Wireless Headphones

Shadow2198

Hey guys

I know wired headphones are better than wireless but nevertheless I am looking to purchase a pair of wireless headphones for use with a TV.

There doesn't seem to be many new models (which makes me wonder whether companies aren't bothering too much and also whether things may not of advanced too much in the past 2/3 years).

I was originally looking at a Sony but now I'm swaying more towards the Sennheiser 140 (although a little concerned since it seems not too many places have it [I know Amazon dooes though] compared to the 130 which makes me wonder about the quality).

For wireless headphones are Sennheisers generally better than Sony?

sei1925

Hi i also needed wireless headphones to read whilst the wife watches tv so i brought these Sony mdrrf800rk basic rechargeable rf wireless headphones. I was'nt expecting too much but were pleasantly surprised and connected them to some altec lansing speakers in the living room to listen to my ipod whilst reading. And there quite good good range too i can also listen in bed i'm no expert but they do what i want them to and for about £35. not badly priced if you buy them from somewhere like amazon you can always send them back if you dont like them. Hope this helps

timbim_2

Sennheiser make very good audio products generally. Not always the best, but I'm not sure about headphones. The Sennheiser wireless ones do look very good, especially for the price.

brittny1401

Try Pioneer SE-DIR800C

piggeh

I have some Sennheiser HDR 120s I think. Quality is fine, a small amount of background crackle can be heard occassionally but is certainly not noticable when watching any DVDs, playing games, music etc. I use mine CONSTANTLY - almost every evening, as I dont want to disturb the housemates with TVs or PCs on at 1am.

I have had them a few years now. Unfortunately the plastic snapped near one of the headpieces at the weekend which is a pain, have fixed with selotape for now! Still, a small gripe.

I'd imagine the 130s or 140s will be fine for listening quality (although haven't used them), I'd recommend the 120s if you're on a tighter budget.

Leopard

shadow2198,

Both the Sennheiser RS130 and the RS140 are excellent.

Superficially they look similar but there are technical differences between the the two and they cater to, and appeal to, different markets.

Most fundamentally, the RS130 is an open headphone and the RS 140 is a closed headphone. The RS140, moreover, has individual volume controls for each ear, which is useful for people with minor hearing difficulties or a perceptory imbalance.

This article will give you more information. I found it very helpful in researching which of the two to buy. (I, too, decided on the RS140.)

After several years, Sennheiser has recently refreshed these models. See here. Perhaps a little confusingly, the new RS170 is now the closed headphone and the RS180 is now the open headphone.

The new range started filtering through to retail outlets last month, so now is a good time for bargains while they unload their stocks of the (perfectly good) older model.

You're correct that the RS140 is harder to source than the RS130 – that's what I found, too – but this is probably because it's substantially more expensive. Richer Sounds sells the RS130 for £90 but not the RS140 at all.

Richer Sounds price-beats online retail outlets, so, if you want the RS130, have a Richer Sounds nearby and embrace the MSE ethic, you could confront them with the Amazon price of £70 with free shipping and claim the further £5 discount that Richer Sounds offers as a price-beater. (That's what I would have done if they sold the RS 140. )

As with many things, eBay is a good place to look for an RS140 that is new and unused. One retailer sold a stock of several, at £75 (with free shipping) recently but mostly they command about £95 to £100.

If you buy an RS140, I'm sure you'll really like it. Obviously, as you point out, being wireless, it's never going to match what's possible with a wired set, but it acquits itself surprisingly well when confronted in comparison with my wired and much-loved Sennheiser HD600 set. (Got that at a £150 discount in the Richer Sounds Boxing Day sale some years ago!)

You can also use them with a desktop or laptop (even a netbook) computer or an MP3 player, but personally, for those, I prefer the excellent Nokia BH-604 Bluetooth headphone set.

The great thing about all of them is the freedom of movement they give you. You can, for example, get up and go for a cup of coffee without having to take them off or worry about tripping over a wire!

In answer to your final question, I prefer Sennheiser to Sony for wireless headphones. Be aware, though, that the RS120 is quite a big step down from the RS130 or RS140 and the RS110 is best avoided.

piggeh

Leopard wrote: »

In answer to your final question, I prefer Sennheiser to Sony for wireless headphones. Be aware, though, that the RS120 is quite a big step down from the RS130 or RS140 and the RS110 is best avoided.

*Adds RS130s/140s to upgrade list*

Are they really much better?

Leopard

In terms of quality, the RS130 and the RS140 are pretty much the same. They are slightly different executions of the same basic technology, equipped with slightly different features for slightly different consumer markets.

They are both a development of the earlier RS120. They use a different RF frequency (900 MHz) to the RS120 which gives them greater range and better reception.

Both have circumaural cups whereas the RS120 has flat pads.

Plus, of course they have the additional functions set out in the article to which I provided a link.

If your damaged RS120 set is not repairable (and perhaps even if it is) I think you would be well advised to upgrade, should funds permit – certainly while the RS130 is obtainable from Richer Sounds, by the means I described, for just £65. And I think you would be glad you did.

The price-jump up to the RS140 needs more consideration and you'd have to give serious thought to whether its feature set was actually what you want (and worth it) in comparison to that of the RS130.

Basically, that boils down to whether you want closed cups instead of open cups (to reduce sound leakage which might irritate others nearby) and individually controllable volume controls for each ear. The additional price you pay for those is that the sound quality of the RS130 is very slightly better because the diaphragm can move more freely in an open cup.

So, you need to be extremely sure that the RS140 is what you want before you pay the extra money for them. For me, it was.

Hope that helps you decide!

Shadow2198

Leopard

many thanks for the thorough responses. I think I'll look towards the RS140 and hope for a good price (currently Amazon seem the best at about £115 but as mentioned previously, this model isn't easy to come by!).

Just an additional question if I may, about the products which have superceded the 130 and 140 i.e. the 170 and 180. These are digital and while the sound quality may be better are there drawbacks with the flexibility of movement compared to RF versions e.g. I know the digital ones will not necessarily need line of sight like Infrared but would you still be able to wander from room to room and up and down stairs with no loss of sound like I've read is possible with RF headphones?

Many thanks again

Leopard

I'm afraid I can't assist you in regard to the latest ones, the RS 160/170/180, because they are so new that I've never seen any of them and there weren't any reviews that I could find when I was researching Sennheisers.

What I do know is that they are seriously expensive, – £180 and £230 on Amazon UK for, respectively, the RS 170 and the RS 180 – compared to the RS 140 which one can now buy new and unused for half that price on eBay.

I tend, personally, to adopt the general strategy of identifying something that I want and then buying it new and cheaply, at a big discount, as soon as it is superseded if its successor is not greatly better. I have great kit and it's saved me £ thousands, over the years. :A Martin Lewis :A would be proud of me! :money:

Here's a little video about the RS 140 which you might find helpful (and persuasive). Note that you don't have to be a Catholic to watch it. :rotfl:

It's certainly possible to wander from room to room and up and down stairs without loss of sound on the RS 140. They have a great range.

By the way, the best way to eliminate hiss is to crank up the volume of the source and thus reduce the volume to which the headphones need to be set.




PS. The British version of the RS 140 does not come with the RCA plugs plus nifty phono plug adaptor for them as shown in the video: just a 2.5 mm phono plug with a 3.5 mm adaptor. (Well, that's what mine came with, anyway. )

Also, having now dug out the box and examined it, the U.K. version apparently operates on 864 MHz, not 900 MHz. I'd imagine that's to avoid venturing into the 900 MHz band used here by mobile 'phones. :cool:

emlelrirsi

Hey guys

just looking along similar lines here and I am currently trying to decide between the Sennheiser RS140 (approx £115), Sony MDR-RF860RK (approx £60) and the Philips SHC8525 or 8565 (approx £60 or £100).

I am just looking for this product for use with a TV and I am aware that in theory Sennheiser is the best but, possibly due to it's size and or price, just wondering whether these other products offer comparatively good value for money? I'm not an audio expert so probably would not be able to spot minor details, just want good quality sound and ideally no hiss.

Proved to be quite difficult to find and try these products in stores at times.

I'd welcome any assistance anyone could provide