Customer Reviews:
 RP-HC500 October 22, 2008
Noise cancelling works well for the price. Works best on engine/air conditioning type noises 85-90%. Even blocks 60-70% of your own voice, really weird. Fairly sturdy. You better have tiny ears as they don't surround without touching. I have average size ears and they are 90% comfortable for a few hours.
 Tops in noise cancelling and sound. October 21, 2008
I use these for listning to CDs and MP3s or just getting some peace and quite. They really cancel-out or cut down on noise to a great degree. They will not eliminate my dogs barking but they do cut the edge off - allot! On top of that they sound fantastic.(but not quite as good as my Sony MDR-V6s) Very comfortable, sturdy and far less money then the Bose.
Excellent noise-canceling headphones at a great price! October 20, 2008
Sentiment:
I've debated between this and the Audio-Technica ANC7 for a while and up to the last minute during the week of my flight. I was puzzled by why the ANC7 had 714 reviews while this Panasonic HC500 only had 144. Was there a fire sale on the ANC7 that I missed? From reading the majority of the reviews, I was not persuaded by why or how the ANC7 was better in any way and why it costs more.
Function:
My first opportunity to test the headphones was on a 14 hour trip to Asia. As soon as you're in the air and turn on the headphones, you are noise insulated. You don't even need to attach it to any audio device. To give you an idea of the difference, my gf and I tried watching DVDs using a portable DVD player and she used her regular iPhone earphones. On a max 10 volume setting, she had to turn the device up to 8 while I was comfortable with 4. Needless to say, I couldn't watch the device with her at the same time because 8 was just too loud.
I also test these headphones against a pair of 32db rated ear plugs. I really couldn't tell the difference between the two.
Battery life was a good 30 hours although it wasn't the 40 hours it claimed.
Note 1: You can't test the noise-canceling at HOME! It's TOO quiet.
Note 2: Don't expect complete noise-free silence as this device only cancels redundant white noise.
Conclusion:
Since my purchase, I couldn't be happier and have not looked back. My local Fry's Electronics charges close to $200. While I haven't tried the ANC7, I really doubt it's worth the extra $$$.
Excellent Choice!!! October 18, 2008
I made this purchase based on other reviews (Thanks!) and I'm really glad about it. I play bass guitar and needed and need a set of headphones to use with my bass trainer when practicing at home.. I'm also the sound technician for my church and they are really good at blocking unwanted noise when I'm adjusting the microphones. They are very comfortable and well built.
Great item for a great price October 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have had these headphones for about a month and I am really pleased. When you put them on, there is no outside world. They are really noise canceling. I happened to fall asleep on NYC subway train while listening to the music (never happened to me before). At work , while listening to the music. my colleagues have to literally shake me after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to communicate to me - so good these headphones are !
I purchased these headphones after a long comparison of Audio Technica, Bose and Sony.
I have read all the reviews about above mentioned brands here at Amazon, plus I did some google search. Based on my research I chose Panasonic.Why ? I excluded Sony for huge price range - $50 headphones lack good features and $300 is too much for headphones like these. I would buy Bose (I think it is the Mercedes of sound) , but the price is too high for headphones that could be eventually lost on the train. Audio Technica was my front runner, but I found some negative reviews that influenced my decision. I bought Panasonic because I have had great experience with the brand - my Walkman survived my military training, my VCR has been working for 5+ years as well as my TV.
Note; You can find some complaints in reviews about some unwanted high pitch sound. It happens, but only if the headphones are idling - the noise canceling switch is on and a cell phone is in close range.It never happened to me while listening to the music.
|
