Panasonic RP-HC500 Review

These Panasonic RP-HC500 Noise Canceling Headphones are designed to remove background sound which could interfere with your enjoyment when listening to music.

Upon testing they were found to be really good at this and effectively removed the sounds of aircraft and train travel. The headphones would also also eliminate the background sound experienced when living in a noisy dorm.

Overall Rating:

The NC circuitry allows you to hear your music undisturbed at lower volume levels. As you are not having to drown out environmental sound by turning up the volume, this is good for preserving your hearing over time. The noise canceling can also be turned off via a switch for normal listening, thus preserving battery power when not required.

The driver units on these Panasonic Headphones are large and the ear-cups totally encompass (circumaural) the ear and rest directly against your head, they are padded and comfortable and only weigh 6oz, making prolonged listening possible, although they can get rather hot and sweaty when listening in warm environments.

Unlike several competitors, these headphones are supplied with a hard carrying case offering superior protection ensuring that they can survive knocks and bumps while travelling. Battery life is also good with 40 hours being achieved at times off of the single AAA battery supplied. All in all, a very good set of NC Headphones.

The sound quality is excellent due to the use of the best Neodymium drivers and the superior NC circuitry. I particularly liked the hard travel case, superb sound quality, and better than average battery life, and have no hesitation recommending that you purchase them.

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Main Features

Provide 92% noise reduction – 22dB at 200Hz
Great sound quality using speaker drivers made with Neodymium Magnets
Noise cancelling can be turned off using the button provided
Soft ear cushions and light weight provides superior comfort
Hard protective carry case unlike some other brands

Technical Specification

Headphone type: Closed, dynamic
Design: Premium ear cup over the ear noise canceling
Magnet: Neodymium
Plug: 6.3mm stereo
Cord length: 1.5M
Weight (approx): 6oz Battery type: DC 1.5V R03/AAA
Battery life: Approx 40 Hours
Driver unit: 40mm diameter
Frequency response: 8 – 22000Hz
Impedance: 32 Ohms
Noise level: on/off switch on housing
Sensitivity (db): 108dB/mW

Pros

Hard case offers great protection
Detachable cord means you can use without music to block out sound and be able to move around better
Very comfortable
Above average battery life

Cons

Sometimes pops and crackles when turned on
Sound quality not as good as the Bose QC15 but the price is much lower

What’s in the Box with the Headphones?

Panasonic RP-HC500 NC headphones
Hard carry case
1 x Battery (R03/AAA)
Detachable cord
6.3mm stereo plug adapter
Air plug adapter

Overall these Panasonic RP-HC500 NC headphones are great value for money and offer good sound quality. They are worth a look if you are looking for a cheaper model than the Bose QuietComfort 2 and QuietComfort 3.