Sennheiser RS 130 Wireless Surround Sound

Headphones

Peoples audio choices tend to be very personal, so I am reluctant to recommend anything too strongly in this review. Our tastes and tolerances are greatly different, and wireless audio products really seem to test those differences. Hopefully some of my needs and wants will match yours, but they may not, so please consider my thoughts here in light of the many personal qualifiers that I add. Those qualifiers may or may not relate well to your own situation.

I’m very fussy where sound quality is the issue. I approach every musical equipment purchase with thorough research and comparison. In this instance I wanted some wireless headphones mostly for moving around the house and yard while listening to music from my lounge room stereo system. I’ve read enough to know that any wireless models using a radio signal (the best type of signal if you’ll be in a different room than the transmitter) will produce some hiss and pop on occasion. I accepted this fact before making my purchase. Still, I decided I would not accept something with poor sound quality, in a musical sense. Two of the headphones with consistently high reviews (in magazines and online) were the Sennheiser rs 130 and the Sennheiser 140 models. So I ordered both models to compare them  at home.

My test equipment consisted of: A 100-watt/channel JVC receiver and JVC CD player–both typical (low-end) home stereo components. To suit my personal tastes for EQ, I boosted some at 16 kHz (to add air to the highs) and at 60 Hz (to add depth to the lows). I’ve used these cans mostly for listening to music, which usually masks any low-grade background noise.

My Sennheiser RS 130 Wireless Surround Sound Headphones Likes: Musically, the two models sound as good as I’d hoped except for sometimes when I’ve been wearing them outside, I have to stop what I’m doing and increase the volume, and just listen for a while as the sound is that good.  As I’d read, the open-back 130s sound (and look) a bit like Senn’s popular 580 audiophile (wired) model–open, smooth, warm, and most of all, pretty well balanced. The closed-back 140s have a similar sound, maybe a bit boxier, overall, as is typical of closed cans. I think that some folks (such as heavy rock n’ rollers, rappers, computer gamers, the hearing impaired, and even office workers) might prefer the 140s for their enhanced isolation, but I found the 130s, which offer the spacious open-back sound that made Senn famous, to provide the flattest, truest sound, overall. After a lot of back and forth listening to verify my thoughts, I kept the 130s. The 140s would be a perfectly acceptable alternative, though. The differences are minor.

The two models are extremely comfortable, and the features and controls are first rate. I find everything very simple to use, and everything works fine. Hang your Senns up and they turn off and charge automatically. Press a button and they tune their reception and then memorize it, also automatically. The reception’s very good, too, after I improved it significantly by moving the transmitter unit to a slightly higher shelf and trying the different freq-channel options. Remember this if you buy. Also remember to boost the source volume plenty so that the phones receive a strong signal. (By the way, I’ve read that you may experience greater interference noise if you live in a congested area. I don’t.)

My Sennheiser RS 130 Wireless Surround Sound Headphones Dislikes: Trust your own ears. If you happen to purchase either of these two Senn wireless models, you should expect some hiss and pop and hum at times, though mainly its just when you moving around (if you wander outside or into another room far from the base unit). (The stated spec of “up to 150 meters” seems laughable.) You may even notice the sound strengthen and weaken on occasion. In this price range, at least, I think you’ll need to accept such reception problems or else stay with wired cans. Period. Wireless freedom is never perfect, is it? Although these wireless phones are comfortable as they sit ‘around’ the ears (not ‘on’ the ears), I’d bet that some folks with smaller heads could find them to be a bit loose when walking around. And finally, another obvious point–bad or good, depending on your situation–is that the 130s (which I prefer in terms of smoother, truer sound) are open-air cans, meaning that you’ll hear your family if in the same room. That’s good for staying in contact but bad if you want to get away from outside noise. The closed 140s are certainly better for blocking out a barking dog or not disturbing somebody nearby.

My Overview: Both these models more than meet my high expectations although being realistic about the limits of low-cost wireless sound was a necessary starting point. No, these wireless phones aren’t perfect, and they’re certainly no match for much more expensive wired cans, but I think they offer impressive overall performance for their price. An enthusiastic ’4 and a 1/2 stars’ and a lot of brag from me. Well done, Senn and  Happy listening to all of you that purchase the Sennheiser RS 130 Wireless Surround Sound Headphones.

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