[Fornax]

 
Welcome @Fornax
 
1. You might be better sending an email through to Sennheiser for the answer to that question. I have heard that the old models (160, 170, 180) were interchangeable as they all used the same transmission technology but never tried it myself. Going by that the new ones should be as they also use the same transmission technology but the tech support would probably know the answer better.
 
2. This thread will give you a bit of an idea about the difference between analog and digital connections for these sort of headphones. DAC shouldn't make a difference for the analog connection either as all the processing is done by the transmitter internally but that might be worth emailing about as well.

 
Thank you, great forum and informative threads.

I also read about cross-pairing between the older RS-160/170/180 series, which is where I got the idea from. There doesn't seem to be info on whether that is possible with the new RS-1X5 series. I guess my questions about cross-pair were rather specific and nit-picky. My local electronic stores do not have the new RS series, so I can't try them out. I will try Sennheiser support. Thanks for suggestion.

Since a DAC-Amp will not be useful for wireless headphones, I should weigh getting DAC-Amp for wired headphones (I just have the HD598) or go wireless for about the same cost or a bit more.

Q: Any opinions on how the RS-175 and RS-185 will sound relative to the plain HD598 playing off a computer analog out? (Mac internal DAC, AAC/ALAC/FLAC, no amp; music: bit of everything - classical, rock, jazz, alternative) Will Schiit M2M2 + HD598 change the comparison much? The computer has S/PDIF out, so that could/would be used on the RS-175/185. I understand the HD598 and RS185 are open headphones, and the RS175 is closed and the bass-boost use is fairly subjective.

 

[holyindian]

The RS 185 will be better than the RS 175 for sound quality, though the discontinued RS 220 might be better than both of them. And all of them will be better than the Sony (if you are thinking of the 1RBT MKII) and the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless. Those are bluetooth and these use a different wireless transmission technology. These just aren't as portable as bluetooth headphones as you need to be near the transmitter.

Thanks for your reply. This helps a lot. Cos of you guys here I always know my money is going into the right place for that price point.
Sir pls let me mention this that for audio I prefer my wired headphone the HD800 and the lcd-x but I really need a hp for movies and causal youtube or online streaming Netflix. I am a home theater junkie and have some neat 7.2 setup for the theater, nice punchy clean deep bass and warm sound is what I dig. You still think the rs 185 or rs 220 is something that is better for movies/home theater?

Again thanks for helping me take Sony out of the equation. Pls guide me on this last query.
I've heard the rs 185 and rs 175 at Axpona yst. Rs 185 was very good but for sound,for which I still prefer wired headphones. Rs 185 did not have Not much bass.... Thats what the sennheiser guy told me at the exhibit.

 

[n00b2]

Again thanks for helping me take Sony out of the equation. Pls guide me on this last query.
I've heard the rs 185 and rs 175 at Axpona yst. Rs 185 was very good but for sound,for which I still prefer wired headphones. Rs 185 did not have Not much bass.... Thats what the sennheiser guy told me at the exhibit.

 
For music listening the 185 or the 220 will be better. For movies though if you like bass the 175 will definitely be a better bet. This pretty much exact same question was asked by @Coldsnap on the previous page and he tested both and came to the same conclusion basically. The 185 had better imaging and sound positioning and he preferred that for his movies even though the 175 had the bass rumble like movie theatres. If you can test both (or buy both and return 1) it would be worth giving them both a go and seeing which one you prefer as both have their pros and cons. Though yes if it is strong bass you are after the 175 is the better bet.
 
 

I also read about cross-pairing between the older RS-160/170/180 series, which is where I got the idea from. There doesn't seem to be info on whether that is possible with the new RS-1X5 series. I guess my questions about cross-pair were rather specific and nit-picky. My local electronic stores do not have the new RS series, so I can't try them out. I will try Sennheiser support. Thanks for suggestion.

Since a DAC-Amp will not be useful for wireless headphones, I should weigh getting DAC-Amp for wired headphones (I just have the HD598) or go wireless for about the same cost or a bit more.

Q: Any opinions on how the RS-175 and RS-185 will sound relative to the plain HD598 playing off a computer analog out? (Mac internal DAC, AAC/ALAC/FLAC, no amp; music: bit of everything - classical, rock, jazz, alternative) Will Schiit M2M2 + HD598 change the comparison much? The computer has S/PDIF out, so that could/would be used on the RS-175/185. I understand the HD598 and RS185 are open headphones, and the RS175 is closed and the bass-boost use is fairly subjective.

 
Yes I think the 175 and 185 are too new for people to really have tried to connect both to the same transmitter and see if it works. By the same logic as with the 170 and 180 it should be possible though so if you can find them set up in a store maybe try and connect them to  each other there if the email doesn't come back too conclusive.
 
The 175 and 185 should definitely sound better then the HD 598 if it is just being connected to the laptop without an amp. The 598 is alright without amp but you are comparing them to wireless headphones which are being processed by the transmitter.  I always use the S/PDIF connection when I connect my RS 220 to the laptop. Just seems a cleaner connection that way but you do need to get a good mini optical adapter or cable else dropouts do get more frequent (at least with the RS 220). Can't really say about HD 598 with amp vs RS 185 though as I haven't tried that amp before. The RS 185 is supposed to be very simular in sound quality to the RS 220 and that was based on the superior HD 600 series headphones so going by that the 185 should still be better than the 598 + amp but this is just an educated guess. You might be able to find a comparison somewhere on the net between the 598 and the 220 or 180 which might help you answer that question.

 

[Coldsnap]

Been about a week 1/2 with my RS 185s. My simple setup is a Sony W950B, Audio Quest optical cable running out the back, and into the RS 185.  
 
I continued testing it vs the 175s. I could imagine getting the 175s without hearing the 185s and being completely happy. But once you have them side by side you realize how small the sound stage is on the 175s, it feels like you're watching a movie in a small small closet, and how muddy the bass is which bleeds over to muddy dialog. The surround effect isn't that great, I realized this after testing 7.1 software which I will get into. Along with that the 175s headband started hurting the top of my head after about an hour of using. Still though, I can see how some people might be happy with the 175s for the price. They have the same simplicity benefits of the RS 185. 
 
The review by @mark2410 hit the nail on the head about simplicity of use. I like my AV setups to be simple. Receivers, amps, dacs, extra speaker wire - That always bugged me about my 5.1 setups and when I decided to get rid of it all I sort of thought I lost the ability to have a decent soundstage without any extra clutter.
 
These are amazing for townhouse living, I can put them on and not have to ride my volume button for the more dynamic parts of the movie. 
 
They are also very comfortable. I watched Quantum of Solace with them then immediately played Bloodborne for a good 3 hours. That was easily a five hour session and I forgot I was wearing headphones through most of it. 
 
I big recommendation from me. 

 

[holyindian]

  Been about a week 1/2 with my RS 185s. My simple setup is a Sony W950B, Audio Quest optical cable running out the back, and into the RS 185.  
 
I continued testing it vs the 175s. I could imagine getting the 175s without hearing the 185s and being completely happy. But once you have them side by side you realize how small the sound stage is on the 175s, it feels like you're watching a movie in a small small closet, and how muddy the bass is which bleeds over to muddy dialog. The surround effect isn't that great, I realized this after testing 7.1 software which I will get into. Along with that the 175s headband started hurting the top of my head after about an hour of using. Still though, I can see how some people might be happy with the 175s for the price. They have the same simplicity benefits of the RS 185. 
 
The review by @mark2410 hit the nail on the head about simplicity of use. I like my AV setups to be simple. Receivers, amps, dacs, extra speaker wire - That always bugged me about my 5.1 setups and when I decided to get rid of it all I sort of thought I lost the ability to have a decent soundstage without any extra clutter.
 
These are amazing for townhouse living, I can put them on and not have to ride my volume button for the more dynamic parts of the movie. 
 
They are also very comfortable. I watched Quantum of Solace with them then immediately played Bloodborne for a good 3 hours. That was easily a five hour session and I forgot I was wearing headphones through most of it. 
 
I big recommendation from me. 

 
Thats weird, i was at AXPONA yesterday and there was a huge multitude of people at the Senn's exhibit, and almost everyone were unanimous with the fact that they felt that the RS 175 was way ahead and perfectly suited for the movies when they compared RS 185 and RS 175 side by side.
I've myself trid both of them for both music and movies, surely the RS 185 sounded better for music, but then i'd rather use my high end headphones for music, for movies and netflix streaming the RS175 made more sense for movies that require high impact sound.

 

[holyindian]

I have an additional question, if i buy the RS 175 kit, and just the headset of the RS 185 for 199, will the RS185 headset charge on the docking station of the RS175?
If this works, then i can have both the headphones with one docking station to charge.
How long can the headphone stay out of the dock being able to retain the charge? Are these lithium batteries, if so, i am sure they will retain the charge for a long long time out of the dock.

 

[Coldsnap]

   
Thats weird, i was at AXPONA yesterday and there was a huge multitude of people at the Senn's exhibit, and almost everyone were unanimous with the fact that they felt that the RS 175 was way ahead and perfectly suited for the movies when they compared RS 185 and RS 175 side by side.
I've myself trid both of them for both music and movies, surely the RS 185 sounded better for music, but then i'd rather use my high end headphones for music, for movies and netflix streaming the RS175 made more sense for movies that require high impact sound.

 
Interesting! What was the environment like at the trade show, loud? I could see how in that environment the RS 175s would sound much better. I called my audio friends over, I'm more of a video guy and use their guidance, and it was unanimous that the 185s were the one to choose. The 185s still have a decent amount of bass, it just isn't as thick as RS175s unless you use something like the Razer 7.1 software to boost the bass. There's also the benefits of a large sound stage on the RS 185s, when I was doing my testing I chose a particular scene in Vikings where a battering ram was hitting a wall. The scene was shot inside behind the wall and with the RS 185s you can hear the battering ram pan around the scene as the camera changed much better than the RS 175s. 
 
I'd love to hear other people's opinions after testing both models out.
 

  I have an additional question, if i buy the RS 175 kit, and just the headset of the RS 185 for 199, will the RS185 headset charge on the docking station of the RS175?
If this works, then i can have both the headphones with one docking station to charge.
How long can the headphone stay out of the dock being able to retain the charge? Are these lithium batteries, if so, i am sure they will retain the charge for a long long time out of the dock.

 
I should have tested this while I had both, because it's one of the most asked questions in this thread. From what I heard the 175s can be paired with the 185 station and charged. I don't keep my headphones on the charge base, they lasted a week 1/2 of regular use before I had to charge them tonight. 

 

[Sennheiser]

  ** EDIT: n00b2 and Coldsnap discussion above stated that additional amp "make no difference as all the processing is done by the internal amp in the transmitter" a few posts back, ty for info.
 
====
Short version, 2 Questions on the Sennheiser RS-175/185:
 
Q1: Is it possible to use HDR-185 headset with RS-175 base? Do the 185 features work?
Reason: Purchase RS-175 first, consider upgrade with HDR-185 as accessory 2nd headset.
 
Q2: DAC/Amp not needed/useful for RS-175/185 with optical input? DAC might be useful if analog input?
Reason: Considering purchasing Schiit stack for wired headphones.

 

  I have an additional question, if i buy the RS 175 kit, and just the headset of the RS 185 for 199, will the RS185 headset charge on the docking station of the RS175?
If this works, then i can have both the headphones with one docking station to charge.
How long can the headphone stay out of the dock being able to retain the charge? Are these lithium batteries, if so, i am sure they will retain the charge for a long long time out of the dock.

 
You can pair the HDR 165, HDR 175 and HDR 185 headphones to any of the RS 1x5 transmitter. Up to two headphones may be paired to a transmitter. 
 
As for the batteries, each product is supplied with high-quality, low self-discharge rechargeable batteries (AAA size, 1.2V, 820 mAh). And yes, upon a full charge, they can hold their charge for quite awhile. 

 

[Sennheiser]

Hello again Head-Fiers,
 
With the introduction of  the new RS digital wireless models, we've seen quite a bit of queries and a number of impressions of them.  I think it's about time for us to have a dedicated thread just for them. 
 
Therefore, I've taken the liberty to create the following - http://www.head-fi.org/t/764332/sennheiser-rs-165-rs-175-rs-185-rs-195-impressions-appreciation-thread
 
It'll be great if you could post your impressions, reviews and/or questions on them there. 
 
Cheers!

 

[nomei]

can someone tell me what is the latency of RS 175 ? Besides music I want to use them for games occasionally

 

[Aithon]

Has anyone tried to replace the earpads on the new RS 1X5 series with deeper cups like the Brainwavz HM5 pads?

The Brainwavz don't have exactly the same shape, but there is no alternative that fits the RS specifically.


The clamping pressure on the new RS is so strong that it causes discomfort after some time (at least if you have a prominent anti-helix).

 

[swire]

  can someone tell me what is the latency of RS 175 ? Besides music I want to use them for games occasionally

Barley any at all, I use them for Comp CS:GO and they work great! 

 

[Meese]

If anyone's looking to get a pair of RS 175, they just dropped to £166.86 a couple of hours ago on Amazon. 

 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-RS175-Surround-Wireless-Headphones/dp/B00SBC130U/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1431042727&sr=8-1&keywords=rs+175

 

[velour]

   
I have the exact same problem as poster above. There's a high pitched noise coming from the right ear, even when the headphones are turned off and there's no source plugged in (as long as the transmitter is turned on). Pressing the power button on the transmitter once (which I believe is changing channels) changes the frequency of the high pitched noise. Similar to above I've already tried reassociating, using different batteries and trying different locations in the house.
 
I've already returned my first RS 170 because of this problem, but the new one has it as well which leaves me to think it's not broken but normal.. I can't imagine that though seeing as it's extremely annoying and I don't see that many complaints about it.

 
 

Just bought rs170 and have the high pitched whine. Has anyone found an answer to this please?

 
I don't think there is a solution to this. It seems to be a "fault" with whatever combination of components they chose to use for the controls and PCB in the right side ear piece.
 

  Those of you who use RS170 hear static when sound is almost quiet as part of the track?

 
I get this on my RS170 too.
 

  I had a phone call with Senheiser (NL) today and they told me that the big difference between the 170 and the new 175 is the wireless transmission,
the 170 use Kleer's uncompressed audio transmission technologie and the new 175 use a transmissie technologie designed by Sennheiser.
 
They told me that they where aware of the connection problems with the Kleer's system when other wifi signals are also around, now with there own
transmissie technologie the sound and problem free connection is much improved, also the buzz on low levels are gone now. 
 
When the 175 will be on stock I for sure will buy one

 
That's interesting. I wonder if that is the cause of the persistent low level buzz that I hear in my RS170's when quiet passages are being played back. It's too bad I can't test this as I can't tell everyone else to shut off their wifi.
 
The high pitched squeal I can deal with. I have other electronics that do the same thing. However the persistent buzz has basically made it unusable for the purpose for which they were intended for me and ruins the audio fidelity completely. No matter what the source is, it's always there.
 
Unfortunately the retailer I purchased from does not take returns on opened headphones or else I would have sent them back immediately. Due to these problems I have to say I am greatly disappointed in the RS170 and unless these faults are confirmed to be fixed in the new RS line, I can't recommend them. It's far inferior to the cheap wired Sennheiser's I have.

 

[velour]

  Interesting.  I have zero white noise with my RS 170's.  I did with the Senn's that were RF before it (I had a few pair over the decade and change).
 
HS

 
Since you can't hear the coil whine (?) from the right ear piece or the white noise during playback, perhaps your ears are just old?