Panasonic RP-HT21
If you're looking for a cheap pair of headphones for casual listening on the go or at the gym, the RP-HT21s, despite their generic looks, actually sound pretty decent and are fairly comfortable to wear. Sure, some people may think you swiped them from your last flight, but the good news is that if you leave them anywhere (or accidentally break them), they'll only cost you $5 to replace. There's something to be said for that.
The good: Panasonic's very inexpensive RP-HT21 on-ear headphones are lightweight, fairly comfortable, seem sturdy enough, and sound quite decent for their low price.
The bad: The headphones have a generic design, don't fold up, and their thicker, reinforced L-shaped plug may not be compatible with certain smartphone cases. They also leak sound.
The bottom line: As far as really inexpensive headphones go, you're not going to do too much better than the Panasonic RP-HT21s.
October 31, 2012 2:20 PM PDT
Photo by: Sarah Tew/CNET
