Panasonic RP-HD10 - A Serious Contender?

[XERO1]

 
 

 
 
http://www.panasonic.com/uk/consumer/headphones/overhead/rp-hd10e.html
 
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The Panasonic RP-HD10 was announced in September and started shipping in December.  They are currently only available in Japan and the UK.  There is no NA release date (yet).  But they are available in the US from Japanese importers on Amazon.
 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O1NUDUO/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=EB6KOGAV4GIL&coliid=IZTWZWS6MJOMD
 
The RP-HD10 looks to be Panasonic's first serious attempt at a high quality headphone.  The design is conservative but attractive.  And I really like the look of the HP-HD10's iridescent MLF 50mm drivers!
 
Their specs state that they only have a 92dB/mW sensitivity but have a 1500mW max. input power rating.  So the PR-HD10 will probably only sound its best when connected to decently powerful amp.
 
Their price is also very good.  They are currently going for around $200 (plus shipping).

I'm very curious to find out if these are the real deal!

 

 

[yavormoskov]

So, what happened? Nobody tried them out still? Did you actually buy them or not? On Amazon Germany there are some reviews and I used google translate and they seem like a worthy contender to Audio Technica ATH-MSR7 and Sony MDR-1A.

 

[halcyon]

Test in Polish from PClab.pl.

http://pclab.pl/art61122-3.html
 
Another test from Audio.de:
 
http://www.audio.de/testbericht/panasonic-rp-hd10-test-on-ear-kopfhoerer-2891719.html

They like it, but don't particularly like the bass (extension or accuracy) and find it too analytical. Further discussion at Hifi-forum.de:
 
http://www.hifi-forum.de/viewthread-110-15470.html
 
To me it sounds like not unlike so many other Japanese headphones - too bright, too analytical/forward and no understanding of accurate and yet plentiful bass (Sony Z7... *cough* *cough*).
 
But at 147€ I'm tempted to give them ago. Perhaps with mods the too analytical/forward nature could be ameliorated. The build quality, comfort and isolation are supposedly good.
 
http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00NHCIFFK/ref=asc_df_B00NHCIFFK24894878?smid=A3JWKAKR8XB7XF&tag=geizhalspre03-21&linkCode=df0&creative=22494&creativeASIN=B00NHCIFFK&childASIN=B00NHCIFFK
 

 

[starvrokin]

surprise me still few people have mentioned this pair of headphones, since 1A, MSR7, MOMENTUN almost dominate current portable headphones market.
i purchased HD10 on 150 dollors 5 months ago. meanwhile, i tried MSR7, 1A. My conclusion is HD10's much better than them if you test them with serious audio facilities. I even put HD10 above AKG K550, Sennheiser HD25,  HD10 is very sensitive to your source and the original cable surely isn't good enough to show their true audio quality.  tested under my gear, V200 amp + T+A DAC8 + DENON DCD2010 + NORDOST qx2 AND lightspeed CLS505. I think my judgement is relatively fair.

 

[shinomu]

How did you get it for 150 USD? I got my HD 10k like 232 USD. They are friendly to iPad, but but terrible on cell phone, I used it on amp most of the time. With amp I feel like it is better than all mine under 300 USD headphones (hd 600 K 701 shure 1440).

 

[nick n]

  surprise me still few people have mentioned this pair of headphones, since 1A, MSR7, MOMENTUN almost dominate current portable headphones market.
i purchased HD10 on 150 dollors 5 months ago. meanwhile, i tried MSR7, 1A. My conclusion is HD10's much better than them if you test them with serious audio facilities. I even put HD10 above AKG K550, Sennheiser HD25,  HD10 is very sensitive to your source and the original cable surely isn't good enough to show their true audio quality.  tested under my gear, V200 amp + T+A DAC8 + DENON DCD2010 + NORDOST qx2 AND lightspeed CLS505. I think my judgement is relatively fair.

What cable(s) are you toying with or thinking about trying?
 
Thanks.

 

[BangBoomPow]

right now they are 66$!!! at this link...too good to be true?
 
https://meh.com/?clickid=wchXcgyigxas3BBQjHyD%3AVI%3AUkVXlJwtQxyIxk0

 

[baadaq]

those headphone picked my interest, how are they compared to the msr7?, any frequency responde grahp?(how do they measure?), build quality?,microphone option?.

 

[Dohyun]

They have bass that is tight in a good way, but they're too "treble-focused" so the highs sound a little piercing. Besides that, these are the best built cans I have ever encountered in it's price range.

 

[silver27]

  surprise me still few people have mentioned this pair of headphones, since 1A, MSR7, MOMENTUN almost dominate current portable headphones market.
i purchased HD10 on 150 dollors 5 months ago. meanwhile, i tried MSR7, 1A. My conclusion is HD10's much better than them if you test them with serious audio facilities. I even put HD10 above AKG K550, Sennheiser HD25,  HD10 is very sensitive to your source and the original cable surely isn't good enough to show their true audio quality.  tested under my gear, V200 amp + T+A DAC8 + DENON DCD2010 + NORDOST qx2 AND lightspeed CLS505. I think my judgement is relatively fair.

 
Would it still sound better than the Msr7 if I don't have proper equipment? I mean if I only use my smartphone or my iPod. Can you pls. do a proper review for this, all the reviews out there are in german so I can't really see whether I'll like this or not. Even a short review that includes details regarding the bass, mids, and treble would do. Thanks in advance.

 

[yavormoskov]

That is a great idea. If you can write a proper review we all are going to be very happy. Thanks.

 

[dyavuz]

I've just ordered a pair. I'll write a review soon. 

 

[dyavuz]

So I've got my pair last night. And I wanna write my first impressions (Tested on a NWZ-A17), although I'm going through that usual initial confusion with new headphones when trying to determine its strengths and weaknesses. So I'm gonna write another review when I really get to know them and after I've compared them to my other headphones.
 
Looks and Comfort: 
They look pretty solid and very very beautiful, the cups are not too big and sit very well without moving too much around my ears. You wouldn't look strange in public with these. They come with two cables. The shorter one (I think 1,5 m.) is good for mobile use and reminds me the cable that came with Bose AE2 headphones. It's overall comfortable but even without extending the slider they're a bit too big for my head so that I feel some pressure from the top of my head. They are not very light either. (By the time I've finished writing this review, I'm still listening to them, and they're still very comfortable.
 
Frequency response: 
Listening to "Interstellar" soundtrack, my first impression was that the bass is very well extended. They are overall a little bit bright. I'm not really sure but I think somewhere around 2kHz they have an attenuation and a boost around 6 kHz.  So I wouldn't say that they are flat, but they anyway don't come with a promise being flat. They are fun headphones without overdoing. The package says, heavy bass and clear trebles... It would be unfair to expect them to be very flat. 
But overall the FR is well balanced with couple of highs and lows here and there, in general a bit on the bright side.
 
Sound texture and resolution: 
Very good resolution and clarity, but the treble texture is slightly harsh, the low frequencies could be a bit more focused. But sub-bass is very very good! 
 
Soundstage: Wow, that's really where they shine for me. Great soundstage for a closed headphone. Not super wide but they have definitely depth. Instrument positioning is very good, everything is there where they should be. Always the right amount of reverb.
 
Isolation: Here's another positive aspect. For my taste the isolation is exactly right. As soon as you put them on (without music) you're isolated but not so much that you'd feel completely separated from the outer world. According to my wife, they don't bleed either. 
 
Resume on first impressions: 
If I look at their strengths and weaknesses (after first impression) I think they are perfect for mobile use and I think that was the target customer profile in mind when Panasonic designed these. When I was coming to the office, I really had the feeling that they were at their intended place. Overall pretty comfortable, not too big, exactly the right amount of isolation (subway-tested!) makes them perfect for mobile use. Surprisingly GOOD soundstage and positioning, overall very very clear and high resolution, with good sub-bass and slightly bright sound signature. With some records a little harsh, but never too much. Pleasant listening experience overall. 
 
Let's see how they sound after some proper burn-in. If you have the opportunity, I would definitely recommend giving them a try. 

 

[dyavuz]

They have bass that is tight in a good way, but they're too "treble-focused" so the highs sound a little piercing. Besides that, these are the best built cans I have ever encountered in it's price range.

 
I can definitely agree that the highs sound a little piercing. And I can also agree that they are the best built cans I'have seen in this price range!! 
I'm gonna try them on some other sources. Let's see...

 

[S-O8]

   
I can definitely agree that the highs sound a little piercing. And I can also agree that they are the best built cans I'have seen in this price range!! 
I'm gonna try them on some other sources. Let's see...

I have just joined after lurking for a while so be gentle ....
 
I have these and also have Grado RS1e's.  I got the Panasonics very cheap (£75 UK) through a contact so it was worth the risk.
 
What is there not to like - these outshine my Sennheiser RS220's easily.  They are different to the RS1e (unsurprisingly) but are an easier listen in some ways.  I have found them quite similar to an Oppo PM3 in terms of the 'type' of sound they produce - I am not saying they are better but they are from a similar style IMO.
 
They are very comfortable, separation is excellent and I also find them better off a proper amp than my MacBook Air - whereas the RS1e's are fine on the MBA contrary to what I was told when I bought them.
 
I do not find the soundstage that wide and they are more Sennheiser warmth than Grado.  The treble is fine on mine, not harsh at all and bass is OK.  For the money I think they are great and very under rated compared to other stuff a lot more expensive.  I tried them against the Grado SR325e and far preferred the Panasonic.  
 
FWIW I have been told Panasonic are trying to get back into the headphone market now and making a lot of effort - maybe this is the start of good things to come.