Panasonic RP-WF950H review

That distracting background hiss spoils an otherwise reasonable pair of wireless cans Tested at £80.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

That distracting background hiss spoils an otherwise reasonable pair of cans

Pros

  • +

    Respectable sonic presentation

  • +

    surround sound mode

Cons

  • -

    Too much background hiss

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Panasonic might know a thing or two about plasma TVs and Blu-ray players, but it's rare that a pair of its headphones gets us excited. And the RP-WF950Hs don't buck that trend.

You get a simple transmitter/charger unit that sends RF signals up to 100 metres to the basic-feeling wireless cans.

Unfortunately, no matter which of the three channels we used, and no matter where we tested it, the system produced a disappointing level of background hiss. That's often masked, but in quieter moments it's very distracting.

It's a shame, because otherwise, the sound is fairly decent. Bass may not be particularly well defined or deep, but the overall presentation is fairly tonally balanced, and although there's no great abundance of detail or dynamics, the '950Hs are respectable in these regards.

There's even a surround mode that, while certainly not for everyone, adds an extra degree of space and immersion that some gamers and action movie fans might enjoy.

See all our headphone Best Buys

Follow whathifi.com on Twitter

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Read more about how we test

Latest in Wireless Headphones
Sony WH-1000XM4 on a table with a plant
Some of our favourite-ever five-star wireless headphones have plummeted to nearly half price – £172 off!
Apple AirPods Max 2024 in blue finish on bookshelf
Lossless audio and wired listening finally come to the AirPods Max
Bone conduction headphones
Samsung to launch its first bone conduction headphones this summer, report says
Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 wireless over-ear headphones
Beyerdynamic Aventho 300
T+A Solitaire T Cognac white in case
The 'benchmark setting' T+A Solitaire T wireless headphones have a boozy new look
Getty Images, Thomas Winz
I love the idea of wi-fi headphones – but some big questions need answering
Latest in Reviews
JBL SA550 integrated amplifier
JBL SA550 Classic
iFi Zen Phono 3 phono stage
iFi Zen Phono 3
Google TV Streamer video streamer
Google TV Streamer
Samsung QN990F on a white media unit with a grey curtain in the behind it and soundbar in front
Samsung QN990F 8K TV
Elac Debut 3.0 DB53 standmount speakers
Elac Debut 3.0 DB53
 iFi Zen DAC 3 digital-to-analogue converter
iFi Zen DAC 3