Is the Technics EAH-AZ80 worth the upgrade from the Technics EAH-AZ40?
Verdict
Clear upgrade
Going from the Technics EAH-AZ40 to the Technics EAH-AZ80 buys you 16.0 points of HearWiki score - a clear step up that reviewers agree on rather than a marketing refresh. The gains are concentrated in sound (7.0 to 8.0). You do give up ground on battery (7.0 to 6.0). On paper: active noise cancelling, codecs SBC, AAC to SBC, AAC, LDAC and bluetooth 5.2 to 5.3. Worth checking: full charge time goes 120 min to 180 min and drivers per side goes 2 to 1. That costs $71 more, or about $4 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. 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.
- Sound7.08.0
- Battery7.06.0
- Calls7.07.0
- Value7.07.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | EAH-AZ40 | EAH-AZ80 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | No | Yes | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, LDAC | |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.3 | |
| Full charge time | 120 min | 180 min | |
| Driver size | 6 mm | 10 mm | |
| Drivers per side | 2 | 1 | |
| Microphones | 1 | 6 | |
| Case weight | 30 g | 50 g | |
| Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
| Companion app | No | Yes | |
| Custom EQ | No | Yes | |
| Wear detection | No | Yes | |
| ANC type | none | feedforward | |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 90 min | 15 min = 70 min | |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz - 20 kHz | 20 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "EAH-AZ40 to EAH-AZ80". 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.