Review: Technics AZ70W True Wireless Earphones With Advanced Noise Canceling

Way back in the 1970s, Technics was one of the top recognizable brands in the consumer audio space. The company sold millions of hi-fi rack systems along with some very tasty high-end amplifiers. Technics had everything: quality, style, plus it sold some of the coolest DJ turntables. Then the brand was quietly shelved for some unfathomable reason that is known only to the executives from Technics’ parent company Panasonic Matsushita. 

A few years back, with very little fanfare, the Technics brand was quietly resurrected with the launch of a couple of high-end audio systems. Sales weren’t stratospheric but the revivified sub-brand came with established respect, heritage, and recognition. Since the relaunch, Technics hasn’t had too many new product launches, but when parent company Panasonic unveiled its first pair of true wireless earbuds featuring active noise canceling (ANC), a similar pair was released bearing the Technics brand.

At first, I thought the Technics EAH-AZ70W earphones were just a rebadged version of the newly launched Panasonic RZ-500W earphones. The Technics were more expensive, had a nicer build quality but I was convinced they were the same product. Well, they aren’t. While the Technics AZ70W share some of the qualities of the Panasonic earphones, they differ in some important ways. So, let’s see what you get for the extra money and whether it’s worth paying more for that cool Technics brand and the advanced technology that make these earphones a really exciting new launch.

Not only are the AZ70W completely wireless, but they also feature some advanced ANC technology for reducing background noises such as the dull roar of a jet engine, or the hum of passing traffic. This is the first time that Panasonic and Technics has produced ANC true wireless earphones, and for a first attempt, they are pretty good.

The first thing you notice about these earphones is the exquisite finish of the charging case that houses the earphones when they aren’t in use. The case is the classic dark gray Technics finish with a smart brushed texture on the lid, and a smooth matt finish everywhere else. The Technics logo is deeply etched into the lid and the whole feel is of something really classy and understated. The lid opens with a positive spring mechanism to reveal the two earbuds nestling inside the case. The earpieces are all black except for the silver-gray endcaps which are the Touch Sensors that work as controls for things like pausing the music, changing volume, skipping tracks, or answering phone calls. 

The charging case holds around two full charges for the earphones, while the earbuds can play continuously for up to 6.5 hours before they need to go back in the case for a top-up. That’s a total of 19.5 hours of playing time before the case needs recharging. The case is recharged with a USB C cable. A 15-minute charge will result in up to 70 minutes of playing time, handy if you’ve not used the earphones for a while, or forgot to charge them before going on a bike ride or a walk. At the front of the case, there’s a row of three white LEDs to indicate how much charge the earphones have. The electrical connectors for charging and monitoring the earpieces are identical to the ones used on the Panasonic RZ-500W, so these two pairs of earphones clearly share a lot of base technology.

The earpieces are reasonably large but designed with angled stalks that mean they fit comfortably in the bowl of the user’s ear while making an efficient seal for a more fulsome sound and better base. There are six different sizes of ear tips supplied in the box and ensure the correct size is fitted is vital for creating a secure passive noise-canceling seal to deliver optimum sound. With a water-resistant rating of IPX4, the AZ70W can handle a bit of rain without any difficulty. They’re not waterproof but walking in the rain should be fine.

The finish and build quality of the Technics AZ70W is definitely a step up from the less expensive Panasonic RZ-500W. The AZ70W feel heavier and colder to the touch as they are made from metal rather than plastic. I was surprised just how much more decadent and luxurious they look and feel.

Pairing the earphones to a smartphone, tablet or computer only needs to be down once and then they will connect automatically as soon as the lid of the charging case is opened. By the time you pop them in your ears, they’re connected and ready to go. The connection time is really fast.

Inside each earpiece, the Technics engineers have used large 10mm dynamic drivers, unlike the 8mm drivers used on the Panasonic version. The diaphragm of the drivers is made from a material called PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) a durable polymer material that has the features need to deliver a good base. The diaphragm is coated in graphene to give it extra stiffness for reduced resonance and a swift response. Make no mistake, this driver is a step up from the one used on the Panasonic model and the design has been tweaked to provide a more open and transparent sound.

With support for SBC and AAC audio codecs, some might criticize the Technics AZ70W for not supporting apt-X HD or LDAC codecs, but I rather suspect the power drain from these high-quality codecs would sap too much power without delivering a huge uplift in audio quality. The Bluetooth arrangement on these earphones is unusual. The antennae for the wireless transmission are built into the end caps or touch controls of each earpiece.

The left and right earpieces each receive their own digital signal independently. A lot of Bluetooth earphones transmit the audio to the main earpiece which then transmits that onwards to the junior partner earpiece. The problem with this cheaper arrangement is that it can produce sync issues between left and right channels as well as being less robust when it comes to dropouts. Technics claims that the AZ70W has a super robust transmission system, even in settings were the wireless spectrum is crowded, such as a railway carriage or aircraft cabin.

When it comes to noise canceling, Technics has adopted Dual Hybrid Noise Cancelation which uses Feedforward and Feedback Noise Cancelling and three microphones to sample the noise. In essence, this technology samples ambient noises both externally, as well as internally, inside the earpiece. You can think of it as a double filter. The noises are sampled and processed before being subtracted from the audio signal to mask out as much of the extraneous noise source as possible. And it really works!

ANC on true wireless earphones will never be quite as muscular and effective as a large pair of over-the-ear headphones, but the AZ70W earphones really do a fine job of filtering out low-level hums and rumbles such as an aircraft’s engines or the road noise of a car. ANC is not so good at handling any sudden noises or higher frequency sounds, but that’s true of nearly all active noise-canceling systems. I’d say that these Technics are as good at noise canceling as the superb Sony WF-1000XM3 and slightly better than Sennheiser’s Momentum TW2. The AZ70W are smaller and better looking than the Sony earphones, which are a little chunky and slightly odd to look at. 

The ANC function can be turned on by pressing the right Touch Control which then toggles through ANC On, Ambient Sound, and ANC Off. Ambient Sound Mode is a handy feature that enables the user to hear what someone is saying without take the earpieces out of their ears. It’s an excellent feature for eavesdropping when everyone else thinks you’re busy working on a spreadsheet of the latest sales figures. The ANC and Ambient Sound Mode can also be activated using the excellent Technics AudioConnect app.

Compared to the Panasonic RZ-500W, with their smaller 8mm driver units, the Technics AZ70W deliver a slightly bigger sound but not that much bigger or with much more bass. However, what they do manage to achieve is an exceptionally clear sound with more transparency and a more tightly focused sound stage that helps the listener locate individual instruments easily. The sound is delicate and very satisfying and never becomes muddy or distorted. The Technics AudioConnect app is available for iOS and Android platforms and it offers three ways to shape the AZ70's sound to suit individual tastes. There’s Extra Bass for a bit more punch and a Clear Voice setting that’s perfect for audiobooks or podcasts. Finally, a customizable 7-band graphic equalizer enables the user to adjust the tone of the earphones to suit their listening preferences.

Built into each earpiece are two advanced MEMs microphones that have a beamforming function for picking up the user’s voice for more clarity and better audio quality on phone calls. The microphones cut out background noises without compressing or reducing the voice quality. As well as the microphones being used for voice calls, they also work with when speaking to voice assistants like Apple Siri and Google Assistant. A firmware update due to be rolled out in the next few months will add native support for Amazon Alexa.

Unlike the Panasonic RZ-500W earphones, the Technics AZ70 don’t feature the same bright and flashing white LED lights on each earpiece that I found quite distracting when listening to music in the dark. The AZ70W Technics have two small blue pinpoints of light that flash to indicate the earpieces are working. It’s a much better arrangement and probably worth the extra money alone.

Verdict: The EAH-AZ70W are Technics’ first attempt at a pair of true-wireless ANC earphones. With 6.5 hours of playing time and really stylish design they definitely look and feel like a premium pair of earphones. The earpieces and charging case are both beautifully made and feel so good, a big step up from the more plastic Panasonic RZ-500W. Like the Panasonics, the ANC function is one of the best I’ve heard on a pair of true wireless earbuds, certainly on a par with the excellent Sony WF-1000-XM3. The sound is bold but very sophisticated with a superb level of detail that never becomes clinical or harsh. The music speaks for itself and both percussion and other higher frequency sounds are reproduced without color or bloom. The dual-channel Bluetooth system works well but the lack of Qualcomm’s apt-X HD audio codec might be an issue for some people. Support for the AAC codec is there which means high-quality audio is available on both iOS and Android devices. Technics has managed to improve on the Panasonic RZ-500W with a superb finish and a slightly more open sound thanks to the larger graphene-coated 10mm driver. If you’re looking for a really good pair of true wireless earphones with ANC, the Technics AZ70W won’t disappoint.

Pricing and availability: The Technics AZ70 ANC true wireless earphones are available now in both black and white finishes priced at £239 / $249 

More info: www.technics.com

Specifications:

• Model: Technics: EAH-AZ70W
• Driver Unit: 10 mm (3/8 in), graphene-coated
• Magnet Type: Neodymium
• Frequency range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz 
• Control/Mic: Touch sensor / MEMS Mic
• Playback time with AAC and ANC On: Approx. 6.5 hours
• Earphone charging time: Approx 2 hours
• Cradle charging time: Approx 2.5 hours
•  Headphones and cradle charging time: Approx 4 hours
• Quick Charge: 15 minutes provides 70 minutes’ listening (AAC and ANC ON)
• Weight: 7 g per earpiece
•  Charging cradle weight: 65 g
• Accessories: USB-C charging cord, Earpieces in XS, S, M, L, XL (M attached)
• Bluetooth: Version 5
•  Supported profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP
•  Audio codecs: SBC, AAC
•  Operating distance: Up to 10 m
• Water resistance: IPX4 Equivalent (headphones only)