Is the Technics EAH-AZ40 worth the upgrade from the OnePlus Buds Pro 4?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Technics EAH-AZ40 actually scores 16.0 points below the OnePlus Buds Pro 4, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. It loses ground on value (9.0 to 7.0) and sound (8.5 to 7.0). On paper: drivers per side 1 to 2 and case weight 50.62 g to 30 g. Worth checking: battery life goes 13 h to 7.5 h and codecs goes SBC, AAC, LHDC 5.0 to SBC, AAC. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Buds Pro 4 to EAH-AZ40), 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. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.57.0
- Battery8.57.0
- Calls7.57.0
- Value9.07.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Buds Pro 4 | EAH-AZ40 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 13 h | 7.5 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LHDC 5.0 | SBC, AAC | |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.2 | |
| Water resistance | IP55 | IPX4 | |
| Battery incl. case | 45 h | 25 h | |
| Full charge time | 70 min | 120 min | |
| Driver size | 11 mm | 6 mm | |
| Drivers per side | 1 | 2 | |
| Microphones | 3 | 1 | |
| Case weight | 50.62 g | 30 g | |
| Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
| Transparency mode | Yes | No | |
| Companion app | Yes | No | |
| Custom EQ | Yes | No | |
| Wear detection | Yes | No | |
| ANC type | adaptive | none | |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 11 hours playback | 10 min = 90 min | |
| Driver | dual drivers; 11mm woofer + 6mm tweeter | 6mm | |
| Frequency response | 10Hz-40kHz | 20Hz-20kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Buds Pro 4 to EAH-AZ40". 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.