These earbud's strength is their ability to play hi-resolution audio. The sound is well balanced, clean, and accurate. The bass is strong and the mid and lows are clear. To maximize these earbuds’ full potential, I switched the Bluetooth streaming codex on my phone from SBC to LDAC (Lossless Digital Audio Codec). Anybody serious about getting premium sound from wireless headphones will look for a device that supports LDAC. These earbuds definitely produce reference quality sound that makes them worth their price point.However, it is important to note that not all devices/phones support the LDAC codec. Unfortunately, iPhones and some early model Android phones do not support LDAC. However, these earbuds still produce excellent sound quality using the standard form ... MoreThese earbud's strength is their ability to play hi-resolution audio. The sound is well balanced, clean, and accurate. The bass is strong and the mid and lows are clear. To maximize these earbuds’ full potential, I switched the Bluetooth streaming codex on my phone from SBC to LDAC (Lossless Digital Audio Codec). Anybody serious about getting premium sound from wireless headphones will look for a device that supports LDAC. These earbuds definitely produce reference quality sound that makes them worth their price point.However, it is important to note that not all devices/phones support the LDAC codec. Unfortunately, iPhones and some early model Android phones do not support LDAC. However, these earbuds still produce excellent sound quality using the standard form of audio compression (SBC or AAC). Apple uses its proprietary audio codec, AAC. I tested these earbuds on my wife’s iPhone, and the sound is still very good.Other positives worth mentioning: they are very comfortable, comes with 7 earpieces, the app has good sound enhancements/equalizer options (Dynamic was my favorite), really good noise cancelling, great mic and sound isolation during phone calls, the ability to locate your earbuds if lost, and the ability to connect up to 3 devices simultaneously. Note: when using LDAC as the wireless transmission option, it is only possible to connect up to 2 devices simultaneously.I did encounter a few limitations. The main one being that I could not get Google Assistant to work. The product supports Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, however, on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, every time I try to activate it, Bixby responds rather than Google Assistant. I do not want Bixby to respond, and I have not been able to figure out how to make Google Assistant respond with these earbuds. Hopefully, an update to the Technics app will make this easier in the future.Another limitation, and this is a limitation with most wireless headphones/earbuds, the volume cannot get extremely loud. However, it does get loud enough. And to some, it may be too loud. I just know that if I want to crank up my music to borderline unhealthy levels, I would be using a wired headset with a small in-line external amp.And finally, I found the earpiece fitting process to be a little inconsistent. The app has a feature available that will walk you through figuring out which size earpiece to use. You start with a certain size earpiece and the app will use the mics and sensors on the earbuds to determine if you need a smaller or larger earpiece. I went through the process a couple times and got varying results. I ended up going back to the medium sized earpiece, the one that I started with, because they provided a snuggest fit and were the most comfortable. I guess I could have figured this out on my own, but it was fun trying this feature in the app.Overall, I am very happy with these earbuds. They produce excellent sound. I almost gave them 4 out of 5 stars because of the Google Assistant issue, but I’m thinking a future app update can fix this. Otherwise, in terms of sound quality, these earbuds are excellent.

Excellent audio quality with rich bass and crisp trebles. Sound can be further adjusted with a 5 band equalizer (as well as several presets) in the accompanying app. There's an LDAC mode, which further improves the dynamic range if your device supports it. Active noise cancelling is quite good, although it doesn't completely block out ambient sound (I could still hear the quiet whirring of my bathroom fan, which I would've thought would be completely eliminated, considering it's essentially white noise). There's also a sound transparency feature which can be helpful for people who want to be more aware of sounds around them while they're listening to media, but I always find this feature to sound odd and unnatural.Multipoint connection works smoothly -- I tested ... MoreExcellent audio quality with rich bass and crisp trebles. Sound can be further adjusted with a 5 band equalizer (as well as several presets) in the accompanying app. There's an LDAC mode, which further improves the dynamic range if your device supports it. Active noise cancelling is quite good, although it doesn't completely block out ambient sound (I could still hear the quiet whirring of my bathroom fan, which I would've thought would be completely eliminated, considering it's essentially white noise). There's also a sound transparency feature which can be helpful for people who want to be more aware of sounds around them while they're listening to media, but I always find this feature to sound odd and unnatural.Multipoint connection works smoothly -- I tested it on my Pixel 7 Pro and Pixelbook, and the connection worked fine between the two. You can connect up to 3 devices, but LDAC can't be used in that situation.Fit is excellent. My initial concern with the shape was that it would be bulky and uncomfortable, but it felt great even after an hour of uninterrupted use. Panasonic thoughtfully included 5 different earbud sizes/shapes as opposed to the usual 3 (but the ones that came preinstalled were perfect for me). Touch sensor buttons work fine, and it's nice that you can customize them using the app, since the factory defaults don't make complete sense to me.Mic quality is the main weak spot. I tested making phone calls, and even from a quiet environment, my wife noted that my voice was distorted and choppy. I also tested by making a call to my own office voicemail and playing it back. My wife's Pixel Buds A are far superior in terms of mic quality (and those were 1/3 the cost of these earbuds).Build quality is excellent. The earbuds and the case are made of sleek metal with a nice matte texture that won't attract fingerprints. The case also supports wireless charging.Overall, these earbuds are terrific for listening, but not great for phone calls, which is why I'm docking one star (and if you use your earbuds a lot for calls, I'd dock two stars). Considering the pretty high price (more than both the AirPods Pro and the Pixel Buds Pro), I would expect superior quality in all respects, not just audio.

I have had the Panasonic Technics Premium HiFi True Wireless Earbuds for several days now and have listened to them daily. And all that listening was done on a single charge of the case with earbuds stored inside, so battery life seems very good. These EAH-AZ80 earbuds certainly live up to their premium designation, very stylish and elegant design, solid build, and most impressive sound. I feel like they sound better each time I use them. It certainly helps to properly fit the earbuds to my ears and Panasonic gives you seven different sizes to choose from. It can be challenging to figure out which size fits best but finding that good fit is important to get the best audio quality. That is especially important when it comes to getting a rich full sound with lots of ... MoreI have had the Panasonic Technics Premium HiFi True Wireless Earbuds for several days now and have listened to them daily. And all that listening was done on a single charge of the case with earbuds stored inside, so battery life seems very good. These EAH-AZ80 earbuds certainly live up to their premium designation, very stylish and elegant design, solid build, and most impressive sound. I feel like they sound better each time I use them. It certainly helps to properly fit the earbuds to my ears and Panasonic gives you seven different sizes to choose from. It can be challenging to figure out which size fits best but finding that good fit is important to get the best audio quality. That is especially important when it comes to getting a rich full sound with lots of bass, as well as for optimum noise cancellation. I find the earbuds to be very comfortable to wear for long periods and easy to insert into the ear, take out, and place back in their case.While I wouldn’t call myself a technical audiophile by any measure, I do appreciate listening to all different kinds of music and these earbuds offer incredible sound across the spectrum. The bass comes across deep yet punchy and you can even feel the kick of the bass drum, while the mid and higher frequencies are clean and bright. I appreciate bass but I really love the high end frequencies from brass instruments and percussion, and these deliver. The Technics Audio Connect app allows complete customization of the sound, using either presets or you can configure your own custom settings using a 5-band equalizer. The same goes for Noise Cancellation and/or Ambient sound settings, all customizable within the app. Basic control adjustments can be made while listening, simply by tapping the earbuds outer shell, and that includes adjusting volume up and down, skipping backward and forward through your playlist, or when taking phone calls, etc.I have listened to everything from Rush to Natalie Merchant and Steely Dan to Waylon Jennings to get broad appreciation of the sound that is delivered by these earbuds, and it was all enjoyable music to my ears. When it comes to assessing noise reduction, I tend to only use earbuds or headphones while listening to music at home, so I can’t comment about how well it works for such things as commuting on public transit, for example. They do seem to work well when my wife is in the room watching television, especially if I am just relaxing and getting lost in the music.In conclusion, I really appreciate all the features that Panasonic packed into these earbuds. They even state in their Quick Start Guide their wish that you go beyond technology and rediscover the magic and emotion that music offers in a diverse culture of music in the world. These earbuds certainly live up to that pledge.