Panasonic RZ-S500W
Noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds at a lower price.
The Panasonic RZ-S500w are the company’s first true wireless earbuds, and we think they’re a successful first outing.
Launched alongside the cheaper Panasonic RZ-S300w, these buds offer active noise cancellation at a lower price than both the AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM3, making them a compelling alternative to these wellestablished models.
With an understated design, the RZ-S500W look subtly stylish, though those with a penchant for ear bling will probably be happier with models like the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2.
Nevertheless, they look and feel well-made, and a choice of five differently-sized silicone eartips makes it easy to find a snug and comfortable fit. They’re also suitable for working out, thanks to an IPX4 waterproof rating, though the lack of earfins means we’d be hesitant to take them out on a vigorous run in case they fell out.
Touch sensitive housings on the outside of each earbud allow you to control your music playback, as well as the noise cancellation, your device’s voice assistant, and your phone calls.
They come with a USB-C charging case, which gives you 20 hours of juice, on top of the six hours contained within the buds themselves – that’s better than the Apple AirPods Pro, and more than enough to get you through a week’s worth of commuting.
In terms of connectivity, these buds are super easy to pair, and as each earbud connects to your device independently, there’s less chance of annoying dropouts.
Audio quality is decent, and thanks to 8mm neodymium dynamic drivers, the sound is pretty powerful. The RZ-S500 provide a warm soundstage, though we found the bass frequencies sometimes muddied the mix and overpowered the mids and trebles.
Generally though, if you like your music bassy, you’ll enjoy listening with these earbuds, and you can always adjust the sound via the equaliser built-into the Panasonic Audio app.
The standout feature of these wireless earbuds is the active noise cancellation, which, according to Panasonic, combines “FeedFoward Noise Cancelling, Feedback Noise Cancelling, and an Analog/Digital Processing hybrid.”
These technologies work together to reduce noise generated both inside and outside the housings, in theory resulting in an uninterrupted listening experience – and in our opinion, it’s on a par with the AirPods Pro.
The Panasonic RZ-S500W true wireless earbuds come with active noise cancellation to rival the AirPods Pro – and they’re considerably cheaper, making them a great alternative for anyone on a strict budget. Sound quality isn’t quite on the same level as their rivals, with an overly bassy presentation – bass heads however, will probably love these earbuds.
Olivia Tambini