The Technics AZ60M2 form one half of Panasonic's two-pronged assault on the earbuds market with its relaunched prestige audio brand. As we've reported, the headliner is the sublime AZ80 model, but it's got a 'little sibling' that also deserves attention.
The flagship model silenced my long-lived dislike of earbuds, so I decided to also test the ever-so-slightly cheaper, ever-so-slightly lower-specced AZ60M2, now that I knew I could wear earbuds without searing pain or crippling fear of losing them immediately. The AZ80 has quickly staked a claim as one of the best noise-cancelling earbuds ever, so could the AZ60M2 follow suit and make it a double whammy for Panasonic? After a few weeks of testing and using them in a real-world setting, this fan of over-ear noise-cancelling headphones can attest that the AZ60M2s give any over-ear unit a good run for its money, just like its big sibling.
Panasonic Technics AZ60M2: Key specs
Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ60M2 review: Design and build
Like the AZ80, the Technics AZ80M2 earphones come in a neat charging case, which charges the buds automatically when they're stored in it. The case itself is then charged via a charging pad (but will work with any Qi wireless charging facility.
The earphones are near-identical to the AZ80s, with the in-ear audio nib protruding at an angle from the circular main unit. The instructions for use are contained in the white-covered box, including how to insert the buds correctly.
Along with the buds themselves come seven pairs of swappable earpieces, each a different size. I needed only a couple of attempts to find the right fit for my ears, and as the size varies from really rather tiny to ginormous, everyone should find the right fit for them here.
The soft rubber of the earpiece feels comfortable, while the metal/plastic casing of the main unit is heavy for its small size, but like the AZ80, the AZ60M2s are well balanced, because once placed in the ear, they stay firmly lodged, making them ideal for exercising and using on the go.
The buds are a teeny bit bigger than the AZ80s (by about a millimetre on each side), but I still found they fit comfortably.
Features
The Technics EAH-AZ60M2 earbuds have the same active noise-cancellation technology as the AZ80, where using the associated app, you can swap between complete noise cancellation or an ambient mode, where environmental sound will filter through. That will help you not miss delivery drivers, for example, because the ANC is very effective (I'm speaking from experience here).
The buds' other headline feature is contained in the mic. With JustMyVoice, a voice-detection mic works through both hardware and software inside the buds to filter your speech through any environmental noise, to leave it clear going through to the person on the other side of the call.
Panasonic makes sure the sound quality lives up to the prestige Technics branding, with the 8mm free-edge aluminium driver and an acoustic control chamber and harmoniser inside the earbud unit, with a frequency response range of 20Hz to 40kHz, providing a rich, deep sound that is almost on par with the bigger driver on the AZ80.
The Bluetooth functionality also allows for 3 simultaneous connections to the unit, which allowed me to switch between my desktop, laptop and phone with a simple tap, and it will store up to 10 connections on the unit, for instant pairing each time. Simple tap-control on the buds can do things like answer (or more importantly reject) a phone call, skip songs, toggle play and pause or control music volume, or even turn ANC on and off.
Performance
The AZ80s' performance blew me away, as I've never before experienced in-ear headphones that could come close to rivalling the sound quality of over-ear ones. So the expectations for the AZ60M2, thanks to their bigger sibling, suddenly have a lot to live up to. Also, the previous generation of the earbuds, the AZ60, were already quite a good pair.
And while they don't quite match the AZ80s, they come as close as you can expect for a pair a good £100/$100 cheaper than the flagship model. The sound is rich and layered, and works at bringing out the necessary details at lower volumes and tempering distortion at higher volumes. The associated app can adjust the bass settings along with a more nuanced equalizer control.
Taking and making calls is also a breeze, where incoming calls to my paired phone would switch automagically to that from the laptop I was also paired to at the same time. Thanks to the JustMyVoice tech, my voice was picked up sharply and clearly, even in loud settings.
As the AZ60M2 earphone units are a little bigger than the AZ80s, I had to resort to slightly smaller earpieces than I used on the more expensive pair. This changes the fit a little bit, which I could feel after prolonged use. So while I could comfortably wear the AZ80s for over four hours at a time, I did feel a little discomfort after about two and a half hours. This, of course, is highly subjective, and as I have never liked wearing any other earphones for more than a few minutes, two and a half hours places the AZ60M2s far ahead of anything apart from the aforementioned range-topper.
Battery life and charging
Just like the EAH-AZ80, the Technics EAH-AZ60M2 can draw about seven to seven-and-a-half hours out of a single charge, and using the charging case, you can get up to 25 combined hours of use before having the charge the case up again. Simply placing the case on the included charging pad in the evening gave me both a fully charged case and buds in the morning, so battery anxiety is non-existent.
Price
The Technics EAH-AZ60M2 cost $249.99/£199.99 before any discounts. That's a good £/$50-100 less than the AZ80, so if you want something that's almost as good as them, but want to save a fair bit on the sticker price, the AZ60M2s are well-placed on the price ladder.
Should I buy the Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ60M2?
The Technics EAH-AZ60M2 are some of the best earphones I've ever used. While their performance is slightly outdone by the ludicrous AZ80 model, these premium midrange earphones are still near-as studio quality as you can expect, fully deserving of the prestige Technics branding, making them another of the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market today.
