Sennheiser RS 175 Wireless Headphone System

Have to say I was expecting a much better dynamic soundscape than these provide. For TV shows where its mostly blathering, then they'll be fine. If you have been spoiled by proper audiophile headphones for listening to music or big movie soundtracks, then you'll find the reproduction on these mediocre at best. Plenty of bass, but the mid and treble presentation is flat and lacklustre, and utterly devoid of that 3D soundscape in your head that good phones will provide. No issues with connectivity etc, that side of things is excellent, reaching from one end of the house to the other. But if you're a gamer, then any sudden noise on the soundtrack and these automatically knock the volume right down, and there's no way to turn this feature off. Like every time you shoot ... MoreHave to say I was expecting a much better dynamic soundscape than these provide. For TV shows where its mostly blathering, then they'll be fine. If you have been spoiled by proper audiophile headphones for listening to music or big movie soundtracks, then you'll find the reproduction on these mediocre at best. Plenty of bass, but the mid and treble presentation is flat and lacklustre, and utterly devoid of that 3D soundscape in your head that good phones will provide. No issues with connectivity etc, that side of things is excellent, reaching from one end of the house to the other. But if you're a gamer, then any sudden noise on the soundtrack and these automatically knock the volume right down, and there's no way to turn this feature off. Like every time you shoot a weapon... This was a large disappointment in that department as that's primarily what I bought them for. If you are hard of hearing and just need something to assist with listening to the TV then they're great. Just not for gamers or anyone who sits and listens to music seriously, or anyone who has listened to proper quality headphones before.

Are These Broken Or Is This A 'Feature"?

I purchased these headphones for my parents who are both in their 90's and need TV Headphones that are simple to use. They are to replace a pair of Bluetooth connected headphone that they cannot keep connected. While these headphones are not a nice as the headphones they replace, they are easy to connect and should be ideal for their use. My main concern is that in testing these headphones, when the headphones are in the re-charging credal, the LED on the stand should change from Red to indicate the headphone are charging to Green when the headphones are fully charged. Unfortunately, my unit this LED light has remained Red even after two day with the headphone in the re-charging credal. Other than this LES light, the headphones work correctly and should be easy for ... MoreI purchased these headphones for my parents who are both in their 90's and need TV Headphones that are simple to use. They are to replace a pair of Bluetooth connected headphone that they cannot keep connected. While these headphones are not a nice as the headphones they replace, they are easy to connect and should be ideal for their use. My main concern is that in testing these headphones, when the headphones are in the re-charging credal, the LED on the stand should change from Red to indicate the headphone are charging to Green when the headphones are fully charged. Unfortunately, my unit this LED light has remained Red even after two day with the headphone in the re-charging credal. Other than this LES light, the headphones work correctly and should be easy for my father to installed I gave them two stars because I cannot figure out is this unit is defective and should be returned and exchange for a working pair or if this is a "Feature" and can be ignored. I have tried to submit this question to Senndeiser support but the only site I could locate did not list this model headphones, 'Having Trouble' for why I am contacting support, you must enter your phone number as it would be dialed from Germany even though you have to include your address and country where you live. My expectations for receiving a response from anyone are less than none. As I have to ship these 500 mile to be installed by dad, I will probably return these to Best Buy to see if a second pair work 'as advertised'.

Completely Worth the Premium

I wear, and have worn, A LOT of headphones. Partly because I have a slight hearing loss in one ear and I don't want to blast sound from the TV just to hear. I've tried some less expensive products from companies who we all think are leaders in this industry. While the Sennheiser RS 175 headphones are on the pricey end, I probably could have saved myself time and money in the long run if I would have started my headphone journey by picking the RS 175. I no longer have a single iota of an issue with static/interference like I did previously. The sound these produce along with no more issues with interference alone make them well worth the premium cost. I've worn these for hours and hours with no discomfort at any point of contact. Having an over the ear headphones ... MoreI wear, and have worn, A LOT of headphones. Partly because I have a slight hearing loss in one ear and I don't want to blast sound from the TV just to hear. I've tried some less expensive products from companies who we all think are leaders in this industry. While the Sennheiser RS 175 headphones are on the pricey end, I probably could have saved myself time and money in the long run if I would have started my headphone journey by picking the RS 175. I no longer have a single iota of an issue with static/interference like I did previously. The sound these produce along with no more issues with interference alone make them well worth the premium cost. I've worn these for hours and hours with no discomfort at any point of contact. Having an over the ear headphones keeps the majority of the noise contained. If you are really blasting the volume in the headphones, there will be some sound that others, not wearing headphones, can hear. As I previously mentioned, I have tried all types of headphones from a super long wired set of headphones to multiple different wireless sets and I could have saved all of that time and money if I would have selected the Sennheiser - RS 175 headphones to begin with.

Great product

I would not have purchased a refurbished unless directly from Sennheiser. I am not disappointed. It was obvious the instructions and power cord had been used, but as for the headphones these seemed brand new (plastic and all). Difference in price well worth it (but 1 year warranty instead of 2).As for the quality of the product, for my use these are way better than my old rs 160 (and I still love them). They fit tighter (needed a couple of days to get use to this), hence less leakage, almost like noise cancelling. The only down side to this (and It took me some time to figure it out), sometimes I use these headphones with quasi perfect sound for hours and other times (could be same moment of the day/same place), I get many micro-cuts. At first I thought these were ... MoreI would not have purchased a refurbished unless directly from Sennheiser. I am not disappointed. It was obvious the instructions and power cord had been used, but as for the headphones these seemed brand new (plastic and all). Difference in price well worth it (but 1 year warranty instead of 2).As for the quality of the product, for my use these are way better than my old rs 160 (and I still love them). They fit tighter (needed a couple of days to get use to this), hence less leakage, almost like noise cancelling. The only down side to this (and It took me some time to figure it out), sometimes I use these headphones with quasi perfect sound for hours and other times (could be same moment of the day/same place), I get many micro-cuts. At first I thought these were interferences from other signals wifi etc (rs is sensible to other signals). But after extensive tests I came to the conclusion that my signal and or 6 year old cable box are responsible. Any imperfection in the signal will be heard with these headphones. As they say: garbage in, garbage out.To conclude, you will better appreciate these headphones if your use is limited to the transmitter area, as depending on your house configuration the reach of the signal is variable. Also, give yourself some time to get use to the volume bottons as they are to close to the bass and surround bottons (easily press the wrong one). For my needs the bass is more than sufficient, as for the surround I don't really hear the surround effect.These headphones are not perfect (which ones are?), but overall I am very satisfied with the product.

Heavy, With Good Sound Quality, Some Signal Issues

A great Hi-Fi addition to my PC setup that lets me move around my apartment. I replaced a similar but older model of Sennheiser wireless headphones with this unit, and it's treated me fairly well. I find the headset on the heavy side, but comfortable nonetheless. Audio quality is great and I enjoy movies/music with the Bass Boost feature.On the technical side, this headset has rather poor signal quality from the receiver that is more sensitive than other similar headphones to RF interference. I keep the receiver near my router, and the 2.4 GHz WiFi would cause frequent signal drops every minute or so with very few devices connected. I needed to reduce power to the 2.4 GHz radio in order to stop the audio dropping. Standing near a microwave will also kill the ... MoreA great Hi-Fi addition to my PC setup that lets me move around my apartment. I replaced a similar but older model of Sennheiser wireless headphones with this unit, and it's treated me fairly well. I find the headset on the heavy side, but comfortable nonetheless. Audio quality is great and I enjoy movies/music with the Bass Boost feature.On the technical side, this headset has rather poor signal quality from the receiver that is more sensitive than other similar headphones to RF interference. I keep the receiver near my router, and the 2.4 GHz WiFi would cause frequent signal drops every minute or so with very few devices connected. I needed to reduce power to the 2.4 GHz radio in order to stop the audio dropping. Standing near a microwave will also kill the signal entirely. Mind where you store the receiver for these headphones!Battery life is excellent for how much I use them - If they are installed into a PC setup like mine, just keep them plugged in when not in use and there shouldn't be a dead headset unless you try to pull some monster 14-hour session. You can replace the stock batteries with ONLY rechargeable AAs, which may improve battery life depending on what batteries you buy.

Incredible for a home theatre experience

I have always struggled with getting good headphones audio that captures a cinema feel with booming bass and clear speech. I also happen to live in a major city in an apartment building, so blasting a surround sound set up is a no-go. While I have the excellent Sony WHXM4s that pair with bluetooth to my tv, the audio delay and lip syncing issues that come with bluetooth are horrendous and really breaks immersion.These headphones were exactly what I wanted. First, the overall sound quality right out of the box is already amazing. I would have been perfectly happy even if there were no effects to choose. The bass is already boomy without being overpowered. Speech is crystal clear. I seriously have picked up on dialogue that used to be garbled. You can toggle a bass ... MoreI have always struggled with getting good headphones audio that captures a cinema feel with booming bass and clear speech. I also happen to live in a major city in an apartment building, so blasting a surround sound set up is a no-go. While I have the excellent Sony WHXM4s that pair with bluetooth to my tv, the audio delay and lip syncing issues that come with bluetooth are horrendous and really breaks immersion.These headphones were exactly what I wanted. First, the overall sound quality right out of the box is already amazing. I would have been perfectly happy even if there were no effects to choose. The bass is already boomy without being overpowered. Speech is crystal clear. I seriously have picked up on dialogue that used to be garbled. You can toggle a bass booster or a virtual surround sound effect. I use the bass booster on certain content that needs a bit more oomph, but I found the virtual surround effect to just make things sound tinny and leave it off. They already have an immersive sound without it. They also get LOUD. Almost every pair of bluetooth headphones have had disappointing max volumes. I love that I can crank it and never even get up to the max volume. Next, there is absolutely no audio delay or lip syncing issues I can perceive. The radiofrequency signal is vastly superior to bluetooth in this regard. Other pros include easy charging (just plop it on the stand when done) and solid battery life (Have binged for about 6 hours without charging and no issues). The range is also ridiculous. I went to the other end of my apartment and on the porch with no signal loss. They are also very comfortable. Absolutely no issues wearing for hours at a time.I have very few cons with this as I think this is arguably the best way to watch movies with headphones. The virtual surround effect is not great though, as mentioned. You also may run into interference because it is radiofrequency. I had a disconnect once, but this was solved by turning off my 2.4 ghz channel on my wifi router. Also, you will get interference if you run a microwave (but only if it is close by). I will also say that charging stand, while functional, is a little cheap-feeling. Lastly, a very minor thing, but I wish there were audio prompts when you turn it on or when the battery is low.Overall, these are just nit-picks and I am beyond satisfied with these headphones.

Incredible sound quality, but not the most comfortable to wear.

I have seen way to many people praising this pair of headphones to be the greatest pair of wireless headphones out there, but I simply cannot give it that award. Let me start with the pros.The sound quality is amazing. After using this for a few weeks, I just can't go back to bluetooth. The bass is thumpy, but not as thumpy as the YouTube revewers say it is. Bluetooth simply cannot compare to the likes of these headphones! All thanks to Sennheiser's custom wireless reciever thingy. Along side that, this wireless reciever also provides little delay between my PC, meaning playing games is actually quite good ("quite," being the keyword) for a wireless headest.And now for the cons...The virtual surround sound is a joke. It was clearly a last-minute idea and turned ... MoreI have seen way to many people praising this pair of headphones to be the greatest pair of wireless headphones out there, but I simply cannot give it that award. Let me start with the pros.The sound quality is amazing. After using this for a few weeks, I just can't go back to bluetooth. The bass is thumpy, but not as thumpy as the YouTube revewers say it is. Bluetooth simply cannot compare to the likes of these headphones! All thanks to Sennheiser's custom wireless reciever thingy. Along side that, this wireless reciever also provides little delay between my PC, meaning playing games is actually quite good ("quite," being the keyword) for a wireless headest.And now for the cons...The virtual surround sound is a joke. It was clearly a last-minute idea and turned out horrible. It must be a placebo, I'm certain that it does nothing, other than ruin the sound quality of the video / movie you are watching. If you are going to use these headphones to play games, you will notice how the sounds in front of you blend in with those behind you if that makes sense. As an example, if you hear footsteps somewhere around you, you won't know if they are Infront, or behind you, causing a bit of confusion. Don't turn on virtual surround sound either, that won't help... ironically.Whoever said these headphones were "comfortable" can die in a fire. For reference, my old headphones were the Razer Black shark V2 which had the most AMAZING headband thing. It was microfiber and was soft af. This meant you would never know if the headset was on you or not. It was like cuddling yourself in a warm bed in the winter, you could stay there for hours. Just like those headphones, you could wear them for hours just because they were comfortable. This is the kind of quality I expect from a $300 pair of headphones. And the Black shark was only $170! And the RS-175? No, it doesn't have that kind of quality. Infact, it is quite the opposite. It feels like every hour, someone places another brick onto my head, and after 3 hours of wearing them, and bricks are heavy. And they will give you plenty of headaches. The opposite of a nice, warm blanket in the chilly winter.At this point, I'm unsure whether these headphones are uncomfortable, or if I'm just really weak. Every review of every headset I have ever seen has the same phrase, "they are very comfortable for long hours of use," which you should always take with a grain of salt. Just like this review. This is very subjective.I'm sure it isn't actually that bad, and as I said, I'm just weak. But overall, these headphones are worth using daily. It's okay for gaming, it's not the most comfortable to wear over extended periods of time, but where the real selling point comes from the great sound quality while being wireless.

Only a few minor complaints! But these beat Sony!

I returned two pair of the Sony WHRF400 RF Wireless Headphones because they sounded like blown speakers. The second pair even had tons of static, and it was just across the bedroom from the output. I returned the second pair to the store and asked the person on the floor for help. I was going to go with the other Sony's that were twice the cost because of the "digital" output of these. The salesperson said that the 'static/blown' experience I had with the Sony pair was probably the analog connection. So I got these thinking I would be able to hook them up digitally. However, our sound bar is hooked up digitally and hooking up the headphones that way would have made it where I was the only one who could watch TV with sound.The sales person was so wrong. I hooked ... MoreI returned two pair of the Sony WHRF400 RF Wireless Headphones because they sounded like blown speakers. The second pair even had tons of static, and it was just across the bedroom from the output. I returned the second pair to the store and asked the person on the floor for help. I was going to go with the other Sony's that were twice the cost because of the "digital" output of these. The salesperson said that the 'static/blown' experience I had with the Sony pair was probably the analog connection. So I got these thinking I would be able to hook them up digitally. However, our sound bar is hooked up digitally and hooking up the headphones that way would have made it where I was the only one who could watch TV with sound.The sales person was so wrong. I hooked these up to the analog output, just like I was hooking up the Sony set and I cannot even express to you the improvement in sound quality these offer compared to Sony. I was seriously impressed. The only thing that I don't like with these is the buttons. They're difficult to turn on (you have to hold it down for a few seconds before it comes on) and you have to KNOW the layout of the volume buttons to turn them up or down. I do like that they have Bass adjustments, though, even if I have to take them off or go to the stand to figure it all out. The only other thing I don't like is that they're super tight. I suspect (hope) they'll loosen up over time because I really enjoy the quality of the surround sound that they offer.

Well worth the money!

These are great headsets. I am older so this is the first headset that I have bought for any of my devices. I felt the instructions were difficult to understand. They are written for young people who know what all of the symbols mean. But with the help of my spouse, we were able to figure it out. Once you know what is needed it is pretty easy to set up. The audio is really nice. I can use at the same time my spouse listens to the TV audio. We were able to use the analog cord to attach the sound bar to the TV after we installed the headset with the digital cord. I would highly recommend for an older person who has a hard time hearing all of the dialog when listening through the TV speakers.

Wireless Headphones

I originally both a Sony wireless headphone but it turned out not to be compatible with the Samsung TV & Soundbar/surround system I had purchased at the same time. So after the Best Buy Geek Squad completed the home installation I returned the Sony and upgraded to the Sennheiser RS 175 Wireless Headset (Approx Less $300). Very happy I did. The Geek Squad returned to my house to pair the system and showed me how it all worked together, "thanks Geek Squad" The new Sennheiser Headphone works great and holds it's charge for at lease 6 to 8 hours as I used it then my wife and then my sons with no complaints :) The only thing I am not happy with is the volume controls on the right side of the headphone. I think though it is because I am not yet use them and their ... MoreI originally both a Sony wireless headphone but it turned out not to be compatible with the Samsung TV & Soundbar/surround system I had purchased at the same time. So after the Best Buy Geek Squad completed the home installation I returned the Sony and upgraded to the Sennheiser RS 175 Wireless Headset (Approx Less $300). Very happy I did. The Geek Squad returned to my house to pair the system and showed me how it all worked together, "thanks Geek Squad" The new Sennheiser Headphone works great and holds it's charge for at lease 6 to 8 hours as I used it then my wife and then my sons with no complaints :) The only thing I am not happy with is the volume controls on the right side of the headphone. I think though it is because I am not yet use them and their placement. Bottom line though, they work great, look good on the stand and sound wonderful. I would definitely recommend these Headphones...... MJC