Technics EAH-AZ40M2 strike a good balance of sound, functionality, and comfort – making them very suitable for everyday commuting, leisure, and business travel.
- $117 – Check latest price on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon countries
Appearance Design & Comfort Fit
The charging case is relatively small overall, and it belongs to the “thin and long” design – it can be easily put into the jeans pocket. The USB-C charging interface is set on the back of the charging case, and the Technics Logo is printed on the top. The charging case is made of frosted plastic, which is not easy to leave scratches and fingerprints.
Technics EAH-AZ40M2 earbuds are bean-shaped without stem. The outside of the earbud cavity has a brushed metal texture, which is also the touch control area of the earbud. A pickup microphone for active noise cancellation is set on the outside of the earbud. The inner side of the cavity is provided with metal contacts, a magnetic suction module and a microphone hole.
The inner part of the earbud cavity close to the ear canal also has an ergonomic design, with a very soft curve, which fits the ear canal and distributes the weight evenly to all parts of the ear canal. Thanks to the high-fitting curve design, there is no obvious gravity pressure point on the inside of the earbuds – even if you lie on your side, there will be no great ear pressure.
Connection & App Support & Battery Life
The earbuds uses the Bluetooth 5.3 protocol and supports SBC/AAC/LDAC codec. When connecting for the first time, just select “Technics EAH-AZ40M2” in your phone’s bluetooth device list to connect quickly.
Also, EAH-AZ40M2 support multi-point connection, which can connect three bluetooth devices. But, after connecting three bluetooth devices, LDAC cannot be used.
Support the free Technics Audio Connect App, Android phones need to scan the QR code on the manual to download, or download it through Google Play. iPhone can search and download in the App Store.
Open the App, you can see the battery information of the earbuds and charging case on the top, and the commonly used functions are placed in the middle of the App. The most commonly used environmental sound control, sound mode (equalizer), and setting menu are at the lower banner, and the interaction is more intuitive overall.
The touch area of EAH-AZ40M2 is located in the Logo area outside the earbud. Support single-tap, double-tap, triple-tap and long-press operations, which can realize song switching, play/pause, volume adjustment and noise reduction control. You can also customize the operation in the App according to your personal usage habits.
The earbuds connection is also stable enough. Using LDAC codec to listen to music in the subway for about an hour, there is no lag or disconnection.
The single battery life of Technics EAH-AZ40M2 is only 3.5/5.5 hours (LDAC/AAC codec). The total battery life is about 12/18 hours, which is relatively short in TWS earbuds.
Active Noise Cancellation & Ambient Sound Control
The biggest upgrade of Technics EAH-AZ40M2 is the addition of Active Noise Cancellation and the microphone that can filter wind noise. I conducted Active Noise Cancellation tests on the EAH-AZ40M2 in different scenarios such as indoors, outdoors, and subways. After turning on ANC, the earbuds can effectively suppress the low-frequency noise in the environment – such as air conditioner noise and engine sound can be reduced by about 70%.
For mid-high-frequency noise, such as keyboard sound, conversation sound, etc., the active noise cancellation effect of EAH-AZ40M2 is relatively limited. However, whether the ANC mode is turned on or not, their hearing has not changed much. After turning on ANC, I didn’t feel any ear pressure.
The ambient sound control mode can be selected in the App, which are ANC ON, ANC OFF and ambient sound mode. Among them, the ambient sound mode is divided into transparency mode and attention mode. The transparency mode will receive the surrounding ambient sound, which is more suitable for the surrounding environment that is not too noisy, but needs to pay attention to the dynamic situation of the surrounding sound. Attention mode can enhance vocals. Unfortunately, adjustments to ANC levels are currently not supported.
Sound Description & Sound Modes
Technics EAH-AZ40M2 uses a 6mm driver unit and is equipped with an acoustic control chamber in the earbud cavity. Support SBC, AAC and LDAC codec, the maximum frequency response range is 20Hz~40kHz.
In terms of basic hearing, the low-frequency quantity is relatively sufficient. The mid-high-frequency are transparent and clear, and the tiny details in the sound are well restored. The vocals are warm and thick, and the distance is moderate.
In terms of tuning, EAH-AZ40M2 has a certain trend towards pop music. Aiming at the mid-low frequency drum part that is common in popular music, the earbuds have been enhanced to a certain extent, and the quantity are sufficient. I feel that they are more suitable for music with a strong sense of rhythm and mid-low frequency, and the performance of pop music with vocals is not bad.
Six sound modes (preset EQ) are preset in the Technics Audio Connect App. For example, when the vocal mode is turned on, the mid-frequency part is strengthened, and the vocal feels closer. Turn on the “Bass Enhanced” or “Super Bass Enhanced” mode, the bass part will be further enhanced, and rock music will appear more dynamic and shocking.
If none of the above preset modes can meet your preferences, you can also adjust the sound you like through the custom mode.
Conclusion
Technics EAH-AZ40M2 strikes a good balance of sound quality, functionality, and comfort. Stable connectivity, support for multi-point connections, portable size, not bad of sound quality, and Active Noise Cancellation make them very suitable for daily commuting, leisure, and business travel.
Technics EAH-AZ40M2 specs and features:
- Bluetooth 5.3 with LC3/AAC/LDAC codec
- 3.5 – 5.5 hours playback of per charge (LDAC/AAC)
- Charging case can charge earbuds fully 2 times
- IPX4 waterproof rating (rain and sweat resistant)
- $117 – Check latest price on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon countries