Hands-on review: Technics AZ60 Noise Cancelling and True Wireless Earbuds
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Many of you are relaxing as the year winds down by enjoying a quiet visit to the shopping malls to engage in a spot of Christmas Shopping. I have been given a rather lovely stocking stuffer to enjoy, with one of the best air bud products that I've ever tested. Technics have gone all out to ensure that the EAH-AZ60E-S will give you a listening experience you won't regret.
The Specs Section on the website makes for exciting reading. I agree with their statement that their "acoustic chamber, harmonizer, and 8mm drivers delivers exceptionally rich, expansive sound that you don't just hear, but feel." When I removed them, I was surprised to hear the birdsong cacophony outside. That's how good their noise cancelling function is.
Listening to music is quite an experience. The bass and treble sounds are distinct and makes listening to music a real pleasure. Using the Technics Audio Connect app enables you to customise your sound preferences using their built in equalizer or to choose one of their pre-set settings. As I write, I am still tweaking my settings to resemble a more dynamic set, with a balanced bass and treble.
The touch controls are easy to use once you remember how many taps and on which side. The instruction sheet came in handy for me and I photographed the section on "Operating the Touch sensors" on my phone for quick reference. I also downloaded the more complete "Owner's Manual" to my laptop, which breaks down the operation instructions even more fully.
Generally, I struggle to find earpieces that fit my small ears comfortably. Technics include 7 sizes of silicone earpieces from XS1 to XL. The XS1 size proved just right for me, giving a snug, comfortable fit. The fit is snug enough for me to engage in some good old-fashioned head-banging to accompany, "Hey, Hey, My, My, (Out of the Blue and into the Black)" and to do so with confidence. So far, they have remained safely in my ears.
Those of you who frequently work from home, or alternatively in a noisy office, will appreciate the noise cancelling and ambient sound controls. I think it was Douglas Adams who remarked that all the birds do is gossip incessantly, and it was good to drown their incessant babble for a while. It also cancelled out the rainfall on the roof. You will have fun tweaking the settings to your own liking.
Multipoint pairing is another unique feature, and you can switch seamlessly between two devices which is another handy tool when working from home and switching between a phone or laptop.
My experience with using the phone for speaking to people was mixed. To me the voices sounded a little stripped back, as if while cancelling out background noises some of the voice was also stripped back. Voice quality was clear but sounded a trifle tinny. I expect that playing with the ambience and noise cancelling controls on the app will enable me to tweak those settings a little more, but I could not fault the quality of the one call I made during my review.
I really like the look and feel of Technics AZ60. They look and feel well constructed, and I like the grey and silver finish. Also available in black, they look good in either livery. I also loved the range of silicone pieces to suit my tiny ears. Charging is done via a USB charger, (sorry, no wireless) and only takes two hours to fully charge. The bottom line however was the incredible sound quality, especially when playing music. Priced at $329, these are a stocking stuffer to make anyone's Christmas one full of music and good cheer, while ensuring a comfortable noise-cancelling work environment.
