Best known for audio equipment, Panasonic has now released its first ever true wireless ear bud offerings – and the top of the range one is the RZ-S500W. Available in black and white, these ear buds – while bulbous in shape – deliver high quality sound.
Like most tech products nowadays, the name sounds more like a licence plate than anything that mirrors the product, but the main thing is that these lightweight earbuds do the job they are designed for.
And that is providing on the go sound for all of us who love listening to music, podcasts, audible books or even playing games, watching videos and talking on the phone while out and about. For those who love jogging, it also has resistance against sweat and water splashes for that matter.
Compact and comfortable to wear, I had no problem keeping them on for long sessions at a time. In fact, they have been ergonomically designed with side pressure dispersion technology to evenly spread the pressure around your ears. They come with a small, medium and large size outer pouch to ensure a good fit. And, it’s worth trying all three sizes so you get a snug fit. There is nothing worse than earbuds dropping out of your ears or not feeling secure.
A cheaper alternative to Apple Air Pods Pro which cost AU $399, the Panasonic RZ-S500W is well priced at AU $349. You can also buy Panasonic’s more affordable true wireless sister model – the RZ-S300W for AU $249.
What is great is the noise cancelling function. You can block out background noise really well – and that’s become more important for those of us who are working at home and don’t want to hear the surrounding din. For me, it really helped block out the distracting household noises when I needed to concentrate on work.
The Dual Hybrid Noise Cancelling function works with two microphones in each earphone which provide effective Feedforward Noise Cancelling (FF-NC) and Feedback Noise Cancelling (FB-NC). It also blocks noise from both inside and outside the ear.
Panasonic’s touch sensor design is easy to use and most importantly the integrated Bluetooth antenna provides reliable connectivity.
Panasonic Audio Connect App
To set your musical preferences such as fine tune ambient levels or bass levels for your RZ-S500W, it’s worth downloading the free Panasonic Audio Connect app which will allow you to customise the earphones via your smartphone. The app is available in Android and iOS.
Panasonic Tap Dance
The app doesn’t let you change the tap controls. But these are super easy to do. You simply tap once on either earbud to play or pause a track. Make a double-tap on the right earbud to skip the track forward, and make a triple-tap to skip the track backwards. Finally, you can do a double or triple tap on the left earbud to lower or increase the volume. Easy as…
Panasonic’s RZ-S500W, RRP $349. For more info, you can click here.
