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Digital Wireless Headphones Review - The Latest Trend In Wireless?
Being able to watch TV at night and not disturb others has been the driving force of wireless headphones. In particular the benefit of not being tied to a headphone cord has led to rapid growth of wireless products. However thus far wireless headphones could never really match the sound quality of traditional corded models and the wireless transmission would be prone to interference and noise. Is the latest wireless technology able to remedy the problems of previous wireless headphones? We will take a look at two wireless headphones that both utilize the latest in wireless transmission to find out how these models stack up against traditional corded headphones in terms of sound quality and reliability.
The two review models are the Sennheiser RS180 and the Amphony Model 2500. Both models use the latest digital audio transmission technology. This means that prior to transmission of the audio signal by the transmitter, the signal is first converted to a digital data signal which then gets transmitted. Inside the digital wireless headphones, the signal is then converted back to an audio signal. Using this digital transmission, none of the two models showed any hissing or distortion that we are used to from previous wireless models. Both headphones claim to transmit true CD quality audio.
The first thing we noticed is that the Sennheiser headphones are designed as open headphones which means that sound from the headphone transducers will penetrate to the outside of the headphones while the Amphony model is closed. There is no way to state that any particular design is better of the other and as such it is a matter of personal preference. A closed design, such as the Amphony, will reduce the sound level heard by others which is good when listening at loud volume without bothering others. At the same time, a closed design will tend to attenuate exterior noise more. Both headphones have comfortable velours ear cushions and fit snugly on the head.
When not in use, the RS180 headphones can be suspended from the transmitter which acts as a support base. The RS180 transmitter offers a regular analog audio input but no digital audio input. The Model 2500 transmitter offers one analog audio input, one coaxial digital audio input and one optical digital audio input. The digital inputs are useful when connecting the transmitter to a plasma TV for example which normally don’t have analog audio outputs anymore. The Model 2500 transmitter will automatically switch to the correct audio input by detecting which audio input has a valid signal.
One of the most important aspect of headphones is the sound quality. The sound of the RS180 is on the light side with good mid range but a little low on the bass. Therefore the RS180 is well suited for listening to vocals and light music. The Model 2500 has more pronounced bass but still is well balanced and not overly aggressive. Neither model is suffering from the problems of previous wireless headphones and the sound quality of both models rivals that of corded headphones. Since wireless headphones are battery powered, they will naturally not be able to achieve the same loudness as corded headphones hooked up to a good headphone amp. However, in our testing, both models achieved sufficient volume, the Model 2500 a little more so than the RS180.
The RS180 broadcasts it’s signal at the 2.4 GHz frequency. It supports up to four headphones per transmitter. The Model 2500 works at 5.8 GHz and supports an unlimited number of headphones. The range of the RS180 is specified at 300 ft by Sennheiser. In our testing, we were able to get a clean signal up to around 100 ft with both models in an indoor environment. This should be plenty for most users. The Model 2500 transmitter has an output that supports secondary transmitters (RangeBoosters) to further extend the operating range.
The RS180 offers a battery life of 15 hours. The Model 2500 will work around 30 hours per charge. Pricing is around $300 for the RS180 wireless headphones and $200 for the Model 2500.
Hearing Aid Review - TV Ears wireless headphones