DROP + THX Panda: The Headphone That Does It All

The Drop + THX Pandas aren’t exactly a new release, but Drop, in collaboration with Sonarworks, have just released a companion app for the Drop Pandas, and it REALLY makes a big difference in how they perform by adding some features that I have not seen in any wireless headphone before, AND it tries to eliminates some of their major shortcomings.

Now what makes the Drop Pandas special is that they promise to deliver an audiophile level wireless headphone experience, which has been a bit of a challenge, because a wireless headphone includes a DAC, an amp, a Bluetooth receiver, a battery, in addition to the drivers that produce the sound.

So the Drop Pandas feature some special drivers, special amplifiers, and special power on and off sounds that you will not find on other headphones.

They cost 399 US Dollars on Drop, and you can also get them with a boom microphone for an extra 50 Dollars which we’re also going to test for gaming.

UNBOXING

The Pandas come in a very muted black box, and inside it, you find some papers, and then you get to the very nice hard carrying case that also has a compartment with a magnetic door that allows you to carry your cables inside.

You get a Type C to Type C cable with it, along with a 3.5mm jack cable to use them in wired mode,

If you order the microphone, it also comes in a separate box, inside which you will find the boom mic that has volume control and a mute switch, along with an extension cable that is also a splitter so you can connect it to your PC.

DESIGN

The Pandas have a very minimalistic and understated design, and the only logo or text that you would find on these is a very small Drop logo on the inside of the headband.

I think most people are really going to like their futuristic looks, and If you pay closer attention to the design choices made here, you will see how efficient these headphones are in their structure, and construction.

They really have a very solid feeling to them with thick metal pieces used in parts of the headband, the size of which can be adjusted with very satisfying clicks.

 The earcups swivel by more than 90 degrees, and the metal hinge of these ear cups also feels very strong.

The earcups on these are actually spring loaded which is a feature I have only seen on much higher end headphones.

The earpads on these are really nice, and soft. Their shape makes them have a lot of space inside for your ears without actually being a headphone with very large earcups.

The earpads are of course removable, and removing them also exposes the very unique drivers they have. They are ribbon planar magnetic drivers, which are not the same as regular planar magnetic drivers, and getting this kind of drivers in a wireless headphone is really great, as generally speaking, they are used in higher end headphones.

CONTROLS

All the controls on these headphones are managed by a single joystick on their right earcup, and after a while of getting used to it, it works really well.

While these are not active noise cancelling headphones, they do form a very good seal around your ears, so they still do block a lot of noise.

COMFORT

The comfort on these headphones is (also) very good for me. As I said earlier that the earcups have a lot of space and the earpads are soft so that’s of course a great combination.

The clamping force wasn’t too high for me, and their firm grip keeps them from moving around too much on your head.

And they were also comfortable for me to wear with glasses.

They have a very sturdy feeling on your head, so once you have them on, you don’t feel any part moving or slipping on your head, which gives them a very high quality feeling.

The cushioning on the headband is adequate, but their weight is kind of centered on the central point of your head, I personally don’t find this to be an issue.

They are decently light at 375 grams for the kind of drivers and technology they have, but I do start to feel their weight on my head after wearing them for more than an hour.

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