Technics EAH-A800 Review

After testing the Technics EAH-A800 for quite a while, I am eager to write a detailed review of these wireless, noise-canceling headphones. I made sure to use them in all possible situations – relaxing at home with music, making several work calls, and I even tried using the noise canceling feature while on a busy train ride. Spoiler alert: They defied my expectations in more than one way. These headphones offer a complete package of great style and sound penetrating deep into the ears; probably competing with some of the top end headphones in its category. So what is it about these Technics EAH-A800 headsets that are so appealing?

Design and Aesthetics

As for how it looks, the Technics EAH-A800 is looking like a product that is premium right from the first glance like Sony WH-1000XM4. Even so, it does not come out as being too expensive looking since it has a modern simple design. The ear cups have been well done with a matte finish and the metallic touches give it a more business style look. While some headphones tend to be a bit extreme with the colorful designs or any stylistic decorations so that people can notice them the EAH-A800 chooses to be more elegantly simple.

The color options for the headphones are classic black and silver making them very stylish. Each color version has its own strengths. The black variant is elegant and practical while the silver variant is nondescript but a little more stylish than everyday wear. In terms of branding, there is very little of it on the devices, just the slices of Technics on the sides of the devices which I liked very much because it was neat.

All things considered, what these headphones offer is a wonderful combination of good looks and usability so that fans can use them in everyday life and at work. These headphones can be used at home, on the move or even in the office and they are quite comfortable for all these contexts.

Materials and Build Quality

Technics EAH-A800 review Heavy duty headphones to say that the Technics EAH-A800 was built well would be an understatement, how would one put it? So, construction sturdiness was tangible as soon as I held them. Now, the headband and ear cup structure consists of better plastic materials, but it does not feel cheap. On the other hand, it feels strong and robust but light enough not to cause any fatigue during long usage periods like Sennheiser Momentum 4 and Sony WH-CH720N.

These coatings do not only enhance the looks but also strengthen the key parts like the hinges. The headband expansion is well controlled and it clicks firmly into place with a comfort level that can take regular use. More than a few headphones have emanated creaking sounds or have been very degas to a gradual adjustment, but I am glad that the Technics noise cancelling headphone does not have any of such instances.

The ear cushions made of memory foam are covered with delicate leather. It is soft and gives the right amount of support without being too thick. The downside of these was that while the padding was thick and plush such that it in no way unpleasant against the ears, I felt that the shape should have been visually pleasing instead of making it too bulky.

Elaborately constructed if not for some flimsy fabric, Technics EAH-A800 is a go to since it is built to last and will not disappoint the user. It’s obvious from the materials used that Technics went to full heights and did not cut any corners.

Comfort and Fit

I tend to be very selective when it comes to comfort, but I was somewhat impressed with the Technics EAH-A800. The over-ear design is quite deep, so all of my ears can easily fit inside the cups, and the memory foam ear pads are just wonderful. They are soft but not too soft, providing good comfort without giving up support like Jabra Evolve2 65 and Jabra Elite 45h.

The clamping force of the headband is medium. Therefore they are tight enough to stay on the head, but not so tight as to be uncomfortable after a while. For instance, after using them for several hours, I did not feel any pressure or soreness which is usually the concern with most over-ear headsets.

The adjustability of the headband is a standout feature. I could easily fit the Technics wireless headphones on different heads since the size range is very large. Plus, the ear cups move from side to side which also helps in weight distribution and comfort.

Tackle further with regard to convenience features entails weight, which always works in favor of over ear headphones, which generally tend to be heavy - weight of the EAH-A800 is approximately 298 grams. This adds on to the comfort of the headphones for a long period of time if you are in the situation of listening for extended periods of time, be it when on the road or at home while working.

Sound Quality

For true wireless headphones, the sound quality of the Technics EAH-A800 is remarkably elegant. Leverage on their proficiency in audio products, it is very likely that one would enjoy such headphones as those of Technics. No matter if you are a casual listener or an audiophile with high standards, the Technics headphone is good to go for most music genres and pleases with a fine balanced sound signature.

The first thing that I noticed about this model is its neutrality. I had the chance to try them out on different kinds of music - hip hop, acoustic songs and classical music, and with all these kinds of music, the sound was always focused and balanced. This comfortable headphone does not lean to any particular range making it undemanding and fun for most types of music like Technics RP-DJ1200 Headphones.

All elements of the music are rendered with distinct separation of bass, mids and highs – particularly adept at revealing detail and characteristics of each element. This kind of separation is rather difficult to achieve with wireless headphones, because often the bass fully takes over the rest of the spectrum. 

Listeners typically pay a lot of attention to the bass and Technics EAH-A800 scores high in this aspect. The 40mm drivers deliver bass that is both punchy and tight yet full and rich. For example when I played bass rich songs such as “Billie Eilish- Bad Guy” and Travis Scott – Sicko Mode, this model managed to reproduce the low end frequencies effortlessly, and offered good depth as well without any distortion.

What is even more impressive is that the bass does not stick out in the totality, rather the way in which it works into giving the overall sound is wonderful. It does not dominate the mids or the highs, and this can happen with some headphones. Instead, it helps in improving the total sound that is pleasant and very realistic. Even people who like a more neutral sounding profile are able to feel the bass in the EAH-A800, without it being overly excessive.

Mids are where the action is. The Technics wireless noise cancelling headphones is where vocals and instrumentals that live in these frequencies such as guitars and pianos, need to shine. There was so much clarity in the mids that I found quite impressive. X and Y vocals all sounded natural and in the right places courtesy of the EAH-A800.

One track that stood out for me was the "Norah Jones - Don't Know Why" where the vocals are particularly striking and it’s an inviting and even forward vocal presence without being overly aggressive. I also liked how they managed to carry the warmth even on more regular instruments like guitars and pianos.

For complex sounding genres like rock or symphonic scores, the EAH-A800 ensured that the different instruments were still separate from each other. Even if layers of sound were well piled up, the headphones remained clean and lost none of their clarity which most of its competition could not offer. This capability of dealing with complex sound mapping is the most outstanding selling strength of these headphones.

On the other hand, the Technics EAH-A800 manages even the high frequencies which are the weak points of some headphones. Let’s just say the highs are sweet but smooth, detailed, yet exasperating. This is especially true and feels sufficiently balanced in pieces of music that require such genres as classical and jazz. The Highs were sufficiently present to add brightness and liveliness but silk enough not to cause listener fatigue even when the sessions were long.

I particularly liked the higher frequencies of tracks such as “Daft Punk – Get Lucky” and “Adele – Set Fire to the Rain” after testing them and I was quite taken aback by the quality of these audio ranges. The sounds like cymbals, string instruments and high sharp voice over delivered were very airy and detailed, which enhanced the experience further without being sharp or piercing.

For a closed-back headphone, the Technics EAH-A800 provides exceptionally large sound reproduction. The music is not squashed; it is accompanied by fairly good width and depth that enhances the listening experience. EAH-A800 does not provide quite the expansive field of sound as an open backed headphone, nevertheless there is some realistic 3 dimensional sound image that is created, rendering quite a vast area.

It was a particular pleasure to hear concerts and theatrical performances and orchestras. With such compositions as “Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb”, I managed to pinpoint all locations of every single instrument and vocal within the mix. The soundstage is rendered very accurately, which is very exciting for listeners who are keen on spatial accuracy in sound.

Smart Features

One of the features that make the Technics EAH-A800 stand out is its integration of smart technologies. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is present in the device, and I must say, it worked rather well. It manages to drown out other sounds quite well, be it the air conditioning system in an airplane or the people talking in a coffee house. While riding a train, for example, I did not have to raise the volume quite a bit and I was still able to enjoy my music, thank you, ANC.

There is even more, the headphones have an ambient sound mode, which allows sound from outside to enter the ears when one needs to be able to hear. Switching between these two modes, ANC and ambient mode, is smooth and both options can be modified to suit the user’s needs with the help of the Technics application.

Speaking of the app, it offers some nice extras like customizable sound profiles and equalizer settings. Very simple and efficient thus improves the overall experience while listening. The users can adjust the sound as per their discretion be it more bass or more treble.

Moreover, the headphones are compatible with voice aids such as Google assistant, and Siri which worked excellently for me since I could easily change songs or look at notifications without using my hands.

Connectivity and Usability

However, when it came to pairing devices with the Technics EAH-A800, I had no issues whatsoever. The headphones utilize Bluetooth 5.2 with an effective pairing system. There was no distortion during the use of these headphones, and even the distances moved were more than enough to walk in one’s house without losing the cell phone connection.

The headphones also connect to other devices through HD codecs such as AAA, SBC, and LDAC. For audiophiles wishing to enjoy their lossless music files, A DAC is the cherry on the cake. – Gauging the performance of LDAC audio streaming in relation to the same recorded audio over the phone thermally at higher bearings, which I found to work in LDAC Audio Stream, noticed a real difference.

Controls on the ear are also good and responsive and do not take time figuring out their use. The touchscreen buttons are located at ear cups allowing volume control, tracks scrolling, music playing and pausing as well as ANC and ambient sound modes switching. These are also quick working, and no unnecessary taps were recorded.

For people that are not interested in using a wireless connection while listening to the headphones, there is also a 3.5mm cable included, which is useful in occasions when you do not wish to have the concern of battery life or where the device you are attempting to connect to is non Bluetooth compatible.

Battery Life

The Technics EAH-A800 has yet another advantage that is concerned with battery life. Battery life is excellent in this case since Technics promises up to 50 hours of playback with ANC trimmed off and I was getting close to that. With ANC turned on, around 30 hours can be expected which is still quite commendable relative to many competitors.

For the purposes of illustration in the normal everyday use, where ANC and Ambient mode are used, I was able to go several days without recharging the device. And when it is actually time to refuel the monster, you won’t have problems finding a USB-C in a couple of hours instead of several days.

There’s also a quick charge function, which is able to deliver 10 hours of playtime from just 15 minutes of charging. This is a perk especially when you do not have a lot of time and need to be recharged before stepping out the door.

Mic Performance and Call Quality

As for making phone calls, the Technics EAH-A800 performs quite well. The devices have several microphones, which are designed to improve voice reception and suppress noise. During test calls, the respondent mentioned they could hear me quite well, even when standing in the middle of a busy street.

I also tried using the mic while on a video call, and the results were pretty much the same. My voice sounded nice without any cuts or loss of integrity. If you wish to use these headsets at work and talk a lot with them, you will not be disappointed.

Durability and Portability

The Technics EAH-A800 certainly has a strong build quality, but they also make sure to be portable which is convenient for moving with it. The earcups can swivel and consequently become flat to facilitate packing either into a backpack or a laptop bag. They also include a hard shell case, which is helpful in providing additional protection when traveling.

In terms of how the materials are designed for use, they are quite thick and strong so that normal wear and tear can be dealt with. There’s a leather build for the earcups, which is a little almondy, but is supposed to be scratch and scuff resistant; the headband can take some abuse without looking like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

They aren’t quite as portable as some smaller on-ear models but for full-size, over-ear headphones, the EAH-A800 achieves a good compromise in terms of size and portability.

Final Verdict

Having reviewed the Technics EAH-A800 in depth, I feel that these wireless headphones should compete among the best. There is a great balance of high-quality sound, top-grade materials and such useful properties as noise suppression or long-lasting power supply. The Technics noise cancelling headphone suits everybody from a hardcore music lover to a person who needs decent headphones for everyday purposes.