Sennheiser RS 160 Digital Wireless Headphone

Comment: I really loved my earlier Sennheiser which worked beautifully for about 7 years until it stopped giving any sound. So I bought these ones as replacement, thinking this is the nearest model to the one I had.

The sound quality is is still great in this new headset, but the engineering is not upto the mark.

1. It uses AAA batteries, and somehow the charge only lasts one movie. In my original headset, there was a Sennheiser battery which lasted more than 3-4 movies. Also, there was a backup battery with a back charge station. So I never would run out. Now I have to buy a separate set of AAA batteries as well as a charger so I will have a charged battery supply ready, in case I run out.

2. The range is a bit shorter that my original one and does not handle obstructions well, even though it is RF.

3. The charging process is a bit clumsy. Earlier I could just hang my headset on the transmitter and it would start charging through a set of contacts. Now I have to insert a pin into an awkwardly angled hole in the headset. It still takes me a couple of tries to get the angle right. Extremely clumsy design.

4. My largest issue is putting the thing ON. There is a push button switch on the headset as well as on the transmitter. BOTH have to be on. If you put headset for charging, then the transmitter is turned off. After charging, you decide to take the headset and sit on the couch to listen, you push the on switch on the headset. Only to realize that the transmitter has to be turned on. In my earlier headset, there was a simple on and off switch, a physical switch. I might return or sell this headset exactly for this reason. I just want a simple on/off switch and not a logical switch which is dependent on the state of some other setting ( in this case the transmitter).

Another irritating issue.....even if I manage to figure out how to switch it on, there is a delay of 1-2 sec for the sound to come on....which sometimes makes me thing I did not press the button so I press it again....only to realize I switched it off. So I start the process all over again.

I am still a Sennheiser fan....not just of this model though.

One positive aspect is that this set is portable. That means I can carry it for outdoor sources.....i.e. you can even carry the transmitting unit and have it operated via battery. Not sure how long the two AAA batteries in the transmitter will last.

Comment: The sound from these headphones was excellent. The wireless connection worked as advertised. The only problem was I did not find the headphones to be comfortable. After 15-30 minutes of wearing them, my ears would ache and become hot. I tried multiple adjustments, but nothing helped so I sent them back. I guess this will be an individual issue. If you have a chance to try them on first, I would.

Comment: After going through all the reviews of all the various Headphones, I decided to try these, although there were fewer reviews of it.
I have been totally happy with the choice. I bought them to listen to Tv so I can actually hear whats going on without disturbing the neighbors..
I have had none of the problems that others have pointed out on other reviews.. no hum, hiss.. just clear great sound.. I love the music channel again!
range isnt all that great but I can go outside the house and still get reception.. it is either on or off (like digital tv). so when you have a signal, its great.

Comment: I'm really happy with these headphones. Sounds every bit as good as being wired. I use them for watching TV or playing xbox after my wife and kids go to bed. They are extremely comfortable. They fit "over-the-ear" which I highly recommend. Some other headphone model are "on-the-ear" which I find to be less comfortable.

I do have a few small complaints/things to consider before purchasing these:

I'm not crazy about the fact that their are volume controls in 3-places with this setup; I can adjust volume my stereo receiver, the RS 160 transmitter, and the RS 160 headset. Guess I'm just unsure of how to adjust all the knobs to get the optimal sound quality. The instructions say to have your sound source at a "medium" volume.

As one other reviewer mentioned it's a little bit annoying that the RS 160 transmitter powers down when not in use even if it is plugged into the wall. This means every time I want to use my headphone I have to go into my cabinet to turn on the transmitter and also turn on the headset. It would be nicer if I could just grab the headset off my coffee table and turn it on.

Also when you want to power down the headset you have to hold the power button for 1 second. If you don't hold it down that long the headset just goes into mute mode. It appears to be off but the battery drains. Not that big of a deal but not the greatest user interface in my opinion.


Again I do recommend this product and I am very happy with my purchase just a couple of quirks.

Comment: I like the headphones except for the fact that I cannot have the TV volume on when the headphones are attached. this might cause a problem when we have the flat screen on the wall. It would be nice to have the headphone base attached, and be able to hear the TV from the TV's speakers with the headphone attached so that we didn't have to reach behind and constantly pull the wire out. If anyone knows how we can accomplish this, please let me know. In the meantime, I will be calling Samsung.

Otherwise, I love the headphones. They are, however, just as clear as our Sennheiser 130's which cost less.