Panasonic RX-S500W NC vs KZ ZS3

The Panasonic RX-S500W NC is a relatively good Earphone for people that are willing to spend around $160. The KZ ZS3, by contrast, is quite unremarkable and doesn't stand out in any meaningful way from other products at this price point.

In both cases, however, we recommend that you take look at some other options at the $160 and $15 budget ranges; in all likelihood you'll find some better alternatives.

If you're still interested in learning more about the Panasonic RX-S500W NC and KZ ZS3, however, we wrote a summary of what we know about them:

The Panasonic RX-S500W NC has impressed reviewers from two sources that are among the most highly trusted on the internet, namely SoundGuys and PCmag. It did great in their objective hands-on roundups - it earned the "Best mid-range" and "Best for Strong Bass" awards from SoundGuys and PCmag, respectively. That's high praise from such reputable sources.

As for the KZ ZS3 - Head-fi, a source that conducts reliable hands-on testing, has featured it in its KZ-ZS3 Hifi High-End 3.5mm In-Ear Earphone Headphones Earpiece Original Headset Bass Earbuds With Microphone review roundup. However, it didn't make it to any of the top spots.

We couldn't find any sources that tested both of these Earphones, so we only analyzed how they performed in reviews from different sites.

We first examined which sources rated each of these best and found that the Panasonic RX-S500W NC got its highest, 8.4, rating from SoundGuys, while the KZ ZS3 earned its best, 9, score from Head-fi.

Lastly, we averaged out all of the reviews scores that we could find on these two products and compared them to other Earphones on the market. We learned that both of them performed far better than most of their competitors - the overall review average earned by Earphones being 7.3 out of 10, whereas the Panasonic RX-S500W NC and KZ ZS3 managed averages of 7.7 and 9.0 points, respectively.

Due to the difference in their prices, however, it's important to keep in mind that a direct Panasonic RX-S500W NC vs. KZ ZS3 comparison might not be entirely fair - some sources don't take value for money into account when assigning their scores and therefore have a tendency to rate more premium products better.