Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Wireless Headphones

Dad's birthday is coming up and I thought I'd get him some wireless headphones to replace the wired ones he already has. Do you lose sound quality with the wireless units? If that's the case, I would rather just upgrade the wired ones he has now. The old guy drinks ALOT of coffee and watches ALOT of satellite TV (i.e., not much for music).

Anybody out there have some real knowledge/experience with these things?

Much appreciated.

I've listened to cordless headphones from Philips and Sony. The Philips had a neodynium driver. Both were above average in music output, but that's it. Nothing very great. They just sounded better than a radio.

I played KennyG, Queen and Indian Classical on them. The Philips seemed to have slightly better highs than the Sony but muddy bass. The Sony was more laid back and accurate. But neither one impressed me. I then borrowed a pair of corded Sennheiser phones and listened again. The sound was far superior to the cordless ones. But for watching movies and effects, the cordless ones will do fine.

If your dad isn't an audio enthusiast or very choosy about the sound, its a nice gift because it really gives a lot of freedom to move about and just about do anything like carpentry or cleaning without disturbing anyone while still listening to his favourite movies.

The Philips sells more in India and retails for about $70. It should be a little cheaper in the US or Canada.

You did NOT just say Kenny G, did you?

Uhh...Something I'm missing here? Yes, I did mean Kenny G.

I auditioned a lot of headphones when I was searching for a birthday present for a hard to please guy- Me. I was not looking for wireless phones as everything I read said that they were A)heavy B)not capable of the sound reproduction I wanted, and C)susceptible to interference from RF emitters. At any rate, I narrowed my search down to two companies (Sennheiser, Grado) purely based on reviews, and then went looking through their lineup for the right phones. I picked the Grado SR-80s based on their bang for their buck and they are amazing phones. However, if I was shopping for someone else (or my next birthday) I would choose the Sennheiser HD-580s.
They are more comfortable than the Grados and their sound is much easier to take. The Grados are constantly being described as "incredibly accurate" or "revealing" (sound familiar?). I find that they overemphasize the high end and take a fair amount of getting used to. Over time I have come to the conclusion that there is a difference between accuracy and high end coloration and I feel that the Grados cross that line. The Sennheisers are simply more comfortable to wear, and more comfortable to listen to. I'm sure that your dad would let you listen every now and then.

These words about Kenny G say it best.

Ah..Now I get it. I think I must clarify a little point here. I have never been a fan of Kenny G as I find his music mostly out of rythm and pitch. Nor do I own even own or ever listen to his "songs". The 3 CDs I used to audition the wireless phones were the only ones I could lay my hands on at the time at my workplace.

Hence, my honest reivew was based on only what I could hear.

And thanks a lot for that link to Kenny G. You've done me a big favour as I keep debating with others here on the quality of Kenny G's music. I'd been looking for one such link for so long. Heh Heh.

You're free to direct more such brickbats to me. Here's one that is going to attract curses. I used to be an ardent fan of Metallica.

:-)

The wireless headphones based on the digital IR transmission (instead of FM) don't suffer from loss of sound quality. In fact, these Sony "digital surround" headphones sound darn good. The "full open air" drivers used are the same as the ones on my own favorite, the MDR-F1. But they aren't cheap at a whopping $500-800 MSRP.

In general, wireless headphones do lose sound quality. The wire is an essential part at transfering the audio signal, and some people even replace the standard headphone cord with a better quality one (clou blue/red) to improve the audio.

There are alot of good headphones out there, and you should really get one depending on your preferences.

You must also take into consideration that alot of the mid-high end headphones ($100+) require a headphone amplifier to sound decent. I personally own a pair of AKG K410s and they definately require an amp to be suitable.

Ok, for suggestions:

Beyer DT770
Great if you like bass. you probably wont find any other phones that can produce clean powerful bass like these.

AKG K401/501
Great if you like a more delicate sound. Amazingly wide soundstage, great tonal response, light on bass.

Sennheiser 580/600
Neutral headphones that are very popular in the headphone market. they have a nice overall sound.

Sony CD3000
Similar to the Senn 580/600.

Grado
Very upfront phones, gives you a definate impact. highs can be alittle bright, and they are not the most comfortable headphone either.

Audio Technica W1000
Probably the best looking headphones I've ever seen, with a polished wood finish. Good sound quality, but somewhat overpriced.

Anyways, those were just some quick notes on a few of the more popular headphones.

Metallica?! I'm "guilty" of that too. Perhaps more so. I am seeing them in concert next month. Luckily it seems as though they're sticking mostly to their older stuff this time around. They still DO put on a great show -- even if they are gorilla sphincters.