic teardrop.
Becky Scarrott of Tech Radar was impressed that the XS tips that came as part of the seven provided with these earbuds packs fit her small ears well and said the AZ80s were "a strong contender for our best noise-cancelling earbuds roundup".
Mark Sparrow at Forbes praised the noise-cancellation, saying it's "incredibly effective at cancelling unwanted noise and Technics has cracked ANC performance on earbuds".
"With these two new models, Technics has demonstrated its commitment to establishing itself as a significant player in the true wireless earbud market. Its first pair of earbuds were great, but the company has ironed out all the wrinkles and created two pairs of earbuds that tick all the boxes," he said.
The EAH-AZ80 launched with an RRP of $500 while the EAH-AZ60M2 is asking for $400.
