Headphones Reviews

However, their fatal flaw was that the 3 of us all found them excessively tight and therefore too uncomfortable to keep. We returned them.

As for charging...no problems!!!

The headset switches to standby after only 3-5 minutes of non-use, but is easily turned on with a single touch. You should charge the unit every night, or at least every 2-days, because the battery in the headset is short lived.

The range is excellent (about the same as an old analog cordless phone), but the sound is only okay. It is very susceptible to interference, even at close range, and there is an annoying echo between the mic and the headset speaker. The person on the other line doesn't sense this, but it is aggravating to hear your own voice .1 second delayed. Frankly, for the price of this unit I would have expected better audio. However, I like the device for the gadget-factor, and it is usable.

If you are wondering if the 2.5mm version uses a standard Bluetooth connection between the base and headset - it doesn't... That would have contributed significantly to the gadget-factor!!!!

This KX-TCA98 seemed to fit the bill. Unfortunately, the over-the-ear option does not allow for use of the enclosed padded "ear muff" - instead, a plastic ring fits behind your ear and a hard plastic speaker enclosure sits directly against your ear ... it's the only way it works, trust me. This arrangement is OK but isn't very comfortable. Also, when used like this, the sound volume is much lower than listening through the telephone itself (yes, even with the volume on headset and phone both up).

The headband wear option utilizes the "ear muff" and offers acceptable sound quality, loudness, and comfort against the ear. Unfortunately again, a compromise in the headband option reveals itself in the mirror ... one side lays flat and snug against your head while the speaker and microphone side push the headband out and away from your head so far that it looks absolutely ridiculous! (Hopefully you work alone)

The in-line volume and mute features work well.

In hindsight, I should have bought a headset-only model which probably fits better, has a better ear muff, sounds better and looks less hodgepodge. Just to top it off - the packaging is sooo difficult to open (even when carefully cut) that it is destroyed in the process - negating any possibility for exchange!

The morale: Don't try to be everything to everyone, just be really good at something.

I'm glad I did not pay much for these, because I threw them away after two uses. I bought them to save space in my carry-on during my last vacation. I should have stuck with bigger ones that worked better. I could not get the bud to stay in my ear, even the over-ear clip did not help - these things are made for people with HUGE ears.

Ergonomically they might be comfortable, but I haven't logged the time to tell. They certainly feel like they'll stay on through most activities.

Best to spend your heard-earned cash on a more worthy unit.

PROS:
1) Good style ;)
2) It works well if you don't have a 900 mhz cordless phone in the house
3) Works equally 'good' as the sony headphone at the same price
4) Great sound. The speakers that they put in are really good. They give good sound and also give me good sounds during gaming.

CONS:
1) VERY uncomfortable
2) Automatic Level Control is crap. It annoys you very much during songs. Gaming is alright, infact, it is very good in gaming! cause sometimes the gunshots are very close, and it slows down the volume level...:)
3) Have to fine tune the wireless auto adjust to get the best possible level to get little static and more sound (notice I didn't say no static, cause that never happens). That fine tuning takes a lot of time and becomes annoying after a while
4) I will mention it again. The most annoying feature is the ALC (Automatic Level Control). IT SUCKS!!! I can't listen to songs without my head thinking 'why is the volume lowering and increasing???'
5) Headband is really really weak... it didn't break yet... but I know it will
6) Sometimes the signals get lost during some words (like the 'ssss' and the 'iffff') although I don't know why...

I was about to return the whole set when I decided to try some other headphones. I used a good set of Sony circumaural headphones and the sound was excellent with powerful bass. I even tried some cheap Sony sports earbuds and the sound was much better than with the Panasonic lightweights.

These headphones really are lightweights in the performance department and are a really poor partner for an otherwise excellent line of portable audio. The only positives I can say about these headphones is that they are reasonably comfortable and are very light. You hardly notice that you're wearing them.

If you're looking for headphones, consider another pair with better bass response. If you're buying a Shockwave portable (which are excellent and also available here on Amazon) that comes with these headphones, be prepared to go out shopping for some others like I'm doing right now.

Hope this was helpful and good luck with your purchase!