Sony MDR-IF240RK Wireless Headphone System

 The Sony MDR-IF240R not MDR-IF240RK, not sure if there’s any difference. I needed a wireless headphone for the bedroom because I watch TV over 2 hours every night while my wife sleeps and about 2 hours early in the morning. I’ve also owned a wireless Sennheiser HDR60 and a wired Panasonic RP-HT970 Vibration Series Headphone. The Sennheiser worked fine, but their rechargeable battery (two included) would only last me about two days. I always had one recharging so I could swap it out, but it was still annoying to have it cut out in the middle of a program. After a year one of the batteries wouldn’t hold a charge any more and when I saw how much a replacement battery cost, I decided to buy the Panasonic. Because it was wired, the Panasonic RP-HT970 sounded great, especially the bass effects with DVD’s. It was very comfortable and I would still be using it, if I hadn’t tripped on the cable and broke it. It had also been an obstacle for my wife when she had to walk across the room.

I decided to go wireless again and bought the Sony MDR-IF240R after reading reviews. I wanted a headphone that used standard batteries and wouldn’t need constant replacing. I have cordless phones and a wireless PC network, so I decided having no interference using infrared was better than having the ability to go room to room using other technology. Since I only used it for TV viewing, I was willing to accept decent, if not great, sound quality. This headphone met all my requirements. I put in one standard AAA battery instead of the rechargeable battery that came with it and I haven’t had to change it in over two weeks of constant use (4 hours/day).

The headphones are mostly plastic and look a bit cheap. They are fairly comfortable, but if I tilt my head, they will fall off because the foam cushions are flat rather than cupped like the Sennheiser and the headband is rather flimsy. That would be my biggest complaint. Sony should also have provided a longer cable for the transmitter to allow more flexibility in placement. Sound quality is fine for TV viewing, but it can’t compare to the quality of a wired headphone like the Panasonic which makes you feel like you’re actually in a movie when played on DVD.

I have perfect reception using it at 12 feet and I’ve walked 45 degrees to the left and right without any loss. If something comes between the headphone and the transmitter, it will cut out, so positioning is very important. You can eliminate the hiss that others have mentioned, if you turn up the volume on the sound source (e.g. TV or Receiver) rather than turning up the volume control on the headphone. On the Sennheiser there was a tuning control, which I had to fiddle with in order to receive a signal, but the Sony doesn’t have or need one.

In conclusion, this headphone met all my expectations, the price was reasonable and I would recommend it to others until someone comes out without something that has better sound quality and excellent battery life.

Wirelessheadphones

After researching Sony, RCA, and Sennheiser wireless headphones I settled on the Sennheiser RS-120’s and I have no regrets. These are excellent headphones. I ended up buying them at GoogGuys. When I asked the associate if I could try them he connected them to a DVD player and they came to life. I walked all the way accross the store filled with electronics and heard no interference what-so-ever. I was nothing short of impressed and bought them right then and there.

Now that I have been using them for several weeks I am still amazed by them. I didn’t know wireless headphones could be this good. There is no interference around my house. The 300ft range claim is about right. Maybe a bit conservative. I can mow my rental house lawn accross the street and even go next door and still get a good signal.

Sound quality is excellent. Bass is strong, mids are prominent, and highs are crisp. These phones work great for music, TV, and movies. I couldn’t be happier with the sound. There is some spotty static in a couple places upstairs but it is practically inaudible when listening to something.

I don’t know how long the batteries last because they have never run out. I have worn them for almost 10 hours straight and they were still going strong. I put them on the charger after each use and they have never shown any signs of a low battery.

That brings me to the charging system. It is simply superb. Unlike most other wireless phone charging systems this one is very simple. Just set the headphones on the metal “tube” that sticks out of the base and it charges. No messing around to get them just right so the contacts will contact (AKA Sony).

Build quality is very good. They are light weight, yet sturdy. The RS-120’s are much sturdier than any of the other Sennheiser RS phones. They are very comfortable as well. I was worried that, due to their open air, on the ear design that they would get uncomfortable after wearing them for a few hours. I was proven wrong. They have never become uncomfortable.

I have read some reviews where people complain that the base turns off whenever it wants. It has an auto-off features so that it shuts off if it gets not signal for a few minutes. I see no problem with that and it has never bothered me since I’m usually listening to something when I’m wearing them.

I have the base connected to my home theater receiver to which I have a TV, DVD player, and my PC connected. The phones work well with all of those sources. Games, music, movies, TV, everything sounds great and I recommend these phones whole heartedly. You would be hard pressed to find a better deal in this price range. 

I really rely on user reviews when buying unfamiliar technology, so when I was tempted to by a cheap IR wireless headset, I started reading reviews. I quickly decided to go with RF instead of IR because I wanted to walk all over the house, outside, etc.

But there were tons of choices. The reviews kept taking me back to the Sennheiser RS-120, so I bought one. They are great!

They are comfortable to wear, and the sound quality is great. I can walk anywhere in the house or in my backyard or front yard, and there’s no problem with reception.

What I really love is the way they stay charged. The headphones are equiped with rechargeable batteries, and when you drop the headset back in it’s cradle, it charges automatically. Two hidden metal contact points in the headband automatically make contact with the metal points on the charger, so you don’t have to plug them in. They are always ready.
I’ve had a number of wireless headsets and this, by far, is the best. The package contains all the possible connectors you would need, from RCA connectors for line out feeds, to standard and minature headset jacks. The headset itself is solid, adjusts nicely and features controls for power on/off, volume and tuning. I wish the earcups were of the recessed type, but other than that I am very pleased with the design. As to performance, the RS-120 reproduces both speech and music cleanly with reasonable fidelity. They won’t compare with top of the line wired headsets (costing several times more), but that’s not the design intention. There is no hiss nor whistle and I have not detected any interference with other electronic devices in my home, including a six extension 900mHz phone system. The range is impressive and it works well even a reasonable distance outside my home. Highly recommended — particularly at this price point