Wireless Headphones

Shawn · May 16th, 2008, 07:44 AM

Hey guys, I'm looking for a pair of cheapish headphones sans fils.

I don't wanna spend much over $100, but I also don't require the highest audio quality. It's gonna be hooked up to a PC so it won't get the highest quality audio fed to it, but I still want something decent (maybe akin to my Shure E2c earbuds).

Any recommendations? I'm up very late and I'd like to be able to pump my audio/video without disturbing my other 140 neighbours... also wanna watch porn without alarming them, if I'm honest. images/smilies/tongue.gif

MadCow809 · May 16th, 2008, 07:59 AM

Sennheiser RS130

they are around $140 or so, a little bit out of your price bracket, but its really worth it.

prizrak · May 16th, 2008, 05:00 PM

Thishttp://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4063261 if you don't have a Bluetooth adapter it comes with an audio-to-bluetooth. If you do it will also control your playback from the headphones. One nice feature is that they can pair to your cell phone at the same time and they will mute (and pause*) w/e is playing so you can asnwer.

*Not sure if it would pause the PC I only tested it with playing music from my cellphone.

Shawn · May 17th, 2008, 12:03 AM

If I'm paying over $100 I'd go for Sennheiser... Plantronics reminds me of computer headsets.

The SR130 is actually only $115 on Amazon... but I read because it works on RF, if you put the base near your computer it will cause interference. Is this true? Because that would be an obvious problem given I want to use it with my HTPC. images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Cobol74 · May 17th, 2008, 12:14 AM

Sennheiser FTW always IMHO - I like AKG and Audio Technica too (Are they still going though?).

prizrak · May 17th, 2008, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn

If I'm paying over $100 I'd go for Sennheiser... Plantronics reminds me of computer headsets.

The SR130 is actually only $115 on Amazon... but I read because it works on RF, if you put the base near your computer it will cause interference. Is this true? Because that would be an obvious problem given I want to use it with my HTPC. images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Haven't used those, not sure that RF is the way to go, unless it's digital RF. There might be a bit too much interference with it. The Plantronics ones while nice if you are using them with the stereo-to-BT adapter will have lag, not very good for movies images/smilies/smile.gif

Better price for them http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826106067

If you already have a BT adapter http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16875978010

Here is another one, also requires to have a BT adapter. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16875978056

Not sure of the latter, I can vouch for the former since I've used them images/smilies/smile.gif

Also I suggest browsing www.newegg.com in general they have good stuff and user reviews.

Shawn · May 21st, 2008, 12:39 AM

So I bought a pair of Sennhesiers... and they sound like absolute shit. They're so bad that I feel embarrassed I even bought them.

First of all, they feel very cheaply built for a pair of headphones costing $200. Second, you either get very low volume and no hiss, or higher volume with lots of hiss and crackling sounds.

If I tune it so there's no hiss, the volume is so low it's almost inaudible. If I tune it properly, then the hissing and bopping is way too distracting.

Seeing as how Sennheiser are supposed to be a reputable brand, maybe wireless headphones are just shit. I knew they wouldn't be as good as wired ones, but I wasn't expecting this either.

So... what should I do? Do they make wired headphones with long wires, like 6 feet or longer?

prizrak · May 21st, 2008, 12:46 AM

Get an extension cord images/smilies/smile.gif

I still suggest going for Bluetooth based headphones, the connection is digitally encoded so you don't get interference.
EDIT: Studio monitors with 8-10ft cord
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...et+-+10.0+feet

Same with 11 foot cords
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...e=%3E10.0+feet

BerserkerCatSplat · May 21st, 2008, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn

Seeing as how Sennheiser are supposed to be a reputable brand, maybe wireless headphones are just shit.

Pretty much. Wireless headphones suffer greatly from interference.

As far as long cords go, none of the Sonys linked are really good headphones. My recommendation is the AKG 240 Studios because 1) they sound awesome, and 2) the headphone cable is detachable via mini-XLR plug, thus you can just build cables the length(s) you want and swap them out for whatever length you need at the moment. The stock cable is pretty long to begin with. Also, building custom cables is easy.

Shawn · May 21st, 2008, 05:45 AM

^ Is there a reason they haven't made any advances in wireless headphones? Or are those Bluetooth devices linked above it?

Anyway, now that I think about it a wired headphone wouldn't really solve my problem. I want to be able to wear them around my tiny apartment and listen to music. A wired headphone with a long cord would allow me to listen to the computer from my couch, but that's about it.

BerserkerCatSplat · May 21st, 2008, 06:02 AM

Bluetooth is indeed a better transfer device, but if I'm not mistaken the range is rather limited. (~33 feet). Also, your device has to be set up for Bluetooth audio integration. It's more or less designed for cellphone MP3 players.

I'm kinda surprised that you're having such a bad experience with your Senns, wireless cans can't match the sound quality of wired ones but they shouldn't be unlistenable. I would re-read the manual, walk through setup and if the problems persist have the unit replaced. You could just have a dud.

If that fails, try out the AKG k506 AFC's, this review sounded quite positive. Can't say I've tried them myself.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/my-...arrived-54167/

Shawn · May 21st, 2008, 06:13 AM

^ Thanks for the help BCS.

I'm not sure why the sound is this bad. But it's plugged into a PC, right beside an LCD TV, and I haver a wireless internet router about 10 feet away (different room). Also, I live right in the middle of the city in a highrise right between 50 other highrises. Maybe one of these is the reason I'm getting interference?

I stayed away from Bluetooth indeed becasue I got the feeling they were all geared for cell phone use and would give me a hard time pairing/using it on the computer.

I dunno, haven't decided what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna return the $189 RS-126s anyway, since the RS-130 is only $115 in the States. images/smilies/blink.gif

BerserkerCatSplat · May 21st, 2008, 06:55 AM

Those devices shouldn't theoretically interfere, most consumer devices use the 900MHz/2.4GHz band. RF headphones are in the area of 250MHz and thus are pretty far from that spectrum. Standing beside a large power line might do it, but normal city multiband interference shouldn't cause the problems you're describing. When you take back the headphones, ask if you can test them in the store against another set and see if they still act funky.

Shawn · May 21st, 2008, 08:51 AM

^ Hmm, I thought the Sennhesiers worked on 2.4GHz?

Anyway, I found the channel select switch at the bottom and that kinda decreases the hissing. But I still don't think the volume is very high... maybe if I could make the volume higher, I wouldn't notice the hissing so much.

Are there any tools for Windows that let you boost your volume beyound what the volume control panel allows? Because I max all my volume settings and still don't get decent sound.

jeffy777 · May 21st, 2008, 09:16 AM

Well, you are using onboard sound on your PC? Onboard sound is notorious for picking up extra hiss and various sounds from your PC.

http://www.google.com/search?q=pc+on...se&btnG=Search

And even on this forum:
http://forums.finalgear.com/technolo...-issues-25942/

This would especially be more likely if you have the sound turned cranked up all the way on your PC.

You may not have noticed it with cheaper headphones/speakers because the nicer Sennhesiers are able to deliver a greater frequency range of sound, which therefore would reveal more of the unwanted sound that wasn't as evident with cheaper headphones with a more limited frequency range.

So I wouldn't be so quick to blame it on the headphones. You may want to invest in a better sound card, and if it doesn't remedy the problem, just return it and you won't lose out on any cash if it wasn't the issue.

Shawn · May 21st, 2008, 09:22 AM

^ You broken record you, Jeffy!!

I'm kidding, that's quite possible. But to be honest it doesn't seem like interference from the sound card, because it changes as I move about the house, while the base sits beside the computer.

They actually sound quite rich once you get past the hissing issue, and the concept of having them on as I roam about my errands is as sweet as I thought it would be. If I find a way to boost my volume a little bit, I might just return these and order them from the US so I save like $70 and get the model with auto tuning.

jeffy777 · May 21st, 2008, 09:26 AM

Ahhh, if it changes when you move around the house, then yeah it's probably not your sound card, or lack thereof, hehe images/smilies/biggrin.gif

But if it were more of a constant hiss/hum/crackle, I'd try getting a better sound card. Then like I said, just return it if it doesn't solve the problem.

prizrak · May 21st, 2008, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn

^ Thanks for the help BCS.

I'm not sure why the sound is this bad. But it's plugged into a PC, right beside an LCD TV, and I haver a wireless internet router about 10 feet away (different room). Also, I live right in the middle of the city in a highrise right between 50 other highrises. Maybe one of these is the reason I'm getting interference?

I stayed away from Bluetooth indeed becasue I got the feeling they were all geared for cell phone use and would give me a hard time pairing/using it on the computer.

I dunno, haven't decided what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna return the $189 RS-126s anyway, since the RS-130 is only $115 in the States. images/smilies/blink.gif

The ones I linked you to pair pretty well with PC's, no harder than cell phones. Unless of course you are using Linux in which case it's a bit of a PITA images/smilies/smile.gif

I like your "get it from the US" plan images/smilies/wink.gif

Also did you post on Ubuntu forums with the same question? I just logged in there and there was someone with a nearly exact question images/smilies/smile.gif

Shawn · May 21st, 2008, 02:34 PM

^ No, I'm not using Ubuntu.

I'll look into those Bluetooth headsets. My computer doesn't have Bluetooth though... do they come with one?

May 16th, 2008, 07:44 AM	#1
Shawn FG's Highest Paid Male Whore Joined: May 26th, 2005 Last Online: 02:39 AM Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,324 Car: IS250 RWD Rep Power: 86	Wireless Headphones Hey guys, I'm looking for a pair of cheapish headphones sans fils. I don't wanna spend much over $100, but I also don't require the highest audio quality. It's gonna be hooked up to a PC so it won't get the highest quality audio fed to it, but I still want something decent (maybe akin to my Shure E2c earbuds). Any recommendations? I'm up very late and I'd like to be able to pump my audio/video without disturbing my other 140 neighbours... also wanna watch porn without alarming them, if I'm honest.

May 16th, 2008, 07:59 AM	#2
MadCow809 Joined: Feb 23rd, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Durban, South Africa / Los Angeles, California Age: 23 Posts: 2,909 Car: 2007 E87 BMW 130i Rep Power: 28	Sennheiser RS130 they are around $140 or so, a little bit out of your price bracket, but its really worth it. __________________ Supporting : A.Priaulx, Kimi Räikkönen, J.Button, R.Kubica, P.Solberg, M.Hirvonen, J.Plato & M.Jackson FinalGear's Car/Bike Register 08 Currently looking for a car.... 08 Honda Civic Coupe 06 BMW 130i 05 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS 05 Ford Bantam 1.3i 95 Mercedes Benz E320 Sportline Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 @ 3Ghz (333 X 9 @ 1.44v ~ 35°c with ZEROtherm BTF90/92mm Cooler) \| DFI INFINITY P965-S \| Corsair XMS DDR II 800 6 Gb \| GeCube ATi HD3850 512mb @ 800/1000Mhz \| Seagate 160Gb + 500Gb + 500Gb + 750Gb \| LITE-ON 20X DVDRW \| XION 600W PSU \| Logitech Z-2300 \| Logitech MX1000 \| Logitech G25 \| Dual 22" LCD Display @ 3360 x 1050 \| CoolerMaster Centurion 590 \| Vista 64 Ultimate \|

May 17th, 2008, 12:14 AM	#5
Cobol74 Joined: Mar 21st, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Southampton Posts: 5,806 Car: Vauxhall Zafira 1.9 TDI Slush box. Rep Power: 50	Sennheiser FTW always IMHO - I like AKG and Audio Technica too (Are they still going though?). __________________

May 21st, 2008, 12:46 AM	#8
prizrak Joined: Apr 2nd, 2007 Last Online: 12:30 AM Location: Brooklyn, NY Age: 25 Posts: 1,631 Car: Audi A4 1.8T Rep Power: 19	Get an extension cord I still suggest going for Bluetooth based headphones, the connection is digitally encoded so you don't get interference. EDIT: Studio monitors with 8-10ft cord http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...et+-+10.0+feet Same with 11 foot cords http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...e=%3E10.0+feet

May 21st, 2008, 06:02 AM	#11
BerserkerCatSplat Hormone Induced Joined: Jun 21st, 2005 Last Online: 02:15 AM Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 5,778 Car: Pimpmobile Rep Power: 68	Bluetooth is indeed a better transfer device, but if I'm not mistaken the range is rather limited. (~33 feet). Also, your device has to be set up for Bluetooth audio integration. It's more or less designed for cellphone MP3 players. I'm kinda surprised that you're having such a bad experience with your Senns, wireless cans can't match the sound quality of wired ones but they shouldn't be unlistenable. I would re-read the manual, walk through setup and if the problems persist have the unit replaced. You could just have a dud. If that fails, try out the AKG k506 AFC's, this review sounded quite positive. Can't say I've tried them myself. http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/my-...arrived-54167/ __________________ OSPhoto

May 16th, 2008, 05:00 PM	#3
prizrak Joined: Apr 2nd, 2007 Last Online: 12:30 AM Location: Brooklyn, NY Age: 25 Posts: 1,631 Car: Audi A4 1.8T Rep Power: 19	Thishttp://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4063261 if you don't have a Bluetooth adapter it comes with an audio-to-bluetooth. If you do it will also control your playback from the headphones. One nice feature is that they can pair to your cell phone at the same time and they will mute (and pause) w/e is playing so you can asnwer. Not sure if it would pause the PC I only tested it with playing music from my cellphone.

May 17th, 2008, 12:03 AM	#4
Shawn FG's Highest Paid Male Whore Joined: May 26th, 2005 Last Online: 02:39 AM Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,324 Car: IS250 RWD Rep Power: 86	If I'm paying over $100 I'd go for Sennheiser... Plantronics reminds me of computer headsets. The SR130 is actually only $115 on Amazon... but I read because it works on RF, if you put the base near your computer it will cause interference. Is this true? Because that would be an obvious problem given I want to use it with my HTPC.

May 21st, 2008, 12:39 AM	#7
Shawn FG's Highest Paid Male Whore Joined: May 26th, 2005 Last Online: 02:39 AM Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,324 Car: IS250 RWD Rep Power: 86	So I bought a pair of Sennhesiers... and they sound like absolute shit. They're so bad that I feel embarrassed I even bought them. First of all, they feel very cheaply built for a pair of headphones costing $200. Second, you either get very low volume and no hiss, or higher volume with lots of hiss and crackling sounds. If I tune it so there's no hiss, the volume is so low it's almost inaudible. If I tune it properly, then the hissing and bopping is way too distracting. Seeing as how Sennheiser are supposed to be a reputable brand, maybe wireless headphones are just shit. I knew they wouldn't be as good as wired ones, but I wasn't expecting this either. So... what should I do? Do they make wired headphones with long wires, like 6 feet or longer?

May 21st, 2008, 05:45 AM	#10
Shawn FG's Highest Paid Male Whore Joined: May 26th, 2005 Last Online: 02:39 AM Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,324 Car: IS250 RWD Rep Power: 86	^ Is there a reason they haven't made any advances in wireless headphones? Or are those Bluetooth devices linked above it? Anyway, now that I think about it a wired headphone wouldn't really solve my problem. I want to be able to wear them around my tiny apartment and listen to music. A wired headphone with a long cord would allow me to listen to the computer from my couch, but that's about it.

May 21st, 2008, 06:13 AM	#12
Shawn FG's Highest Paid Male Whore Joined: May 26th, 2005 Last Online: 02:39 AM Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,324 Car: IS250 RWD Rep Power: 86	^ Thanks for the help BCS. I'm not sure why the sound is this bad. But it's plugged into a PC, right beside an LCD TV, and I haver a wireless internet router about 10 feet away (different room). Also, I live right in the middle of the city in a highrise right between 50 other highrises. Maybe one of these is the reason I'm getting interference? I stayed away from Bluetooth indeed becasue I got the feeling they were all geared for cell phone use and would give me a hard time pairing/using it on the computer. I dunno, haven't decided what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna return the $189 RS-126s anyway, since the RS-130 is only $115 in the States.

May 21st, 2008, 06:55 AM	#13
BerserkerCatSplat Hormone Induced Joined: Jun 21st, 2005 Last Online: 02:15 AM Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 5,778 Car: Pimpmobile Rep Power: 68	Those devices shouldn't theoretically interfere, most consumer devices use the 900MHz/2.4GHz band. RF headphones are in the area of 250MHz and thus are pretty far from that spectrum. Standing beside a large power line might do it, but normal city multiband interference shouldn't cause the problems you're describing. When you take back the headphones, ask if you can test them in the store against another set and see if they still act funky. __________________ OSPhoto

May 21st, 2008, 08:51 AM	#14
Shawn FG's Highest Paid Male Whore Joined: May 26th, 2005 Last Online: 02:39 AM Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,324 Car: IS250 RWD Rep Power: 86	^ Hmm, I thought the Sennhesiers worked on 2.4GHz? Anyway, I found the channel select switch at the bottom and that kinda decreases the hissing. But I still don't think the volume is very high... maybe if I could make the volume higher, I wouldn't notice the hissing so much. Are there any tools for Windows that let you boost your volume beyound what the volume control panel allows? Because I max all my volume settings and still don't get decent sound.

May 21st, 2008, 09:16 AM	#15
jeffy777 Joined: Feb 8th, 2005 Last Online: Yesterday Location: US Age: 27 Posts: 5,633 Car: '04 Toyota Sienna, crippled people like vans.... Rep Power: 51	Well, you are using onboard sound on your PC? Onboard sound is notorious for picking up extra hiss and various sounds from your PC. http://www.google.com/search?q=pc+on...se&btnG=Search And even on this forum: http://forums.finalgear.com/technolo...-issues-25942/ This would especially be more likely if you have the sound turned cranked up all the way on your PC. You may not have noticed it with cheaper headphones/speakers because the nicer Sennhesiers are able to deliver a greater frequency range of sound, which therefore would reveal more of the unwanted sound that wasn't as evident with cheaper headphones with a more limited frequency range. So I wouldn't be so quick to blame it on the headphones. You may want to invest in a better sound card, and if it doesn't remedy the problem, just return it and you won't lose out on any cash if it wasn't the issue. __________________ A man named Jeffy once said, "If laziness is craziness, then I've lost my marbles...and I don't feel like trying to find them." Last edited by jeffy777; May 21st, 2008 at 09:21 AM..

May 21st, 2008, 09:22 AM	#16
Shawn FG's Highest Paid Male Whore Joined: May 26th, 2005 Last Online: 02:39 AM Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,324 Car: IS250 RWD Rep Power: 86	^ You broken record you, Jeffy!! I'm kidding, that's quite possible. But to be honest it doesn't seem like interference from the sound card, because it changes as I move about the house, while the base sits beside the computer. They actually sound quite rich once you get past the hissing issue, and the concept of having them on as I roam about my errands is as sweet as I thought it would be. If I find a way to boost my volume a little bit, I might just return these and order them from the US so I save like $70 and get the model with auto tuning.

May 21st, 2008, 09:26 AM	#17
jeffy777 Joined: Feb 8th, 2005 Last Online: Yesterday Location: US Age: 27 Posts: 5,633 Car: '04 Toyota Sienna, crippled people like vans.... Rep Power: 51	Ahhh, if it changes when you move around the house, then yeah it's probably not your sound card, or lack thereof, hehe But if it were more of a constant hiss/hum/crackle, I'd try getting a better sound card. Then like I said, just return it if it doesn't solve the problem. __________________ A man named Jeffy once said, "If laziness is craziness, then I've lost my marbles...and I don't feel like trying to find them."

May 21st, 2008, 02:34 PM	#19
Shawn FG's Highest Paid Male Whore Joined: May 26th, 2005 Last Online: 02:39 AM Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,324 Car: IS250 RWD Rep Power: 86	^ No, I'm not using Ubuntu. I'll look into those Bluetooth headsets. My computer doesn't have Bluetooth though... do they come with one?

May 21st, 2008, 03:42 PM	#20
prizrak Joined: Apr 2nd, 2007 Last Online: 12:30 AM Location: Brooklyn, NY Age: 25 Posts: 1,631 Car: Audi A4 1.8T Rep Power: 19