The new Technics EAH-AZ80 are entering the wireless earbuds market at a tricky time. Clocking in at a substantial £259 / $299 / AU$499, the AZ80s’ main competition at this price comes from the Award-winning Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II buds, the (also) Award-winning Sony WF-1000XM4 and the five-star Apple AirPods Pro 2. The AZ80 are essentially entering a Battle of the Bands competition with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Nirvana also on the bill.
The question is not just whether or not the Technics AZ80 are a fine pair of earbuds that will give you a decent listen and a host of useful add-ons to boot, but also whether the AZ80 can justify their existence, and price, when competition at this level is so fierce. In short, would you buy a pair of Technics when you could have the best of Bose, Sony or Apple for a similar outlay?
