RP-HT21

I had certain requirements after reading about a variety of headphones. I didn't need a mic, they had to be over the ear not on the ear, clear sound, adjustable headband and wired so I didn't have to use or charge batteries. This headphone checked all the boxes and it just happened to be a company I was familiar with Panasonic. They came today and I'm totally pleased. The sound on my laptop was so low but now I actually had to turn it down. They are very comfortable and super easy to adjust. I could wear them all day. Read about this one. You can get it with a mic if you want. I couldn't ask for a better headphone for listening on my laptop.

Forget for a minute that these are under 7 bucks. I purchased these headphones primarily because I needed some cheap cans that would allow me to play video games and still hear what is going on around me in the real world. Xbox One now supports Windows Sonic, a surround-soundifier for headphones, and I wanted to take advantage of that. Figured these would be less isolating than my earbuds or over-ear Skullcandys, and the price was right. I didn't have much expectation beyond that. TLDR version: These sound way better than I expected. It has been a few years since I had a heaphone of this design, a lower-end "came with your '90s Walkman or CD portable" on-ear type. Both the very best and very worst I've owned were made by Sony, and if my aural memory serves, these are much closer to the good ones. Bass is not super-powerful but there's certainly enough low-end thump to make video games sound satisfying. From guns and explosions in Wolfenstein II, to thunder and horse-hoof beats in Oblivion, these are more than adequately bassy for a sense of realism. I can listen thru these quite happily without wishing for my larger and bassier Skullcandys. Upper-bass and lower mids are smooth and warm, never honky. Upper-mids and treble are airy, if a teensy bit over-emphasized. I don't mind that, as it makes dialogue and quiet passages in music easier to hear at low volume. I've been mostly listening to electronic chill and ambient thru these, with a few classical tunes here-and-there. No complaints. Bass is, again, not mind-blowing, but just enough for low strings, low brass, drums, and various electronic bloops and bleeps. Stereo imaging is great, seeming to extend well beyond the boundaries of my head. I think this helps the illusion of 5.1 surround when listening to Windows Sonic. Rain in the game Oblivion sounds like it's really falling all around me, and the voices of various characters walking around the game all come from distinct points in space. Shows like Stargate Universe on DVD and Battlestar Galactica on Amazon Prime sound similarly spectacular. I would say the sense of surrounding space is more realistic with these than with my earbuds, and the fact that I can still hear my loved ones around me while listening is a great bonus. I can't find too much fault with these. Hard rock and hip-hop might sound a bit thin and screechy through these headphones, especially when cranked to eleven. The plug might be too fat to fit through some phone cases, so use an extender or remove your case for portable listening. Build quality is not phenomenal, but as long as you're not stuffing them in a backpack or gym bag, and treating them like a grown adult should, they will last quite a while. These would be great to wear while walking around a park, while shopping, or anywhere else where you want your tunes with you but still want to hear what's going on in the real world. Ok, now we can talk about the price. Holy crap, 7 bucks??? They're worth at least 20. Score one for Panasonic! Get 'em!

Has a very, very low-level volume on one side, from the 'mic button' (???). So, i tape it into the pressed-down position, when both ears went low from pressing & letting the button go. Taping made both ears work just fine. (Keyboard's new, but didn't work with my BT Adaptor b/c it made the keys have timing lag, or echo !!! lol...) SO, both ears working, have a VERY FULL & REALISTIC, sound. So much so, that it sounds like it's LIVE, in a room where it needs to be silent. & the headphones trick me b/c it SOUNDS like it IS LIVE, when i forget i'm wearing them. I've double-taked a lot forgetting i'm wearing them b/c they are very comfortable.

I like these headphones because they are not tight on my ears like that kind that completely cover your ears. I can hear if someone in the room is talking to me. I have bought two pair because I ripped the cord off the first pair by accident!

Note: I have now tried both the on-ear (older review) and over-ear style (new review) of these headphones. Both reviews are below. New review of Over Ear style: I am pretty experienced now with "budget" headphones... I've tried pairs of sub-$25 phones from JVC, Koss, Sony, Panasonic, etc., plus some slightly nicer pairs from Sennheiser, Panasonic, etc. These are solid headphones for the price, but nothing outstanding in my opinion. The higher-end sound is nice and pretty clear, that's where these shine. The low end is weak and flat compared to the competition - the JVC Flats and all of Koss' lower end phones (KTXPro1, PortaPros, etc.) have better bass. If you mostly listen to hip-hop-rap, I'd pass on the Panasonics and look into the Koss/JVC. (NOTE: I just got these, I'll update as they warm up/break-in, but I can't imagine the bass is going to improve THAT much. UPDATE: They might have gotten a hair better in this regard, but not that much...) Comfort-wise, these over-ears are just okay. If you have large ears, I think these might give you trouble - they're a smallish circular shape that could pinch - luckily I have small ears so they juuuust fit inside the pads. The headband is unpadded hard plastic - not as comfortable as the KTXPro1 (which has a nice gel-suspension band) nor the Flats (which are just smaller/lighter.) The angle the earcups sit at is also not quite right for me, and there's no swivel at all - vertically or horizontally! The JVC have vertical swivel (front-to-back) while the KTXPro1 have horizontal (up-and-down) swivel, both of which lead to a better fit. The long cord is appreciated, though I would have liked a lower-profile jack, as it won't work with my relatively slim phone case on. (This is very annoying, actually...) Overall, these are fine - maybe great for the money, depending on what you listen to/head size/etc - but for me, there are just better options out there. UPDATE: I've now also tried Sennheiser HD 202, and those are superior in just about every way: sound quality (especially low-end); comfort (the cups swivel in multiple directions); cord quality (thicker); looks; etc. Older review of On-Ear version: These headphones are fine for the money, but I would definitely suggest that you spend just a little more and get the Koss KTXPRO1 headphones instead. The Koss phones are MUCH more comfortable (I can't stress this enough) and they also sound better. Trust me, your ears will be glad you spend the extra bucks. I wear the Koss phones for hours each day at work, and they never hurt. These Panasonics are somewhat uncomfortable after less than an hour. I think it's because the face of the phones isn't parallel with my ears, so the from edge of the earpieces digs into my upper jaw. Of course, your head may be different than mine, but I think most users will find the Koss phones more comfortable. Good luck!

Stereo headphones have come a long way over several decades, and there have been so many advances, it's often hard to keep up with the latest technologies. In the beginning, there was basically only ONE type, that of being, the completely over the ear, studio-type and others. As things progressed, "earbuds" of many types began to be offered and an expensive type of these have emerged, with the advent of the I-Pod and various other portable CD and MP3 players. I've never really liked these, as no matter how much one spends, they still have to snugly and comfortably fit the individual's ears, which is no small task, as all human ears are not created equal. Fortunately, various forms of the original concept of over-ear, noise-canceling headphones have kept pace with the earbud variety. Some of these are more completely over the ear than others, some are more or less outside noise-canceling types, and then there are the cheapest non-earbud types, which can vary greatly in concept and overall quality. For the best experience in private listening, one needs to spend at least $50 these days, if not upwards of $100 or more. However, these type of stereo headphones are usually very large and are not really suited to portable, on the go listening. Still, they do not suffer from the earache of buds, and usually produce the best overall, robust sound. In between most earbud types and most larger "monitor" types, there are so many varieties nowadays, that the general, plug-in stereo-headphones shopper is usually left quite confused when trying to pick out a suitable, high-quality model, at a reasonable price. For almost all purposes, this is a really good buy, and I give them high marks in just about every headphone category one can think of or desire. And the asking price is a bargain. One little caveat however. The Amazon "product description" and even mentioned in a review or two, state that the cord length is nearly 10 feet. I think this must be referring to some earlier model or just a mistake, because the cord length of these is only about 6 feet total. While this does not interfere with my personal use or intentions of use before I even bought a pair, sound unheard, I think this should be pointed out. The difference between a 10-foot cord length and a 6 foot one is rather substantial. Therefore, these are in no way suitable for "roaming the room" or dancing "to your heart's content," as the Amazon product description states. Amazon should correct this product description. If one desires more than a six-foot cord length however, a cheap extension can always be purchased for a few bucks at Radio Shack and the like. It's a 6 foot cord though, not 10. Outside of this however, these are really great headphones for the price, and offer terrific sound and value. While they are "fold-able" in a way, this only applies somewhat, as they are not completely so, and attempts at making the set truly small for carrying purposes might only break them. While they are "over-the-ear," they are not entirely of the more expensive, truly "noise-canceling" variety, though they do a fair job at this, again, for the price. The earphones are padded and the set is nicely adjustable for nearly all head sizes, unless you have the head size of a mouse or Eraserhead. Extended use is no problem, once you easily adjust them to comfortably fit personally. That is, wearing these for hours will not cause any real head/ear strains or pains, either during use or afterwards, volume levels and adjustments aside. These tend to lean heavily towards the bass frequencies and are enhanced to do so, although the mid-range and upper-ranges come through very good as well. Still, since there is no equalizer function, it helps that whatever source you will be listening to with these, can be adjusted itself. That is, if you are using these to listen to a CD or MP3 player, it helps that you are able to use an equalizer at the source, since again, the bass response here is emphasized. I use these mainly for the computer, and my CD/MP3 player on that is fully adjustable as far as regulating highs, mids, and lows, so the extra bass is no problem. Still, even if one is not able to adjust low and mid and high end frequencies on your player source, the overall sound is excellent on generally all forms of music and sounds, and the stereo separation between left and right is, well, right on. I have always had a generally good experience with Panasonic products, and that includes higher-end, higher priced headphones from them. While these are rather cheaply made and fragile, if you take care of them and don't ask them to do what they are clearly not intended to do, you will be pleasantly surprised. A definite bonus is the small volume control on the cord. This comes in real handy at times, since not all music is recorded and produced at the same volume level, and this control allows one to raise or lower the volume without touching the source player. And again, while these headphones are not really suited for any long life with heavy abuse, and might seem too "cheaply" made for some, taking care during use negates any such negatives and I would guess these will last and perform well just about as long as you want them to. I bought two pair of these, which got me free shipping, and I really can't complain. They are great for plugging into one's computer, or using with any CD/MP3 player with an equalizer, but generally, they perform well for just about any purpose as far as headphones go. They also fit nicely and comfortably as a "necklace" during breaks in listening. One can easily buy much better headphones, but for the price, these offer remarkable sound at an easily affordable price, and I recommend them highly.

Wow they increased the price these headphones are very good for the price would continue ordering again if they didn't increase price

Who would have thought that my search for the most comfortable pair of headphones would lead me to these? I sure didn't. I have tried, and still own, in ear "bud" headphones, behind the neck in-ear headphones, medium cup sized over-ear headphones, and huge over-ear closed style headphones. All have their perks, and unfortunately negatives too. The in-ear type of headphones would actually cause me physical pain only shortly after wearing them. The little ones, buds, with the little suction type end piece hurt the most. And the portable factor was dismissible once I realized I had to fight to untangle them each time I wanted to use them. The around the neck in-ear headphones, but no "suction cup", would typically yield better results in regards to the length of time before pain commenced. They still hurt after some time, and because the pressure of the band was suppose keep them on your head they weren't very practical for quickly taking off. This also made having them around your neck uncomfortable. Moving on I then tried headphones with over-ear designs. I ended my search with my Audio-technica monitor headphones (ATH-A700). I love them, for the most part. Audio quality is superb, and the comfort of the band is great, as the wing design fits to your head. They have a closed back design so it helps keep outside noise at a reduced level. These positives unfortunately came with some big negatives though. One, obviously, they are not very portable, and much less practical to use in public. Secondly, due to me spending large amounts of time using headphones for work, school, and hobbies, My neck would start to ache. The sheer weight of the headphones was actually causing pain in my neck around my shoulder area. Keep in mind, I was wearing them for close to 5-8 hours straight, so I'm not knocking the ATH-A700s, I still love them. Now the Panasonic RP-HT21. I was doing my normal shopping on amazon when I decided to throw these headphones into my cart as an add on item. I thought to myself, "What the heck, why not? Would be nice to have a pair I could throw around, travel with. They have to be super light by the looks of them, which has a bunch of benefits in itself. They look like the headphones I had in the 90s though, so there's a chance they sound like crap. I mean it's been close to two decades, technology of headphones has to have drastically changed. Ah, for the money, its worth a shot." Got them, opened, popped into my clip+, hit play. Simply put, I love them. These headphones have obviously exceeded my expectations. They are light, audio quality is good, and the form factor is perfect for traveling and using in public. The biggest plus to these headphones is that they are extremely comfortable, and I mean they are almost "not there" comfortable. Not to mention, the price is fantastic. I will be buying probably around 2-3 more pairs, so I have backups, and a couple to tinker on. I'm thinking of adding a Rean plug and maybe some braided cord, just for fun not because it's needed.