Technics Launched the Truly Exceptional Sounding EAH-AZ100 Earbuds at CES January 7th, But I Heard Them In Japan December 4th!

Embargo Lifted—Now I Can share the experience

On January 7th at this year's CES Technics introduced the EAH-AZ100 flagship Bluetooth earbuds but I got to experience them a month earlier in Japan. When the invite arrived in my inbox I really didn't know what to make of it. Earbuds? Me? Japan? Sign an NDA? Sure, but was Technics really flying me to Japan for a headphone launch? Until I got there I thought maybe the trip was really about a new top end turntable and they were just making sure I didn't break the NDA so they said it was about earbuds. Yes, what an ego trip, I hear 'ya.

Attendees were sent a 'care package' shortly before the trip that included a set of Technics EAH-AZ80 earbuds—at the time the top Technics 'bud, so then I figured this really was an earbud trip. Off I went Monday December 2nd on a thirteen hour direct flight from Newark to Hanada airport Tokyo, finally arriving in Kyoto in time for Tuesday evening dinner with some of the other press attendees, none of whom I knew, plus Dan Unger, Panasonic's Media Relations guy who happens to live one town over from me. This was not the usual high end audio crowd, but rather mostly "influencers", gadget and mainstream press writers so I definitely knew before the event began what this would be about.

We were sitting on low benches in a small room, gathered around a large hot surface, which had turned . It looked sort of like Hibachi but it wasn't—at least what we were served wasn't. The first "course" arrived, and it was "exotic". Yes, a skillet full of French Fries and some ketchup. The rest of the courses were equally weird: Gyoza, which are really Chinese, and some other weird concoctions, none of which struck me as being particularly Japanese. Maybe they "saw us coming down the block" or whatever.

THE AZ-100 REVIEW WILL BE PUBLISHED SEPARATELY. This piece is more "trip color".

The next day the event began with a more inviting lunch:

Following lunch there was a presentation covering the history of Technics, which I'm sure you'll find interesting. It's in the video below, which also includes the "break out" group during which we got a complete Technics turntable history I think you'll really enjoy as well in the first video below.

I'll cover the sessions surrounding the new headphones within the review itself coming up shortly. On the flight over I had the EAH-AZ80s in my ears for approximately eight hours with no discomfort and connected wirelessly to my Astel&Ultimate 3000 portable player, the sound bettered any of the wired headphones I have, which include a few custom-molded in ear products that did not have noise-canceling capabilities. The AZ80s make Apple ear buds (the originals) sound like a bad joke, but then compared to anything they sound pretty poor.

Following the eight hours i could have written a flattering review of the AZ80s and they would have become my "go to" traveling companions, despite a few minor sonic issues. The AZ100 presentation we got on the second day explained what Technics had done to improve the sound and functionality and maybe you'll have difficulty believing me but they addressed and greatly improved the two minor sonic issues I heard with the AZ80s. Technics felt the improvements sufficient to create a new model rather than a MKII version of the AZ80s and once I had a listen using my player I fully agreed! But more about that later!

Below is the video covering Technics' history and the introduction and evolution of the iconic SL-1200 originally manufactured without interruption between 1972 and 2010. You'll also get the "flavor" of a "press event". We were treated extremely well, and the people at Technics are more like a close knit family than a corporate entity—at least that's how it felt. They were all the nicest people you'd ever want to meet.

I have to single out the soon to retire, (or perhaps retired but he returned for this press event) Tetsuya (Tony) Itani, who i've known for many years and who is/was billed as "Technical Expert Technics Brand Business Promotional Division". I first interviewed him at a Japanese Audio fair in Tokyo, could be a decade ago, probably around the time Technics re-entered the turntable market. That video is on my previous endeavor's YouTube channel. When I arrived at the hotel I was handed a guide to Kyoto record stores that he had specially prepared just for me.

Pictured with Itani-san in the photo below is the multi-talented Director in charge of the Technics brand (the Japanese way of saying CEO, I suppose) Michiko Ogawa, who also delivered the history of Technics presentation and following the closing dinner played piano for us. She's good as you'll see and also such a nice person! During her presentation she talked about her educational background and sonic philosophy, which combines a scientific background with a more "mystical" personal approach I think you'll like. It's impressive. The record Itani-san is holding is one of her playing and it was cut at 78rpm. The sound is outstanding.

I first met her at CES 2016:

Friday was "free man in Kyoto" and I spent is with our own Jonti Davies who took me record shopping at some of his favorite haunts and I bought some great records for not much. I'll spare you the recital other than that I found a mint King Records second pressing of Undercurrent featuring Jim Hall and Bill Evans (GXC-3128--the earlier edition has the LAX number). The tape is messed up as you can hear on both the Pure Pleasure and Mobile Fidelity reissues, but it wasn't when this one was mastered and I see copies on Discogs and Ebay that are very reasonably priced.

After shopping we went for dinner at a really enjoyable local bistro and then to a club to watch some music that I wouldn't call "jazz" though it was a trio of stand up bass, drums/sax and brass (plus a step on squeeze toy you can see under the bassist's foot). Thanks for the evening Jonti!