These Technics earbuds are good, but are they class leaders elect?
In-ear headphones | £129| whf.cm/EAH_AZ40M2
Like The ReturnOf The Kingor The Dark Knight Rises, the new Technics EAHAZ40M2 feel like the conclusion to a trilogy. Following the premium EAHAZ80 and the upper-mid-range EAHAZ60M2, the revamped AZ40M2 are the most affordable of Technics’ current trio of wireless earbuds released this year.
Competition is fierce at this end of the market – and then there’s the fact that, while we certainly enjoyed our time with both the AZ80 and the AZ60M2, our four-star reviews reflected two pairs of buds that couldn’t quite reach the highest heights to compete with their illustrious rivals. Spacious, clean and technically sound were the watchwords across both respective assessments, and it’s a similar story for the new AZ40M2, albeit at the lower end of the price spectrum.
They look good, they are well-furnished with features and they share their siblings’ refined and uncluttered sonic style; but is all that enough for the AZ40M2 to find a place in a market populated by some truly outstanding earbuds?
At £129, the EAH-AZ40M2 are placed at the bottom of Technics’ EAH-AZ range, sitting below both the AZ60M2 (tested at £199) and the flagship EAH-AZ80 (tested at £259).
This price puts them on a collision course with the 2023 Award-winning Sony WF-C700N, which are currently available to buy for just under £100 in the UK (tested at £100), while the entertaining five-star JBL Live Pro 2 TWS are yours for a similar £130 price. With this in mind, the AZ40M2 have to work even harder to justify what now seems like a £30 premium over their class rivals. Of course, newer models are always going to be more expensive than those that have been out for a while, but even so, Technics’ affordable buds must bring something new to the party to pull consumers away from their established rivals.
The AZ40M2 are a noticeably chic set of wireless earbuds, and our sample model, daubed in a rather fetching rose gold, could certainly pass for a more expensive pair. That shiny outer exterior meeting the matt finish which leads into the buds’ ear tip is particularly pleasing to the eye, giving the buds just a little added visual flair to help them stand out from the crowd.
As with Technics’ pricier earbuds, build quality throughout is reassuringly solid, and while we might have criticised the Panasonic-owned brand for not pushing the boat
