In the experiment, the Technics EAH-AZ60E: Simply high-quality

The Japanese brand Technics has a long and storied history in the field of audio equipment. Even today, the active manufacturer seems to also be active in the headphone segment, as exemplified by the full-wireless noise-canceling headphones EAH-AZ60E.

Text: Heikki Kivelä PhotosManufacturer

As the popularity of wireless noise-canceling headphones continues to grow in the market, to survive in the market, the product should not only be very functional, but also somehow different from the rest. Of course, this is not always the case, and the models that are mostly sold and offer the most advanced features at the lowest possible price – which in most cases come from more expensive models from the manufacturers – are what most people are looking for. For example, just a couple of years ago, the noise-canceling feature was exclusively the selling point of the more expensive wireless headphones, but now it can be found in the most affordable models for less than five dollars. It goes without saying that the quality of the most affordable headphones is not impressive even in the long run. The difference is immediately noticeable when you get to know a little more about the more high-quality alternatives – such as the Technics EAH-AZ60E.

Clean and tidy
Indifferently named EAH-AZ60E is a smart overall product in all respects, despite its name. These are not exactly sports headphones or even samples of design craftsmanship; they are simply representatives of their category of simple and practical products. The AZ60E’s case is much worse in quality and lighter than many competitors, so it fits into even the smallest pockets of tighter-fitting trousers without being noticed. The headphones themselves, however, are quite standard in size and have a restrained appearance. Subjectively, their fit is exceptionally good in its class, and at least the test writer managed to get the headphones into his ears with one hand from the case—which is not always possible with all models.

The earcups come with seven pairs of silicone ear tips of various sizes included in the package. There are no wings or other features that improve the fit, but I didn’t really need them. The headphones stayed securely in place, and above all, comfortably in place at home and on the trail.

Reasonable battery life
In terms of battery life, the EAH-AZ60E isn't particularly good, but it's not bad either. Depending on the quality of the audio being played, the volume level, and the noise cancellation features, according to the manufacturer, there is approximately seven hours of continuous playback time. For example, a non-stop listening session of about four hours on Spotify with the noise cancellation feature on and the volume above half consumed the battery slightly more than half of the time, so the manufacturer’s promise should hold true. The storage case also has a quick charging feature that gives the earbuds an additional 70 minutes of listening time during the charging period. The case itself has a maximum listening time of 25 hours. For everyday use and occasional travel, there is reasonably enough capacity, but on the other hand, there are already almost twice as many options in the product category that offer more listening time.

The headphones come with seven pairs of ear tips and a twenty-centimeter USB-A to USB-C charging cable.

Pleasant repetition
The overall impression of the AZ60E was positive in many respects, not least because the sound quality of the headphones was pleasant in every way. While many manufacturers sometimes overemphasize the treble, Technics has approached audio reproduction with a moderate level of emphasis.

The playback from the headphones is mostly soft and easy, with no particularly energetic treble or deep bass.

On the repeat track, there isn’t really any unnecessary emphasis or shortcomings that stand out, and as such, the good basic sound suffers if it starts to be modified, for example by the equalizer in the control app. The noise cancellation feature of the Technics headphones is relatively transparent and doesn’t distort the playback of the music. It worked well not only indoors but also in windy weather outside, to the extent that the overall listening volume remained lower than the average, according to the smartphone’s audio volume settings. And that’s just a good thing.

One of the drawbacks of the headphones did become noticeable while out and about, namely that although Technics praises the quality of the AZ60E in handsfree calls, in slightly windy weather the other party did not seem to be able to hear the conversation very well. Another drawback, however, comes with the control app, which is in principle well implemented and easy to use but unfortunately unstable in its operation. That was the point at which I started looking for headphones on the start screen, even though they were already connected to the same smart device.