Panasonic's first true wireless earbuds are now available in the US
The three models are $120, $180 and $250 respectively.
Panasonic debuted its first true wireless earbuds back at CES, offering three separate models with a range of features across the trio. The company released two of them in Europe in early June, and now all three are arriving in the US. The Panasonic RZ-S300W and RZ-S500W, along with the Technics EAH-AZ70W are available today, priced at $120, $180 and $250 respectively.
At the top end is the Technics EAH-AZ70W ($250). In addition to carrying the badge of the iconic turntable brand, the EAH-AZ70W offers active noise cancellation (ANC), ambient sound mode, touch controls, voice assistant access and an IPX4 splash resistant design. These earbuds work with the Technics Audio Connect app that allows you to adjust ANC and ambient sound levels in addition to tweaking the overall tuning via an EQ or presets. Panasonic says the EAH-AZ70W will last for 6.5 hours with the included case holding two additional full charges. That’s not great battery life for flagship-level earbuds these days, as much of the competition is averaging around 10 hours.
In terms of the Panasonic-branded models, the RZ-S500W ($180) is the ANC option. Like the EAH-AZ70W, these have an ambient sound mode, touch controls and easy access to Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. The RZ-S500W is also IPX4 rated and the company claims the same battery life figures for this set of buds. There’s also a Panasonic Audio Connect app that helps you tailor the settings to your preferences. Basically, the RZ-S500W has all of the features of the Technics model with a slightly different design and the addition of a green color option.
Lastly, there’s the RZ-S300W ($120). This model doesn’t have ANC or an ambient sound feature, but it does still give you one-touch access to a voice assistant and better battery life. Panasonic says the RZ-300W will last up to 7.5 hours with the case holding three full charges. The design is slightly different than the RZ-S500W, but it’s obvious they’re part of the same product lineup.
With these three models, Panasonic is covering a lot of bases. It has an affordable option with the RZ-S300W and two ANC versions that are still pretty affordable. Even at $250, the Technics EAH-AZ70W is less than a lot of flagship models from the competition. And you won’t have to wait for our evaluation of them either. Read our full review of the EAH-AZ70W right here.
