Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Technics in any way and do not benefit monetarily or in any other form for writing this review. Technics reached out to us for the purposes of the review, in which we are truly grateful for.
Review by: “Charlie”
Technics EAH-AZ60 Retail Price (at time of writing): S$379 (US$281)
TLA Score
Physical Attributes
Comfort: 8/10
Durability: 9/10
Ease of Wearing: 8/10
Noise Isolation: 8/10 (with ANC off)
Sonic Attributes
Bass: 8/10
Mids: 7/10
Trebles: 7/10
Sound Stage: 5/10
Separation & Imaging: 6/10
Overall Rating: 8/10
Technics – the audio division of the household brand, Panasonic. In 2020, the EAH-AZ70W was the company’s first foray into the TWS market and as the new kid on the block, Technics got many things right and very little wrong. This year, Technics launched 2 new models, the EAH-AZ60 and EAH-AZ40, which marks the company’s second attempt at the TWS market. The AZ70W was an impressive unit and has set the bar high. Today we will look at the AZ60, the younger brother, and see if it has what it takes to fill the shoes of what the AZ70W left behind. Inevitably, I would be making some comparisons to the AZ70W, so feel free to visit that post here, to get up to speed!
IN THE BOX
The AZ60 is packed in a laminated paper box in the black and white colourway. A mature and professional packaging, it is obvious who this product is made for. Well thought out, the face of the box flips up to reveal the the earphone charging case nicely cradled in the center, flanked by the generous set of ear tips and USB-C charging cable to the bottom and the hearty amount of paperwork to the top. No kidding though, the amount of paper work is quite literally the size of a stack of name cards.
Though the unboxing experience is a tad less premium as compared to the AZ70W, The use of less materials, smaller footprint and lighter weight is something I can appreciate overall, especially from an environmental-friendliness standpoint.
The box includes:
- XS/S/M/L/XL ear tips
- 20 cm USB-A to USB-C charging cable
- L and R earbuds and charging case
- User Manual and Warranty Information
BUILD AND DESIGN
Earbuds
I received my unit in the silver colorway and like its bigger brother, it sports a brushed-metal faceplate with a layered ring design, reminiscent of the vinyl records, where the company’s roots are firmly planted. Again, this design effectively rejects fingerprints while delivering textural-feedback when the touch controls are operated. As much inspiration the AZ60 draws from its elder brother on the outside, the inner face of the earbud is, however, a complete redesign of the AZ70W, with a flatter face that allows the earbuds to sit deeper in the ear, reducing the tendency of the buds falling out, which was admittedly, a concern with the AZ70W that I previously reviewed.
As we examine the nozzle of the AZ60, we find that Technics has opted for a short nozzle with a significant flat lip that retains eartips surprisingly well. Spinfits, Symbios, Acoustunes, Finals, Sony Hybrids… No problems here! On the topic of eartips, you might find that the earbuds would not sit perfectly in the cradle if comply-sized foam tips are used due to the longer dimesions though.
The connection indicator lights are intuitively placed on the inner face of the earbuds which in my eyes, is a good design call. My reason being the wearer would not be able to check the indicator lights anyways if he were wearing it ya, so why have it blinking every few seconds and potentially drawing attention to you? Just a personal thought, but I know most others would probably not mind.
The AZ60’s more intuitive design might have intentionally or unintentionally translated to an improvement in its touch control’s usability. Back track, one gripe I had with the AZ70W was its occasional tendency to “misregister” touches when simply gripping the sides to adjust the earbuds. WIth the larger non-touch-sensitive area of the outer faceplate, I found myself accidentally interacting with the touch controls much less.
CHARGING CRADLE
Technics have opted for a sleeker, significantly smaller carging case over its predecessor. The charging case has now been changed to a plastic material and is smaller in all dimensions when compared to the AZ70W. It does admittedly feel less premium and would probably be more prone to wear from everyday use, however, it does come in significantly lighter, tilting the scales at 45g while delivering an extra 5.5 hours of playback time to a total of 24 hours with AAC and ANC on.
Opening the lid reveals the earbuds, magnetically held in place in their slots. A matte plastic was used to cover the internal of the cradle which is well made with no machining marks. The lid shows minimal wobble when opened and just like its older brother, no tolerances were laxed in the production of this gems.
Colours! Technics have opted for colour codes for the battery indicator. Green for full charge, yellow for medium and red for low charge. This is no doubt a more elegant solution for displaying battery level over its predecessor, but as a colourblind person, I do struggle a little to discern the green from the yellow. Nonetheless, it is a small issue that would bug the minority of us.
CONNECTIVITY
At this price point, the latest bluetooth v5.2 finds its way into the AZ60 and delivers excellent connection stability and range. Apart from the new bluetooth version, we find another great implementation by Technics here – LDAC codec support! This model now supports three bluetooth codec, SBC, AAC and LDAC, though sadly, still none of the aptX magic can be found. Moving from AAC to LDAC, we see a bump up in the revelation of micro details and textures. The sound signature is essential identical between the two codecs.
All bluetooth codecs connect with absolutely no drop outs or stutter with my OnePlus Nord CE 5G. At home my connection was stable up to approximately 5 to 6 meters without direct line of sight between the phone and the earbuds. This range increases drastically up to the specified 10 meters (and then some) with a direct line of sight between the devices, although your mileage may vary depending on your surroundings.
AMBIENT SOUND CONTROL
ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING MODE
The AZ60 is equiped with a formidable noise cancelling technology that easily stands with other rivals in the premium TWS price bracket. Sporting feedforward and feedback noise cancelling technologies, the AZ60 effortlessly cancels out mid and low frequcies although some higher degree of “digitalization” in the sound is apparent when compared to something like the Sony WF-1000XM4 that happens to be readily available for me to try too. Nonetheless, rumbling, humming and the average ambient noise are very effectively muted out.
Higher frequencies are not as effectively muted through the ANC system though, although other premium ANC-capable TWS buds, such as the aforementioned XM4 struggle with this too. Another quirk of the ANC is the short digital chatter that can be heard when in a vehicle that is going over speed strips. This was similarly apparent in the AZ70W before this. Music sounds equally dynamic and fun with ANC active and is a huge step up from the AZ70W which I previously reviewed, which lost some dynamic range while the ANC was active.
AMBIENT SOUND MODE
Ambient sound mode allows external sounds to “leak” into the music with the help of its onboard microphones thus allowing you to be more aware of your surroundings. Working in a R&D laboratory, I found this feature to be invaluable as I can enjoy my favourite tunes while I churn reports while being fully aware of colleagues calling for me. The ambient sound sounds a tad artificial and is not as effective as something like the XM4’s. Despite this, the mode is still very well implemented and serves its purpose well nonetheless.
OFF MODE
With the off-mode, ANC and ambient sounds are inactive. Thus all the noise attenuation are purely from the passive isolation from the earbuds, which happens to be just about as average as any generic pair of noise isolating IEMs, though your mileage will vary from wearer to wearer.
JUSTMYVOICE TECHNOLOGY
A propreitary feature developed by Technics, the technology is designed for the enhancement of the users voice during calls and conferences. Driven by four microphones on each side of the ear buds, the ear buds actively detects for voice input while suppressing external ambient noise in the users surroundings, which helps the listener on the other end of the line better understand the wearers words. To test this function, I engaged in a call while aboard a train and the person on the other end could not hear the rumbling and whirling sounds eminating from the train’s motion, although fairly, the train’s on-board announcements were not omitted by the function.
TECHNICS AUDIO CONNECT APP
The Technics Audio Connect app is essential to fully appreciate the functions of the AZ60. With the app, options such as the ambient sound and ANC strength are open to us, along with other functions such as connection or audio quality bias. We also are able to remap the touch controls, toggle the ear bud indicator lights. The app is not necessary to use the AZ60 at the basic, but the app does unlock a myriad of functions for the TWS ear buds.
SOUND QUALITY
The AZ60 is equipped with an 8 mm biocellulose dynamic driver; a slight downsize from the 10 mm PEEK graphene driver of the AZ70W. With a smaller, more nimble driver, how does the AZ60 sound, you might ask. Let us take a look at the sonic quality of the AZ60 with the AAC codec and ANC on.
The first major and glaring difference between this model and its predecessor is the sound signature. The AZ60 is tuned for a V-shaped sound signature with a hearty, fun low end, topped off with a smooth treble. The mid and upper-mid frequencies are surprisingly airy and natural. However, soundstage is alike most other TWS ear buds and are nothing to write home about. It is limited and extends neither wide nor far.
BASS
The bass on the AZ60 is arguably one it’s most exciting and defining characteristic. The bass is weighty and well extended for that extra low end punch, all while being well controlled and excellently balanced with the other frequencies. The substantial bass presence neither ever feels bloated or mask the other frequencies and only very slightly muddies some of the male vocals.
MIDS
Mids are laid-back and vocals are natural sounding with good separation from instruments. Vocals are surprisingly fairly well textured with no nasally charactheristics. Instruments such as guitars, pianos and percussions sound brisk and rich, thanks to the adequate bass response.
TREBLE
Trebles, as mentioned are smooth without harsh peaks or sibilance. Despite the tamed treble response, some sparkle does find its way into its represenstation. However, micro-details are not too well-defined and helps to give a more relaxed listening experience. Also, the top-end extension is good for a TWS ear bud, but ultimately does leave me wanting a tad. But these characteristics might just very well be attributed to bluetooth compression.
CONCLUSION
As Technics second attempt at the TWS IEM market, they have got many things right and very little wrong. The sound quality and signature is easily acceptable by the masses and even by enthusiast standards, aren’t shabby at all. The implementation of the ambient noise-suppression for calls is fantastic, especially in the current world situation that has many of us attending meetings from our own homes. Good connectivity and excellent ANC, paired with a myriad of features and robust design, all for a modest and competive price that is capable of rivaling other big brand names, the AZ60 is an easy recommendation for me if you are looking for an all-rounder true wireless ear buds as your everyday carry.
Specifications:
Driver: 1 x 8 mm Biocellulose Driver
Bluetooth Version: 5.2
Supported Bluetooth Codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC
Weight: 7g (earbud, per side) + 45g (charging case)
Playback Time:
AAC (earbuds) – 7hrs (NC on), 7.5hrs (NC off)
AAC & Charging Case – 24hrs (NC on), 25 (NC off)
LDAC (earbuds) – 4.5hrs (NC on), 5hrs (NC off)
LDAC & Charging Case – 16hrs (NC on), 17hrs (NC off)
Standby Time: 9hrs (NC on), 15hrs (NC off)
Charge time: Approx. 3.5hrs (Charging case + Earbuds)
Range: Up to 10 m
Water Resistance: IPX4 (earbuds only)
THE LITTLE AUDIOPHILE 