Sennheiser RS160, 170 ,180... Anyone?

I'm curious too, especially when used with the PS3 slim as transport, the new slim finally supports audio Bitstream.

The R-Series uses Kleer wireless technology that being used only by 4 Audio companies so far-Purchase wireless headphones, earbuds, earphones, speakers from Kleer ideal for iPod™, included their own MX W1.

yeap, but no multi channel, just up to 4 pcs of headphone, unlike it's predecessor, which has up to 3 rf channel and could be paired to 10 pcs of headphone per-channel...

Jude posted his rigs with the RS170, an earlier model for review purposes maybe?

The previous RS series (RS 110, RS 120, RS 130, RS 140) had three selectable transmit channels, and you could actually tune an unlimited number of headphones into the broadcasted transmission.

The new RS 160, RS 170 and RS 180 use KLEER, which operates in the 2.4 gigahertz frequency spectrum, and establishes a unique pairing with the transmitter. You can link up to 4 sets of headphones to a transmitter. At this time I do not have specific user-density figures for RS 160/170/180, but it is presumed that you can link at least 5-6 in a small room (we have done so with no problems), all broadcasting unique program material.

The prior series: RS120,130,140 used the sennheiser pro frequency of 86.4 Mhz. I have the 130's and have had them for over 4 years. They have an excelent SQ but tend to hiss with movement and the placement of the base in relation to the source equipment can be problematic. But then again, I still use them at least two times a week for TV. I also have the I2I wireless 2.4 Ghz wireless packs and they lack depth and character. I will personally hold off on any wireless upgrades until blutooth and WiFi are perfected.

Er - no they don't.

In Europe they use the 863 to 865 MHz band.

In the USA they use the 926MHz band.

NB: The European version is illegal in the USA and the USA version is illegal in Europe.

Yes, John Willet is absolutely correct. Also, the new models use KLEER, which is essentially a very clean, clear (no pun intended) digital transmission method. You don't hear the artifacts of it being wireless, instead, you just get a wired sound without the wires. There is no "sound" to operating on this frequency. The frequency is just a carrier and leaves no audible "residue".

Thanks for the Clarification John. It's been a long time since I researched wireless and the Sennheiser Pro sytems with body packs were to pricey. The closest thing to them was Nady. What makes "Kleer" 2.4 Ghz better than any other 2.4 out there. Because my I2I tranciever packs are 2.4 and they are anything but clear.

but they kinda lack the positive point of their predecessor, limited channel (RS 160, 170 and 180 only have 1 channel), fewer receivers to be paired with the transmitter at the same time, and their lack of range (for RS 160 and RS 170)

But it's definitely interesting to see how their performance that they're using kleer technology. Does RS 160 receiver could be paired with RS 180 transmitter and the other way around?

Any review up yet? And does it mean that their predecessor are discontinued?

I have owned a RS180 for a few days now. I am not an audiophile but I appreciate good sound quality. I have owned several different Sennheisers in the past, these sound better than any other models I have owned to date. Extremely comfortable fit. Here is a mini review:

The setup manual was very limited information. It basically was a quickstart manual in 20 languages. The batteries are standard sized rechargeable batteries, not a proprietary size.

The sound quality is fantastic. No complaints. No hiss or noise of any kinds. The only audio problem I had was that the audio was dropping for half a second every now and then. I attributed this to perhaps interference from with the transmitter and some other equipment (wifi radio, computers, servers, tvs, dvrs, etc nearby). I tried moving the transmitter to a new location and it seems the audio dropouts have totally stopped.

The unit comes with an in depth manual, the PDF is online. You can add multiple KLEER devices to the transmitter. If you are experiencing issues, Sennheiser recommends doing a "manual pairing" and it may resolve issues. I tried doing that when I was having the dropout issue.

I love how they recharge by placing the Sennheiser on the transmitter. Excellent design!!

My only annoyance is that the transmitter goes to "sleep" after a few minutes of inactivity. Presumably this is just to save energy. This is a bigggg annoyance for me. I would rather not have to walk over to the transmitter to have to power the transmitter on. Perhaps someday I will hack the transmitter to bypass this issue.

Looking forward to reading any other reviews... this seems to be the first one I could find anywhere?!

TheDeliveryMan, i just noticed you are a Senn rep. Can you tell me how to make it so the transmitter stops going "to sleep" when the headphones are shut off?! It is driving me crazy. I just want to keep it on.... Any way this issue could be addressed? Maybe a special combination of button presses could override this device behavior?

Thank you very much for the mini-review. I have long wanted another wireless set (the last pair I had was a Sennheiser model at least 8 years ago), and these are very tempting. Can you tell us what Sennheiser models you are comparing the RS180 to, for reference purposes? Thanks.

I am sorry, I do not remember the exact model number because the last time I had them was 2006. At that time, I had a set of wired Sennheiser over the ear headphones that were about $140. (if that helps you remember the exact model). I looked at the current model line, and what I had was very similar to the 595s.