Panasonic RP-HF300 Headphone: Lightweight design, decent sound (Tech Review)

As headphones become an integral part of the lives of Indian youth, demand too is on the rise. And tapping into the market is Panasonic with the launch of the RP-HF300 headphone which is stylish in design and has compact folding capability.

The Rs 1,499 headphone is equipped with 30mm driver with neodymium magnets (the most powerful, rare earth magnets), has a frequency response of 10Hz-23kHz, sports gold-plated 3.5mm jack and weighs 124 grams.

Here is what works for the device.

The headphone is lightweight and features a swivel structure design that enables ear-cups to be folded flat in two patterns -- making them easy to store in a bag, briefcase or backpack and convenient to carry around wherever you go.

It has a finely-textured black matte finish and also comes in black, white, blue and pink metallic colours, allowing you to pair your new on-ear headphones with any attire.

The 30mm driver with neodymium magnets did generate some great sound. On tracks with intense sub-bass content like "Titanium" by French DJ and record producer David Guetta, which features dance club style beats, the headphone performed well, pushing an appreciable amount of bass which is decent given the price.

Australian co-singer Sia's vocals were clearly audible in between the bass of this electric pop song.

The headphone also performed well in musical and instrumental tracks, delivering a rich and balanced sound.

We found the design to be ergonomic which provides a perfect fit to the ears. Soft ear pads give a comfortable music experience over a longer listening period.

What's more, your ears will not get exhausted when watching a three-hour movie at one go or during the long game sessions.

The headband is adjustable and can fit most head sizes.

What does not work?

Althought the listed frequency response of headphone is 10Hz-23kHz, if your music library consists of bass songs, this might not be suitable for you as it cannot handle bass-heavy tracks well and works smoothly with vocals and less-complicated music.

Sony's MDR-XB450 headphone, which is a bit costlier than RP-HF300, performed better in bass response than this one.

When played at unsafe volumes, it did get louder but lacked depth in bass.

Conclusion: Lightweight and durable, the Panasonic RP-HF300 headphone makes for a perfect travel companion with its foldable design. At Rs 1,499, the flexibility and sound signature makes it suitable for any style and genre of music.

(Anuj Sharma can be contacted at anuj.s@ians.in <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','anuj.s@ians.in');>)

--IANS

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