PORTABLE AUDIO Tired of getting tangled up in cables? I sure am, especially when rocking out and recording at home with my guitars. So I decided to get a pair of wireless headphones. When choosing a pair of wireless cans, there's a lot to consider other than the audio quality itself. After doing a lot of research, I figured out which the absolute best wireless headphones 2012 are, and what to get for the best bang for the buck.
Best wireless headphones 2012
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Philips SHD9200 - offering 3D surround sound.
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These are open, however. If you need the kind of privacy only a closed set of cans can offer, Philips new model SHD9200 might just be something for you. Using the same digital audio transmission as Sennheiser, the Philips SHD9200 also brings 3D sound to the table, giving you that extra depth to you home cinema. Without waking up the neighbours.
Best wireless headphones for the money 2012
For the rest of us who can't, or don't want to, spend a minor fortune on a pair of headphones, here's some things to consider. After a lot of research, I eventually settled for a set of Sennheiser RS 160 myself, and here's why.
Digital transmission vs. analog radio (RF)
The higher models of Sennheiser's RS series seemed to be the best on the market if you wanted to cut the cable. I'm personally more of a Beyedynamic and Sony kind of guy normally, but the tech critics and audiophiles seem to agree on the Sennies' dominance on this wireless market. What's nice about them is that they use a proprietary digital transmission called Kleer, which theoretically gives you CD quality.There are many cheaper wireless headphones out there, but these are usually older models relying on analogue radio transmission, meaning that the audio quality you can expect is that of traditional FM radio - at best. Like analogue radio, you might also pick up a lot of static, which constantly requires you to fine tune your cans for them to pick up the signal properly. So adding a few quid for some newer technology might be a good idea. There are other brands to consider that also offer digital audio transmission, but at the time being, the Sennheisers seem to give the most bang for the buck.
Sony MDR-DS6500 and MDR-FR4000K
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| Sony MDR-DS6500 |
If you still can get you hands on them, the older outgoing model MDR-RF4000K is also a good choice, if you happen to stumble upon it in some bargain bin. Currently sells for just above $100 on Amazon, which is a good deal! No surround sound feature in these, though.
Sennheiser RS 160 vs. 170 vs. 180 & 220
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The RS 180 from Sennheiser doesn't look this shiny in real life.
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The RS160 brings you a closed 'phones, like the 170's, and will look, feel and sound very much the same. For less than 80 quid, which is just the half of what the RS 170's currently cost you. As they're essentially they're the same product, apart from a few extra features that the higher model introduced (we'll get back to those differences in a moment), I settled with a pair of RS 160 myself, which I picked up for 1,095 SEK (300 SEK less than the 170's) at a local store here in Sweden.
So there's some options for you. Hope it was to any help for you.
In the next part, I'll review my new set of Sennheiser RS 160. Stay tuned for that!
/theJo
See also
