The advantage of digital wireless headphones is the ability to listen to audio while moving around. The old style of phones need to be plugged in to whatever it is you want to listen to. Wireless units, however, are sent a signal from a central base station either as infrared or radio. This results in greater freedom while listening.
The base station is the device which will plug into the CD player or other audio inputs. This device also doubles as a charger. Where they work through infrared, they operate in a similar way to television remote controls. A limiting factor in infrared, however, is the limited range - usually about nine metres along the line of sight. Comparing this to cordless phones, which work using radio waves, the range here is more like 90 meters.
It is important to realize that many types of these earphones are not truly portable. This is because base stations are generally mains powered. Given that one of the most popular uses for phones is watching TV, portability is not an issue.
Sometimes people mistakenly think that the brand of headphone must be the same as that of the TV. The headset only communicates with the base station, not the TV. As long as the TV has a headphone socket, any brand is fine. If the TV does not have such a socket, wireless headphones work in conjunction with stereo phono outputs. It is still possible that you may need a TV headphone out adapter and not all wireless headphones include this. If you want other people to be able to hear the TV you will also need such an adapter.
Another advantage of having radio wave type headphones, is being able to use more than one headset. When using identical units, transmissions occur on the same frequency. It is entirely feasible, therefore, to buy two headphone sets and plug only the base station into the device. The headsets can then be tuned to this one base station.
As sound quality is an important feature when it comes to earphones, the factors involved need thought. Brands have different inherent qualities and speaker power and bass and treble ranges all count. Signal strength will also vary greatly between brands, with greater wall penetration achieved with a stronger signal. You can use some types to listen to your car stereo, but battery life is a consideration. Some sets will only run for one hour while some manage six.
When choosing digital wireless headphones your needs must be considered. Sealed phones are better for use in a noisy area. Where this is not so important, open phones will produce better sound quality. Comfort can also vary with these different types.
The base station is the device which will plug into the CD player or other audio inputs. This device also doubles as a charger. Where they work through infrared, they operate in a similar way to television remote controls. A limiting factor in infrared, however, is the limited range - usually about nine metres along the line of sight. Comparing this to cordless phones, which work using radio waves, the range here is more like 90 meters.
It is important to realize that many types of these earphones are not truly portable. This is because base stations are generally mains powered. Given that one of the most popular uses for phones is watching TV, portability is not an issue.
Sometimes people mistakenly think that the brand of headphone must be the same as that of the TV. The headset only communicates with the base station, not the TV. As long as the TV has a headphone socket, any brand is fine. If the TV does not have such a socket, wireless headphones work in conjunction with stereo phono outputs. It is still possible that you may need a TV headphone out adapter and not all wireless headphones include this. If you want other people to be able to hear the TV you will also need such an adapter.
Another advantage of having radio wave type headphones, is being able to use more than one headset. When using identical units, transmissions occur on the same frequency. It is entirely feasible, therefore, to buy two headphone sets and plug only the base station into the device. The headsets can then be tuned to this one base station.
As sound quality is an important feature when it comes to earphones, the factors involved need thought. Brands have different inherent qualities and speaker power and bass and treble ranges all count. Signal strength will also vary greatly between brands, with greater wall penetration achieved with a stronger signal. You can use some types to listen to your car stereo, but battery life is a consideration. Some sets will only run for one hour while some manage six.
When choosing digital wireless headphones your needs must be considered. Sealed phones are better for use in a noisy area. Where this is not so important, open phones will produce better sound quality. Comfort can also vary with these different types.
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Top 10 Best Digital Wireless Headphones.. Complete review of Sennheiser RS 160 Digital Wireless Headphones.