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: All Hail Cordless Headphone Freedom
Summary: 4 Stars
Pros: Light weight; great aural frequency response; quality sound reproduction; easy set-up.
Cons: Some RF interference from other accessories on my desktop.
Bottom-Line: If you are in need of quality wireless headphones you could do a lot worse than the Sennheiser RS-120.
As I stated in my Logitech MX3200 Cordless Desktop review, I dislike clutter. And my desk at work is configured such that the keyboard, mouse and headphone cords run across the desktop and not only create an eyesore, but also get in the way of work. So I had to find a solution. I decided to go wireless; i.e. wireless keyboard, mouse and headphones. The first device I purchased was the aforementioned Logitech Cordless Desktop MX-3200, which mates a wireless keyboard with a wireless MX-600 laser mouse. The second purchase was a set of Sennheiser RS-120 Wireless (stereo) Headphones.
The Sennheiser RS-120 Wireless Headphones are designed for use with Hi-Fi audio, television, or computer. The open air RF (radio Frequency) German-made headphones are designed to provide a rich palate of aural sound (frequency response rated at 22Hz - 19500Hz) through walls as well as ceilings allowing one to roam throughout the house while listening to your tunes.
Power to the headphones is provided by a set of NiMH (size AAA) batteries. These batteries are in turn recharged by putting the headphones on their transmitter base; said base can be mounted to a wall. The entire system--transmitter base and headphones weigh in at just 8.1 ounces, but the headphones are rather large; large but comfortable.
The transmitter can be set to three different channels, while a rotary dial is provided on the headphone to fine tune the pair. An on/off switch and volume control can also be found on the headphones.
Set-up & Use
I bought the Sennheiser RS-120 Wireless Headphones to use on my computer at work to replace my bulky speakers, but I tested the unit at home first on my home stereo system. It took me less than five minute to set the system up. The transmitter base is fitted with two LED's: a yellow On/Off and red Charge lights. Once the transmitter and plugged into an audio source and detects current the On/Off LED will illuminate. Once I installed the batteries in the headphones I was ready for wireless listening.
In and around my house the sound quality from the Sennheiser RS-120 was outstanding! I was able to roam throughout the house without experiencing and signal degradation or interference. Frequency response was suburb, and the overall sound was crisp and enjoyable. It helps that there is no frequency overlap in my house; i.e. my cordless phone operate at 5.8GHz and my wireless LAN operates at 2.4GHz. The Sennheiser RS-120 operate on a radio frequency of 926MHz
Work is a different story altogether. The Sennheiser RS-120's still work for the most part but there is some interference from my other wireless accessories, including my cordless keyboard and mouse and cordless Plantronics headset. I am able to change the channel and fine tune the frequency when needed however, and for the most part I am able to listen to music and or radio interference free.
The range inside my standard office building setting is outstanding through doors and walls. I can roam a considerable distance before static degrades the signal; very impressive.
Conclusion
I like my new Sennheiser RS-120 Wireless Headphones, so much so that I am planning on purchasing a set for my home stereo. Yes, there is some interference in my work setting with other devices, but I expected that and systems ability to allow for fine tuning is a definite plus. If you are in need of quality wireless headphones you could do a lot worse than the Sennheiser RS-120.
Customer Review: Not great audio quality, but decent for low-cost wireless
Summary: 4 Stars
First, the faults: These are not studio or "audiophile" quality headphones. If your expectation is immaculate sound reproduction, these are not for you. They have trouble reproducing heavy bass without distortion, and even in close proximity to the transmitter the headphones typically have a very slight hiss, which is (to my ears) not noticeable while music is playing, but is faintly audible between tracks. A rabid audiophile would be horrified, but I rarely notice it. Also, if you plan to listen while moving about a great deal, you may notice occasional moments of louder hiss or static, as the orientation of the headphones with respect to the transmitter changes, much the way a change in the orientation of old "rabbit ears" television antennas could cause reception to fade.
Now the good part: Despite the faults, I find these headphones to be quite usable, and in fact, I use them often. This is partly a matter of expectation and experience: I know their limitations, and have learned either to prevent or accept their flaws without expecting more than they're capable of, in return for the benefits they give me. The primary benefit of any wireless headphones, as I see it, is the freedom of not having to be in the same room as the music source I'm listening to. I can get comfortable and enjoy the music anywhere in the house, without having to put it on speakers that might disturb others (especially late at night). I occasionally use them while up and active (as while cooking in the kitchen), and I'm willing to tolerate an occasional second or so of slight static during a song if I turn to a different position, or a bit of signal loss if I stand in front of the refrigerator (which partially blocks the signal). During times when it would be bothersome to others if I had open speakers playing (thus disturbing someone's TV watching, or sleep), I can recline in a chair and enjoy my music very well. I still use wired headphones when it's convenient to get comfortable in the same room as the music source, and good wired phones do sound better than wireless. But the convenience factor, for me, more than outweighs the (relatively minor) aural defects of these headphones.
Some tips for those who want to use these wireless headphones:
- I find that I can minimize the background static (i.e. make it inaudible during the music and barely noticeable between tracks) if I set the volume on the source to maximum, ensuring a good signal to the transmitter, and then adjust the listening volume with the control on the headphones themselves.
- When you first get them, it may take a little time experimenting with different transmission channels and fine-tuning to find the best signal quality for your environment. Like any wireless device these headphones are subject to interference. Try each channel (there are three) on the transmitter, and then carefully adjust the tuning on the headphones to get the best signal, then move to different areas of your house to see how the quality may be affected. It took me perhaps an hour of trial-and-error to find the tuning that works best for me.
- Turn down the bass a little at your music source. As mentioned above, heavy bass will distort in the phones; feeding less bass to the transmitter will make a big difference in the overall sound quality. And with the smaller speakers pressed directly to your ears, you'll need less bass than you get from a big, thumping subwoofer anyway.
If the low cost of these wireless headphones and the convenience of using them anywhere outweighs your desire for perfect audio quality, these should do the job. But if you simply cannot abide any loss of fidelity for any reason, under any circumstances, I wouldn't recommend them; stick with high-quality wired phones.
Customer Review: 3 Years old and still going strong
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought a similarly priced set of wireless headphones when my first child was born, to allow us to watch TV at a realistic volume and not wake up our little light sleeper. They were problematic, hurt your ears so much that we needed to take a break while watching anything longer than a sitcom, static abounded, and eventually neither of us could stand them anymore. After lots of research, I settled on this offering from Sennheiser, having decent reviews and being not terribly expensive. Now 3 years later, I still love them just as much, and have had no issues at all. Here are my observations, and also addressing some "cons" listed by other reviewers:
1) Status/hissing noise. This seems to be a problem when the headphone volume is turned up high. We were irritated with inconsistent static at first, until we discovered that if we turned our stereo/amp up to the max, the headphone volume doesn't need to be up very high at all, and have experienced no static or hissing noise under these circumstances. Some static will also be present when the battery is running low, but as long as you keep them in the charging station when not in use, that really shouldn't be a problem.
2) Range seems pretty good. I have even gone into the next room to my kitchen to wash dishes or make a snack during a commercial, and been able to listen the whole time without cutting out. A trip to our garage for laundry, however, cuts in and out with some static.
3) Sound quality. I am not an expert, but I'd rate these as being "very good". Not the same as our home stereo system, but I'd say on par with sound from your TV.
4) Design. These phones are VERY comfortable. I have a small head, and these adjust fine without falling off. My husband has had friends over for gaming who have large noggins, and all say these are very comfortable, even after hours of wear. They sit on your ears, and are not what I would call "sound-isolating" headphones. You can hear ambient noises, but I prefer that. You could still hear a baby crying, and can detect when someone is trying to talk to you, though may not be able to hear the conversation until you remove the headphones. If you truly want to be in your own world and not hear ANYTHING else, these are not the headphones for you.
5) Durability. As I've said, we're past 3 years and still never had a problem. We're not abusive or rough with them, but they've been sat on, dropped, etc, with no issues.
6) Charging station. The charging unit is pretty big, and fits two headphones if you're careful. I cannot believe the negative comments I've read about these being so difficult to charge. There are grooves on the headphone so you know exactly where they are supposed to rest - it's not rocket science. We have a second pair, and getting the 2nd headphone on correctly so that both charge takes SLIGHTLY more work, basically just making sure they are both touching, which often just involves pushing back slightly when you put the 2nd one on. If you expect to just toss them on the charger as if you're playing horseshoes, then, yes, you will have problems. But if you walk up to the charger and place them on, you'll be fine.
Ultimately, VERY pleased with these headphones. Highly recommend!
Customer Review: Nice headphones... when set up properly.
Summary: 4 Stars
These headphones work great. They're Sennheisers and you usually can't go wrong with this brand.
The headphone reproduces the full range of sounds very clearly and without distortion, if set up properly (I'll get to that).
I've been able to walk around my home without experiencing too much distortion. Within the same room as the transmitter, the sound is really clear and robust. It's great not being tethered to one location or having to deal with accidentally yanking the cord out when moving around.
Also, unlike my other enclosed-type headphones, the design allow for air to circulate freely. So your ears won't become uncomfortable warm during use. These headphones are very comfortable.
As far as specs, you can get a good assessment of the product from reading the Amazon description so I won't go into that.
For portable devices with a headphone jack, you simply have to purchase a "2-RCA (female) to headphone jack (male 3.5mm plug) adapter". Make sure the adapter is a "stereo" adapter versus a "mono" adapter. They look exactly the same, so beware. These adapters are pretty inexpensive.
I was a little concerned about getting wireless headphones because of all the negative reviews I've read regarding sound quality, interference, etc.
Sound quality and hissing can be minimized if you set up properly. Here's a quick "What to do":
Portable Players (i.e. CD, MP3, Walkman, etc):
1) If the device comes with an output other than the headphone jack, use it. This other output (line-out) is usually a jack that delivers a constant, high (i.e. loud) signal. Regardless of your headphone volume level, this jack will output at a constant, strong, loud signal. These line-out jacks are usually found on the back of some CD players.
2) If the device only comes with a headphone jack, set the volume to max or near max. This is the setup I'm using. These headphones were bought primarily to be use at work, so I can listen to my iPod wirelessly.
NOTE!!! If you're connected to a dedicated home amp/receivers/etc... DO NOT crank the volume all the way up or even remotely close to it. (The line out on your home amp/receiver will transmit a strong, clear signal regardless of the volume setting, if you're connected to the receiver/amp's line-out)
The volume should be set high ONLY for smaller, portable devices that output less power such as an MP3 player or handheld portable CD player. You've been warned;-)
Why set the signal coming from your unit as high as possible? It significantly reduces the background noise, since the signal being transmitted is strong. You won't need to turn up the volume on your headset as high since the signal being transmitted is strong. Yes, your portable music player will use up power faster, but who cares? Use a power adapter for your device.
If your signal wasn't strong, you would need to increase the headset volume which also increases the level of background hiss. Try it out. I would speculate that a lot of these reviews, which complain of unbearable hissing, are a result of their device's volume level being set low.
Hope this info helps. Enjoy the headphones... They're pretty nice.
Customer Review: Excellent RF wireless headphones
Summary: 5 Stars
I've gone through several pair of Koss HB70 IR headphones, purposefully avoiding RF headphones. So this is my first pair of RF headphones.
The bad stuff:
- There are two knobs on the right speaker. One is volume, and the other is a tuner. You may hit the tuner a few times before adapting to the intended ergonomics. This is nothing less than a SCREWBALL design decision. The tuner knob should have been placed on the front or top, completely away from the volume knob. There is absolutely no excuse for this design (other than profit margin, I mean).
- There are three channels on the device. If everyone in your dorm has a pair, there is going to be massive overlap. The tuner has a "sweet spot", where the audio is cleanest and loudest. Channel 2 seems to be the clearest in a low-interference area.
- The inductive charger puts out 100ma or less. The batteries will never fully charge unless you don't use the thing for an entire day. NiMH batteries do crystalize, they just do it much slower than nickel-cadmium. Plan on having a second set of batteries and a charger so you can fully run down the batteries once a month.
- The unit requires a certain amount of signal to keep the channel open. If there is a very quiet segment of a movie, or the top menu has no audio, the channel will drop and a full-volume blast of white-noise will emit from the speakers. It's a bit imprecise, too. Turn off your amp, and the green LED (indicating an open channel) may stay lit for 3 or 4 minutes. But 2 minutes of a DVD menu without audio, and the channel drops.
- If you lean forward, these are going to slide right off your head. They're little more than hanging. You'll have to rig something up if you're going to be moving around with these, or just remove them from your head.
- Is going to be subject to RF interference. In a high population density area (i.e. New York apartment), there's going to be all kinds of interference from modulators and mixers. If you live downtown, or in dorms, these may very well be unusable.
The good stuff:
- The SNR is significantly better than the Koss IR models. Background hiss is attenuated very well, but the audio has less dynamic range and clarity in comparison to corded headphones (naturally). Probably in the low 70dB range, but without the hiss. You have to crank the volume up to 90% of its maximum setting to hear the carrier hiss.
- The speakers are far behind the cushion, so sweat isn't likely to corrode anything.
- Batteries are very easy to swap out from the left speaker. The earpiece cushion just rotates 30 degrees, and you have unfettered access to the two AAA slots. Really excellent design. Well, you know, until the little plastic tabs break...
- Metal cradle holds the headset in just the right place for inductive charging. There's not going to be any long-term issues unless the metal brackets break from the housing.
- Ships with a switching power adapter instead of a linear tap.
Summary: Everything I needed, minus the RF induced brain cancer. A++, would buy again.