It can be surprisingly daunting to follow up on a great pair of earbuds. The objective is to make improvements wherever possible without sacrificing anything that people loved about the previous set. That’s where Technics found itself with the $299.99 EAH-AZ100 earbuds, which it announced at CES 2025. I was rather taken with the company’s last flagship set, the AZ80, because of their rich sound and unique ability to pair with three devices at the same time. The new buds look to augment those strengths with even more dynamic audio, longer battery life, and more capable active noise cancellation.

Technics even rethought the core sound. Inside the A100s are new “magnetic fluid” drivers — and yes, there’s actually liquid in there. Technics puts an oily substance (mixed with magnetic particles) between the driver magnet and voice coil and says this approach, derived from its $1,200 in-ear monitors, helps lower distortion and increase clarity beyond what the AZ80s were capable of. The same goes for bass response, with the AZ100s able to dig down even deeper for a more impactful thump. Despite the new approach, there’s not a world of difference between the AZ80s and AZ100s: both offer fantastic detail and presence across music genres, though the newer buds have more depth and bass to my ears. I wouldn’t upgrade just for that, though.

Thankfully the refinements also extend to the outward design. The AZ100s aren’t quite as bulbous as their predecessors. You lose the visible mic inlet that added a touch of Technics style, which means these come off a bit more dull and nondescript. But I’ll take the smaller enclosure every time. These sit more comfortably in my ears than the AZ80s. The very pocketable carrying case is slightly smaller than before, but it’s only noticeable if you eyeball them side by side. As for durability, the earbuds’ water resistance remains unchanged at IPX4.

Should anything about the sound signature prove underwhelming, you can choose between several different EQ presets or save three custom modes. I’m not someone who consults frequency charts when reviewing earbuds, but I’ve listened to enough pairs to separate the wheat from the chaff. These rank up there with my sound quality favorites like the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4. And I think they surpass the AirPods Pro 2 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which are plenty good in their own right. Supported Bluetooth codecs include LDAC and the newer LC3 / LE Audio protocol, so AZ100s should eventually work with Auracast.

Technics is also hopping aboard the spatial audio train. The earbuds’ companion app now has a Dolby Vision toggle (with optional head tracking) that can make your tunes sound more expansive and immersive if you prefer it. I’ve learned that some people really enjoy this type of effect on certain songs — even if it’s faked/virtualized — whereas others like myself are happy to ignore it. But if you’re a fan, it’s there now on the AZ100s and you can use it with any kind of media on your phone.

That Technics app remains filled to the brim with other settings, and they go far beyond customizing the controls or adjusting how much noise comes through in the (very crisp and natural) transparency mode. You can optimize the noise cancellation for your specific environment with a slider in the app. Want the multipoint connection to switch automatically whenever you play music on any of your devices? That’s in there. You can also test how the mic sounds by recording snippets of your own voice. It’s a lot and can be overwhelming for non-techies, but I appreciate just how much Technics crams in.

ANC performance is respectable — choosing the right ear tips for the best seal is paramount here — though it doesn’t approach the reigning champion, Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. Those have superior ANC and cost less, but can’t match up on sound. Call quality is also very solid; Technics’ Voice Focus AI does an admirable job isolating your voice from any background ruckus. Callers told me I sounded a tad robotic in the loudest outdoor tests, but they could still make out what I was saying.

Technics’ three-way multipoint remains a standout trick of the AZ100s. I’m not a wizard multitasker and rarely find myself juggling more than two devices. But if you’ve often got a third at hand, it works as advertised. (Just be aware you can’t use LDAC when in this mode, presumably since you’re pushing up against the limits of Bluetooth.) And you’ll be listening for longer: the AZ100s can keep playing for up to 10 hours on a single charge with ANC enabled. The case provides another 28 hours.

Just like their predecessors, Technics’ AZ100 earbuds prioritize audio performance while also managing to offer one unique capability that AirPods and Galaxy Buds lack — despite the respective ecosystem advantages of those two competitors. But now they’re smaller, more comfortable, and last longer. If you don’t need the unconventional three-way multipoint, that $300 sticker price might seem awfully steep. But it’s increasingly rare to be able to say “these earbuds do something most can’t,” and at least for now, that’s still true of Technics’ flagship buds.

Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge