With the EAH-AZ100 true wireless, Technics finally scored the big win it was looking for in the wireless headphones market. I gave it five-stars but it was pretty much adored everywhere else, winning awards and scoring good reviews from customers too.
With the EAH-A1000 now launched, Technics is looking to do the achieve the same with its over-ear headphones. I’ve regarded its previous efforts very well – I like the F70N and the A800 – but rather than being a pretender to the likes of Sony and Bose, the expectations have changed since the AZ100 true wireless.
I’ve been giving the Technics EAH-A1000 a look over for the last week or so, and while this isn’t my firm thoughts on the review, these are my initial impressions so far.
It’s certainly in the mix
The A1000 are good. I don’t think anyone who reviews this pair can doubt that. The question, as always, is how good are they?
They’re not short of competition with the likes of Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and even the likes of Sonos getting into the mix. There’s also the likes of Nothing, who’ve been advancing in the headphone market with its recent efforts, plus Beats, and of course Apple. Basically, you’re not short of options in the premium wireless market.
But I think the A1000 are competitive, without a doubt.
The sound is typical Technics: balanced, neutral but verging on a bit bright in terms of tone; but spacious with a sound that’s got oodles of detail and clarity to it. They’re a very musical sounding pair across a range of music genres. The Magnetic Fluid Driver that’s been repurposed and scaled up from the one in the A1000 makes music sound very precise indeed (they sound great with vocals).
The noise cancellation is an area where I need to dig in a bit more. Full disclosure, but Technics have been upgrading the firmware up to the announcement, so what I experience in the first few days has changed. This is not unexpected – in fact it’s fairly normal in this day and age – but it does mean that a little bit more time is required to assess the ANC. But initial thoughts about the new firmware is that the transparency mode sounds clearer, and the ANC seems to suppress more than before. It’s certainly competitive with the likes of Sony and Bose.
I think Technics has been a bit conservative with the battery life figures.
It quotes 45 hours streaming audio via AAC Bluetooth. The battery drain I carried out in its LDAC mode saw the battery fall by 5% in hours. That’s massive battery life and not at all what I expected.
It’s a bit of shame that Technics hasn’t made it possible to be able to replace the batteries yourself. There’s no means to do so, and with Sony and Sennheiser getting ready for the change in EU regulations, I can see this being viewed as a slightly less sustainable and consumer friendly practice.
I will counter my own figures by saying that it wasn’t carried out with the pre-launch firmware intact, so again, this is another reason why I’m not quite putting my review out there just yet.
They offer a plush sense of comfort
Comfort has always been important for headphones – which brand in their right mind would release an uncomfortable pair of headphones. The Sonos Ace Ultra are one of the most comfortable headphones I’ve worn, as is the Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 and the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless. But the Technics is lightly different from all those.
It’s mainly the earpads, which offer a plush sense of contact with the head. Some headphones can be rather functional – they are comfortable to wear but you don’t feel that comfort. The A1000 are headphones that make you feel like you’ve got a pair of soft pillows either side of your head, and that really adds to the premium feel of the headphones.
Where I would say that feel as premium is the build quality, which feels a little like hard plastic in some cases, but it does keep the headphones light. Considering they weigh over 300g, like the Sonos Ace Ultra, they don’t feel like it.
They could be a contender
You’ll have to wait for the full verdict, but right now, I think the Technics EAH-A1000 are certainly competitive with the best wireless over-ears currently available. Some more time with them will tell whether they fall a little short or match the likes of Sony and Bose at the top of the table. But early sighs are promising.
I’ve not even mentioned the call quality, an area I’m yet to test but I’m looking forward to considering how good they were with the AZ100. The EAH-A1000 could be a very fine all-rounder, and perhaps do for over-ears what the AZ100 did for Technics in the true wireless market.