Technics EAH-A800 Bluetooth Over-Ear

Panasonic's premium audio brand is Technics. As with AMG at Mercedes, M GmbH at BMW, and other brand identities for various target groups under the same corporate roof. Please remember this.

The EAH-A800, with a price tag of roughly 350 dollars, finds itself in a vast ocean of predators that have been hunting in this area for a long time. To stand out from the crowd, you must have a lot of self-confidence and good talents.

Technics, in any case, do not rely on any specific optical opulence or beautiful hues. In comparison to its Panasonic half-brother, the EAH-A800 appears to be more fashionable and, above all, less plastic-like, but it's not a lionfish.

The EAH-chassis A800 is slightly thinner and has a lot of superior internal partitions with an improved insert. It also has room for the included cords (jack and USB) as well as an aircraft adaptor. Furthermore, the Technics headphones can be folded up and packed in the case with far less fuss.

The Technics' material quality and fine processing are noticeably superior. Everything has a higher quality feel to it, appears more cohesive, and has been thought through to the conclusion.

That alone warrants the 50-USD surcharge. Panasonic and Technics both employ 40 mm, drivers, with embossed membranes. Not precisely the same, but the technical data is fairly similar: neodymium magnets, frequency response 4Hz-40kHz, and an impedance of 34 (Technics) or 38 ohms for the Panasonic. That, however, reveals nothing about a tonal relationship.

In terms of Bluetooth, the Technics version 5.2 is a generation ahead of the Panasonic (v4.2). However, the Panasonic is still more adaptable in terms of format support.

It is so unexpected that the Technics only supports communication via AAC and LDAC in addition to the Bluetooth basic protocol SBC, whereas the Panasonic also supports aptX / HD, which is widely used in the Android market.

The battery life differs dramatically. With noise-canceling turned on and an SBC connection, the Panasonic says goodbye after an average of 24 hours.

Technics, on the other hand, claims that the EAH-A800 in NC mode will provide up to 50 hours of uninterrupted sound. Without the need for a generator, it is feasible to run for up to 60 hours.

15 minutes of charging time are sufficient for additional 10 hours of music enjoyment. As a result, the Technics is the first choice for long-term listeners or those who value the fact that they rarely need to be recharged.

The multipoint pairing feature is one of the advantages of the Technics' more current Bluetooth chip. This allows you to connect to two Bluetooth sources simultaneously.

What is the point of that?

At least, not for simultaneously listening to music from two sources with a single pair of headphones. Who would want that? Rather, it is useful in the following scenario: Connect the EAH-A800 to both your smartphone and tablet.

If you're listening to music on your tablet when a call comes in on your smartphone, simply press a button to switch to your smartphone and make the call while wearing the EAH-A800 as a headset.

The Technics, by the way, includes eight embedded microphones for phone conversations and voice control, which should ensure crystal-clear communication in any situation. This includes the reduction of wind and other ambient noise.

The software allows you to test the quality of speech intelligibility with your own voice by speaking something, and the uttered word is played back over the listener with a time delay.

Other EAH-A800 features include the practically mandatory active noise cancellation when listening to music, as well as an ambient mode in which voices and other ambient noises are "filtered through."

Finally, there is a particular attention mode. This is used, for example, to improve the audibility of airport announcements. A wearable sensor that automatically ceases the music when the headphones are picked up completes the package.

Panasonic's parent business had previously considered the greatest potential fit of the ear pads for the RP-HD610N and had them three-dimensionally fitted to the structure of the skull.

The Technics' form has been tweaked somewhat, and the ear cups have been given a little more room. While the Panasonic is pretty close to the eavesdropping lobes, it feels quite "free" in comparison to the Technics.

Nonetheless, the upholstery effectively muffles outside sounds. Excellent! Overall, the wearing comfort of the Technics is definitely superior — despite the increased 30 g weight.

There are no cracking noises from the sturdy and well-made case. When wearing it normally/listening to music, touches on the case or bracket are certainly directed inside, but there are no bothersome background noises.