Wireless Headphone Review - Under $100 - Sony, Advent, Jensen Beltpack

2007 Update: We only keep this review on here for reference purposes. We have never been fond of cordless headphone products as a corded $10 department store cheapie headphone sounds better than most cordless headphones reqardlesss of price! Listening Station Headphones no longer stocks any 900 MHz cordless headphone products. They don't even stock the Amphony's mention below due to inconsitent reception issues. And at this point, they have very few of the xDreams from FreeSystems left to sell. We've seen some bluetooth products come along that are still quite lacking, (not enough bandwidth for higher quality sound). Have even tried out a few other systems transmitting digitally only to find marginally better products! We'll continue to explore.

Fall 2002 Update: Listening Station Headphones is no longer stocking any 900 MHz wireless products, including the Jensen Wireless Beltpack recommended below. The higher quality digital transmission methods of the Amphony and FreeSystems headphones has made the scratchy transmission of the 900 MHz headphones seem outdated. FYI, even the popular Sennheiser RS series and the Acoustic Research AW791, (both 900 MHz RF), pale in comparison! Click here for reviews: Amphony or FreeSystems

Oh what a tangled web we weave... when we wander around with wires, wires and more wires! Wireless headphones are becoming more and more popular due to convenience, and a proliferation of media to listen to. Since headphone comparisons are a passion of mine, I felt obligated to compare some of them side by side. Knowing that the average consumer would be concerned with getting the best sound quality at fairly affordable prices, for this review I opted to review wireless models below $100.

First off, I am often asked if the sound quality of wireless headphones has improved to a point of being comparable to wired headphones. After previewing four plus popular wireless headphones, I can now personally give a quick answer to that question... “No Way, Jose”! All of the reviewed headphones here have hiss and can cut in and out while wandering. Sound quality is not even close to traditional wired headphones. Now with that said, I understand that there are times where the convenience of no wires can justify wanting wireless headphones. That is why I continue on with this review in order to give you an idea of what to expect from the reviewed models.

Sony RF Sony MDR-RF930K - (Suggested Retail $140, avg. retail under $100) Sony dominates the electronic world so I thought it appropriate to include this popular brand’s model. This 900 MHz RF, (radio frequency), model has three channels to choose from to attempt to allow you to find a frequency that will work in your surroundings. It requires two AA batteries and is said to transmit up to 150 feet. (All of the wireless models reviewed here have a transmitting unit that you connect to a headphone output from your stereo or TV.)

The on/off switch on this Sony model is kind of neat. When you slip the headphones on your head, a band shifts up and turns the unit on. Construction seems adequate, they should last awhile for the average consumer. They are comfortable enough, (supra-aural design sits on your ears). As for the more important stuff like sound quality and sound transmission reliability... let’s say I’m not too impressed! The sound is lacking on bass, (mids are OK), reception cuts in and out frequently when moving around the house, and overall, does not impress me much for a setup that is supposed to sell for $140.

Advent AW770 - (Suggested Retail $150, avg. retail around $100) A customer tipped me off to this widely available model. He was very pleased with his, though he acknowledged they were not comparable to his wired headphones. So I thought I’d give it a try since it hits that same magical price point! Right off the bat, these 900 MHz headphones promise a longer reception area, up to 300 feet. It has a variable frequency adjustment, (compared to three specific frequencies on the Sony). It requires three AAA batteries, but three rechargeable batteries are included and can be recharged through a connection with the bass unit.

OK... this is getting better. These full size headphones are circumaural, (fit around the ear rather than on top). While they are comfortable, that old problem of ear sweat surfaced right away. And yes, reception is quite better than the Sony’s and for further distances. But, they still do cut in and out and the constant background hiss reminds me that I am listening to wireless cans. And the drumroll please............ Sound quality.... well, uh, er, it’s quite a bit better than the Sony’s. Bass is improved.... but the mids and the highs sound quite muffled. Oh well, what’s next!

Sony MDR-IF130K - (Suggested Retail $80) Sony IR Oops, I thought maybe some infrared headphones would improve the sound quality, (Infrared like your remote control... you have to stay in the same room). After all, since they aren’t using radio frequencies to transmit through walls and such, I was under the impression that it was maybe possible to get better sound quality because you wouldn’t stray too far from the bass unit, (range is about 21 feet), and the multitude of other radio frequencies bouncing around would not be a source of problems. At this price level...I was wrong! (You might want to check out our review of the $300 xdream IR headphone though!)

Reception was better than I expected moving about the room. But sound quality.... this system also had hiss and the inexpensive headphone sounded just that, cheap. Maybe some day I’ll explore some real expensive infrared headphones, both Sony and Sennheiser make some. But for this review, I thought this model might be comparable or better than the others tested. In actuality, it was a step down in sound quality. If affordability is important and you just want to listen wirelessly to a TV while in the same room, these will pass for that.

Jensen Wireless Beltpack Jensen JW120 Wireless Belt Pack - (Suggested Retail $99.95) For a different approach to wireless headphones, how about putting the electronics in a small case, (about the size of a pager), with a standard mini headphone jack, and clip it to your belt or put it in a shirt pocket. That way, you can use any headphones you like! That is exactly the concept Jensen applies with this unit. Set up was just like the Advent model, (900 MHz with variable output and input frequencies), and a stated 150 foot range. I should also mention that two AAA rechargeable batteries that can be charged from the bass unit are also included.

Also included are some Jensen earbuds with this setup, but they are throw aways... (Sony’s $10 821LP’s are far better)! For comparison purposes, I used a pair of Koss PortaPro’s connected to the belt pack. As far as hiss and dropouts and reception, this unit was somewhere between the Sony and Advent RF headphones mentioned above. Not great, but not bad for the price. Reception was better when I held the unit above my head than when placed on my belt. So maybe you can get creative? Sound quality wise, this was a major step up from all of the other models! All ranges from bass to treble were clearer. There was no doubt in my mind that I preferred this combination above any of the others reviewed. And if you have some portable headphones you listen to, you would probably like them hooked up to this unit better than trying to find a pre-built combination to suit your sonic tastes. Just for kicks, I connected a pair of $95 Grado SR80’s to the beltpack. Can we say “Overkill”! The Grado’s revealed too much of the hiss and static. I preferred the PortaPros! For that matter, though I have discovered that the $50 Koss PortaPro’s are better sounding than the $30 Koss SportaPro’s, (even though they have the same transducers), the SportaPro’s are just as good of a match for the wireless Jensen unit since we are using limited sound carrying capabilities of wireless transmission here.

Recoton W200 - I did some comparisons with this beltpack system that I purchased about a year and a half ago. Frankly, everything said about the Jensen JW120 can be said about the W200. Except the beltpack is larger, (about the size of a pack of cigarettes), it came with very cheap headphones, and it did not come with rechargeable batteries. In fact, the two seemed to be interchangeable and could be used to receive the other’s transmissions. (Not surprising as Jensen is owned by Recoton.) Since the two wireless setups cost about the same, I am going recommend the Jensen over the Recoton due to the extra addition of the rechargeable batteries and smaller size.

Conclusions:

If you want an inexpensive wireless headphone to watch TV, and don’t plan on leaving the room, the Infrared Sony IF130K will suffice.

At the price, I find it hard to recommend the Sony RF930K at all.

Best reception and distance came from the full sized Advent AW770’s, though sound was a bit muffled and bass heavy for my tastes.

Though not quite as good of reception as the Advent, the Jensen JW120 beltpack allows you to tailor the sound quality to your liking by using your own headphones. A combination of the Jensen and a pair of Koss’s SportaPro’s could be had for around $100 and satisfies my need for good sound quality better than the other wireless headphones reviewed here.