Panasonic's first AirPods rivals go big on features, small on price

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The noise-cancelling RZ-S500W and budget RZ-S300W offer Alexa voice control and impressive battery lives

Panasonic's first true wireless headphones go big on features
(Image credit: Panasonic)

Panasonic has officially launched its first pairs of true wireless headphones on the same day as its first Technics pair.

The noise-cancelling RZ-S500W (£169 / $199, subject to change) and more affordable and compact RZ-S300W (£109 / $129, subject to change) are now available following their initial reveal at CES 2020 at the beginning of the year.

The RZ-S500W also uses beamforming technology through the use of two microphones to increase the clarity of voices and suppress ambient noise during calls. The RZ-S300W's lack of noise-cancelling ability allows them to be more compact (just 17mm in diameter) and sport a longer battery life: 30 hours (7.5 from the buds, 22.5 from the charging case), compared to the RZ-S500W's 19.5 hours (6.5 from the buds, 13 from the case).

Becky Roberts
Becky Roberts
Freelance contributor

Becky is a hi-fi, AV and technology journalist, formerly the Managing Editor at What Hi-Fi? and Editor of Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica magazines. With over twelve years of journalism experience in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices.

In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.