Panasonic takes the fight to Sony with its new “deep bass” wireless headphones and earbuds

(Image credit: Future)

Panasonic has unveiled new wireless headphones and earbuds at the IFA 2024 trade show in Berlin.

The RB-M600B are Panasonic’s latest wireless over-ear headphones. We haven’t gotten pricing from Panasonic yet, but the numbers in their name suggest they sit above retired RB-M500B which retailed for around £120 / $150 at launch.

This would place them as mid-range rival to key sets including the Sony ULT Wear thanks to their focus on delivering “super low bass” and lengthy battery life.

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The headphones feature Panasonic’s XBS Deep (eXtra Bass System) which according to Panasonic will let its 30mm drivers deliver deeper, more accurate low end performance.

We haven’t tested any headphones with the feature yet, but it also appears on the older Panasonic RB-M300B, RB-M500B and RB-M700B. It, apparently, works by adding a bass enhancer feature as well as custom driver design focussed on improving low end performance.

Other highlights include Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity, which will allow for multi-point connections of up to two devices, a lengthy 65-hour quoted battery life and hybrid ANC. The latter is a take on regular ANC that aims to let the headphones block a wider frequency of noises using internal as well as external mics.

Panasonic_B120_Product — (Image credit: Panasonic)

Meanwhile the RZ-B120W are the company’s latest wireless earbuds. Like the new over-ears, we haven’t had pricing for the RZ-B120W yet, but we expect them to be reasonably affordable, given Panasonic’s previous release strategy.

The more expensive earbuds tend to be made by audio-focussed subsidiary Technics. The Panasonic RZ-S500W are the last pair of earbuds directly from Panasonic we tested, which retail for £100.

If right, this would put the RZ-B120W in direct competition with the newly released Sony WF-C510 and What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Sony WF-C700N.

Like the new over-ears Panasonic’s marketing the RZ-B120W’s “powerful bass performance” and use of 7mm dynamic drivers with the same XBS Deep tech as their key selling point.

Outside of this they feature Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and will offer 6.5 hours of listening off a single charge, with the case offering 19.5 hours of extra juice. The IPX4 water resistance means they should also survive use in the rain, or work as a gym set.

Make sure to stay on top of all our latest IFA 2024 coverage using the attached guide, where our team of on the ground experts are detailing the top hardware they’ve spotted at the show.

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Alastair is What Hi-Fi?’s editor in chief. He has well over a decade’s experience as a journalist working in both B2C and B2B press. During this time he’s covered everything from the launch of the first Amazon Echo to government cyber security policy. Prior to joining What Hi-Fi? he served as Trusted Reviews’ editor-in-chief. Outside of tech, he has a Masters from King’s College London in Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion, is an enthusiastic, but untalented, guitar player and runs a webcomic in his spare time.