🔷 Drop THX Panda

Headphones [Official] Closed Back
402

I wouldn’t be surprised if drop started releasing different types of pads soon after the release.

403

Did you get a tracking number beforehand? I thought I was supposed to be in the first batch shipped but maybe I just misread the emails.

404

Another update from Indiegogo today:

–

Panda Shipping Schedule Update

Hello Friends,

It’s been an exciting week with the first Pandas arriving for US customers. We’re proud that Panda is living up to expectations.

Driver production is running smoothly after a small delay last week. This delay was the result of an additional round of QC for a new batch of driver materials. The good news is that production is moving forward now, but we lost a few days and the knock-on effects are going to push some July orders into August (by a couple of days).

Remaining June orders will ship in the third or fourth week of July. 7/27 according to the current schedule. We will be in touch via email in the next couple of weeks to grant your $30 Drop credit.

July orders will ship between the last days of July and the second week of August.

August orders will ship in the fourth week of August.

So from our last update to now, everything shifts by a couple of weeks, but we’d rather push by a couple of weeks and do the extra round of QC than rush at this stage. Lastly, Backerkit surveys will be sent a couple of weeks prior to each shipment in order to confirm shipping addresses and collect any additional taxes.

Thanks for your patience everyone, we’re shipping these as fast as we responsibly can.

–

So I’m getting a $30 credit for the 1 month delay of my June order? Nice of them to offer something–I was a little disappointed not to be among the first to get the production version since I got to experience the pre-production version at the Listening Day.

3 Likes
405

Anyone try to pad swap these if possible? see how they perform and if you can put some larger/thicker pads on them?

406

No pad swapping, but decided to get a Pilot Pad from ZMF for the headband. Improves comfort immensely.

1 Like
407

First thing I’m doing but it’ll be another 2-3 weeks wait for me :confused:

408

FFS: :weary:

–

Panda Update 7.27
Hi Friends,

We understand how eager you are to receive your new headphones and want to again thank you for your patience.

Closures due to Covid-19 have further disrupted our supply chain (second wave closures in relevant European cities) and delayed our delivery schedule for Panda.

Circumstances are evolving daily, and we’re going to provide weekly updates going forward to reflect the most recent status. Please understand that these dates are based on the best information we have today and the situation is evolving:

The rest of the June orders will ship in the fourth week of August, with some units shipping sooner. You’ll know which group you are in by when you receive your backerkit survey.

July orders will also start shipping the fourth week of August.

For August orders we are gathering more information to better understand where we stand at this point. We expect to have more information later this week.

We appreciate your patience as we continue to work hard to produce your Pandas during this irregular time. We’ll continue to keep you updated, hopefully with some good news next week.

Thanks again and stay healthy,

Drop

1 Like
409

My condolences.

2 Likes
410

Yeah damn covid.
For once it’s not Drop’s fault huh :stuck_out_tongue:

Some people already received theirs so it won’t take long.

411

From those that received them, are these worth $399? I’m looking to replace my Audeze EL-8 headphones…

412

Waiting on mines right now, hopefully get them within a week or so.

All things going quiet about these hasn’t filled me with much confidence.

413

Yes, very solid Bluetooth headphones.

414

I don’t know if they are a replacement for the audezes but if you want a good bluetooth headphones that’s a bit on the warmer side and just comfortable, these are pretty much it.

I do enjoy mine in the absence of IEMs or just want something different.

1 Like
415

My “June” pair finally shipped. Supposedly will be here on Friday. I am looking forward to seeing how they measure up to what I heard back at the Listening Day event.

Back when I heard the pre-production models I thought they were easily worth $399. In the months since then Sundaras happened, raising the bar for what to expect from $400ish planars. Nevertheless, I believe Pandas will remain competitive, especially give their closed backs and wired + wireless capabilities.

One of the things that makes Pandas unique as a wireless headphone is their pure acoustic tuning–they do not need to be powered on in order to use them wired, and doing so sounds extremely close to how they sound as Bluetooth headphones. Most BT cans make liberal use of DSP to “fix” acoustic properties, and that tends to stomp on detail and introduce grain or other audible artifacts. Whether wired or wireless, Pandas sounded remarkably clear and clean, much like Sundaras do.

I think if wireless operation and isolation are unimportant then there are other options around the same price point that will likely best Panda on pure sound quality. However, if either or both of those are important (and you’re not married to ANC for isolation) then Pandas are hard to beat.

2 Likes
416

Now that I’m WFH for the foreseeable future, these have really caught my eye as I find myself constantly swiveling around while I listen to music or a podcast, grabbing a drink from the kitchen, hopping on a meeting, etc. If these sound good enough to pass for that kind of non-analytical listening and they’re comfortable, I may be in for a pair. I want to hear more reviews about them though.

417

Since I was working from home for a while before this pandemic, I rarely reach for the panda’s during the work day to be fully honest. But I can attest that the analog in is quite good (and they’re SO EASY to drive).

It really depends what you’re looking for but wireless that doesn’t suck, closed back, and planar… As a whole package they’re still well worth the $400 IMO.

2 Likes
418

Here’s the latest update from Indiegogo:

Panda Update 9.2
Hey Everyone,

Production is rolling smoothly again across the board.

With that in mind we have some new updates:

For all orders with an original ship date in June , most of these should all be shipped and heading your way. There are a few exceptions where we cannot send you your Pandas:

  • If you put in an address that falls under restrictions, we have reached out to you to update your address.
  • If you have not completed your BackerKit survey, we cannot send you your Pandas. If you have an original ship date in June and do not have the BackerKit email, please check your spam folder. If you still are unable to locate this email please reach out to us with your name and shipping address at [email protected] as soon as possible.
  • Also if you are a customer in China your shipment is slightly delayed as we make sure initial units pass customs.

For all orders with an original ship date in July, we will start shipping units soon, and are on track to ship all units by the second week in October. You’ll know which group you are in when you receive your BackerKit survey.

For all orders with an original ship date in August, October fulfillment is most likely.

A couple of things we will continue to note:

  • If you don’t know your original ship date, just log into your IGG account and check your perk information.
  • When filling out your BackerKit survey, you should only use ASCII characters for your shipping name and address. Use 30 characters max for name, address line 1 and line 2. Use 20 characters max for your city/state/province name. If your address doesn’t fit, reach out to us. Incomplete addresses will delay shipping.

Thanks for your patience everyone!

I’m on the hook for one June pair, which is still slated for delivery tomorrow (no updates since it left NJ a couple days ago, but it if gets to AZ by the wee hours then it should make the cutoff for delivery tomorrow). I also have several August sets coming (to me / friends and family). The previous update had tentatively estimated October delivery for those. This update seems more certain about July deliveries running into mid-October, which fills me with doubt that all of the August orders will ship before the calendar flips to November.

Which, incidentally, would mean that Pandas may well be in transit as the elections occur, so here’s hoping the world survives long enough for everyone to get their sweet, sweet BT headphones…

419

The world ends with pandas… good to know :panda_face:

2 Likes
420

I received mine last night and have been listening to them for almost 3 hours now. I started with them wired to my computer/desktop DAC/amp while my phone charged and I did enjoy the sound with minimal EQ.

Listening to the same album again via Tidal from my phone using LDAC leveled the experience up quite a bit. The THX amp definitely does a great job adding weight and I do not need any EQ as the low end and treble detail are great. They also bring out subtle details nicely.

These rival my planar in ears for a great listening experience.

The only issue I have is with fit given my head is so big. I have a bit of a hot spot with the head band (Dekoni nuggets should fix it), and I am finding the clamp to be a bit much. Hopefully I can stretch them out a bit.

Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchase given the sound quality.

6 Likes
421

Damn… the wait is killing me! Do the pads come off easy? Or are they like the PM3 and glued on…