3 Popular Wireless Headphones

We get to review a lot of headphones here at Tech2.0, but I try to bring in variations on the usual shootout theme. This time I’ve decided to pep things up by reviewing some wireless headphones that are sure to attract gamers and multimedia freaks – and at different price points. Koss, Sennheiser, and Philips sent us some of their products recently, so the initial selection wasn’t hard to make.

Koss HB 79 – Rs 6100
This is a popular wireless model by Koss, and a nicely designed one at that. It’s black all over, with oval ear cups that engulf the ear fully. The right ear cup (or ‘can’) has a slot for two AAA batteries. This, however, can be a pain to open – the mild luster on the black surface is easily scratched. The rubber headband is flattish, and extends out to expose the shiny metal headband rib.

Overall the unit looks cool; especially thanks to small design details such as the way the ear cups are attached to headband, the positioning of the buttons etc. The ear cushions are made of foam with the regular creased covering, and the headphones sit very comfortably on your ears.

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The speaker works on infrared (IR), so you have to position yourself in front of the transmitter, which is a rectangular, futuristic looking device. The Koss branding is conspicuous on the transmitter but not so much on the headphone – it’s beveled out in the rubber covering off the headband, topside.

There’s very little base noise disturbance, but it’s not quite absent. If you keep the transmitter right in front, you can hit a nice sweet spot. Distance-wise it works fine till about 4.5m before noise kicks in. As for the sound, I like Koss drivers. They have a loud and tight enough sound to impress. The high mids, around 3-5K, are a little forward in this one (but only slightly).

For all the three headphones in this feature I listened to Chesky CDs to see how the high frequency sibilance is transmitted wirelessly – the highs are, after all, the main thing in wireless transmission. There are a few disappointments with the Koss, as it’s not pure and airy, though this is on very close scrutiny.

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Philips SHC 1300 – Rs 1450
This pair is the most affordable of the lot. Note that I didn’t say ‘cheap’, as it doesn’t look a cheap product at all. The design is simple though, with perfectly hemispherical earcups and a black plastic headband. The Philips logo can be seen in the center, and around it are radially arranged dots, and a glossy black ring that terminates where the headband begins. These well-designed elements do a good job in enhancing visual appeal.

Theoretically these headphones are of supra-aural design, with a full circular foam ear pad that covers the drivers. The on/off buttons are on the left, while the volume knob is on the right. The transmitter of this model is smaller than that of the Koss, and has a curved top surface.

As far as sound quality goes, these didn’t deliver as good a response as the Koss, but then they cost only one-fourth the price. On a standalone basis the sound is not bad; the only issue I faced was the lack of depth and excess mid-frequency response. This makes vocal and compressed music sound flawed, though it works for basic multimedia stuff where sound quality is not that great a priority.

The IR wireless performed well until about 5m, and was quite clear. These headphones have a very small sweet spot though. If you even slightly turn your head, noise creeps in.

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Sennheiser RS 130 – Rs 7500
Before anything else, I’d like to mention that this is an RF device, so the range is far better than that of the other two models. A direct comparison cannot and should not be made, as the technologies differ. It’s also the most expensive. Having said that, I treated this one too as a standalone piece, and found it to be pretty good.

This is a well-built, sturdy headphone, and I must mention it has huge ear cups. The finish is classy, and design is good. The net-like contour on the back of the large oval cans is eye-catching, for instance. The ear cushions are also very thick and soft, and extremely comfortable.

These headphones work on the charging principle, and can play 22 hours when fully charged. The transmitter and charger are housed in a single ‘base station’ unit, which is packed with LEDs and controls. It has a distinctive shape that tapers towards the top.

The range is vast, but the claimed 150m is a little optimistic. Some noise does creep in if you’re round a corner or behind a wall, but sitting in front of the transmitter yields a very clear and full response. I checked things out with Sennheiser’s own HD 465 corded model, and the latter was more detailed.

Another feature worth mentioning is an auto-tuning facility that steps between three frequency channels around 900 MHz. This is to get the best possible signal, and it works very well. On the other hand, the SRS (virtual surround emulation) made the sound hollow and phased out, at least for me.

As for sound quality, the bass was not as tight as in the Koss, but definitely vast and low. Overall the sound was more open and detailed; highs and mids tended towards the airy and beautiful. But residual noise was there in quiet passages.

That about sums it up. Please do not make the mistake of assuming this to be a straightforward comparison, because it’s not. One can’t very well compare apples and oranges, right? But if you have a budget in mind, and are looking for a good pair of headphones in that budget, this article is for you.