Audio Equipment Racks

Wireless Head Phones - Looking at the Sennheiser HD 202, HD212, and RS160 Headphones

The use of head phones for any audio entertainment is always a different experience from listening to the same music or soundtrack without head phones. Some say that music in stereo sounds so much better through the use of earphones, although not all of us would agree with that. It is undoubtedly different, though, and that is more difficult to argue with.

One of the problems with head phones is yet more trailing wires. You already have enough of those with speakers, amplifiers, TV, compute, receivers and all the other audio video equipment. It is true that a good audio equipment rack will have the means for concealing wires, but not all component racks will hide wires. As for the speakers, your wood speaker stands may conceal wires, but the chances are they will not. So, can we help out with the unsightly wire problem by at least using wireless head phones?

The answer to that question is “yes, of course”. Wireless does mean no wires, so wireless head phones are just that. But the real $64 question is: “does the quality of wireless headphones match those that have wires?” If you are a keen audio enthusiast that will be what you want to know most before spending your hard earned money. Spend some time on audio and home theater forums to see what others are saying about the various head phones on the market, such as the wireless sets from Sennheiser, JVC, Plantronics, Sony and others.

The Sennheiser RS 160 (pictured) is a wireless RF headphone system with new Kleer technology which offers loseless wireless transmission. This is in a higher price range still, above that of the HD212 and HD202. Even so, the price is modest, so I am sure there are many happy customers for the RS 160. It has Audiophile-level transducer systems with powerful neodymium magnets for clear and detailed audio reproduction. There are many other features too.

It does seem to be Sennheiser Headphones which are in most demand, and they do appear to have a good reputation. They have quite a large range of wireless earphones, and the price range is quite wide, which is good for budget watchers. On the wired headphone front:  I personally have the Sennheiser HD-212 Headphones. These are very light and comfortable. The sound quality is fantastic - music has a deep, rich note. The HD202’s have a sealed-ear design, while their neodymium magnets give an 18 Hz-18 kHz frequency range and high sound levels.

The Sennheiser HD 212 Pro closed Headphones are also very popular, and again DJ’s will appreciate them for similar reasons to the HD 202. This closed dynamic, supra-aural stereo hi-fi stereo headphone features, amongst other things, ultra thin diaphragms which give a precise treble response plus a well-defined mid-band and spatial sound reproduction, enhanced by the foam damping element. They are quite a bit more expensive than the HD 202.

I suggest you look at the whole range, and see what is best for your needs, but also spend time considering Plantronics, Sony, JVC and other products. You may well find that a Sennheiser headphone is for you, but others may appeal to you more.