Customer Reviews
Not impressed 
2008-08-31
I bought this to replace my Norelco three blade rotary razor. I never used this type of razor and have read its better and smother for sensitive skin so I decided to give it a try. When I first turned it on (at 4:30am) my dog went crazy barking which woke the wife. It's has a high pitch buzzing which is much louder than the Norelco. It is smoother on the skin only because it doesn't cut very well (except for the crack of my mouth when I tried to get shave close). It's hard to maneuver around the mouth and under the nose and leaves a considerable amount of uncut hair, especially on the neck. I have no opinion on the self cleaning. I guess it works but so did pulling the head off my Norelco and running under the water in the sink. I was excited after reading reviews on this razor however after using it for about a month I can now say I am very disappointed and am considering pulling out the old Norelco.
It's ok...not much more. 
2008-06-14
I've been using this razor for just about a year now after buying it as an Amazon Gold Box special. The blade is due for replacement, but I believe it's time to move along to another machine.
The pros:
It's inexpensive as far as decent electric razors go.
The shaving head is shaped to allow the razor to get in everywhere. I prefer the closeness of Norelco razors, but that edge that surrounds the discs on all of them prevents the razor from being able to get under my nose.
It provides a decent shave over most of my face, a passable shave over part of it, and a horrible shave over other parts.
The cons:
If I don't pre-clean the head before using the HydraClean base, the cartridge is only good for about eight uses. With pre-cleaning by holding the running unit under water with the cap off and rinsing the cap, the cartridges last a month or so.
After a bit shy of a year, the head is starting to dull. Now, it pulls instead of cuts (ouch!).
It's very slow. I have to pass the razor over certain areas of my face upwards of a dozen times from various directions to get a smooth shave. I can shave with a regular razor and wash off the excess shaving cream in close to half the time it takes to shave with this razor.
The cleaning cycle takes forever. I'm pretty sure the Panasonic has run more while being cleaned than it has while actually shaving.
Cheaply made. Lame. 
2008-05-21
Well, I have used a Panasonic "Smooth Operator" razor for years.
Thought I might replace it with a brand new (and expensive) Panasonic.
When I got my new razor I was really surprised. It's a cheap, lightweight piece of plastic.
Also, the shave is nowhere near as good as my old razor.
I wish I could get my $$ back.
It just sits there, collecting dust.
What a step backwards for Panasonic!
Not as good as I thought. 2008-04-17
I bought this when Amazon had a good sale. The description and review looked great. My impression is that this is a very well made shaver. Excellent build quality. Its quiet, and the charge holds longer than any other shaver I've owned. I do find the cleaner mechanism somewhat gimmicky, and after going through the one cleaning package, I don't see myself buying more cleaning packages. They are expensive and not necessary. Probably most disappointing is that this shaver does not pickup hair as readily as my previous (much cheaper) shaver. I'm not sure why. Perhaps the mesh opening is too fine? I find myself having to go over the same areas several times. I thought that the I just need more time to 'adapt', but I've had it for 6 months with no improvement. I guess if you have relatively fine hair, this is OK, but for coarser hair, you may not get a great shave, or you may spend a bit longer shaving.
Excellent shaver 
2008-04-06
My first electric shaver, and I'm very impressed! I agree with the other reviews in that it works much better as a wet shaver than a dry shaver. The charging/cleaning base is a little large, just be sure that you have enough room for it.
The price at Amazon is the lowest I've found on the internet or in stores.
Great Shaver 
2008-03-25
The well groomed man shaves at least once each day. The ES8078S from Panasonic is the fastest, most efficient and comfortable revolution in shaving for optimal grooming and facial comfort. It has a superfast motor, adjustable pivoting head, and exclusive Hydraclean system for easy care. Quick rechargeability makes this a perfect shaver for home and travel. Intelligent Multi-Level Charging System - Fully charges within an hour. A 5-minute charge supplies enough power for one shave Pop-up trimmer Includes - Travel Pouch, AC Recharger, Storage Stand Approximate Unit Dimensions - 5.8'' x 2.4'' x 1.6'' / Unit Weight - 8 ounces
great shave 2008-03-17
I started using this razor a few weeks ago, it is great, It shaves closer thatn my old rotary shaver, I have only used dry so far.
I use it to shave my head and it does a great job, slthough you need some patience to get it to a smooth finish. (althouhg it is a lot less painfull thatn shaving with a razor)
the cleaner charger, seems OK, but I fell like I wasted some money, because you can clean the shaver very easy by turning it on with some hand soap and water. when I use the cleaner/charger it only lasted a little over a week before I had to replace the cleaning cartridge. (it would be too expensive to replace the cartridge so often. now I wash it my self and only use the cleaner once in a while.
ES8078 Happiness 2008-02-25
I have replaced an older Panasonic razor and can't believe the difference. This razor shaves faster and smoother than I had even expected.
I had trouble comparing the ES8078S and the ES8077S, I emailed and asked Amazon what the difference was due to the ES8077S being $10 higher in price, No response, I called Panasonic and the tech told me that the ES8078S was a new model and the ES8077S was going out, but then reading reviews I found that the ES8078S has been out for quite a while, so the tech didn't know what he was talking about and fibbed to me? I then wrote an email to Panasonic customer support and their reply was that these two razors are identical and that Panasonic basically used the ES8077S and their specialty store line.
Very pleased indeed 2008-02-23
I've used a razor blade pretty much all my life - first a Gilette, then I downgraded to Bic.
After an operation that left me terrified to use a naked blade on my skin (healing scar etc), I switched to an electric shaver and plumped for this one.
It's only been two days, but I am amazed with the results. I find the wet shave leaves my skin SMOOTHER than a razor blade: previously I had real trouble with my upper lip and the blade, but this thing has no problems. And I'm not left with little cuts that turn into spots a couple of days later.
All in all, very pleased, would recommend to anyone thinking of converting from blade to electric.
Fast Motor - Easy Shave 2008-02-15
I bought this product being a previous Panasonic owner and reading reviews. This razor is a bargain when purchased online and not available at all stores. The motor is much quicker than any other Panasonic I've used. It gets five stars for its kind of razor. I wouldn't recommend this style of razor for shaving neck hairs that go in every direction, but it is going to blow away everything else for shaving just the face. It's sometimes better than a straight razor and you can shave more than once a day without irritation. I don't use the cleaning cartriges and have not ever inserted mine and also removed the water tank for better looks. My razor has held the first charge and is still going since exactly one month ago. Amazing. I don't have to leave it plugged in.
