Headphones On-Ear Lightweight with XBS RP-HT21 (Black & Silver)

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!

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.

For the price range, this are very impressive headphones. The pads are super comfortable and don't hurt my ears during extended uses. The sound is bright, clear, and it works even for video editing. The only issue I have with these is the headband, which is somewhat flimsy and prone to "gliding" for lack of better words. I've been using these for the last 2 years on my PC and they've been great. If they would fix the headband, it'd be a 5 stars without hesitation.

So I've recently received my Panasonic RP-HT21 Headphones, and I've gotta say, I'm impressed! Cheap headphones have come a long way, but these really do take the cake. I've had dozens of headphones in my life, and working in the video production field, I've used some really pricey ones (don't get me wrong, there's a big difference between this type of headphone and high-quality monitor headphones). These are the perfect music/leisure headphones. They have great sound, but the surprising part is how much bass these things put out! It's like having a sub right next to your ear! However, I will point out, these things do put out a little too much bass to be accurate right off the bat, but an EQ can fix that if you prefer a more "harmonious" sound; if you like your bass, then you won't have to do a thing. The overall sound output is pretty decent: lows, mids, highs, they're all there. Now, these are cheap so accuracy is a different story (these are slightly muddy compared to more expensive headphones), but like I said, these are leisure headphones, which work excellent for listening to rock/pop/rap, etc. Unless you plan on dishing out $40+, you won't find anything better, and those still might not be great for music listening, since you kinda want that accentuated bass/booming tone for most music (or at least I do). So, these are cheap headphones, don't expect them to last forever, but if taken care of, there's nothing mechanically flawed in the pair. This is the old-school defacto design, and it kinda makes me laugh to see we've moved away from this design for buds (which, at least they have improved, but still don't compare). Since these aren't buds or noise canceling, others will be able to hear your music at higher volumes, but it really isn't that bad, since these have "ports" I figured it might be louder externally than it actually is. I believe another reviewer pointed this out already, but the title is misleading, the port is merely referring to a literal "port" or hole, so that bass can be amplified in the compact design; there aren't like extra plugs or anything wacky on these headphones, just the normal 3.5mm headphones jack. The packaging doesn't even have any mention of the port, which I'm assuming they removed due to confusion; I only knew what XBS was because they used to have it slapped on their products. Also, the cord is 4.5ft in case you wanted to know, I couldn't find that anywhere on Amazon, had to go to another site to find that out; that length is perfect for me, since they are plugged into the front audio jack on a PC sitting on the floor. My previous iPod buds were 3ft and I had to tilt my head to use them. So, all in all, you should buy these. I'm glad I bought them, may buy half a dozen more to be honest, I really enjoy these little headphones!

Simply put, these are the only headphones I'll buy. The balance of performance and price are unmatched while reminding me of life in the 90's. These are great for those who prefer on ear comfort rather than earbuds. Solid five stars!

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!

I needed an inexpensive on-ear headphone set and did not care if the sound quality was high, or not, since I will be using them mainly for webinars. I found these for a surprisingly low price and since they were made by Panasonic, I figured they'd be acceptable. The packaging was well-designed. When I plugged into my computer's audio port, I played a nice Iron Butterfly song (Filled with Fear) and was blown away with the high-quality sound ! All the little nuances of the music were present. Now, I can listen to webinars and my music files without disturbing others with these comfortable headphones. I will not hesitate to recommend these lightweight headphones to my friends. I still find it difficult to comprehend how impressive these headphones turned out to be !

If you want value for your money, if you lose your headphones too often, if you wear out the cord, or plug on your headphones, these are the ones to get. I have a couple of MP3 players I use at work daily and with them I wear my headphones constantly. I either lose or wear them out whether they are more expensive or cheaper. I was absolutely startled at the bass that came our of these phones. It is deep, rich and accurate. Overall sound is better than a pair I once had that cost me about 10 times as much. Knowing that I would either wear them out or lose them I bought 4 pairs this time. I will definitely buy more when the need arises. An excellent deal, I highly recommend these phones.****UPDATE 9 July 2016*****After 10 years my opinion of these headphones hasn't done anything but get better. I just wore out a pair that I've been using for at least 2 or 3 years, so it's time to buy some more. Still the best bang for your buck. I still give a pair away from time to time, and my original recommendation stands. Great Phones! It is the 14th of October 2019, and I just took out a fresh pair of these headphones for a trip to Idaho. The old ones, probably a year or so old, are still functioning. I'm still thunderstruck at the overall quality of sound from the HT-21s. The base is amazing, and accurate. My ears need as much treble as possible which these do deliver. After 13 years since this review was originally published, I still haven't found anything better. At the current price, give them a try. It's not like you'd be out for much more than the price of a breakfast at McDonalds. Last update December 15, 2023 It's been about 18 years, or more since I bought my first pair of these headphones. I dont use them as much since I'm now retired, but my opinion hasn't changed. I still haven't found headphone that offer as much value based upon amazing sound for a very low price. I have 2 spare pairs put away should I need to replace the pair that's out for use. Great Value, Great Sound!

Très bon casque, bon son, pour ceux qui ne supporte pas les intra oriculaire ou les gros casques qui cache toute l'oreille

Die Kopfhörer sind sehr gut, das Klang ist auch sehr gut.

Ótimo fone!! O melhor que já comprei até então. Se você busca um fone de ouvido simples que tenha uma qualidade satisfatória e um preço bacana, esse é o modelo ideal. Pontos positivos: confortável, som de boa qualidade. Pontos negativos: achei ele um tanto frágil. Se você é uma pessoa que gosta de ouvir música no transporte, terá que tomar cuidado em como armazenar o fone depois de usa-lo. Não recomendo para quem for usar enquanto se exercita.

I wanted a cheap set of old fashioned, portable, small on-ear headphones, like the ones I used to have in the 1990s, just for commuting, or travelling light. These headphones seemed to fit the criteria and I set my expectations appropriately given the price. The headphones have exceeded my expectations. The sound quality is very good, with a decent response from the bottom to the top end, not tinny, not muddy at all. One of the things I used to experience with this type of headphone was that they couldn't be driven loud enough. I'm running these off a standard iPhone 8 at the moment and they go more than loud enough. They're fairly but not completely closed back and as a result will leak sound to an extent especially compared to these horrible ear buds that people are shoving in their ear canals these days :), but this is to be expected with this type of headphone. At this price I'm not going to be too upset if they get broken or lost. They seem to be entirely plastic, including the adjustment band which makes adjustment a bit stiff and time will tell how long they hold up without snapping etc through being knocked about in transit. Again, this is nothing unexpected at this price. There's not a lot else to say about them. Really pleased with them. Absolute bargain.

Per il segmento il questione sono le migliori cuffie. Prima usavo le Sony MDR ma queste hanno il vantaggio di maggiori bassi. Leggerissime. Uso sempre questo genere di cuffie perchè non sopporto gli auricolari interni. Naturalmente come tutte le cuffie nuove occorre qualche ora di ascolto per far "sciogliere" le membrane nuove e sentire il suono pulito.