Sennheiser RS 165, RS 175, RS 185, RS 195 - Impressions thread

[Sennheiser]

Hi @Hammy,
 
Please see my responses in blue below:
 
 
Quote:

 
1) Can you charge one HDR185 headset on the base station while listening to another?
 
Yes, this is possible.
 
2) Do these provide a better experience for movies/gaming than the HD598 or would the HD700 be a better option in this regard?  I am thinking specifically bass quantity and quality, and vocal clarity.
 
Generally, the RS 185 would provide a better experience for movies and gaming. Plus, you won't be bothered with any cables. 
 
3) What is the depth of the earcup (driver cover to outer edge of pad)?
 
I just checked this morning and the depth is about 21mm. 

 

[Hammy]

@Rosmadi Mahmood Thanks a lot for your comments.  In the last 2 days I had the opportunity to audition the HD700 and wear the RS175, which I believe aren't too dissimilar in size to the RS185.  The enveloping of my ear from the HD700 was just too comfortable to ignore, so I ordered them a few hours ago.
 
The RS series really interests me and I would hazard a guess that they're among the best wireless headphones on the market.  I hope you can chat to the men in white coats and transfer the cup shape from the 700/800 line to the next wireless series. 

 

[Sennheiser]

Congrats on your purchase, @Hammy! I'll be sure to forward your message to the 'men in white coats'! 

 

 

[HonderdProcent]

Hi, I have an RS185 for several months now and enjoying them with my TV. Now I have dumped my gaming headset and bought an seperate mic and would like to use the RS185 also with my PC. 
 
What is the best way to connect 2 devices? The solution that I now have is pc hdmi out (video/sound) --> tv hdmi in (video/sound)--> tv spdif out --> rs185 spdif in
The only annoying thing is that every time I want sound from my PC, the tv has to be turned on. (from stand by) 

 

[Hammy]

  Congrats on your purchase, @Hammy! I'll be sure to forward your message to the 'men in white coats'! 

 

 
Welp, won't go into too many details but as Amazon sent me an open-box HD700 I decided to return it and...
 

 
32 hours charging ahead of me.. can hardly hold in the excitement. 

 

[Hammy]

I know these are essentially a plug and play solution but I can't help lust after a little more play.  I find the stock pads to be filled with material that sounds like a crackly shopping bag.
 
So... RS185 with HM5 pads?  RS185 with HM5 pads!
 

 
As you can see from the pictures, this involved removing the original pad from the baseplate.  There is a strip of glue in two places holding the stock pad onto the baseplate, so removing it may void your warranty but I see it as being completely reversible.  My Brainwavz HM5 pads had already been used on a Fidelio X2, so fitting them to these slightly smaller cups wasn't a challenge.  This is a proof of concept more than anything - comfort is increased, sound quality is about the same.  YMMV and all that.

 

[footplate]

Following up on my post in this thread a few months ago, I am back with a 3 months (and many hundreds of hours) update on my original RS 185 impressions.
 
I love these headphones !  They definitely deserve more attention than they seem to be getting.
 
My HD 600s have seen little use these last few months. In my original post I said the RS 185s were not in the same ballpark as the HD 600s in terms of sound quality.  I would still give the points to the HD 600s, however, the RS 185s have really opened up with a bit of use, and with a little equalization to tame the overly exuberant mid bass they now sound pretty good to me.  
 
Comfort wise, I have been able to stretch the RS 185s to reduce the clamping pressure (they have a metal headband which facilitates such stretching). And once one gets used to the freedom of cordless listening it's hard to put up with a cable. My only remaining gripe is that I wish the ear pads were just a little larger (I haven't been able to do much about my big ears).

 

[Hammy]

  Following up on my post in this thread a few months ago, I am back with a 3 months (and many hundreds of hours) update on my original RS 185 impressions.
 
I love these headphones !  They definitely deserve more attention than they seem to be getting.
 
My HD 600s have seen little use these last few months. In my original post I said the RS 185s were not in the same ballpark as the HD 600s in terms of sound quality.  I would still give the points to the HD 600s, however, the RS 185s have really opened up with a bit of use, and with a little equalization to tame the overly exuberant mid bass they now sound pretty good to me.  
 
Comfort wise, I have been able to stretch the RS 185s to reduce the clamping pressure (they have a metal headband which facilitates such stretching). And once one gets used to the freedom of cordless listening it's hard to put up with a cable. My only remaining gripe is that I wish the ear pads were just a little larger (I haven't been able to do much about my big ears).

 
Great to hear from someone with similar impressions to mine.  I am trying to live without EQing the midbass but sometimes I think it may be a little too prominent for my tastes.
 
You're 100% sure that the concealed part of the headband is metal?  I would like to stretch it a little but I don't want to end up with 2 headbands

.  I've also been suffering from hotspots where the two pleather pads touch my scalp.. thinking of a solution for that.  I love the pads I mentioned in my previous post and my partner who usually isn't picky about these things also agrees they're more comfortable.  I have some red pleathers on the way for me/her.
 
Since getting the RS185, I have listed my beloved HD598 and (not so beloved) X2 for sale.  It's definitely true - once you go wireless, you can never go back.

 

[footplate]

   
:
:
 
You're 100% sure that the concealed part of the headband is metal?  I would like to stretch it a little but I don't want to end up with 2 headbands

. 
:
 

 
 
Sorry, I should have been more specific.. I extended the metal headbands as far as possible, then applied gentle pressure just to the exposed metal sections using my fingers.   I was careful not to stress the central (pleather covered) section of the headband.   I did this a number of times over a number of days, until I was happy with the fit.  
 
I have not experienced the hot spots reported by Hammy, and some other users.
 
Just for info, my equalization settings are as follows (Hz/db):      31/-1  62/-2 125/-2  250/0  500/+1  1k/+2    2k/+2    4k/+2   8k/0  16k/0 

 

[Hammy]

As promised, RS 185 now available in Cherry (Lipstick?!) Red!
 

 
Quote:

  I have not experienced the hot spots reported by Hammy, and some other users.

 
I have managed to drastically alleviate the hot spots I experienced.  I was originally wearing them on too long of a setting which created more 'pull down' pressure on top of my head.  The trick is to wear them more snugly so that the pressure is more evenly distributed between around your ears and the top of your head.  I've been wearing them 6-8 hours a day for the last few weeks and I'd now class them as being very comfortable.

 

[Rayansb]

What exactly is the difference between the RS 175 and the RS 185 aside from the latter being open back? I'm going to use the set for watching movies, which is better suited for that purpose? Thanks. 

 

[Hammy]

  What exactly is the difference between the RS 175 and the RS 185 aside from the latter being open back? I'm going to use the set for watching movies, which is better suited for that purpose? Thanks. 

 
This chart was posted a few pages back, it pretty much shows all the main differences.  One thing omitted is the obvious fact that the RS 175 have pleather earpads and the RS 185 have velour, if that matters for you.
 
Your choice should also depend how you plan to connect them to your source.  If you plan on only using digital, for example, the fancy ALC/MLC on the RS 185 would be redundant.
 
Sennheiser clearly targets the 175 for the purpose of watching movies, but the faux surround and bass boost are largely a gimmick.  FWIW I use the RS 185 almost exclusively for TV/movies and couldn't be more happy. My choice was based off the fact that I prefer open headphones and need to hear what's going on around me, along with this in-depth review stating the differences between both models (TL;DR: RS 175 = "huge flop").
 
Hope that helps.

 

[Rayansb]

Thank you! I've decided to go with the RS 185! 

 

[AtrafCreez]

Hi, I have  Sennheiser RS 180 and RS 195 wireless headphones.  Can I benefit from any of the external audio cards ? http://azcomputerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Optimal-Shop-USB-20-External-81-Channel-3D-Virtual-Audio-Sound-Card-Adapter-PC-Black-0-1.jpg  he Would any such external soundcards effect the surround sound of my wireless headphones?
Thanks  .    http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/280-2498688-1329132?url=search-alias%3Dcomputers&field-keywords=7.1+USB+External+Stereo+Sound+card )   ( I run all my audi through a desktop pc) https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQE-Ce8gVNqmCXw8_Rj2NeE2_Ef1OaS4fiGTEJgLsFxkOeh-BLq   

 

[Hammy]

  Hi, I have the RS 180 and RS 195.  Would any such external soundcards effect the surround sound of my wireless headphones?
Thanks   http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/280-2498688-1329132?url=search-alias%3Dcomputers&field-keywords=7.1+USB+External+Stereo+Sound+card

 
The short answer is yes, probably.
 
The long answer is yes, probably, if they include some sort of virtualization software then you can simulate surround sound which will be decoded and then amplified by your base station.  You'll obviously be stuck using your analog inputs doing this, unless you pick one with digital out.  If your goal is to improve the surround feeling in your headphones then you don't necessarily need an external soundcard.  Assuming you're using a PC, you could attempt using ViPER4Windows with your current soundcard device.  This has the benefit of being both free, highly configurable, and can also work on digital output.
 
Having said that, the cheapest options you linked are very cheap, so you can't really make a mistake testing one

.