$25 for audiophile earbuds? Meet Panasonic’s new ErgoFit USB-C wired headphones

In 2012, I wrote a review about Panasonic ErgoFit RP-HJE120 The wired earbuds, which cost me $6 at the time (now $9), and I was impressed by how good they sounded for how little they cost. They didn’t have a lot of bass, but they were well balanced and provided a great deal of detail and clarity, making them the cheapest audiophile-friendly earbuds. While the company steps up ErgoFit RP-TCM125 The earbuds didn’t sound quite as good for some reason, they had an inline remote and microphone, which is an essential feature if you plan to use your earbuds with a phone.

In those days, phones were equipped with 3.5mm headphone jacks (as were previously popular digital music players like the iPod Mini). Now, most phones leave it disabled, and that’s where Panasonic is new for 2026 ErgoFit RP-TCM325 USB-C The spiritual successor to these two previous wired models with 3.5mm jacks, the RP-TCM325 instead connects to your phone, tablet, or computer’s USB-C port to provide fully digital wired connectivity. For $25, the sound is hard to beat, and their voice calling performance is good too, which is why I gave them a CNET Editors’ Choice award.

Panasonic ErgoFit USB-C design

One drawback of the ErgoFit RP-HJE120 is that although it had a sturdy L-shaped plug, its cord was thin and tended to get tangled if you put the earbuds in a pocket. However, the ErgoFit RP-TCM325 has a thicker, tangle-resistant wire that is about two-thirds of its length before splitting into two thinner wires leading to the buds, which seems more significant than the RP-HJE120’s small buds; They are larger and have more weight. The way they are shaped allows them to sit well in your ears, even with the wire weighing them down a bit.

On the wire leading to the right bud, you’ll find an inline remote that allows you to turn up and down the volume as well as forward and backward tracks and answer and end calls.

The only design issue I had was with the silicone eartips. While most people should be able to get a decent fit from one of the three sizes of included tips, the larger tip didn’t give me a perfect fit, so I had to swap out larger ear tips from one of the many earbuds I tested (they happened to be extra-large tips from the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2). But at least these buds don’t require special ear pads like Apple AirPods Pro 3 or Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro; They have a standard post that accommodates many tips.

Great sound quality

Sound quality is remarkably good for $25 earbuds. The headphones’ marketing materials describe them as having a “balanced sound with clear highs and deep lows, as well as a wider frequency response and lively sound quality.” That pretty much sums them up, although I would add that the key here, beyond a balanced sound, is that there is a natural, subtle quality to this sound. Also, while the bass does deepen, it’s controlled and doesn’t overwhelm the mids and highs, which have some nice sparkle (the highs). I also experienced minimal distortion, which is unusual for cheap earbuds.

The only big caveat is that in order to get the sound quality I’m talking about, you have to get a tight seal from one of the included ear tips or find some tips that provide you with that tight seal. Without a tight seal, you’ll lose a lot of bass, and you’ll likely think the buds sound small and mediocre. If you don’t like the sound, try pressing both earbuds into your ears to create a good seal and see if the sound quality changes.

There are a lot of USB-C earbuds for under $25 there. I’ve tested a few of them, including… Sony IER-EX15C Buds, which retail for just under $20. These Sony headphones also sound good for the money, but the ErgoFit USB-C is better in terms of sound quality and build (the Panasonic headphones offer richer sound with more bass). The Sony headphones seem to be a bit cheaper, and I had one pair where the sound cut out on one of the buds, so I had to throw them away.

Passive noise isolation but no ANC

While wired earbuds are back in fashion (my teenage daughter used to wear Apple’s wired earbuds USB-C earbuds With her iPhone), I can’t say I’m too fond of wearing wired earbuds on the go. If you get a tight seal, you get some passive noise isolation from the ends, but no active noise cancellation, although the headphones do draw a little power from the USB-C connection. (USB-C earbuds tend to have their own built-in digital-to-analog converter, or DAC.)

I used to wear True wireless earbuds with very good noise cancellation It’s a bit difficult for me to carry on without noise cancellation, especially in noisy environments like the subway. I enjoyed using the earbuds and listening to them more when I was stationary in a quieter environment (sitting at my desk or on the couch). However, not everyone likes or cares about active noise cancellation.

Better voice call performance than I expected

I haven’t used wired earbuds for a while to make calls and was surprised when callers said they could barely hear any background noise from the bustling New York streets and that my voice sounded mostly clear and natural. I tested the earbuds with callers at the same time as me Anker Soundcore Space 2 headphones ($130), and the two callers I spoke to said the ErgoFit RP-TCM325 was the easy winner. I’d rate the Space 2 a B for voice calling. I’d give it an A-minus, with the only potential issue being wind noise (don’t expect excellent voice calling performance when it’s windy).

Final Thoughts Panasonic ErgoFit RP-TCM325

There are plenty of inexpensive USB-C earbuds out there, but Panasonic has built on the legacy of its previous ErgoFit earbuds to offer a range of USB-C earbuds that excel at sound quality and also deliver good voice calling performance. If they get a tight seal, they sound as good or better than wireless earbuds and headphones that cost more than $100.