Technics isn’t any slouch within the function division, and the most recent pair gives nearly each trendy function you would need. You’ll discover all of the fundamentals like auto-pause sensors, a multiband EQ, Google Quick Pair, and an Earbuds Finder, with customization accessible within the Technics app. The truth is, nearly all the things is customizable for an nearly dizzying array of choices. If there’s one thing you don’t like, from how the buds relay video sync to how your voice sounds on calls, there’s doubtless an adjustment accessible.
Not all the things feels as polished as Apple’s AirPods Professional, the software program chief within the area. The AZ100’s name suppression function, for example, does an amazing job killing ambient noise round your voice (and even the voice on the opposite finish), but it surely makes you sound a bit sterile and robotic within the course of. The app itself generally refused to load, forcing me to refresh it, although it was in any other case steady.
{Photograph}: Ryan Waniata
Multitaskers might be happy to see the return of three-device multipoint pairing, letting you simply swap between your laptop, pill, and cellphone over Bluetooth, with no model loyalty required. Talking of Bluetooth, you’ll not solely get assist for normal codecs like AAC and LDAC over Bluetooth 5.3, but additionally Bluetooth LE Audiowhich ought to futureproof the buds for next-gen wi-fi streaming.
The AZ100’s contact controls are responsive, customizable, and complete, with default choices for playback, calling, quantity, and ambient audio on the prepared. The structure is a tad complicated at first, however I recognize the power to perform nearly any job with out grabbing your cellphone.
Velvet Sparkle
I usually save the sound efficiency for final, however the AZ100’s sound is simply too good to carry off any longer. Like most hi-fi buds, they supply a sluggish and regular revelation of their abilities. The additional you drill down, the higher they sound.
Once I first fired them up, I used to be shocked by the sound signature’s heat and nearly thick taste, seeming extra reliant on the bass and decrease mids than anticipated. That mentioned, I typically desire a smoother contact in my hi-fi over sharp and zingy, and it didn’t take lengthy to seek out that the AZ100’s heat entrance acts nearly like a velvet backdrop on which instrumental textures and results glitter like jewels within the mild.
