The way Panasonic's attractive new open earbuds sound makes me smile, but theyre so annoying to operate

Date:
Wed, 17 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Description:
Super stylish and a pleasure to wear for hours on end, the Panasonic RB-F10s are otherwise winning open earbuds let down by really irritating controls.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Panasoni c RB-F10: Two-minute review

Being a little down on a product you fundamentally really like feels uncharitable. Its the audio equivalent of Ebenezer Scrooge giving Tiny Tim a pair of the incredible Shokz OpenFit 2+ , then swapping that sweet sonic stocking stuffer for Bob Cratchits humble morsel of goose. Bah, humbug, indeed.

Truthfully, though, if you did buy me a pair of Panasonic RB-F10s for Christmas or my birthday, Id be pretty smitten. Yes, they have their faults, but if you can overcome slightly fiddly on-ears controls, Pannys recent buds are stylish, affordable, and feel so comfortable once theyre on, you might as well have a couple of pixies giving your ear canals a luxurious bubble bath.

I adore how these open earbuds feel on my lugholes. Theres no question the main selling point here is the soothing snugness the RB-F10s bring to your listening experiences. I genuinely forgot I was wearing Panasonics open earbuds, which weigh 8.79g each, during the vast majority of my testing.

I cant think of a single occasion where the fit irritated me, be it in on a recent skin-sizzling 93F trip to Fuerteventura or enduring a mild Scottish downpour closer to home. These wrap-around buds neither slip or irritate your skin, nor do they begin to chafe after hours of prolonged use. Granted, I might be guilty of the (ahem) occasional wildly definitive-sounding declaration over the years, but I stand by the following statement: the Panasonic RB-F10s are the most comfortable earbuds of any kind Ive ever worn. Stick that on the box, Panny.

Elsewhere, problems sadly surface that lower these otherwise supremely sturdy buds' score. With grown-up looks, a classy charging cradle, and satisfyingly loud, well-weighted audio, theres a whole lot to like about a pair of open ears that cost comfortably less than $100.

Yet its hard to stuff my fingers in my ears and pretend the RB-F10s dont have issues chief among them are some of the fiddliest, least dependable on-ears controls Ive encountered on a pair of buds. At best, theyre semi-reliable. At worst? The simple task of pausing or skipping a track has made me chuck Panasonics ear accessories onto my sofa multiple times a feeble bout of frustration the best open ear buds wouldnt bring out in me. (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Ill get to the RB-F10s fuller audio performance shortly, but if you want the abbreviated version, theyre damn good. With weighty 17mm x 12mm drivers, they bring boom in spades for such svelte buds, while also delivering acoustics youd never describe as either tinny nor scratchy.

Feature-wise, were looking at somewhat of a mixed bag. That's a bag youd drop every time you did your shopping thanks to those misfiring on-ear controls that are as dependable as a lion going for the vegan option at an all-you-eat zebra buffet. Though IPX4 waterproofing is welcome (and effective in my experience), battery life doesnt exactly have my knees aquiver.

If you dont have Panasonics nicely minimalist charging cradle to hand, youre looking at a meagre seven hours of juice. If youre a fiendish podcast binger like myself who often leaves home without a dock, these may not be the buds for you.

ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) has also been left off the party list and software support is non-existent. Though not the most feature-rich buds, the RB-F10s do at least support convincingly solid dual mic audio calls, and the presence of reliable Bluetooth multipoint connectivity is also welcome.

If it werent for those overly finicky on-ear controls, Id unquestionably be giving the Panasonic RB-10s a higher score that would have it ruffling the feathers of some of the best earbuds . Yet due to those unpredictable
controls and only so-so battery life, you may be better off looking at the sublime Nothing Ear (a) , or the slightly more premium Bose QuietComfort
Ultra Earbuds . Panasonic RB-F10 review: Specifications

Drivers

17mm x 12mm

Water resistant

IPX4

Battery life

7 hours (earbuds); 25 hours (including charged case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

8.79 per bud / charging case 36g

Active noise cancellation

No Panasonic RB-F10 review: Price and availability (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham) Released in June 2025 $110 / 79.99 / AU$165 (approx.)

The Panasonic RB-F10s have been out for a few months at this point, but youd be hard pressed to tell. Youd have an easier time spotting a neon-dipped snow leopard during a blackout than finding these buds readily on sale.

Currently, the only place Ive been able to locate these attractive,
relatively affordable earbuds is the official UK Panasonic site . Available
in black or a two-tone white scheme, these $110 / 79.99 / around AU$165 buds are very reasonable considering their overall build and sound quality.

Knowing Panasonic, the F10s are unlikely to become significantly easier to pick up going forward, so if you do see them in stock on the UKs official
site or somewhere like eBay (and fancy the cut of their jib), put your money where your sonic-slaying mouth is. Panasonic RB-F10 review: Features (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham) IPX4 waterproofing works well Seamless Bluetooth multipoint connections Average battery if they dont get a full charge

If there were a Deep Impact style meteor-centric oblivion on the horizon and you were forced to draw the short straw on who gets to board the shuttle to survival. well, suffice to say that comet is cooking F10 owners. Thats a fruity way of saying the RB-F10s arent exactly feature-rich.

A lack of ANC or software support is perhaps expected at such an agreeable price point, but whats considerably harder to stomach is the F10s battery life. Ive seen mayflies with heaving drinking problems boast longer
lifespans.

Unless you carry the handsome dock around you like it was a court-mandated bracelet, these open earbuds will die on you a little after seven hours. If you obsessively charge the buds in their dock, and I mean every single day, youll get a much healthier 25 hours of juice. Nevertheless, during my seven weeks of testing, I found Pannys buds died out of nowhere an alarming amount. If youre a committed jogger, these probably arent the earbuds for you.

Dont walk away at a brisk pace just yet, though. The RB-F10s arent entirely no-frills and an IPX4 waterproof rating should never be taken for granted
from a native Scot like myself. If you live in an area with regular showers youll definitely appreciate this feature. Thanks to their open ear design
that shows off a whole lotta lobe, nailing down an IPX4 waterproof rating was key.

I was once caught in a downright biblical lashing of hailstones while nipping out for a lunchtime burger during my F10s testing, and it was mercifully only my soggy quarter pounder that met a watery fate that day. On the few times I have encountered showers while out and about, Ive yet to hear all those sky tears cause any audible distortion while listening to music on the RB-F10s.

The F10s Bluetooth 5.4 multipoint connectivity is probably the most forward-looking feature these buds boast. Capable of pairing to a duo of iOS/Android devices at the same time, the F10s can register to 10 separate devices, though you can obviously only swap between a single pair at once.

The pairing/disconnecting process is relatively simple, involving holding the sensor button down on each bud for several seconds. Once you hone in on your two favorite devices, these buds will intuitively pick up on whatever content you were listening to on them last. Its smart, hassle-free stuff.

Dual mic support also makes the F10s solid for voice calls. As glamorous and depressingly unstaged as this sounds, I had to take a relatively important fraud call from my bank while wearing Panasonics buds. The companys claim
that voice signals hold up to around 33ft proved largely true, and even
taking an irritating security call while wandering about my Spanish friends (in no way death) cellar, the clarity of the audio never wavered.

So the F10s just about get a passing grade in the features department. Still, any prospective future teacher would be sticking a big, fat could do better before a pair of F11s rock up to school next year. Features score: 3/5 Panasonic RB-F10 review: Sound quality (Image credit: Future / Dave
Meikleham) Bass satisfies for such lightweight buds Vocal clarity is usually excellent No software but EQ tweaks seldom needed

As someone who normally wears the best over-ears headphones in everyday life Ive been mightily impressed by the range of sounds these sleek buds pump up. Keen to hear how the buds would fare, I decided to forgo my increasingly decrepit musical tastes and listen to some fresher bangers from Glastonbury 2025. Not in a mud-caked field in Somerset, you understand. Rather from the comfort of my reclining chair with an RF-10 popped into each ear.

Now lets jump down the YouTube rabbit hole!

The five-piece indie pop group Wet Leg slithered around Glastos Other Stage and immediately wormed into my brain with Catch These Fists . Sensationally steely, winkingly erotic before exploding into a scrappily raunchy crescendo, its a bloody fun tune, and one where the RB-F10s powerful 17mm x 12mm drivers effortlessly pick up lead singer Rhian Teasdales growling lower registers.

I was also taken aback that the RB-F10s made the upbeat Yougotmefeeling by Parcels come alive in a full-bodied way that briefly made me do a double take on whether I was listening to their summery banger on budget earbuds or one
of the best surround sound systems . There was one moment the video cut to
the super sweaty crowd, and the subsequent swirling chorals almost made me believe I was standing among the throng covered in knocked-over plastic lager glasses.

Sticking with YouTube, I was delighted to bump into an energetic performance of Dont Back into the Sun by The Libertines. The fact Carl Barat turned up with chaotic longtime collaborator Pete Doherty, who not only looked reasonably healthy, but didnt flub his lines, was a nice surprise. That definitely wasnt on my Glasto bingo card. Back to the Panasonic RB-F10s, Gary Powell's pounding drumwork and John Hassall's satisfyingly punchy bass came through without overwhelming Pete and Carls duets.

Even though I do a lot of my headphones testing on my iPhone, I must admit to consuming a lot of content on my iPad Pro, be it the best Netflix movies or the best Amazon Prime shows . On that note, Ive been rewatching The Boys season 3 for roughly the 43rd time. Herogasm! Anyway, theres a song that
plays during a later episode where Homelander might be getting his morning milk from an unconventional source. Yick.

Still, if it wasnt for that udderly unacceptable act, Id never have found 1968s Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells. Talk about a psychedelic headtrip banger for the ages. This trance-like 60s tune is mellow yet somehow quietly sinister. For all three minutes and 25 seconds the
RB-F10s deliver the big beats with aplomb while also delivering on the
shakier strands that make you wonder if your entire head is about to fall
into your buds.

So it shouldnt come as a Tyler Durden-style shocker that Im into the audio quality the Panasonic RB-F10s deliver at such a comparatively reasonable price. Bass also feels nuanced, with drivers capable of handling both big orchestral numbers without letting lyrics get lost in the shuffle.
Sound-wise, these are some of the most well-rounded, best-judged buds Ive tested. Sound quality score: 4.5/5 Panasonic RB-F10 review: Design (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham) So light you can barely feel them Classy little charging cradle On-ear controls can be a nightmare

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY! Not enough? Alright. Zip those lips and take even more of my cents. Im smitten with the design of the Panasonic RB-F10s, especially with the ultra alluring two-tone white shade (also available in black). Unfussy yet dignified, they have an aura of quiet confidence about them I really dig. And then theres the comfort.

If it was legal to wed a pair of open earbuds based purely on how ludicrously comfortable they feel to wear, Im slamming a ring on the RB-10s pronto.
before finding a cave where I can live out the rest of my days in shunned solitude. Hot dang, do these buds feel lovely.

Ive worn some supremely comfy cans of late (like the likeable yet uneven
Happy Plugs Play Pro over-ears), but Panasonic's lightweight offerings are on another level. Once you get them out of their cute charging cradle, popping them on is a breeze. With a few tweaks I found the RB-10 almost immediately adjusted to a position that wrapped around my lobes in an entirely
satisfying, seamless way.

I suspect this is down to two major factors. Firstly, the flexible (but not cheap-feeling) plastics theyve been constructed from, which lets them contort around the shape of your ears with minimal fuss. Secondly, their oh-so-lightweight footprint. At well under 9 grams per bud, and thanks to their open design that leads to what Panasonic describes as an unintrusive fit, its almost alarmingly easy to forget youre wearing the RB-F10s.

Fun fact: I went on a four-hour round trip to see the deeply underwhelming Jurassic World Rebirth semi-recently, and not once on that lengthy inner city tour could I feel Panasonics open buds rub my ears up the wrong way while listening to Jurassic-themed podcasts. Hey, you gotta keep it on brand,
right? Honestly, I'm wearing them while currently writing this review and I legit cant feel them. Witchcraft!

Sadly, the on-ear touch sensors are about as reliable as a chocolate watch
and a timekeeper thats been placed into a giant oven at that. They simply
dont function as they should often enough. (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Located on the main body of each bud, a single tap should play/pause whatever youre listening to, and touching the left buds sensor rapidly three times
will turn the volume up (a double tap turns it down). Meanwhile, a trio of touches on the right earbud will skip forward a track (again, a double tap to go back a song).

The trouble is, these sensors are both weirdly sensitive and not sensitive enough. During my weeks of testing Id find theyd follow the commands I wanted maybe 40% of the time. Hardly an ideal batting average, right?

If youre sitting at a desk judging the exact position and pressure you need
to hit the RB-F10s is easier. In motion, though? Thats a far more flustering story. I lost count of the times I accidentally skipped to a new podcast episode on walks due to my right buds sensor having a mind of its own.

Pausing tunes via the left earbud also proved to be a teeth-gnashing chore. Its such a pity, because if the Panasonic RB-F10s controls were more
reliable, Id be awarding these attractive buds another half star.

To round off this finger-flummoxing package on a cheerier note, Ive got to pour some love all over the RB-F10s charging cradle. Sorry, dock! Not only is it incredibly easy to jam into even the tightest of pockets, but the way both buds magnetically snap into their holders Nintendo Switch 2 style is stupidly satisfying. Design score: 3/5 Panasonic RB-F10 review: Value (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham) Build feels premium Sound exceeds expectations for the price

The RB-F10s are a bit of a steal. Full disclosure: DO NOT STEAL. Packing that Panny quality without skimping on audio quality, they hit a lovely sweet spot between price and performance. In an age where its all too easy to pick up
any random pair of buds for $20 at an airport, the F10s design and sonic quality shine through.

The very fact Ive barely given my beloved Apple AirPods Max much of a look-in of late speaks volumes and Im in no way sorry about the tangential pun. Rocking premium build quality and striking sound at a rough $100 price bracket, the F10s are easy to recommend for homebody audiophiles who arent fussed about ANC, so are less likely to contend with noisy commutes. Value score: 4/5 Panasonic RB-F10: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Features

Standard seven-hour battery life not suited for runners; no ANC or software.

3/5

Sound quality

Resonant bass combines with a satisfyingly wide-sounding mid-range; acoustics easy to pick out.

4.5/5

Design

Stylish, practical and supremely comfortable, but fiddly controls drag them down.

3/5

Value

Made with quality components that exude class usually reserved for pricier buds.

4/5 Panasonic RB-F10: Should I buy? (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham) Buy it if...

You crave comfort
I cant recall ever wearing a more comfortable pair of earbuds. I forgot I was wearing the lightweight and breathable RB-F10s the vast majority of the time I was using them. You could use them for hours and not feel these tremendous buds.

Big sound at a good price
Despite lacking ANC, the RB-F10s deliver a well-balanced soundscape that tackles most music genres well thanks to reasonably deep bass levels and midranges that rarely lose vocal clarity even in busy tracks. Don't buy it if...

You dont want to constantly carry its charger
Seven hours of sonic juice isnt exactly terrible compared with other buds,
but its not that impressive either. If you find yourself on a long-haul flight, you'd better bring the RB-F10s' charger or the buds wont make the distance.

You have big hands
I constantly struggled with the Panasonic RB-F10s on-ear touch sensors.
Simple acts like track skipping and pausing became headaches in reality, and even after weeks of testing they never performed as reliably as I wanted them to. Also consider

Panasonic RB-F10

Huawei FreeAarc

Final Audio ZE3000 SV

Drivers

17mm x 12 mm

40mm dynamic

10mm F-Core SV dynamic

Active noise cancellation

No

Yes

Yes

Battery life

7 hours (earbuds); 25 hours (charging case)

7 hours (earbuds); 23 hours (charging case)

7 hours (earbuds); 28 hours (charging case)

Weight

8.7g per bud

8.9g per bud

4g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.2

Bluetooth 5.3

Waterproofing

IPX4

IP57

IPX4

Huawei FreeArc
One of the earlier fantastic examples of a truly great set of open earbuds. Not only do the FreeArcs little buds sound brilliant, theyre affordable,
while also providing a comfortable fit. Open-ear efforts dont get much
better.

See our full Huawei FreeArc review How I tested the Panasonic RB-F10 Tested for seven weeks Used at home, outdoors and on flights

I tested the Panasonic RB-F10 over a seven-week period. Forgive me if that seems like an overly long testing window. I turned 40 during the review process and suffered a tiny existential breakdown. Thank heavens I had the F10s quality sound output to pick me up during my darker moments.

During that time I used these open earbuds to listen to my favorite tunes and podcasts across different environments, spanning my ground floor apartment,
on walks through city centers and on public buses. I primarily connected the headphones to my iPhone 14 Pro and to a lesser extent my Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) .

First reviewed: September 2025

Read more about how we test.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/fitness-headphones/panasonic-rb-f10-r eview


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