

One of the best values in headphones

A Review On: Panasonic RP-HJE900

Panasonic RP-HJE900

Rated # 12 in Universal Fit
See all 13 reviews
Recent Pricing:
Review Details:
Audio Quality
Purchased on:
Price paid: $109.00
Posted · 14541 Views · 0 Comments

Pros: Sound for price, build quality and durability, detachable cables, sound is very detailed and accurate while being very "fun"

Cons: Sound may be too bombastic or extreme for some. Minor issue with nozzle filters falling off(which can be a plus)

These headphones are very unique, both in construction and sound. They are built of Cubic Zirconium, making them extremely durable, and have detachable cables. A jogger literally ran over mine, on concrete, and they aren't even scratched. The finish changes color from a gunmetal grayish color, to a bluegreenish hue in bright light. The cables, though having a slight memory character, are very thick and sturdy feeling, although they can add a bit of uncomfortable weight to already hefty earphones. Nevertheless, I've never had an issue wearing these cord up or down so long as I have a proper fit. They are shallow insertion, and comfortable enough to sleep with. Most earbuds/IEMs tend to die through cable failure, since they are constantly being put into stress because of their portablility, so it is a huge relief to see these have detachable cables which are compatible with Sleek Audio cables. One of my dogs chewed through the original cables(which miraculously still work most of the time, but sometimes the sound cuts out), so I was glad I was able to pay 15 dollars for new cables instead of 100+ for new earphones. However, they do suffer from one issue where the thin nozzle filters seem to fall off when doing a lot of tip changing, which pretty much 90% of head-fi IEM users do. This is not a big deal though, as many prefer having them off, and the issue is easily managable by taking a tiny piece of thin foam from some cheap earbuds and placing them into the nozzle(which also lets you comfortably modify the treble to your own liking)


Soundwise, the first thing to note is that these aren't for everyone. They are by no means neutral; but this doesn't mean they don't sound natural. Whether they do or not will depend on your ears and preferences. I am, fortunately, one of the many to whom these seem to sound very "natural", what with it's U-shaped sound signature presenting clear highs and (very) punchy lows. These extend powerfully all the way down to 20hz, while presenting a surprising amount of detail in the treble. Detail which rivals that of many balanced armature IEMs, by several accounts.  Though they have a pleasant decay at the bottom for realistic bass, they maintain necessary speed throughout the sound signature to provide ample detail in all the frequencies. Textured bass, clean mids, and detailed highs.


Though their soundstage isn't the widest, they seem to give the illusion of a large soundstage because of how transparent the sound is, and how realistic the timbre is. Separation and imaging/position is truly great, especially for a dynamic. One would think the Cubic Zirconium is just marketing, but not only does it provide these with outstanding durability, but also really reduces resonance to less than any HP I've heard. It's as if my brain feels that the sound emerging from these is so realistic, it artificially expands the soundstage so that it feels larger than any of my full size headphones. It is an intimate presentation that is able to expand accordingly to the music's demands. As a fellow head-fi member once described, their sound is seemingly "holographic".


I must emphasize again, however, that they simply aren't for everyone, but such is the case with pretty much every headphone. What make these headphones great for some may be what makes them lackluster for others, and viceversa. For those who need something with pristine detail to bring out the nuances in classical music, but still want the bass to get you moving through your Hip-Hop tracks, these are a great candidate. I bought them when they were available for 109 dollars earlier in the year. At 120, they are still an amazing value.


There are no comments yet