Panasonic just updated my favorite budget earbuds at IFA and also released new wireless headphones
Many readers may remember the Panasonic RZ-S500W from 2020, Pana’s first true wireless earbuds, which the company launched and then inexplicably slashed in price to offer never-before-seen ANC quality in the budget earbud space. I loved them – I helped review them for TR’s sister publication, What Hi-Fi? and gave them five sweet stars under intense scrutiny.
Why are they telling you this? Because Panasonic is back with new earbuds, called the RZ-B120W. Yes, it’s a name that’s easy to forget, but if their older siblings are anything to go by, the sound won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
The RZ-B120W offer up to 6.5 hours of battery life in the headphones themselves, and an additional 19.5 hours in the charging case. They’re also compatible with Siri and Google Assistant, simply by tapping the side of one earbud and saying your wake word.
There’s no active noise cancellation listed on the spec sheet, but you do get what Panasonic is calling “clear stereo sound with XBS for extra deep bass” thanks to the 7mm dynamic driver in each earbud, an IPX4 rating for intense workouts, and the latest Bluetooth 5.3.
We don’t have pricing yet. My advice? It might not be a cutting-edge premium offering, but if you just want buds that fit well and do the job, this is what I’d look for.
Panasonic over-ears have also just landed
Panasonic has also just released the RB-M600B wireless over-ear headphones, with an extended battery life of up to 65 hours of playtime – with an additional six hours available after a 15-minute quick charge.
There’s also active noise cancellation, with integrated feed-forward and feedback microphones, the same XBS Deep technology for extreme low bass, multipoint connectivity with two devices, ENC technology (also known as Environmental Noise Cancellation for clearer conversations) plus access to your voice assistant and Windows Swift Pair/Google Fast Pair for quick pairing with your devices.
One to include in our best wireless headphones roundup? Only time will tell – we’ll have to review them first (and get confirmation on how much they’ll cost).
Oh, one more thing: my favorite flagship earbuds, the Technics EAH-AZ80 (Technics is a brand of Panasonic) are now available in a ‘Midnight Blue’ shade. Never heard of them? Trust me, you should – they’re number one in our best earbuds guide, and for good reason.
