My relationship with Technics began in 1975, when I bought an SU-7300 amplifier: 40 watts per channel, twin power meters and enough hi-fi swagger to make a young music lover feel he had arrived.
Back then, we built systems component by component, and Japanese manufacturers such as Technics were making serious audio engineering increasingly accessible. Owning a proper amp was a rite of passage. Music was something you sat down and listened to seriously, preferably while watching the meters bounce.
And what a year to start listening seriously.
Blood on the Tracks, Wish You Were Here, Born to Run and A Night at the Opera all arrived in 1975. Dylan, Pink Floyd, Springsteen and Queen in a single year. Need I go on? I probably will.
So, imagine my delight at being asked to review the new Technics A1000 headphones. The only fair test was to return to that ‘old’ music … the best kind, obviously, and hear whether these headphones could bring it back to life without requiring me to retrieve the turntable from whichever cupboard swallowed it.
Pink Floyd: detail, space and one brief panic
First up was Wish You Were Here. Its strange, distant opening briefly had me wondering whether the left earcup was working or whether I had somehow activated the in-flight-entertainment setting marked ‘wonky switch’. Then came the cough and David Gilmour’s acoustic guitar. Relief. The A1000s made excellent use of the recording’s old-fashioned stereo effects, revealing space, texture and tiny details without making them feel clinical.
Dylan: absorbing rather than showy
The overriding impression is clarity and immersion. Cliché though it sounds, the music genuinely surrounds you. On ‘Tangled Up in Blue’, Dylan’s tale of love lost and travel across America feels intimate and immediate. The A1000s do not simply throw detail at you; they draw you into the song, which is surely the point.
Comfort: approved by Jodrell Bank
They are comfortable, honestly and I should know. My ears extend at a more acute angle than most, a feature recognised at school when I acquired the nickname ‘Jodrell Bank’. Children can be cruel, but their satellite-dish comparison has finally proved useful: if a pair of headphones sits comfortably on me and passed the test!
Springsteen: turn it up—once you find the right setting
‘Born to Run’ initially sounded too restrained, and this is not a song that should arrive politely, wipe its feet and sit in the corner. I wanted more volume. The headphones were not the culprit: after adjusting a few settings on my Android phone and in Spotify, the track acquired the energy it deserved. Once properly fed, the A1000s maintained the quality, undistorted sound you’d expect.
Queen: the big test
Then came ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, where the A1000s truly came into their own. Voices and instruments moved cleanly from side to side, the bass resonated deeply, and the headphones followed every ‘little high, little low’ twist without losing control. What a voice, Freddie. Mama! Nothing really matters …. except, during a headphone review, whether the headphones can keep up. These can.
Verdict: a joyful reunion
No test of mine is complete without Rebecca Pidgeon’s ‘Spanish Harlem’. Through the A1000s, it produced the best sound I have heard from Spotify, almost the best I have heard full stop. The clarity, depth and sense of being enveloped by the performance put these headphones right up there. I still wonder whether Rebecca might sound even better with my old Technics amp between a Technics turntable and a spinning disc. But that was the 1970s. What did they know, apart from how to make magnificent albums, handsome amplifiers and, apparently, the beginning of a very long brand loyalty? The A1000s are comfortable, detailed and genuinely absorbing headphones that reward serious listening while still knowing how to have fun. Much like their reviewer, only with tidier ears. Ha!
FACT BOX: Technics EAH-A1000 Wireless Headphones
- What it is: Technics’ new flagship over-ear wireless headphones
- Price: $699 RRP
- Colours: Platinum and Black
- Availability: From October 2026 at participating consumer electronics retailers and hi-fi specialist stores
- Driver: Newly developed 40mm Magnetic Fluid Driver for low-distortion sound with a wide, expansive soundstage
- Noise cancelling: Adaptive Noise Cancelling uses four microphones that automatically optimise performance based on ambient noise and how the headphones fit
- Design: New lightweight Flow Arm structure, finished with Technics’ signature circular machining
- Best for: Music lovers who want premium, true-to-the-artist sound and full immersion
- More info: technics.com/au/products/headphones/eah-a1000.html
Cost: “$699 RRP
