A $450 flagship scored 8.9 out of 10 by Engadget, with praise for sound and noise cancelling and a few control quirks.
A note on this page: Savvy VibeZ did not test these headphones. This is our summary of another outlet's review. The score below is Engadget's, not ours.
Engadget's James Trew reviewed the Technics EAH-A1000, the company's flagship over-ear headphones at about $450, and gave them 8.9 out of 10. Here is what the review found.
The specs that matter
- 40mm drivers with a Magnetic Fluid design that reduces unwanted vibration.
- Adaptive noise cancelling and a beamforming microphone.
- Dolby Atmos with head tracking, wear detection and app-based EQ.
- About 45 hours of battery life with noise cancelling on.
- Three-device Bluetooth multipoint (two devices when using the LDAC high-quality codec) and lossless playback over the included USB-C and 3.5mm cables.
- A $60 BTD 700 dongle is included.
What the reviewer liked
- Tight, controlled bass and a balanced sound.
- A wider soundstage than the Sennheiser HDB 630, in this reviewer's comparison.
- Effective adaptive noise cancelling for steady noise and voices.
- A comfortable, understated design and solid battery life.
What he did not
- The price, though he considers it good value against rivals.
- Multipoint Bluetooth was unreliable during his testing.
- Guitars could use more high-end sparkle.
- The physical controls: volume direction is reversed from what you might expect, the button can stick, and there are no touch controls.
How it stacks up
Trew says the Technics competes closely with Sony's WH-1000XM6 and the Sennheiser HDB 630. He prefers it to the Sennheiser for noise cancelling, comfort and build, while noting that Sony still leads on app features and has a stronger reputation. Sonos' Ace Ultra is priced similarly.
Our takeaway: if you are shopping in this price range, the review makes a good case for putting the Technics on your shortlist, then trying the controls in person if you can.
Source: Engadget
