Sennheiser RS140 Wireless Headphones

Posted 07/07/2005 at 3:22pm | by

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We dig headphones because we can listen to music and games at max volume without the risk of annoyed co-workers chucking a stapler at our heads. Headphones have one major drawback, however: the audio cable that chains you to the source. Sennheiser’s RS140 wireless headphones do away with the tether, but at the expense of crystal-clear sound.

Sennheiser’s decision to relay audio using a radio signal (in the narrow range of 926-to-928MHz), instead of line-of-sight infrared, means you can walk all over the house without interrupting the music streaming into your ears. But even with nothing playing, these ‘phones are noisy. The transmitter features a “noise gate” function that reduces hiss, but it never completely eliminates it.

The hiss was most noticeable when there was no other audio signal present—between audio tracks, for example—but it was also manifest in quiet musical passages and in pauses in game action. Walking around and turning your head while wearing the phones introduced sporadic pops and clicks. Curiously enough, the noise was much more prevalent in a suburban home environment than it was in the office.

Aside from the hiss (which was almost entirely masked by music or game action) and the random pops and clicks (which bled through nearly anything), the RS140s sound excellent. They feature a closed-back design, so very little audio leaked around the generously padded ear muffs, and they were exceedingly comfortable to wear even after long hours of gameplay.

Listening to Chuck Prophet’s “I Bow Down and Pray to Every Woman I See” (from No Other Love), the RS140s exhibited impressive dynamic range, delivering thumping bass and sizzling highs without sacrificing the deliciously fat midrange of the dobro.

The headphones are powered by rechargeable batteries, and the AC-powered transmitter includes a convenient stand that trickle-charges the phones while they’re resting on it. Wireless, rechargeable, Sennheiser acoustics…. There’s a lot to like about the Sennheiser RS140s, but that background noise will leave audiophiles reluctant to cut the cord.
—Michael Brown

SATELLITE RADIO: No wires; charger cradle integrated into the headphone stand.

AM RADIO: Background hiss, pops, and clicks.

Month Reviewed: August 2005
Verdict: 6
URL: www.sennheiserusa.com