Amphony 2.4 GHz Digital Wireless Headphone Review (Model H1000 and Model H2000)

Warning! - Potential Reception Problems - Before we go any further, take heed to this warning! The wireless Amphony’s, both the H1000 and H2000 headphones and the L1000 transmitter/receiver, all use the 2.4 GHz frequency for transmission. If you have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone or a wireless computer network using the 2.4 GHz frequency, or a close neighbor with such devices, (apartments, condo’s and townhouses especially beware), you very likely will experience some problems with reception! See more info in the articles below. If you're at all concerned about potential reception problems, we recommend you at least consider the "xdream" wireless headphone by FreeSystems which is reviewed elsewhere on this site. Also, be sure to purchase from a dealer who tests the units before shipping. At Listening Station, we have found a number of Amphony units which were malfunctioning. CES 2004 update: Amphony has shown a new model, the H2500, which is using the 5.8 GHz range. However, availability is said to be scheduled for this summer or later,(2004). (Note: Listening Station is no longer stocking Amphony headphones)

An Honest Review of the Amphony Wireless Headphones (Model 2000)

by Bill Keyser (written in 2003)

This past January at the Consumer Electronic Show, (CES), I had a chance to visit with Jens from Amphony and briefly test their new H2000 cordless headphone. Right away I could tell they addressed my main concern about the H1000 model. You see, reception wise, the 1000 model was much better than any 900 MHz RF cordless headphones I had heard. But sound quality wise, to this headphone reviewer’s ears, the 1000 model sounded muffled. Before even having the chance to test the H2000 model at my home, I could hear that the H2000 model was going to be a possible answer to my search for a cordless headphone with both good transmission and good sound quality!

Amphony H2000 Description: The headset of the H2000 model looks almost identical to the H1000. The notable exception being the earpad material. It’s a soft, velvety type of material that feels quite comfy, (the 1000 model had a leatherette type of material which is actually OK... but the velvety material is nicer for longer listening sessions). The weight and feel on the headset is good, I’ve worn better, but have also tried out worse. The transmitter has also changed from the 1000 series. A sleek, silvery look gives it a futuristic look. But other notable changes are a knob for adjusting the output level, (given an analog input, you can tweak the sound), and there is an electrical and optical digital input for connecting directly to a digital out, (common these days on DVD players and some receivers and CD players). The transmitter still has the standard analog input of right and left RCA type plugs. And a “data out” plug for use with other Amphony products, (none of which seem to be available at this time). Two pairs of Ni-MH are included which can be charged in the transmitter unit.

And the Sound..... My pet peeve about so many cordless headphones is not only do they have bothersome reception filled with intermittent static, but they usually employ bad sounding drivers! In other words, mass manufacturers trying to sell a gimmicky product to unsuspecting masses! Even some notable big name headphone manufacturers, (including two biggies with names starting with an “S”), scrimp in this department. And, Amphony’s H1000 offers only acceptable sound quality for this reason. The H2000 is much better. No, it’s still not Grado quality, it’s a “Closed” design after all, (closed headphones don't offer quite as natural of a sound as do open headphones). But compared to virtually any wireless headphone I’ve tried, (which are virtually all closed headphones), the H2000 Amphony has actually addressed including good sounding drivers. The result is a good sounding, cordless headphone that I am willing to use to listen to music, (I can watch TV with a mediocre sounding headphone, but this reviewer needs better quality sound to listen to music).

Transmission Wise.... The transmission quality is about the same as the 1000 models. In my test location, (a house which usually has no competing devices to mess with the reception), I can usually go 30 to 40 feet away with great reception. Maybe a bit further. I am sure given no walls and direct line of sight, the transmission could go further as Amphony suggests. And just in case you have not yet read my review of the H1000 and don’t know the details, the signal is transmitted “digitally” and converted to analog in the headset. The result being, if you get a good signal, sound quality can match a corded headphone, (900 MHz cordless headphones could never consistently do this...moving around almost always causes static). But once again I warn.... we’re talking RF (radio frequency) transmission here! RF signals are subject to interference by outside forces you sometimes have no control over. If your listening area is a house with neighbors a decent distance away, the Amphony’s may be an answer to your wireless needs. But if you live in an apartment, condo, townhouse... or are just close to neighbors, you may not have control over devices which could render your Amphony’s virtually useless! We have found 2.4 GHz phones and wireless computer networks using the 2.4 GHz frequencies to be the main source of interference. Microwaves can also cause problems, both ovens and microwaves used for transmissions, (don’t ask me to explain this, but at the convention center at CES, outside sources caused reception problems the first time I heard an Amphony). Don’t get me wrong. The Amphony offers excellent reception given no competition for the 2.4 GHz frequency! Just want you to know of potential reception problems. (FYI, the 2000 headset seems to work with a 1000 transmitter, but the 1000 headset does not seem to work with the 2000 transmitter.)

H2000 Vs xdream: Elsewhere on this site, I have reviewed the “xdream” by FreeSystems. Sound quality wise, it was easily better than the Amphony H1000. And reception quality wise, it’s almost flawless. The catch is, it’s infrared which requires a direct line of sight and is limited to about 25 feet. Yes, it does transmit a digital signal and convert it to analog for your ears to hear... but it can’t transmit through walls. If your listening location allows for good Amphony reception, the sound quality of the H2000 is better than the xdream by a bit. The xdream was a bit lacking in the midrange and highs, and the H2000 is quite good in all ranges.

Digital Input.... I have only tried this feature once. I connected the transmitter up directly to a CD player with an optical “Digital Out.” It worked without a hitch. Sound quality was quite good. But I don’t know if the headphone quality, or the average persons listening habits makes such a connection all that helpful? If I want super great sound quality from a headphone, I use a corded Grado and a high quality headphone amp.

Conclusion: Amphony has delivered a product that exceeds most other cordless headphones in both reception quality and sound quality. If you live in a house with no electronics competing for the 2.4 GHz frequency, (or control those products that do), and need a cordless headphone that transmits through walls, the H2000 might be the answer to your needs? The H1000 model is adequate for TV or casual listening, but the H2000 offers much better sound quality. If you’re at all concerned about possible reception problems, and an infrared direct line of site wireless headphone might satisfy your cordless headphone needs, you may wish to check out the xdream headphone by FreeSystems.

An Honest Review of the Amphony Wireless Headphones (Model 1000)

by Bill Keyser (written in 2002)

In the Fall of 2001, I received an E-mail from an interested party asking my thoughts on the Amphony 2.4 GHz Digital Wireless Headphones being touted by it’s German manufacturer. At the time I was not familiar with them, but was interested as I had recently written a positive review of the FreeSystems xdream Digital Wireless IR headphones. Anybody who has read some of my headphone reviews in the past may be aware that I traditionally review higher quality “Wired” Cans, (headphones). Therefore, I have been pretty critical of “Wireless” headphones since you normally sacrifice so much sound quality for the convenience of no wires! You see, most wireless headphones of the past decade have been 900 MHz, RF headphones. While sound quality transmitted by the 900 MHz technology can be fairly decent, the reception for the most part is quite marginal and the constant reception problems are quite bothersome... at least to my quality headphone loving ears! But the Digital Wireless transmission of the FreeSystems headphone demanded my attention as it’s sound quality is truly comparable to a wired headphone. But, even though the xdream Cans are truly a breakthrough in wireless headphone technology, the catch is that it is an infrared wireless headphone. You have to be in the same room within about 20 feet of the source with a direct line of site.

Enter Amphony... their Digital wireless technology is RF, Radio Frequency. It can transmit further distances, and through walls! I first made contact with Amphony at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this past January. I had a brief listen to their headphone. Sound quality initially sounded OK, but I was disappointed in some constant clicking I heard. I was assured that the problem stemmed from some internal interference in the convention center, (several thousand booths all demonstrating electronics, interference was inevitable). But, being both a headphone reviewer, and a buyer for our headphone specialty store, (located at www.GoodCans.com), I was promised a demo model to be sent to me for personal review. After a long delay, (the review model was sent to me from Germany, via a very slow boat I think), I finally received the demo model in late February.

First Thoughts: The Amphony doesn’t sound all that great to me? I have read a couple of very positive reviews of this digital wireless wonder... but I wasn’t quite getting it? But then it hit me! I was able to roam around my house freely, and the reception was virtually flawless. No dropouts! No static! Good distances away from the source! Those are all problems I have come to expect with the traditional 900 MHz wireless technology.. Oops... I turned on the microwave oven... bad move... the reception went haywire. (Hint, don’t use the Amphony when heating something up in the microwave!) About the only other time I hit upon a reception problem was when my old dot matrix printer from the credit card machine printed. Otherwise, I have enjoyed the very good reception of the Amphonys! Even with my source downstairs and me sitting about 40 feet away at my computer, (computers can often be a source of reception problems), I found the reception virtually free of problems! FYI, Amphony says given a direct line of sight, the reception distance can go as much as 200 feet. But throw in some walls and the distance limit is stated at 50 feet.

Here’s the Honest Part: Earlier, I mentioned my initial disappointment. Well, you see, I don’t know if this is a function of the technology itself, or the result of the actual headphone and transducers used, but the sound of the Amphonys seems muffled to me. The detail is just not all that great? But, based on some past experience with varying quality headphones and transducers, I have a feeling the transducers themselves are the culprit here? But please remember, I review higher quality “Corded” headphones and the wonderfully detailed Grado’s have spoiled me! I normally listen to Good Cans, and know what a good headphone can sound like. However, if you have never listened to a headphone better than a $20 or $30 department store cheapie, you probably wouldn’t agree with my assessment of the Amphony sound and would rave about them due to their exceptionally good wireless reception!

Amphony vs. FreeSystems: I mentioned before my review of the FreeSystems xdream wireless Cans. Though initially I was also critical of FreeSystems choice of headphones in which to incorporate their IR digital wireless technology, I know now they did try to make a superior sounding wireless headphone. The xdream simply produces a much better detailed sound than does the Amphony. But remember, the xdream currently costs twice as much and you need to stay within 20 feet of the source with a direct line of sight. So even though we may be comparing apples with apples... they are two different types of apples. Both the Amphony and the xdream are “Closed” Cans, (“Open” headphones generally offer a more natural sound which is part of the sound quality issue I have with the xdream ), but since open headphones leak sound in and out, many people need closed cans for reasons such as not disturbing others or blocking out surrounding noises. And remember, both the Amphony and the xdream incorporate a built in amplifier which better fits into a larger, closed, headphone. BTW, the Amphony is well designed and adjusts automatically to various size heads. While the Amphony is fairly comfortable, the leatherette earpad material is not quite as comfy as the velvety material of the xdream. If your wireless needs don’t require you to leave the room and you can justify twice the price, go for the xdream! But, the longer distance, through the walls characteristic of the Amphony at “Half the Price,” is quite a value in and of itself! Which digital wireless headphone to go for more depends on your personal needs! (Winter 2002-2003 update: FreeSystems is lowering the price of the xdream.)

Amphony vs. Sennheiser: I had the opportunity to spend some time last year with the Senn RS60, (now the RS65). While the Senn was better than the under $100 models I reviewed a couple years back, it's reception quality is still not to my liking, (it's the old 900 MHz technology). And for a headphone that's supposed to sell for around $200, it's sound quality sounds very muffled to me. Do you sense a trend here? For less bucks, the Amphony offers about the same sound quality as the Senn, but MUCH BETTER RECEPTION! No comparison!

Moral of the Story: Amphony definitely is on to something here. As a higher quality headphone reviewer, I hope Amphony continues to market this model as their entry level and begins concentrating on either putting their truly advanced technology to use with a better sounding headphone, or gives us a wireless beltpack to give you the option of connecting a better sounding pair of Cans! However, if you can’t wait for something that might never come about, and if you totally can’t stand the wires normally associated with headphones, need to wander well away from the sound source, or just like the idea of wireless Cans, you would be better served to purchase the Amphony 1000 over virtually any of the 900 MHz wireless headphones you’ll find at the mass merchandisers!

Warning & Technical Notes: In addition to the noted interferance from microwave ovens and dot matrix printers, we have had a few customers with 2.4 GHz wireless phones that have reported some interferance problems. We bought a 2.4 GHz phone to test for ourselves, and found for us, that the phone only interfered with the Amphony reception when the phone was in use. Also, we received this note from a knowlegable source concerning potential interference problems: The Amphony system uses frequencies around 2.4GHz to transmit.Unfortunately, this is the same general set of frequencies used by the 802.11b wireless networking protocol (gaining widespread use for home users, Internet cafes, and even businesses). If you have one of these wireless networks in your home (many people now have laptops that can access the Internet using "AirPort" and other 802.11b networks), the Amphony system may be unusable.

An Honest Review of the Amphony Wireless Headphones - Model 1000 & 2000