Sennheiser RS120 926 MHz Wireless RF Headphones with Charging Cradle
by Sennheiser
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sennheiser RS120 926 MHz Wireless RF Headphones with Charging Cradle
Customer Review: Sennheiser RS120 -- 8/10
Summary: 4 Stars
These are very, very good wireless headphones. I have a couple of quibbles about them, but overall, these are well worth the money, and if you're looking for quality sound and some freedom in your movement, I highly recommend you invest in these headphones.
PROS:
Excellent Audio Quality -- as good or better than many other sets I've used. Maybe not as good as studio monitor headphones, but that's expected for a $70, wireless set. The frequency range is wide and clear, and it's great for virtualized surround sound. I've enjoyed movies, games, and extensive audio editing with these headphones. I listen especially to a lot of classical music, and brass sections are especially clear and crisp. There's also plenty of bass in there for celli and bassi, and the occasional bombshell exploding in Call of Duty.
Long-Range Wireless -- I was able to walk from the base connected to my PC, in the back bedroom of my house, out the front door, across the street to my neighbor's driveway, in 40MPH wind, with barely-perceptible interference (a small hiss, but not enough to really detract from the sound). Once I got back to my driveway, the sound was as clear as it had been in my back bedroom.
Form -- These headphones fit my head well, and they are curved in such a way that I think all but the smallest heads would be very comfortable wearing these phones for extended periods. Also, the phones themselves are covered in a durable windscreen-type material, in such a way that they encompass your ears enough to hear everything clearly, but they don't surround your ears, so you can still hear when someone nearby asks you a question. Also, these covers come off by turning them at an angle, allowing you to clean them or replace the batteries set in behind them.
Charging -- The recharging system is brilliant. Two metal places are exposed in the top of the headphones, set into the foam that touches the top of your head. You simply set the set on top of the metal rack built into the base, and it charges! I've used them several times for 3 to 5 hours at a time, and I haven't had the batteries run out. I simply place the headphones back on the cradle when I'm not using them, and they charge right back up.
Controls -- The on/off is on the left ear, the volume and tone controls are on the right. Unlike some, I did not find the right-ear controls inconvenient. As long as you remember that the volume is the bigger, top knob, you won't have any problems.
CONS: (My comments regarding cons are much longer than the actual impact of said cons. These are relatively minor issues with a very good product.)
Interference -- As with all wireless products, there is at least occasional interference. On rare occasions, I will be using these with my PC and will tilt my head a certain way, and some uncomfortable interference will come across the phones. However, I have the base set behind my 22" monitor, leaving a very narrow vertical gap for the base to transmit.
Automatic Shutoff -- When working on my PC, I will sometimes put the headphones around my neck after working on audio editing, and go to my e-mail or something else without sound. Typically, the headphones shut off after about 3-5 minutes, leaving a static hiss. It can be jarring if you still have the headphones on. I try to remember now to flip the switch off when I have no audio playing, so that it doesn't happen. Also, it usually takes about 3 seconds once the audio signal is back for the headphones to start receiving it again. It's beneficial to the batteries, and not a problem, as long as you remember that the energy-saving is perhaps a little too efficient.
Charging -- The little red charging light on the base stays on at all times when the headphones are resting on the stand. This leaves you not knowing whether or not they are actually charging or not. I don't mind this, but sometimes the headphones will actually ride up a bit when the phones are extended, to where the terminals don't actually touch. Since the headphones aren't quite touching the stand at this point, the little red light goes off. So then I just push on the top of the headset, and the little red light turns back on. I am still surprised this happens, because the headphones are very sturdy, and I would think the weight would be enough for them to stay firmly on the stand. However, this only happens sometimes when the phones are extended.
Packaging -- While everything is very well packaged, it took me a couple of minutes to find everything. The AC adapter and the RCA Y-adapter were kind of hidden in the packaging. Once you find them, though, everything's fine. But it does make me wonder if some people had the same problem and accidentally threw away the RCA Y-splitter that came with the set... It seems several other reviewers were missing one.
Final Word:
Overall, this is a very good product, and I can highly recommend purchasing it. It's well-priced, and the cons are really minimal, as long as you are aware of them. I am glad I bought this set.
Customer Review: Excellent Product
Summary: 5 Stars
I own a pair of Sennheiser 170's and they are really excellent headphones but @ over $200 I didn't want to spend as much since major use of these 120's was my bedroom TV. PS, if you're buying a tv these days, be careful to check the back before buying. Most decent size LCDs/plasma's don't have headphone jacks, many do not have RCA audio outputs, and some cheap models don't even have optical outputs. I'm not sure how optical to RCA converters worked, so, I wanted one with RCA audio out in addition to optical, and second choice would be headphone jack. In my humble opinion, RCA-output is the best because there is constant output level and you then control the TV speakers with the mute button on your remote. If you are limited to a headphone jack, the speakers usually are cut out when the phones are plugged in making it necessary to be plugging and unplugging whenever you use the phones and then want to go back to the speakers. Back to the 120's. First of all - sound quality is excellent, tho I don't use them primarily for music, I'd have no hesitation to do so. Unlike the 170 and 180's they don't have features like base boost nor do they have the surround sound simulation that the 170/180's have. PS: this feature on the 170's is really cool and I love using them on my family room tv for action movies. But, back to the 120's: even without these features, the sound is great. Next, reception: unbelievable. I've been all over my house to test them and they work great, even on different floors. Next: comfort. I actually really like the "on the ear" fit for my purposes. Soft pads, no irritation, but haven't yet worn for hours. I can say that, since I have both, there is one advantage of these compared with "over the ear" fit that is a feature of the 170's. With over the ear, if your head is resting on a cushion/pillow such that the cushion/pillow pushes on the earpiece, it causes the earpiece to put pressure on the back of your ear and actually can cause irritation. It's my one complaint (albeit minor) about my 170's. The one problem wiht the "on ear" fit of the 120's is that it is not "secure" - i.e, because they fit lightly and comfortably, if you want to wear them while you're say doing a project that requires bending over, they'll tend to slip off your head/ears. If you're sitting, at your computer, lying down for a nap, no problem. But if you''re going to be active with them - like working in the garage or cleaning the house while wearing them, might consider the more secure fit of over the ear. Since they're not over the ear, they're not as noise isolating, but that can be an advantage if you want to know what's going on around you - like hearing your wife calling you or the doorbell, etc. Finally, as for some of the criticisms of others that I've seen posted on these reviews, here's my take:
1. Hiss: non existent. none. I'm using these with RCA outputs on my tv that have constant output and in this mode 0 hiss at any volume even with total silence on the source. If you're using headphone jack output, probably should have the component volume up enough (normal listening level) so you don't have to crank the phones - but I've pushed the volume on these during silence on screen without any hiss!!
2. Unable to charge with earpieces extended. Huh? Maybe they've changed the design of base unit, but this is simply NOT true. I've extended them all the way and set on the base to charge. No problemo.
3. Volume control on same side as tuning wheel. Please.
4. Auto on/off. So far no problem while watching TV. I suppose if you're pausing dvd's frequently, this could be a minor annoyance, but if you're wearing wireless headphones the need to pause should be minimal, since you can keep listening while you grab a beer in the kitchen or take care of business in the bathroom! Here's the bottom line on this: I TURNED THE TV OFF AND CLOCKED THE TIME-TO-AUTO-SHUTOFF: 3 minutes exactly. So.. how can this be a problem listening to music: suggest if this a problem you are using a headphone jack and the component volume is set incredibly low, turn it up a bit! Oh, yeah, when the base is off, then turn the tv on, the time between tv volume "on" and base unit auto on is virtually instantaneous. Again if, not getting this performance, suspect it is headphone jack and component volume problem.
Overall: this is a great set of wireless headphones at a reasonable price (less than $100 on amazon) and the problems noted by others have either been engineered out of the product over the years (some of the negative reviews are years old), or the folks with problems haven't set them up correctly (using headphone jack with component volume turned too low). For best results, try the rca audio outputs and if you're going to buy a new tv, look for and get a tv that has this feature!
Customer Review: Best Headset I have ever bought
Summary: 5 Stars
Being a Senior Citizen, and not hearing too well, for more years than I can remember, I never had luck with headsets on my TV. (this is, I think, my FIRST time writing a review, so bear with me please. And Only just used it, but had to write a review.)
My wife has her own TV, and even when I play my TV loud, I still can't make out words, so many years ago, my best guest would be in the 1990's, I bought my first Headset. Not knowing if I should say where I bought them, a well known store, I won't mention them.
I bought so many from that store that I lost count. I can't remember if they were 30 days or 90 days warranty. All I remember was that right after the Warranty they just didn't work. This went on for years and years, until in one of my magazines I get, I saw a re-conditioned headset, a Sony, and for $49.95 I bought that. It had 2 year warranty, and for $2.00 more I bought another 2 year warranty. I bought the Sony Headset, and reason I bought this new headset from Amazon was because the Sony one was starting to go. By the way, the Sony headset lasted 7, at least 7 years. If I had to put a downside to the Sony Headset, it was the cost of the batteries, they were expensive, but for 7 plus years I never had to replace those rechargeable batteries that only can be gotton from Sony. Other than that, this particular Sony Headset WAS my best. When I needed another headset after the 7 plus years, I went to Sony site first, looking for same one, but they don't make them anymore, and in short, the reviews were awful. I checked Amazon on headsets I thought maybe were good, and even Amazon had terrible reviews.
Needless to say it took me a month or two to figure out the best headset for me. When I came across the one I got, the Sennheiser Cordless RS-120, the reviews were good,at least for me. Another reason I thought they were best for me was because they were always out of stock when I tried to buy it at Amazon, and thought maybe these were good.
I received headset yesterday, April 17, 2010. I charged, as per directions, the batteries for 24 hours. Even though I am just trying it, so far I can honestly say that this headset IS DEFINATELY the best, even better than the very old Sony I had, which is a good backup in case something happens to the Sennheiser RS120.
I was curious in reading the low reviews, meaning the distance. I connected everything to my TV, and tested distance, and believe it or not, at least for me, I went outside, walked half way up the block and the signal was GREAT. I would never need that distance, but good to know it goes far.
Because of my health condition, I'm limited on what I can do, which is watch TV, and DVD movies, and of course my computer, which is the 2nd reason I needed the headset. 1st reason, before getting headset years ago, was my wife yelling "turn down the TV please".
I am extremely pleased and happy with the purchase of Sennheiser RS120. In reading the 1 or 2 or whatever low stars, I'm only guessing that people expected much more, whether battery or distance, I just didn't understand why there were low ratings. RS120 has on/off switch, and even though for most people it could be a hassle turning it off when not in use for a while, but that's okay for me. RS120, it says, 20 hours of battery use, my old Sony was 18 hours, but DID last longer. For me, though, and I'm only talking about myself, the RS120 is, by far, the best headset I've head since early 1990's.
Even though I was spoiled spending the $49.95 for re-conditioned Sony that lasted so long, the price for RS120 was a little steep for me, but IT WAS WORTH IT. Once one reaches Senior Citizen, and especially the economy the way it is, I couldn't buy the headset that is maybe one step above in price.
Amazon, for me at least, is the best place to check all products out, and of course to buy products too. I haven't found any place, other than Amazon, that I can buy products like books, products for our dogs', DVD's, etc. etc., than buying it from Amazon.
I hope my review is clear, and my review is based from 1990's on headsets, and at least for me, the RS120 is awesome.
I know it's only one day I've used RS120, but I don't think I'll have any problems at all. Main thing is I can return it because of warranty. Last point, in all the products I've bought, no matter what they were, from Amazon, we have never, ever, had to return anything we bought.
I thing that is saying something about Amazon.
Thank you all for reading my first review.
Customer Review: Works like a Champ! (See Addendum)
Summary: 3 Stars
An update as of Jan 2010: (Problem with the attached RCA cable). The cable has turned brittle over the years and has cracked open in several places (especially in the areas that has been folded). At first I thought that it was because I caught it on something, but it's all over the entire cord! With this problem, I reduced my review to 3 stars.
Blows out my Sony MDR-IF240RK which cost more!
I've been very frustrated with the Sony model that I've had for a couple of months due to static noise. I've tried everything from moving the base unit as far away as possible from the TV and other elctronic equipment (using a long Audio extension cord), to putting the darn thing next to me beside the couch. No dice, it only works with the volume turned down very low.
After reading reviews on wireless headsets, I was convinced that ALL OF THEM had massive amounts of static and I was very hesitant to buy another. However, the Sony was driving me crazy! .. and wife insisted that I wear headphones at night while I watch my action DVD flicks and the loud (room shaking) booms that comes with them.
I saw this on Amazon, and after reading all the good reviews .. I decided .. what the heck .. if I didn't like them, I could always return for a refund or excange. Amazon has been very good to me in this manner, and of course that's why I keep coming back to them. LOL, between my wife and I .. we must own a piece of Amazon by now.
To make a long story short, I am pretty amazed by the quality of this unit. The sound is excellent and I can go anywhere in the house, in the garage, outside and the sound is as clear as a bell .. and most of all, no annoying static.
A little clarification: You WILL get static if it's turned on and there's no sound source feeding it. In other words, you must start your DVD player, CD Player, TV or whatever, before turning on the headset!
Why only 4 stars? Same complaint as the other folks who said that the headset was bulky (yup) and they don't fit quite snugly around the head. I guarantee, it's not one for laying on your side because it's not too kind on the neck. Also, I guess I have a pretty small head and I really have to fiddle around to adjust it so that it doesn't fall off.
The ear pieces could be designed a bit better, maybe just by using a thicker and softer concaved material so that it completely surrounds the ears. Perhaps they didn't want to make it even bulkier, but it sure would make it more snug fitting and comfortable. I would be willing to spend an extra $20.00 to have this feature because the unit is that good!
The bottom line is that this is definitely a KEEPER, inspite of the minor irritation of getting the headset on the head just right and the bulkiness.
THIS JUST ADDED: (April 17th) after the initial review.
I was unhappy with the earpiece that came with the unit so I did some modifications. Ahhh, much improved!
I had an old Kloss headset that had some very nice and comfortable earpads, soo.. I removed the pads from the Kloss (they were just lightly glued on to the ear piece plate), and exchanged it with the Sennheiser. The Sennheiser earpieces goes on and off easily. They just twist off and on, and the pads aren't even glued on to the plastic ear plate. There is a thin foam cusion that just lays against the plastic plate and a cloth that works like a fitted sheet that slips over the foam pad and the lip of plastic ear piece.
I took the existing thin foam pad out of the Sennheiser and replaced it with the contoured THICK pad from the Kloss. Then I slipped the cloth back over it twisted the ear pieces back on the headgear and I was off and running. Took maybe 15 min.
The contour and size of the Kloss earpieces are almost exactly identical to that of the Sennhiser so that made the job much easier. The hardest part was removing the (glued on) foam pads off the Kloss earpieces. But with the extra thickness of the new pads, it fits quite snuggly. Cool!
Note: You can probably just buy some thick foam from your local Home Depot and just cut out an extra layer using the earpiece plate of the Sennhiser as your template. Then place the extra foam on top of the other, and slip the cloth cover over both of them. You should have a more comfortable, better fitting headset.
Customer Review: 5 stars for apples compared to apples.
Summary: 5 Stars
It is certainly possible to get poor performance out of these.
You can use them with the batteries half charged, when you will get either low volume and hiss or loud volume in one speaker and low volume out of the other.
You can also tune them slightly off channel or fail to select a clear/free channel on the base. Again you will get hiss and some crackling and popping noises as you move around.
You can also combine some of the above and go behind a building or two and walk around a lot.
You can also put in a weak audio signal to the base, which gives similar results.
I have done all of the above and got back poor performance.
And its easily done, I nearly took them back. Such is the current nature of wireless devices, including headphones. Sadly the human ear does not and these (analogue) headphones cannot realistically correct for interruption of transmission as some digital devices can.
But used correctly these headphones give excellent results for wireless headphones. Clear crisp signals and, in my case, I can happily walk anywhere in my house without significant interference. However as per the other reviews, if you want absolutely perfect uninterrupted sound either do not leave the room the amp is in or buy a set of corded phones - in which case you cannot leave the room the amp is in anyway.
I have also had a pair of logitec wireless headphones valued, at the time, at a similar price. The Sennheisers beat the logitec headphones hands down, absolutely no contest. The logitec (bluetooth) phones had a nasty compressed, closed in and restricted sound. A sound that you only fully notice after a while of listening. But enough for me to want to take them off after half an hour or less.
In contrast the Sennheisers can be worn for long periods giving comfortable, crisp and clear sound and I tend to forget Im wearing and listening to them rather than wanting to take them off.
Some reviewers rightly question why all the 5 star reviews. And I hesitated to give 5 stars. Why ? Well because if I compare these with a set of Sennheiser 555s, for example, well the sound from the latter is superior. Its as simple as that. Fuller. Clearer. Crisper. More defined. Dollar for sound quality, the 555s are better at achieving a great sound.
But if I compare these with other wireless headphones currently available these headphones are simply excellent. In fact I have not found any viable contenders with which to compare. Plus if I compare these to a set of Sennheisers in a similar to slightly lower price range, they sound just as good if not better - the difference is small and so highly subective. So if these 120s were not available I would not be buying wireless headphones at all - it wouldnt be worth it.
So when I give 5 stars I am bearing in mind that these headphones actually work very well as a wireless headset. They also have excellent sound for your average to moderately discerning listener. You can only currently improve on one of these attributes - ie the sound may be improved by getting a set of expensive corded headphones. Certainly the 555s, and possibly some cheaper Sennheisers.
But also be careful, these headphones do sound very good in their own right so you will not get better sound from a significantly cheaper headset and I dare guess not from another cheaper brand (But I confess I havent tried since I regard Sennheiser as the leader here). However dollar for sound you may get better value without the wireless feature, but to fail to do so would be to expect the wireless for free would it not ?
So take into account I wanted a pair of wireless headphones that actually work as a wireless audio device, are comfortable to wear and sound at least as good as my last Sennheisers and preferably as good as other Sennheisers in a similar to lower price range. I believe I have achieved all of these, and that's why I give 5 stars. And that's the context they should be taken in.