Rechargeable Tv Remote Control

Review by Joachim F. Mika "Yokki" : Pretty good for everyday use

I bought these today (early September, 2004), and I'm pretty happy with them. The headphones themselves are light and fit well.. and the sound (to these non-audiophile ears) is good. There's excellent high frequency definition and good, solid bass without distortion. There was no trouble in setting them up... plug them in and away they went (I had all the required adaptors and plugs in the box). I needed to tweak the headset-based tuning knob a bit, but since then it's been rock steady. I've had none of the drop-off or position-sensitive behaviour which I've read in other reviews. Still...it's early days and who knows what will happen when I start exploring the nether regions of the house and yard! The thing I really want is a second set of headphones so that someone else can share the music or movie. I'm assured that they ARE avalable, but don't have a price yet. So far, so good! November update: After a couple of months, I'm still happy with the sound. However, I HAVE discovered those annoying interfence sounds appear sometimes when I move around. Things get worse in my single story, metal roof house if it's raining.. in fact, at the moment I'm sitting at my desk about 15m from the transmitter, it's wet outside and there's an irritating level of intermittent interference. But I suspect that's just physics - maybe not even Sennheiser can do much about it! Anyway.. we use them all the time, and they still sound good, so I'm retaining my 4-star rating. July 2006 update: It's nearly 2 years since I bought these headphones. I have them on at the moment - very loud - listening to to Roger Waters' "In the Flesh" DVD. They're still working well - the sound remains terrific. Friends who've been visited me have tried them and remarked on the quality of the sound. One of my better buys. I use them at least 2 - 3 times / week. November 2009 Update: Still going strong! I'm listening to the Eagles Farewell I concert DVD (recorded right here in Melbourne, Australia!) as I write this using these great headphones. I use them at least once a week and they still sound great. So what's that.. 5 years? In the meantime I bought some Philips equivalents to use while exercising on my treadmill (a VERY short-term thing!) and they, in comparison, are junk. So, hats off to Sennheiser.

Review by Kevin Woodward : Super form, functionality -- and cool, too!

When I first noticed this product on an Amazon best-seller list, my initial response was "what a great idea." My second was "sounds too good to be true." My third, after receiving my order and slipping these headphones on for the first time, was simply "WOW!" From the elegant, ergonamic design to the superb sound, the Sennheiser RS-120s can't be beat. The headphones come with three connection adapters, so they'll work with just about any TV, radio, stereo, DVD or game system. The base unit is small, inobtrusive and leaves a small enough footprint that you can find a spot for it just about anywhere. But the bottom line is they work -- and they work well. I have them set up in my bedroom and connected to my TV so I can unwind late at night without keeping my spouse awake. And on Saturday afternoons I can have the game on with the volume pumped up without a peep of complaint from her or the kids (and even if they did, I'd never hear them anyway :-) Of course, I can walk around and do chores, work at my desk, whatever, without missing a second of the action. The rechargable batteries are a great idea, too. No need to plug a cord in, simply place the headphones on the base unit metal rack to connect and charge effortlessly. My personal standard for consumer testing is whether or not I can rip open the package and get the product working without having to reference the instructions or manual. No worries there ... just plug and play ... and so intuitive it can't get any easier. Form, functionality and unbelievably cool, too. An unbeatable combination.

Review by James Sweet : Good but not great

This is the first product review I've written on Amazon, but I really felt the need, because I felt somewhat deceived by the huge amount of 5 star reviews for these headphones. Don't get me wrong, these are decent headphones. I am satisfied with them and I will not be returning them. But there are significant problems, the biggest of which is the ubiquitous hiss. Contrary to many of the other reviews, I found this hiss to be *quite* noticeable. I suppose that is just a fact of life with wireless headphones, but it really is quite annoying, particularly during quiet passages or when stretching the limits of the range. Speaking of range, it is true as other reviewers said that you can still get a "reasonable" signal at a remarkable distance (it beats my wi-fi network in terms of range). But I find that if I stray more than 15 feet or so from the base, I can notice a gradual reduction in quality, an increase in the volume of the hiss, and occasional whisps of static. I have fiddled with the channel setting and tuning knob quite extensively, and these issues still remain. I am probably a little pickier than the average person, but I do not consider myself an audiophile by any means -- so if *I'm* noticing the quality loss, it's pretty significant. Now the good news: When you are in the same room as the base and the music is loud enough to drown out the hiss, these headphones sound pretty darn good, at least to my untrained ears. All frequencies are filled out nicely (I did not find it lacking in bass at all) and I don't get that headache-y too-much-treble feeling that I get from extended listening on lousy earbuds. As other reviewers mentioned, it was a poor choice to put the volume knob and tuning knob right next to each other, but this is very manageable with practice. In summary, these ain't bad for wireless headphones -- but don't let all those 5-star reviews fool you into thinking you aren't going to pay a significant price for that freedom. Edit: Since writing the initial review, I figured out what the deal is with these. Whether as a side effect of FM transmission or by design, somewhere along the way this device is causing a pretty aggressive automatic gain control on the signal. A loud signal will cause the headphones to immediately adjust quieter, while they will adjust more gradually to a quiet signal, slowly bringing the level up. This more or less ruins music that has a lot of dynamics, though *most* modern music will sound more or less okay because of the way it is mastered. The AGC is also the cause of the infamous "hiss" that you hear when your signal is low (it keeps boosting the signal level until you hear noise). I find that keeping the input volume really high diminishes these problems somewhat, but of course then you have to be careful you aren't getting clipping. And it doesn't eliminate the problems altogether. It's a pity, because the headphones themselves sound great. But the automatic gain control really interferes with certain music, and as a result my review stays at 3 stars.

Review by M : Nice headphones... when set up properly.

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.

Review by Dubbie : I'm impressed!

I have this habit of getting up early in the morning well before my wife and was getting tired of having to keep the volume down on the family room TV before she got up. So I was just looking to use these headphones for TV use. However, out of curiosity, I walked up stairs and clear across the other side of our house and outside of some occassional hissing, the signal was still strong. Given my intended use, signal strength, clarity, ease of use and value were the primary critieria and the RS-120 has met or exceeded my expectations for each of these criteria. Just a few other comments: 1. The comments of how you need to retract the headphones to allow for charging is true, but this really isn't a big deal in my opinion, and is more than compensated for by the ease of the charging mechanism which simply requires you to set the headphones down on the base. 2. The receiver automatically turns on when it receives a signal and turns off after a few minutes if the signal stops. This was a pain when I paused a movie for a while and had to turn the TV off and on again to get the headphones restarted. I'm not sure why simply turning the movie back on didn't do the trick since it resulted in a new signal???? However, the upside of this set up is that you don't always have to remember to turn off the base unit on your own. 3. The headphones have it's own on/off switch. 4. There's a volume and fine tuning adjustment on the headphone that can easily be adjusted without taking them off your head. The set up is very intuitive. 5. Contrary to some other reviews, the pair that I received came with two adapters that allowed for easy connection to a standard headphone outlet or computer. Bottom line, I did a lot of research before purchasing the RS-120 and I am still very satisfied. Unless you want to spend a lot more money, everyone should feel comfortable with this option.

Review by R. Reece : Exceeded my expectations

I really rely on user reviews when buying unfamiliar technology, so when I was tempted to by a cheap IR wireless headset, I started reading reviews. I quickly decided to go with RF instead of IR because I wanted to walk all over the house, outside, etc. But there were tons of choices. The reviews kept taking me back to the Sennheiser RS-120, so I bought one. They are great! They are comfortable to wear, and the sound quality is great. I can walk anywhere in the house or in my backyard or front yard, and there's no problem with reception. What I really love is the way they stay charged. The headphones are equiped with rechargeable batteries, and when you drop the headset back in it's cradle, it charges automatically. Two hidden metal contact points in the headband automatically make contact with the metal points on the charger, so you don't have to plug them in. They are always ready. Now my wife wants her own set.

Review by Tony Thiel : Works like a Champ! (See Addendum)

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.

Review by Hi Ho : An excellent set of wireless headphones

After researching Sony, RCA, and Sennheiser wireless headphones I settled on the Sennheiser RS-120's and I have no regrets. These are excellent headphones. I ended up buying them at GoogGuys. When I asked the associate if I could try them he connected them to a DVD player and they came to life. I walked all the way accross the store filled with electronics and heard no interference what-so-ever. I was nothing short of impressed and bought them right then and there. Now that I have been using them for several weeks I am still amazed by them. I didn't know wireless headphones could be this good. There is no interference around my house. The 300ft range claim is about right. Maybe a bit conservative. I can mow my rental house lawn accross the street and even go next door and still get a good signal. Sound quality is excellent. Bass is strong, mids are prominent, and highs are crisp. These phones work great for music, TV, and movies. I couldn't be happier with the sound. There is some spotty static in a couple places upstairs but it is practically inaudible when listening to something. I don't know how long the batteries last because they have never run out. I have worn them for almost 10 hours straight and they were still going strong. I put them on the charger after each use and they have never shown any signs of a low battery. That brings me to the charging system. It is simply superb. Unlike most other wireless phone charging systems this one is very simple. Just set the headphones on the metal "tube" that sticks out of the base and it charges. No messing around to get them just right so the contacts will contact (AKA Sony). Build quality is very good. They are light weight, yet sturdy. The RS-120's are much sturdier than any of the other Sennheiser RS phones. They are very comfortable as well. I was worried that, due to their open air, on the ear design that they would get uncomfortable after wearing them for a few hours. I was proven wrong. They have never become uncomfortable. I have read some reviews where people complain that the base turns off whenever it wants. It has an auto-off features so that it shuts off if it gets not signal for a few minutes. I see no problem with that and it has never bothered me since I'm usually listening to something when I'm wearing them. :) I have the base connected to my home theater receiver to which I have a TV, DVD player, and my PC connected. The phones work well with all of those sources. Games, music, movies, TV, everything sounds great and I recommend these phones whole heartedly. You would be hard pressed to find a better deal in this price range.

Review by Dr Ngan : Can't understand the negative reviews!

I have had these headphones for a few months now, and I can't believe how my life has changed because of them. Maybe it's the concept of the wireless UHF headphones itself that I'm stoked with, but I find these to be great! The sound quality is amazing when I am watching TV or listening to my stereo, and I prefer to watch DVDs with them, so that I can get the full stereo effect. I tried some infra red ones before buying these, and they did not compare IN ANY WAY except price. Having these means that I can listen to my music or TV without disturbing my girlfriend, and the range permits me to even go outside and wash the car listening to them. Cons include: a bit bulky, which means that you can't lie on your side with the head phones on (can't imagine any that you can do this with mind you) but that's it. In response to other reviews: The issue with charging them when the ears are extended, I found the same thing, but hardly found this a problem (certainly not one worth rating these only one star) I haven't encountered a problem with the auto shut off or the rechargable battery life or quality. Sure there's a bit of interference at times, but it's hardly noticeable when the volume is even remotely up. I guess some people are harder to please than others. I would 100% recommend these if for no reason than to reduce conflict in relationships!