$147.99 | Technics EAH-AZ80 True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds (Silver) at Amazon

sscreenn

May 17, 2026 8:30 AM

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Joined Nov 2015

sscreennMay 17, 2026 8:30 AM

82 Comments

What makes it that much better than the cheaper pairs sold here?

phoinix

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May 17, 2026 8:46 AM

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phoinixMay 17, 2026 8:46 AM

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Quote from sscreenn

:

What makes it that much better than the cheaper pairs sold here?

https://www.soundguys.com/panason...ew-122799/

CalmDirt3517

May 18, 2026 4:08 AM

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Joined Jul 2023

CalmDirt3517May 18, 2026 4:08 AM

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Quote from sscreenn

:

What makes it that much better than the cheaper pairs sold here?

I can't speak onthese specifically but I've used a lot of buds, ranging from like $20 to about $250, and my favorite buds usually fall into the $50-100 range (though I've also owned a few decent ones for even cheaper). The "premium" buds will sound like 5% better (sometimes) while being two to three times as pricey, often having worse battery life and more audio latency than cheaper buds.

I've come to the conclusion that, unless you're some kind of audio professional, it's really not worth it to spend this much on buds, even with the discounted price. Especially considering their limited lifespan due to battery degradation.

PKP8025

May 20, 2026 9:25 PM

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Joined May 2018

PKP8025May 20, 2026 9:25 PM

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I got the higher spec AZ100 a few weeks ago on woot for $129. I do not like the form factor, ergonomics, or clinical sound. Just my opinion as an audio nerd. Lamest part is I cannot just listen to one ear bud in place. You need to have both in for them to operate.

1

ScarletHealth183

May 21, 2026 4:04 PM

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Joined Jul 2020

ScarletHealth183May 21, 2026 4:04 PM

19 Comments

Quote from sscreenn

:

What makes it that much better than the cheaper pairs sold here?

Sound quality/tuning, ANC. The premium buds will be bigger to accommodate drivers and usually have a better balance between the lows, mids, and highs. The soundstage also is different for higher quality headphones.
It helps to have more than one pair to compare and contrast one directly after another, but if you've been using sub $50 headphones and use something in the $100 range, even Sony MDV-6/7506 or Grado SR60, you're going to hear a lot of things you didn't hear before. It was an eye-opening experience for me and if you really love music it's 100% worth it to get good headphones.

Last edited by ScarletHealth183 May 21, 2026 at 09:13 AM.

tonkotsu

May 24, 2026 3:32 AM

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Joined Jan 2013

tonkotsuMay 24, 2026 3:32 AM

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Quote from ScarletHealth183

:

Sound quality/tuning, ANC. The premium buds will be bigger to accommodate drivers and usually have a better balance between the lows, mids, and highs. The soundstage also is different for higher quality headphones.
It helps to have more than one pair to compare and contrast one directly after another, but if you've been using sub $50 headphones and use something in the $100 range, even Sony MDV-6/7506 or Grado SR60, you're going to hear a lot of things you didn't hear before. It was an eye-opening experience for me and if you really love music it's 100% worth it to get good headphones.

Note about anc:
Anc on the az100 is pretty mid.. Does fine with lower frequencies but doesn't block much upper mid or higher frequencies
I got in on the $128 woot deal and the az100 anc performs too poorly compared to the xm5 and bose qc ultra
Wouldn't expect the 80s to perform differently

$147.99 | Technics EAH-AZ80 True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds (Silver) at Amazon

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