The illustrious history of Technics dates back to 1965 when the Japanese company began crafting its inaugural products. Among these was the groundbreaking Technics 1 speaker system, a compact yet formidable innovation that rivaled the performance of larger floor systems of its era. This early success solidified Technics’ reputation for excellence and underscored their wealth of experience in audio engineering.
Though time has marched on and Technics now operates as a division of Panasonic, their commitment to quality remains unwavering. Despite changes in ownership and industry landscapes, Technics continues to uphold the standards of craftsmanship and innovation that have defined their legacy for decades.
Packaging
Let’s begin, as always, with the box – quintessentially Technics in style. Adorned with sleek black side stripes, the center showcases the headphones against a pristine white background, bearing the brand and model name with utmost precision.
Not to be overlooked, the lower portion of the box meticulously highlights the headphones alongside a comprehensive list of features. Notable mentions include support for Hi-Res and Hi-Res Wireless, along with the LDAC codec, facilitating audio transmission at resolutions of up to 990 kbps. Additionally, a depiction of the complete set is thoughtfully included.
In addition to the headphones, the package includes:
- leather transport case
- cable 3.5 mm miniJack – 3.5 mm miniJack 1 meter long (for wired connection)
- USB A – USB type C cable 0.5 meters long (for recharging)
- adapter for aircraft
- user manual and warranty card
Overall, the equipment seems quite impressive, especially considering these are wireless headphones. It’s hard to imagine what more one could desire given the quality and features already provided.
Design
Before delving into the design of the headphones, let’s take a moment to appreciate the thoughtful construction of the accompanying case. Crafted from luxurious leather, it encases the headphones in a gentle embrace of soft, velvety material, ensuring their safekeeping. Within this sanctuary, a designated compartment neatly houses wires and adapters, while the highlight lies in an ingenious illustration detailing the proper folding technique for effortless transportation.
Now, turning to the headphones themselves, available in a sleek gray hue, intriguingly dubbed “Black,” their construction boasts commendable quality. While not flawless, there’s a slight creaking in the design, suggesting room for improvement, albeit acceptable within this price range. Plastic dominates the construction, save for the metallic back parts, which exude a pleasing shimmer and textured finish.
The plastic bracket houses a metal interior responsible for adjusting size during wear, while the rim envelops in supple comfort, its plush padding encased in eco-leather and meticulously stitched for durability.
A noteworthy feature lies within the ear pads, where eco-leather exterior conceals a supremely soft interior material, enhancing both passive noise isolation and comfort during prolonged use. Embellished with discreet markings denoting left and right, the dense acoustic fabric ensures minimal light penetration, preserving the immersive audio experience.
The headphones offer a secure fit without causing discomfort, despite their lightweight construction at just 298 grams. Thanks to the 3D ear cushions, they effectively isolate from external noise, supplemented by active noise reduction, a feature we’ll explore further.
Additionally, the headphones feature transparency and focus modes, ensuring you remain aware of important announcements or incoming calls without interrupting your listening experience. Customization of these modes, along with various other functionalities, is made possible through the Audio Connect application, offering a wealth of options for personalization.
Equipped with eight microphones for noise reduction and voice transmission, the headphones excel in delivering clear, high-quality sound during both calls and recordings, surpassing even pricier alternatives. Battery life is impressive, boasting up to 50 hours with noise reduction activated, and a mere 15 minutes of fast charging adds an extra 10 hours of playback time.
Convenient playback/pause sensors automatically pause music when the headphones are removed and resume playback upon wearing them again, albeit with a slight delay. Moreover, automatic shutdown settings can be adjusted via the application for added convenience.
Now, let’s delve into the noise reduction and transparency modes. The active noise reduction effectively blocks out low and mid-frequency noise, immersing you completely in your music, making it ideal for use in transportation or at home. However, caution is advised when using it outdoors for safety reasons.
The transparency mode impressively simulates the absence of headphones, thanks to the high-performance microphones. Additionally, the attention function enhances voices, amplifying the mid-frequency range where human speech is prominent, providing clarity and awareness without compromising on sound quality.
On the right cup of the headphones, alongside the touch-sensitive metal panel, you’ll find a series of controls and connection ports meticulously arranged for convenience. Positioned at the bottom is a 3.5 mm jack, facilitating wired connectivity when desired, while at the top resides a USB Type-C port for effortless charging of the headphones.
Adjacent to these ports is a two-color indicator, serving as a visual guide to the headphone’s status: a steady blue light indicates power, while a flashing red and blue signifies search mode. During charging, the indicator glows red and turns off once fully charged.
Located above the indicator is the power/connect button, a pivotal control for initiating the pairing process with your phone. To engage pairing mode, simply press and hold the button for 7 seconds until the indicator begins flashing red and blue, signaling readiness for connection.
There are 3 buttons above :
- Minus
- multifunction button
- Plus
Button (-) – serves only to decrease the volume, as well as (+) to increase, when pressed, the volume changes by 1 step, and when held, it changes continuously until it reaches the extreme position.
The central multifunction button performs many functions:
- single press – play/pause
- double click – next song
- triple click – past composition
- double tap and hold – fast forward
- triple tap and hold to rewind
Through the Audio Connect application, users can customize their headphone settings beyond factory defaults, tailoring the experience to their preferences. Available for both iOS and Android platforms at no cost, this app unlocks advanced features not accessible through the headphone controls alone.
Upon connecting to the headphones by holding the power button for 7 seconds, users can personalize the device by assigning a name of their choice. The main screen displays essential information such as the codec in use, headphone name, and battery level, alongside an interactive image of the headphones.
Below the main screen, three buttons offer granular control over various functions. The first button manages modes, allowing users to toggle between noise reduction, transparency, or background sound modes, as well as configure concentration mode. Users can adjust these modes on a scale from 1 to 100, tailoring them to their environment and preferences.
The second button provides access to a 5-band equalizer, offering preset options or the ability to fine-tune settings according to individual preferences. Meanwhile, the third button enables users to simulate headphone sound as if engaged in a phone conversation, ensuring optimal performance.
Lastly, four buttons at the bottom of the interface facilitate easy navigation between screens, ensuring seamless access to essential functions from anywhere within the app.
The last button from the bottom is a general setting:
- setting the language of voice prompts, with a large selection of languages, including Ukrainian.
- a selection of other headphones of this brand.
- automatic shutdown after (5,10,30,60 min).
- you can enable or disable the pause/play sensor.
- allow headphones to work in LDAC mode,
- enable/disable multipoint.
- choosing a delay in favor of quality or speed, there is also an automatic mode.
- touch panel settings: you can add call acceptance or rejection in addition to the above
- it is possible to optimize the noise absorption when you set the threshold value yourself.
- you can choose a voice assistant or turn it off altogether.
While the Audio Connect application offers a plethora of advanced settings and functionalities, one aspect that could be improved is the equalizer feature. Specifically, the limitation of only having five bands may restrict users who seek more precise control over the entire frequency range.
Expanding the equalizer to include more bands or providing options for more detailed adjustments could enhance the app’s versatility and cater to the preferences of audiophiles who prioritize fine-tuning their audio experience. This enhancement would offer users greater flexibility in shaping the sound output according to their individual preferences and the specific characteristics of the audio content they are enjoying.
Sound
When initially connecting the headphones to my phone, they defaulted to the AAC codec, resulting in a sound that felt somewhat unnatural. While the bass and highs were present, the mids sounded synthetic. However, upon switching to the LDAC codec in the Bluetooth settings, there was a noticeable improvement in performance.
The choice of codec significantly impacts the sound profile. In general, these headphones deliver a warm, slightly darkened sound with emphasized low and high frequencies and a subdued midrange—a characteristic V-shaped presentation. This presentation suits a variety of genres and is likely to appeal to listeners who aren’t staunch supporters of a neutral sound signature.
The low frequencies are robust, deep, and textured, with a strong presence in both sub-bass and mid-bass regions, lending punch and drive, especially in electronic music. The midrange, while not accentuated, exhibits a pleasant character with LDAC, offering decent instrument positioning and a moderately wide but deep soundstage. However, with AAC or inferior codecs, the midrange can sound synthetic and compressed.
Treble frequencies are also emphasized, albeit to a lesser extent than the bass. Despite the use of a single driver, they maintain clarity and extension without distortion. While lacking some microcontrast, they possess a natural quality and aren’t overly harsh, making them suitable even for those sensitive to high frequencies.
Overall, these headphones deliver a warm, dark sound with a focus on low and high frequencies, along with a middling midrange. Despite the shortcomings in the midrange, they offer versatility across genres, although choosing the AAC codec may result in a less enjoyable listening experience.
Conclusion
In summary, the Technics EAH-A800 headphones stand out as an impressive mid-budget option, offering a blend of functionality and exceptional sound quality. Their sound signature is characterized by a deep, warm, and velvety texture, complemented by airy and accentuated treble, along with a comfortable midrange. Whether you’re indulging in your favorite tracks or engaging in extended listening sessions, these headphones ensure an enjoyable experience.
Moreover, their extensive battery life is a notable feature, boasting up to 50 hours of playback time with LDAC (without noise reduction) and 40 hours (with noise reduction), providing ample usage for approximately two weeks. Additionally, the high-quality microphones ensure clear voice transmission during calls, enhancing communication with your interlocutors.
The headphones’ impressive noise reduction and transparency modes can be finely adjusted to suit individual preferences through the accompanying application. This level of customization allows users to tailor their listening experience precisely to their liking, further elevating the overall appeal of the Technics EAH-A800 headphones.
Specifications:
Weight and size indicators :
- weight: 298 grams
- dimensions (W x H x D) 170 mm x 196 mm x 85 mm
Acoustic parameters :
- speaker: 40 mm
- impedance: 34 ohms
- sensitivity: 105 dB/mW at 1 kHz
- frequency range: 4 Hz – 40 kHz
Battery, operating and charging time :
- battery life in LDAC mode: 40 hours (with noise cancellation) and 50 hours (without noise cancellation)
- battery life in AAC mode: 50 hours (with noise cancellation) and 60 hours (without noise cancellation)
- charging time is about 3 hours if the source power is 12w or more
Bluetooth connection :
- bluetooth version 5.2
- codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC
- signal reception: up to 10 meters
Features :
- 8 microphones for noise cancellation and voice transmission
- fast charging in 15 minutes gives 10 hours of operation (without noise reduction)
- automatic activation, after a set time
- concentration mode
- support for the Audio Connect application
- noise reduction and transparency modes
- voice prompts in many languages, including Ukrainian
- built-in Alexa voice assistant
