Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Technics EAH-AZ80

“I also have the AZ80 and PX8 combo. However, I ended up returning the AZ80 today because the left earbud started to hurt after wearing it for an hour. Thankfully, it was still within the 60-day return window, so I can use the credit to upgrade to the AZ100. Can't wait to try it out! I feel like the AAC on the AZ80 and PX8 sounds pretty similar, but I can definitely hear a difference when I use the wired PX8 with ALAC. Is it just me, or is this true when using AAC on both? Maybe my ears aren’t great at distinguishing music quality?”

“I have both: the XM4, XM5 and now the LinkBud S. The XM5s were my daily driver, but the best thing about them, the foam and passive noise cancellation, was also the main weakness. As they cannot be washed, they eventually become unusable and the official Sony replacement costs between $20 and $30. Not great. A few weeks ago, I lost one of the XM5 earphones. The XM4s still have the battery problem, so I researched and came up with the linkBuds S (\~60usd). It is essentially the same as the XM5, but with silicone ear tips instead of foam, and the case has a little less battery life. Everything else (app, DSEE, codecs, etc) is the same. The noise cancellation is better than my old Jabra Elite 7, and I would say the same as the XM5, but without the passive isolation. Now, the LinkBuds S are my daily driver, and they don't have the issue of the eartip, since the silicon is washable. Hope this helps.”