Sennheiser RS 170

All I can hear is the noise gate opening and closing all the time – They might be great, but all I can hear is a noise gate opening and closing non stop. You might not notice it if you are watching a movie or listening to a song, but if you have anything with even short sections of silence in it - such as spoken word - then the noise gate closes and opens all the time - creating more distracting noise than anything that might be coming through the audio signal. Horrible.  Show details

OK but not a clear winner – Bought these RS 170 wireless headphones for about $230.00 in March 2015. Sent them back in April 2015.... Overall they were fine, good build quality, comfortable, light, batteries lasted long enough, BUT the purpose they were made for - sound - not so good. I'm not an audiophile but I do love good sound. The sound they put out is OK, quite… Read more

accepable for general TV viewing, but no better. Its clear but not stunning. Highs and lows are lost. Watching movies with really great sound tracks was disappointing. For the money i think I would have been just as well off with cheaper ones.

Worse than that though was the constant mosquito buzzing in my ear. It was very faint, not perceptible at all when there is sound being broadcast but in quiet to silent sections it was enough to be unbearable. I tried it on several different devices in several different locations with no change - it was purely the headphones. Once I had heard it I couldn't ignore it. I Googled it and sure enough many others had same issue. I contacted Sennheiser tech support and they said that ALL wireless headphones have background hiss but I shouldnt be able to hear it. Well I sure did.

As well as the background hiss there was another similarly annoying noise, more of a beep than a hiss, that came in with sound but disappeared there after. Difficult one to explain but needs mentioning.

My hearing is just slightly above normal if the iphone app can be believed. I guess if your hearing isnt as good you may never have an issue.

Cordless Headphones – I was looking for a quality set of headphones that were cordless. Reviews were good in general and thought I'd add my 2 cents here about the Sennheiser HDR RS170 cordless headphones. I purchased these from Dick Smith for 300 dollars 9 months ago. Ear pieces are super soft, cover all your ears, are lightweight and have a very high quality of sound.… Read more

They are very comfortable. They do feel slightly flimsy, but this is not the case in practicality. They have a volume up down butons on the headphones themselves along with a power button and bass booster.

They rate at 50metres, but I have found if I were to walk out the front door to take the bin out, at roughly 50 metres they work perfectly. But if I try and go into our Balinese hut and lay in the hammock at less than 20 metres with tropical plants separating the distance, they cut out. This is what i wanted them for, and have had to get another set that was wired into the house to the hut by an electrician. (See review on Pioneer headphone). Even going out the backyard and laying in another hammock on the deck at less than 10 metres away, will cause cut outs in sound that seem to be low battery life. This has got me stumped as the front of the house is further away with less obsticles. All in all, this model of Sennheisers are a good stay in front of the tv without any cords and with good sound that I do not disturb my wife at night. Forget using them for meditations, as I find that the cut out in sound or even the occasional cut out can take me out of that peaceful place I wanted to be in. cordless functionality, great sound and comfort. cordless is not as good as rated, have converted back to cord. too many sound cut outs.

Comfort and sound quality – For watching tv these are as good as it gets. Into my 6th decade and having industrial deafness for 4 of them, hearing the spoken word is a real problem. Topline Sony tv, Onkyo amp, Bose speakers with Bose centre speaker and I still have problems. Hearing aid on the way. Nope! Bought these RS170 headphones plugged 'em into the tv, bypassing all… Read more

the expensive HiFi gear, and hey presto! I can hear every word. Magic!

For music they are marginally inferior to my Sennheiser 515 wired headphones plugged into the Onkyo amp. Just!

The freedom of wireless, and comfort that allows them to be worn for hours at a time are a bonus.

Also had a set of Sennheiser RS 160, but got a small amount of background hiss, the 170 are better. Sound, comfort, mobility

Fantastic wireless audio headphones – We bought these because there are times when I like to stay up late and my wife goes to bed. At that time I usually catch up on movies or documentaries that I've taped; but the TV sound keeps her awake. I had tried turning it down (sad) - and using corded headphones (cord is a real nuisance); so decided to look for a quality pair of headphones.… Read more ·  1

Now when it comes to headphones Sennheiser are really the pro's and these do not disappoint! They take regular digital stereo TV and enhance all of the subtle audio - so that you will actually hear just what you've been missing! HD or Blu-Ray is even better still!

And the fact that they are Wireless means that you can walk anywhere in the house with them on - say off to make a cuppa or a sandwich, and they just keep going - you don't miss anything but the picture! I LOVE them, they make late night viewing or private music listening a real pleasure again. Super high quality sound, No cords - freedom to move anywhere in the house while listening. They are a bit pricey - but they ARE Sennheiser after all. I seem to pick up a bit of interference off a nearby high voltage pole when it's raining, causes some crackling. This only happens if I'm plugged into my Denon amplifier and is OK direct from TV.