I have a new toy and it comes in the guise of the Panasonic RP-HTX7 headphones. I am very satisfied with my purchase and will now attempt to write a short review of said item. Hit the jump and find out.

For starters, the RP-HTX7 is a looker – undoubtedly. It has a simple minimalistic retro feel to it that makes it unique in a sea of futuristic and unconventional headphone designs. I was immediately drawn into the RP-HTX7′s sleek and clean design. It features an over-the-ear design with a leather style headband, brushed metal adjustment wires and piano painted ‘phones’ with a single sided cable. It comes in five eye catching colours; black, a sort of lime green, cream, light blue and white. Being an advocate to all things black, I naturally chose black although I was eyeing the cream one with great interest. The best part about its look is also its price tag. At RM179 it makes owning a great looking piece of hardware quite affordable.

Alright, I have been going on about the RP-HTX7′s looks for quite a bit but the main point of a pair of headphones is its sound reproduction, and I must say – they sound as good as they look. The 40mm, neodymium drivers produces a crisp even tone throughout. For me, the bass is adequate and when I say adequate, it means having Ferry Corsten’s L.E.F. powerful bassline thumping at your skull. So yeah it produces decent bass. As for the mid and treble areas of the spectrum, it’s beautifully balanced to my liking. It brings out the life in jazz and instrumental performances and does justice to a wide range of genres. It produces a level of detail mostly found in headphones twice its price range, another plus point. The cups are fully covered and completely covers my ears. It manages to block out external ambient sounds quite well and keep the music from leaking out.

The RP-HTX7 is a lightweight beauty and fits my head like a glove thanks to its adjustability. It has nice vinyl covered spongy ear cushions that is actually quite comfy. But with most vinyl covered cushions it is only a matter of time before it starts flaking, so a full fabric cushion would have been most welcome. The single cable on the left ear cup increases the comfort level by leaving me with more freedom of head movement without being irritated by the wires constantly brushing up my cheek and neck. The cable is quite thick and looks and also feels durable.

Overall, the RP-HTX7 is a quality piece of work. It has a great design and will appeal to design centric individuals and those who have a soft spot for retro designs. It reproduces sound to my liking and I’m sure others would have the same sentiments. It is affordable and I believe that is by far, the most important factor to most consumers. Panasonic has created a product that sounds as good as it looks with a price tag that won’t burn a hole in pockets. Bravo!