Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic RP-HC55-S Headphone (Silver)

I bought these panasonic noise cancelling buds after the sony N/C buds I bought only worked on one ear. I use a lot of headphones, and I think the sound is pretty good, but not great, and the noise cancelling feature is good, but not great. They are comfortable, and use a rubber type bud that really helps to seal out the sound in addition to the noise cancelling.

I really prefer using buds, but the Sennheiser 250 noise cancelling are superior for not a lot more money, but if you are trying to use buds they are pretty good, especially for the money.

One annoying thing, the wire to the battery unit is just a little short for walking around with. I am pretty tall but this just hangs from my ears if I don't have a shirt with front pocket or placket.

These are the best bang for the buck! I bought them after reading Consumer Report's review rating them higher than the Bose and Sennheisers. I own a pair of Sennheisers and they're ok, but too big. This is my 4th pair of noise cancelling and by far the best. Previously, I've owned Koss, Sennheisers, Logitech and more recently Audio Technica, ranging in price from 35-$100 and by far these are superior in every aspect. These are also the first in ear I've owned.

The only downside is the bass is a bit disappointing. I'm curious to see how these match up to the dual driver phones Apple recently released.
Give them a 4.5/5 for sound quality, 4.75/5 for sound isolation, 5/5 for value!

I was an early adopter of active noise canceling technology and over the years have had many a pair of ANC headphones. They did serve their primary purpose of hearing protection and I still have them in the garage for the occasional power tool moments.

For long commutes, however, these headphones are simply too bulky and heavy to be comfortable. The pressure on the ears becomes particularly unbearable with glass frames. Two years ago, I got a pair of Shure E2c Sound Isolating In-Ear Earphones Color CLEAR - E2C / E2 just for my daily rides on the rail. The Shure is light, convenient and good-sounding. It lacks the active NC circuit but the in-ear design dampens the ambient noise sufficiently on the train.

Once I started flying regularly for business, however, I went looking for a stronger solution. My first try was Aiwa HP-CN6 Noise-Canceling Over-the-Ear Headphones, which is much lighter than older designs and thus gives me some hope of less crimping on the ears. Unfortunately, the Aiwa's collapsible frame is hard on the skull and won't stay in place. The noise dampening is mediocre and the pressure on the ears remains too much for me. I began looking for a pair of in-the-ear set with good active noise canceling capability.

Surprisingly, there is very little choice available in the market. Although earbuds have a natural advantage in noise isolation, its small size poses difficulties for manufacturers, who need to cram microphones next to the speaker units. Panasonic's expertise in miniaturization comes in handy here, allowing the company to deliver a product of uniquely superior design.

I wore the Panasonic RP-HC55 on a recent trip non-stop for eight hours straight and loved it. There is little if any discomfort at all and the noise-canceling works well. It is so light and the cord is short enough that I simply unplug the connector and put it in my shirt pocket without removing the buds during the occasional visits to the restroom. I usually had a hard time falling asleep on the plane, but this time I was able to doze off for a couple of hours. The Panasonic is no doubt the best earphones I have ever owned.

Despite my high regards for this product, some nitpicking remains possible. I am used to wrapping the cords of the Shure backward around my ears and lock them in place by tightening the Y-junction against my chin. This is very difficult to do with the Panasonic because its cords are made of elastic rubber and its Y-junction is not adjustable. The range of volume control is fairly limited, particularly on the low side, so one has to look elsewhere if he wants to drop the volume temporarily without killing it altogether. But overall, this is a great product, especially for frequent fliers.

I bought on CR recommendation and for the price it's great. Comes with 3 ear buds, though the assembled ones work fine for me. It have been using it listening to music while my wife watches the TV and it does the job of almost muting the TV.

Not being a professional reviewer, take this with a big grain of salt: I've only owned one other set and that was an over the ear model 10 years ago so I have nothing to compare the RP-HC55's to.

I have Tinnitus so I'm trying to protect what I have - not make it worse, whatever.

The club where I exercise blasts the music even though 90% of clients are wearing headsets. Ditto for "The Mall" - ever notice how every store attacks you with loud music as soon as you enter. Forgive me, I digress on a very touchy subject for me.

I don't like to comment unless I've used a product for awhile but after one week I've got to say these help. Can't say to what extent because I haven't tried any other sets BUT when I plug these into the TV on the elliptical machine at my club they cancel out much of the overhead music which allows me to listen to the TV at a much lower level. It is a very significant increase in comfort and such an improvement that I have to give it 5 stars. The first time I got off the elliptical and unplugged them I was mildly shocked at how good they were doing. So in the noise cancelling category they are great for me. Would you pay $50 to take away some of the discomfort of noise? No brainer for me and that's why I say there is pretty good value here.

As far as functionals go - I expected the buds to fall out as I pedal but they stay in. I expected the battery tube to bounce as I pedal but the clip on the tube holds it tight enough to my collar that bouncing isn't an issue. The on/off button is at the end of the battery tube, it is easy to use and feels substantial. The volume is controlled by a slide on the side of the battery tube and it is real easy to adjust on the fly. I'd have to give the design 4-5 stars also.

If something goes wrong I'll get back but until then I'm very happy with these and I'd certainly buy them again.

-----------------------------------------------
April '09
Have done a little flying lately and these earphones really made the flight more enjoyable. Most of the background noise and much of the high pitch of the plane's turbines was significantly decreased. I'm really happy with these, quality and lots of value.