TechnicsReference Class Hi-Fi Wireless Earbuds,Dolby Atmos with Head Tracking,Adaptive Noise Cancelling,3 Device Multipoint, 10-hr Battery,Wireless Charging,Improved Fit -EAH-AZ100-A (Blue)

I have several earbuds that I wanted to test these against, including Technics AZ70w, Jabra 75T, Soundcore Liberty Air 2, and Soundcore Space A40. Of those, both Soundcores have the best sound and app experience, so they were the buds to beat. I eliminated the Liberty Air 2 because they didn't have ANC, so this review will compare the AZ100 to the Space A40. Given the relative price difference, I figured it would be a shoe-in that the AZ100 would win. I was completely wrong.Fit: these fit okay out of the box, but I ended up going with the largest size ear tips - which I've never used before. I'm almost always medium or small in the ear tips, so I don't know why these didn't fit with any smaller sizes. (I use the medium tips with this A40s.) These are a lot bigger and heavier, so I suspect the extra weight needs more "grab" for a better seal? Don't know, but they fit okay once I fiddled for a while. I don't know if those who usually use large ear tips will have a problem, since my medium ears are using the largest size. Winner: it's a drawPairing: I find the naming of Technics earbuds lackluster, especially when I was presented with a list of earbuds to choose for pairing. (They don't pair automatically, you have to select them from the list in the app. The box QR code takes you to a website, not pairing.) But it was otherwise fine, if less seamless and elegant than the A40 pairing. It's nice that they will switch between up to three devices, in case the two devices that you get with the A40 aren't enough. Winner: Technics, but only because you get three devices instead of two.App experience: Whew, boy. The Technics app needs a serious interface overhaul, and some quality time with an English editor. Half the time, I'm just staring at the word salad, trying to make sense of the grammar and inappropriate use of possessive apostrophes. The rest of the time I'm tapping here, there, and everywhere to find the exact function I need. And some features don't seem to do anything, or what they do is completely unclear. For example, there is a feature that is supposed to help you get the right ear tip fit, but as far as I could tell it did exactly nothing. It played a tune when you had the earbuds in, and then told you the last ear tip you used was the one you should use. Based on....? As another example, the ambient sound adjustment doesn't seem to have much effect if there's any actual ambient sound, although I noticed a difference in white noise in quiet environments.By contrast, the Soundcore app is consistently easy to use, very easy to adjust settings, and extremely well laid-out. Settings and functions are easy to understand and work as expected. Winner: A40s by a mileSound: Here's where I really expected the AZ100s to shine. I set both sets of earbuds to the default sound setting and played a variety of music. To my shock, the sound from the A40s was consistently richer and more immersive. Bass notes sounded fuller, treble was not shrill, and the overall balance was much more pleasing to my ear. By contrast, the AZ100s sounded thin and distant, with muted bass notes and tinny treble. It was like the difference between having Nat King Cole singing right beside you versus in the next room over.Okay, so that's just the default setting. That's what custom settings are for, right? So I played with the custom settings on both, and was never able to duplicate the A40's rich sound. Maybe it's user error or just the way my ears hear sound, but I was really astonished at the difference. I went back and listened to all my other earbuds to see if it was maybe something I missed. But the AZ100s were no better than the Jabra 75Ts, or even the Technics AZ70Ws. Color me baffled. Winner: A40s all dayBells and whistles: This is where I think some people might find these earbuds to be worth it. They have spatial audio that allows you to move your head and hear sounds in the relative direction; this is obviously most useful if you're watching movies or TV. They also allow you to switch between Bluetooth classic audio and LE audio, but you should be aware that if you make the switch, you lose all of your settings. You also can't perform certain functions if you activate LE audio. I suspect that audiophiles who care about that sort of thing know enough to take advantage of that feature, but the app really does a terrible job of helping anybody else.The A40s don't have either of those features, so it's a no-brainer if those two things are important to you. The non-standard feature the A40s do have is HearIQ, which customizes the sound to your hearing levels in each ear. I find this helps quite a bit, so I would hate to give it up if I switch to other earbuds.Winner: depends which bells and whistles you care aboutOverall, I was shocked at the lackluster sound and app, especially so when I realized the price tag. Maybe there are technical details buried in the app that would make these rival the best earbuds, but I was unable to find them. And in my testing, they didn't even beat my $50 A40s (which are actually cheaper now). Perhaps the spacial audio will make these worth the price difference for some people, however. Just not for me.