Drop + THX Panda Wireless Headphones Review

The Drop + THX Panda have a simple understated design that's similar to that of the Oppo PM-3. They only come in an all-black look and have a small brand logo on the inward-facing hinge.

These headphones have a comfortable fit. Although they have a high clamping force, they feel lightweight. Their ear cups are well-padded, but if you have bigger ears, they may touch the drivers and the sides of the cups. Some users have also reported the headband can feel uncomfortable over time.

The Drop + THX Panda have alright controls. They have a unique '+' directional button found on the right ear cup. You can push this button in different directions to register controls. You can press it once to play or pause audio or press it twice to activate voice assistant. You can also push the button up or down to adjust the volume or left and right to skip tracks, respectively. Holding it turns the headphones on or off, as well as activates Bluetooth pairing. The button is clicky and responsive. There are also beeps for turning them on or off, but there aren't any voice prompts, and the beeps can sound similar, so it may be hard to tell which control was registered.

These headphones have okay breathability. Their ear cups trap in heat, which could make you sweat a bit more if you're wearing them for long listening sessions.

The Drop Panda have mediocre portability. They're bulky, and while their ear cups swivel to lay flat, they don't fold up to reduce their footprint. Luckily, they come with a carrying case so you can safely transport them in larger bags.

The Drop + THX Panda come with a great hard case. It has a zipper that fully closes. There's also a small compartment inside the case to store cables. However, the stitching at the base of the strap looks like it may rip over time.

The Drop + THX Panda have a good build quality. They're mostly plastic and silicone. If you don't like their faux-leather earpads, you can purchase replacement pads made of sheepskin or velour directly from the manufacturer. On the downside, the insides of the ear cups feel flimsy, and the silicone base on the headband could peel off from the headband.

Note: Although we don't currently test for it, Drop's website advertises that these headphones are rated IPX6 for water resistance. However, their manual says not to expose them to water.

The Drop + THX Panda Headphones have decent stability. They should stay on your head during regular use, but they can fall off during moderate physical movement.

• Drop + THX Panda headphones
• USB-C -to USB-C audio cable (audio only on PC)
• 1/8" TRS to 1/8" TRS audio cable
• Carrying case
• Manuals

The Drop Panda have a smooth, warm sound profile. They lack a bit of bass, and their treble is a bit dark and veiled. Luckily, their mid-range is very neutral, so vocals and lead instruments sound clear and detailed. If you prefer a different sound, they're compatible with the My SoundID app, which offers a graphic EQ and presets. However, this is a third-party app, which requires you to install the Drop updater to access it.

The frequency response consistency of these headphones is sub-par. They're prone to inconsistencies in bass and treble delivery. You may especially notice a drop in bass if you have thick hair or glasses. You may need to adjust them on your ears each time you use them to get a more consistent sound.

The bass accuracy of the Drop Panda is good. There's a dip in the low to mid-bass, so your mixes lack thump, rumble, and punch. The high-bass is fairly accurate and neutral, though, resulting in adequate boom. However, these results are the average of our measurements, and due to their inconsistent bass delivery, your experience may vary.

The Drop Panda's mid accuracy is outstanding. They have a very neutral and accurate mid-range, so vocals and lead instruments sound clear, detailed, and accurate.

The treble accuracy of the Drop Panda is good. It's underemphasized across the range, so vocals and lead instruments are slightly veiled while sibilants like cymbals are dull. Note that these results are the average of our measurements, and your experience may vary, especially as they're prone to inconsistencies in their treble delivery.

The Drop Panda have good peaks and dips performance. There's a peak in the low-bass that adds an intense thump, while the dip between the low to mid-bass reduces punch. A peak in the high-mid brings boom to your mixes, and another peak in the high-mid intensifies vocals and lead instruments. Dips in the treble range veil the upper harmonics of these sounds, while sibilants like cymbals are alternatively dull and piercing.

The Drop + THX Panda have decent imaging. Although there's a large peak in the group delay's low-bass response, it shouldn't be audible. As a result, a lot of the response falls below the audibility threshold, resulting in mostly tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. Their phase response also falls below the audibility threshold, while the left and right drivers are also well-matched in amplitude and frequency. This results in an accurate placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video game effects) in the stereo field. However, our results are only valid for our unit, and yours may perform differently.

The passive soundstage of the Drop + THX Panda is disappointing. Their soundstage is perceived as natural and large. However, it also struggles to pull audio from out of your head, and it doesn't seem as spacious or open as that created by open-back headphones.

The weighted harmonic distortion performance of these headphones is decent. There's a couple of peaks, one in between the low to mid-bass and another between the low to mid-treble at moderate listening volumes. However, this can be hard to hear with real-life content, and it shouldn't be too noticeable.

These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid using this configuration.

The noise isolation performance of the Drop Panda is sub-par. The manufacturer advertises that they can isolate you from a significant amount of noise. However, our measurements show less isolation, even with subjective testing. The headphones don't block out any bass-range noise like the rumble of bus or plane engines. They also struggle to cut down ambient chatter, although they can reduce a significant amount of high-pitched noise like the hum of a fan.

The Drop Panda Headphones' leakage performance is great. The leakage is concentrated in the mid-range, so audio that escapes sounds fuller than in-ears and earbuds. However, if you're listening to your favorite tunes in a moderately noisy environment like an office, people around you shouldn't be able to hear it.

The Drop + THX Panda have an integrated microphone. However, you can purchase a boom microphone with a volume slider and mute switch from the manufacturer.

The integrated mic's recording quality is decent. Your voice sounds natural and fairly open, although somewhat thin.

The integrated mic's noise handling performance is sub-par. It struggles to separate your voice from moderate background noise, so you may have some trouble being understood if you're taking a call from a busy street.

The Drop + THX Panda have an outstanding battery performance. They're advertised as having 30 hours of continuous playback time, but we measured just under 27 hours. Note that battery performance can vary depending on usage, so your experience may vary. That said, they have an auto-off timer to help conserve battery life when you're not using them. You can also use them while charging as well as passively with their 1/8" TRS cable.

The Drop + THX Panda don't have a dedicated companion app, but they are compatible with My SoundID. Since it's a third-party offering that requires you to install the Drop updater to access it, we don't consider it to be an app for these headphones. Also, it's only compatible with select headphones, and it just offers a parametric EQ.

The Drop + THX Panda have great Bluetooth connectivity. While they don't support NFC pairing, you can connect them with up to two devices simultaneously. They also support many codecs, including aptX Adaptive, LDAC, and AAC, which we don't currently test. They have high latency on most codecs, although their latency on iOS and Android devices is more suitable for streaming video. However, some apps and devices seem to compensate for latency differently, so your real-life usage may differ.

These headphones come with a USB-C to USB-C charging cable that can also be used to receive audio on PCs. They also come with a 1/8" TRS cable for passive playback.

The Drop + THX Panda Wireless Headphone only supports audio on PCs when used with either its 1/8" TRS or USB-C to USB-C cable.

These headphones only support audio on PS4 and PS5 consoles when using their 1/8" TRS cable. As a result, you won't be able to use their integrated mic.

The Drop + THX Panda can only receive audio on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles when using their 1/8" TRS cable. Unfortunately, you won't be able to use their integrated mic.