[Phil2020]

Its a shame you can't tap and hold for the volume

Question: with the Sony XM4s the bass increases with the noise cancelling or ambient turned on,, so does this happen with the Technics AZ80s, as this is really annoying with the XM4s and I rarely use the noise cancelling because of this?... But now I have the bass quite high and that kind of fixes the problem, as I now cant tell much of a difference when toggling the noise cancelling or ambient.

 

[povidlo]

Its a shame you can't tap and hold for the volume

Question: with the Sony XM4s the bass increases with the noise cancelling or ambient turned on,, so does this happen with the Technics AZ80s, as this is really annoying with the XM4s and I rarely use the noise cancelling because of this?... But now I have the bass quite high and that kind of fixes the problem, as I now cant tell much of a difference when toggling the noise cancelling or ambient.

I don't use ambient but with noise cancelling on az80 seems like bass level actually decreases. I prefer to keep anc off unless needed.

 

[Phil2020]

So what colour do you like the best, the black or silver as Im in 2 mindsets which ones to buy?. Do I go for the sliver for the bling but might stand out and there not exactly small buds, or do I go for the black that wont stand out as much? But saying that the silver shouldn't stand out as much as its a closer to skin colour then the black, but the silver catches your eye more as its quite shiny?

 

[C_Lindbergh]

So what colour do you like the best, the black or silver as Im in 2 mindsets which ones to buy?. Do I go for the sliver for the bling but might stand out and there not exactly small buds, or do I go for the black that wont stand out as much? But saying that the silver shouldn't stand out as much as its a closer to skin colour then the black, but the silver catches your eye more as its quite shiny?

I prefer the silver...But unfortunately the case doesn't seem to hold up as well as the black one...:/

 

[davidmthekidd]

So what colour do you like the best, the black or silver as Im in 2 mindsets which ones to buy?. Do I go for the sliver for the bling but might stand out and there not exactly small buds, or do I go for the black that wont stand out as much? But saying that the silver shouldn't stand out as much as its a closer to skin colour then the black, but the silver catches your eye more as its quite shiny?

silver, like their classic 1200 turn tables.

 

[galaxygrrl]

I’ve had both. I bought sliver and put them in the washing machine and the warranty replacement was black.

Silver is prettier. The case did not hold up well and they stood out a lot more when wearing them.

I’m surprised to say this, but I prefer the black more, given they don’t jump out when you wear them. But they are not as stylish.

 

[holsen]

I thought I'd come back and post a few more impressions as I've had both the XM5 and AZ80 more than a week. I've dialed in the EQ on both sets and I'm happy with the sound I'm getting out of each and if I didn't hear both, honestly I'd be perfectly happy with either. But as for the sound quality, having spent considerable time with both I can categorically say that I much prefer the AZ80s. With the 10mm DD the sound is fuller (still wouldn't call it a wider stage). It's a richer sound and with the 10mm DD there is more texture in the bottom end. It's fuller, richer, deeper and more textured sound - it's smoother and non fatiguing - I've been seriously enjoying them for the untethered convenience and for the sound quality which really surprises me because, the only bluetooth I would concede to previously would be my Xelentos or Indigos wired into an UP5. Now to be clear, neither the AZ80s nor the XM5s can compare or match being wired into a BT DAC / AMP Dongle, but for their small form factor they are remarkably good. AZ80 wins for its Full Rich Textured sub, mid and upper bass that carries into the mids. The Sony still has better upper mid vocal and treble presence. The vocals and mids in general are more forward and present.

As for battery, it's my only disappointment with the Techniques. I consistently get just over 6 hours with them; The Sonys I get just over 8 hours - both receiving LDAC with Noise Cancelling and Ambient Sound off.

Overall I'm really happy with AZ80s and I hope this helps someone trying to determine which of the two is right for them. Both the Sony and Techniques latest offerings are awesome - for me, Techniques are the keepers. If battery performance and vocal clarity and presence are important, the XM5 may be you flavor.

 

[DonJuanJerome]

I ended up returning my AZ-80s and got the B&W PI7s S2. From the first track I put on, I was impressed with the Pi7s2. Everything just hit right, and I can't listen to it for hours without fatigue or ear pain. I am unsure what made my ear pain with the AZ80s after about 15 minutes of listening. I know this is a Technics forum, and I am not bashing the AZ80s. It was just not for me. I really wanted to like them.

I do believe the Sony is the better overall product, really solid in everything. Having had the XM4, I was tempted to get the XM5 after my AZ80 experience, and now owning the Pi7S2.

If anyone wants any more information on my experience or the Pi7s2, feel free to ask.

 

[Phil2020]

I ended up returning my AZ-80s and got the B&W PI7s S2. From the first track I put on, I was impressed with the Pi7s2. Everything just hit right, and I can't listen to it for hours without fatigue or ear pain. I am unsure what made my ear pain with the AZ80s after about 15 minutes of listening. I know this is a Technics forum, and I am not bashing the AZ80s. It was just not for me. I really wanted to like them.

I do believe the Sony is the better overall product, really solid in everything. Having had the XM4, I was tempted to get the XM5 after my AZ80 experience, and now owning the Pi7S2.

If anyone wants any more information on my experience or the Pi7s2, feel free to ask.

I remember when buying the Cambridge Melomania buds and they really made my ears sore for a good first few few weeks, and now there the most comfortable buds I own, I dont even notice that Im wearing them. It was the same with the XM4s but they only made my ears sore for a few days and then they were fine.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

I ended up returning my AZ-80s and got the B&W PI7s S2. From the first track I put on, I was impressed with the Pi7s2. Everything just hit right, and I can't listen to it for hours without fatigue or ear pain. I am unsure what made my ear pain with the AZ80s after about 15 minutes of listening. I know this is a Technics forum, and I am not bashing the AZ80s. It was just not for me. I really wanted to like them.

I do believe the Sony is the better overall product, really solid in everything. Having had the XM4, I was tempted to get the XM5 after my AZ80 experience, and now owning the Pi7S2.

If anyone wants any more information on my experience or the Pi7s2, feel free to ask.

It's all in the ear tips. Try Azla Max, the only one I can feel truly comfortable with AZ80 or any other IEM.

 

[DonJuanJerome]

It was not the ear tips, and the buds were comfortable. It was almost like there were high-level frequencies that I could not hear that were causing my eardrums to have this pain after a short while, maybe it was the sound signature. Anyway, maybe it is just something weird with me. As long as you guys are enjoying it, that is all that matters, I only left my comment on this forum as sometime in the future someone will stumble on here and may experience what I did and can have my insights.

 

[Phil2020]

I have just bought these for my Xmas present and was just wondering how easy are these to take out of the case compared to the Sony XM4s? I have the XM4s and I find them quite hard to grip because there quite rounded where you grip, also the magnets are quite strong so that doesn't help.

 

[enianen]

I have just bought these for my Xmas present and was just wondering how easy are these to take out of the case compared to the Sony XM4s? I have the XM4s and I find them quite hard to grip because there quite rounded where you grip, also the magnets are quite strong so that doesn't help.

I also came to these from the XM4s. They are dramatically easier to get out of the case. The AZ80s have a nice protrusion from the case with a sharp delineation between the face of the bud and the side, which allows you to easily grasp it when removing the buds from the case. This edge does not touch the ear at all, so it has no impact on comfort (I find the AZ80s to be very comfortable!).

 

[fishinn]

Does anyone have experience with A/B comparison of AZ80s with Jabra Elite 10?
I have read through this thread but couldn't find a thread dedicated to Elite 10. And didn't seem to find any comparison by just searching through the forum.

It's going to be my first TWS.

The most important thing to me is the sound signature. Which is, of course, a subjective thing.
I'm not sure if it helps to get a picture of my taste but I own Denon D5000 and Dali iO-6. I guess those are pretty different in the way they sound but I love them both. I value the wide soundstage, the clarity, and the ability to hear instruments separately.

Given I have a lot of calls at work, it would be also great to have a high level of mic performance in different circumstances.
I mean, first of all, the voice sound quality itself in a quiet environment. I face a lot of cases when it takes a lot of effort to understand people just because of poor mic performance in their earbuds - even when a person has no background sounds at all.
And, of course, if the earbuds are cool enough to make me clearly understandable in a chatty office/cafe or a noisy street, etc., it is a perfect bonus.

I believe I met a lot of really positive opinions on the sound signature of AZ80s, and one or two good ones about their mic performance.
But I'm wondering how they compare to Elite 10, so would appreciate any feedback.
Currently, I'm leaning towards Technics but assume Jabra could be a strong competition.

I also have XM5s and MTW3 on my list. But they are rather just in case. I tried the Sony WH-1000XM3 a few years ago when they were so popular and had a lot of great reviews. And I was completely disappointed if not to say traumatized (lol) with their sound, so now I'm biased against any Sony headphones. And Sennheisers seem to have a lot of negative reviews specifically on MTW3 from the reliability standpoint.

 

[JunkerGeorge]

Newbie here. Having bought and used the Technics AZ80 for the past month is what brought me here. My previous earbud was Sennheiser Momentum series, in which I had each one (MTW 1, MTW 2, MTW 3) as they came out. For sound, I preferred the MTW2 the best, though very minimal difference with the MTW3. I gave up on Sennheiser because I had to replace their earbuds so, so many times (under their great 2 yr warranty) due to one or the other earbud just ceasing to work for no apparent reason (I am very gentle, careful with them), that I had enough and started looking for a new company. After trying the Sony XM5, which were surprisingly lesser in sound than MTW series (at least to my own ear), I settled on the Technics AZ80. I like them, and am keeping them, and hope they will prove more durable than Sennheiser earbuds, which, honestly, shouldn't be too hard.

The thing is though, no matter what I try, I just can't get as close as I'd like to that Sennheiser sound that I grew accustomed to. I've studied the "Glossary of terms" here to try and describe the difference I sense between the AZ80 and MTW2/3's. Perhaps the terms "More Forward" vs. "More Laid Back" might explain the difference I sense? The MTW just seems more forward (and thus a bit brighter, clearer for lack of a better description) as if you were like 25 yards from the actual sound stage at a live concert as distinct from the Technics AZ80, which seem like your more 50-75 yards back. Does that make sense, maybe to those who've tried both the Sennheiser MTW and Technics AZ80? I prefer the Sennheiser sound a bit more, but certainly not their lack of durability. Again, I like the Technics sound well enough and am keeping them. But I'm wondering if there is something I've somehow missed, not tried in the settings? (I'm pretty sure I've tried everything.) Or might a different set of ear tips bring out that more "forward, clear, and bright" sound I like from the Sennheisers? Any suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks.