Technics has a new pair of flagship over-ear wireless headphones. The EAH-A1000 follow 2022's EAH-A800, and aim to rival the Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) and Sennheiser HDB 630 as the best wireless headphones around.
Four years is long time in the headphone world – cans age in dog years. But thankfully Technics has brought its latest pair bang up to date on the technical front – these are no annual iterations, but a complete overhaul of the previous model. Technics says it "reconsidered every element" of the over-ears, with highlights of the new model including a new 40mm Magnetic Fluid Driver and acoustics technologies developed for the hi-fi brand's speakers.
The driver was developed to have precise control in order to deliver low distortion with an expansive soundstage. It uses Technics' magnetic fluid technology as found in its Award-winning EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds – this material has both magnetic and liquid properties, and is placed between the voice coil and driver magnet to suppress unwanted vibrations and distortion.
The driver's performance is enhanced by the inclusion of an SST (Symmetrical Surround Technology) Edge, which is taken from Technics' flagship hi-fi speakers. This reduces distortion by improving the symmetry of the edge's back and forth movement as it supports the diaphragm. It's made of carbon fibre which is rigid yet lightweight, and its cone shape suppresses flexing to enable a fast response and stable movement.
Technics says that the two technologies work in tandem to "preserve the sense of scale in the bass and the spacious soundstage associated with over-ear headphones" while reproducing music how the artist intended.
A redesigned acoustic path preserves the air movement from the driver all the way to the ear, while a new Baffle Flat Structure reduces uneven surfaces around the driver to limit unwanted reflections, creating a natural sound field with clear imaging.
Airflow is managed by an Acoustic Control Chamber behind the driver, which should ensure a balanced sound. And Adaptive Noise Cancelling adjusts to your environment and fit, with three feed-forward microphones and one feedback mic on each side to detect and suppress noise from different directions.
The fit has also been re-engineered. The new Flow Arm headband is square at the slider but triangular at the hanger. As you can see from the pictures, it perches on the outside of the earcups like a luxuriously draped moustache.
The movement of the ear cups, refined headband shape and improved slider-based adjustability should distribute pressure evenly across your noggin, allowing you to wear them for longer periods without becoming uncomfortable. This will be helped by the memory foam earpads.
The headphones fold up into a ball for stowing in a bag.
They support high-quality audio via the LDAC codec and through wired listening over USB Audio. The battery is good for 45 hours with ANC on before needing a recharge, and like the Award-winning EAH-AZ100, they support three devices via Bluetooth Multipoint, instead of the standard two.
The Technics EAH-A1000 go on sale from 30th September for £399 / €449 / $449. They come in Black and Platinum Greige finishes (a mix of grey and beige).
Technics might be renowned for its turntables, but it does a nice line in headphones too – the EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds won a What Hi-Fi? Award, while the A1000's predecessor pair (the EAH-A80) scored four stars. You can find out how the new EAH-A1000 headphones fare in our full review.
MORE:
Read our Technics EAH-A1000 headphones review
Same tech, different form factor: our Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds review
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