Is the Technics EAH-AZ100 worth the upgrade from the Beats Powerbeats Pro?
Verdict
Clear upgrade
Going from the Beats Powerbeats Pro to the Technics EAH-AZ100 buys you 21.9 points of HearWiki score - a clear step up that reviewers agree on rather than a marketing refresh. The gains are concentrated in sound (7.4 to 9.2), battery (7.5 to 8.7) and calls (6.8 to 7.8). On paper: battery life 9 h to 12 h, active noise cancelling and codecs SBC, AAC to SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC. Worth checking: driver size goes 12 mm to 10 mm. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Powerbeats Pro to EAH-AZ100), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. The two sit at effectively the same price. If your current pair is worn out or the gains line up with how you listen, this one is worth the money.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound7.49.2
- Battery7.58.7
- Calls6.87.8
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Powerbeats Pro | EAH-AZ100 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 9 h | 12 h | |
| Active noise cancelling | No | Yes | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC | |
| Weight | 21 g | 11.8 g | |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.3 | |
| Multipoint pairing | No | Yes | |
| Battery incl. case | 24 h | 28 h | |
| Driver size | 12 mm | 10 mm | |
| Case weight | 80 g | 42 g | |
| Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
| USB-C | No | Yes | |
| Quick charge | 5 min → 1.5 h | 15 min → 1.2 h | |
| Controls | buttons | touch | |
| Driver | 12 mm dynamic | 10 mm dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz - 20 kHz | 20 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Powerbeats Pro to EAH-AZ100". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.