Just when everyone thought it was all over for Technics (including the people running Technics) vinyl made a comeback. In fact, by all reports, more people are buying records now than ever before.
That meant Technics, having established a decades-long reputation for producing premium turntables, decided to un-mothball itself and get back in the game. In the course of updating its line of fine home audio and DJ products, the Technics tech was also diverted into a new range of consumer headphones - both over and in-ear options.
Given we hadn't seen wireless headphones from this heritage brand before, they would have been forgiven for needing a few warm-up generations to get up and running but no, Technics hit the market at full pace, with genuinely impressive products - particularly the over-ear EAH-A800 noise-cancelling headset which I still use constantly, especially when travelling.
Now it's time for the inevitable upgrade, so let's find out how Technics has made one of its outstanding offerings even more premium.
Firstly, the EAH-AZ60M2 now charges wirelessly. "How can that possibly be the first thing you tell me about these earbuds?" you may well ask. Well, frankly I've decided wireless charging is now a compulsory feature for earbuds or I'm not interested. There's nothing more portable than the tiny case containing your earbuds. The thought you might also need to fiddle around finding the right cable to charge them with is just silly - although obviously Technics does include a USB-C cable in the box.
Although the AZ60M2 earbuds pair smoothly enough with iOS handsets, recent updates to the Android interface make the experience even easier. Most Google-based phones will now automatically recognise buds like these when they're in pairing mode and prompt you to set them up accordingly. Once you do, you'll find a useful notification window appears showing you the current battery level of each bud and the charging case as well.
What's more, the AZ60M2 now introduces multi-point connectivity, letting you connect to up to three devices simultaneously. For example, I might be watching my Apple TV with the audio streaming the earbuds but if a call comes in on my Samsung Galaxy phone, what I'm watching pauses and audio switches to the call. I've found this works well sometimes and not others. Every so often I try to start playing from a different source to the one I'm using and nothing happens, then I'm forced to either reconnect or simply put the buds back in the case and take them out again. Not sure exactly what the issue is but it's currently too inconsistent to rely on, although future firmware updates may sort this out.
Interestingly if you choose to connect via the superior LDAC protocol, which offers a noticeable jump in sound quality, you're restricted to just two multipoint devices and the app recommends you only connect to one at a time. Something tells me this feature is obviously a lot more complicated than it seems.
Speaking of the app, Technics Audio Connect is where things like updates, changing multipoint settings, adjusting EQ and customising controls happen. The controls are touch-only - no physical buttons but I've had no issue accidentally double or triple-tapping or anything like that. In fact, there's a wealth of customisation and tweaking available to you; from the level of noise cancellation to how much background noise is filtered out for your callers.
This is all part of Technics' new JustMyVoice technology which uses an unbelievable eight separate mics to eliminate common audio intrusions like wind and machine noise.
The Active Noise Cancelling is first rate - and these days it has to be. Most premium earbuds I've used lately have mastered the art of keeping out unwanted distractions and the AZ60M2 buds are certainly in the top echelon. This is thanks to a combination of a perfect fit and what Technics describes as feedforward and feedback mics.
The mic combination means there are microphones both inside and outside your ears - add Technics' legendary analogue and digital processing and you're being delivered the purest signal possible. Technics prides itself on being able to reproduce music exactly the way it was recorded, unaltered by any distortion and certainly not juiced up with sonic party tricks like adding extra bass.
This flatline approach to EQ doesn't mean a lack of warmth or life - quite the opposite. RUFUS DU SOL's "On My Knees" is an unrelenting, bass-driven dance track and that booming rhythm sequence comes across with plenty of power, without muddying the rest of the song which is otherwise expansive and detailed.
Conversely, Paul Simon's new one-track wonder of an album, "Seven Psalms" is a mostly acoustic affair and it sounds like he's moved right inside your head, bringing his nylon-string with him. Still, every now and again, other bigger sounds - tubular bells, kettle drums, etc. - will appear unexpectedly yet quite naturally, creating a sense of genuine space - plenty of room for Edie Brickell to offer her raspy voice to compliment Simon's smooth croon as well.
The most fun track I've listened to on the AZ60M2 buds is probably "Take it Away" by L.A.B. The two guitars are mixed extreme left and right with the vocals belting straight down the centre. These earbuds absolutely nail this.
The superb fit and IPX4 water resistance rating make them a good choice for exercise and the long battery life, quick charging and pristine call quality means they're also an excellent commuting solution.
The AZ60M2's are expensive but they do bring pretty much every high-end feature you could ask for to the table and when it comes to authentic sound reproduction, Technics is historically hard to beat.
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