[jclyle]

Got my RS180's from Amazon today (markings on them say HDR 180). Great packaging, plenty of power adapters for those who travel internationally.

Good fit to the headphones, clamping force is somewhere between HD 600 and HD 650, closer to HD 600 (yes I've owned both 600 and 650). Headband adjustment is plastic sliding mechanism, very similar to the Shure 840, but the sliders stay in place a lot better than the Shures. Earpads are velor, but not as soft as 600/650 pads. The padding feels firmer too. Shaking my head around they stay in place very well.

They are not line of sight

I made it up to the third floor with a very strong & steady signal with the transmitter on the first floor. This was a big relief! Excellent range! The design of the receiver is pretty slick. The stand is very stable, bumping it from all angles to see if it will tip over is a lost cause. The stand wins each time. Great for those of us who have kids that want to play with our toys.

I only have 2 hours for them. SQ is nothing special. They seem to have the Sennheiser house sound. Big big big soundstage. They are more energetic than HD 650... not as revealing as HD 600 with a powerhouse amp...these remind me a lot of the Senn HD 485 and RS 130.

Driving them with an iPod at full volume, and full volume on the cans leaves something to be desired. They don't seem to play that loud. Changing the attenuator boosts the volume, but causes the bass to distort.

Buttons for volume and balance adjustment are awkward. Recessed dials similar to the RS 130's (yes i've had them before) would be much easier to work with. I enjoyed the RS130's, the only drawback was the static interference from the slightest movement. Sennheiser definitely took care of that flaw with the 180's. No way to tell when balance is centered except with your ears. Its very easy to hit balance instead of volume. Volume up and down buttons are different sizes. The volume down is the smallest. The power on/off is between the volume up & down buttons. I've cut them off three times trying to adjust the volume. Poor button placement.

When I first pulled them out of the box, I hooked up the transmitter to my Transporter with some interconnects into the R&L jacks on the back of the transmitter. Dead silence. I read the fine print and find out they are for output only?? Don't understand why they are for output only... Bottom line is you have to use the supplied RCA to 1/8" adapter cable and use the 1/8" audio input of the back of the transmitter.

The construction of the headband worries me. It is very bendable. The swivel cups that house the driver and pads are sturdy. These cans recharge when put on the stand. My concern is that the charging connectors in the headband might become unsoldered by regular use. Taking the headphones on and off I can feel then headband bending and stretching almost two inches. There is no resistance when bending them. They are very flimsy.

All in all not a bad product. The connectivity and overall SQ are the determining factors for me not keeping them. Yes I only gave them a few hours to break in, but my overall instinct was that this is a product I wouldn't be using on a regular basis.

This product may be better suited for TV viewing where SQ might not be the most important, or environments where changing the volume or source is a rare occurrence.

Thanks for reading my thoughts. I'm sure there will be plenty of followups with counterpoints to my points. Thats part of the head-fi fun

 

[tim3320070]

My solution to "high end" TV listening is in the form of an iBasso D10 with an optical input from my Dish Network 722 receiver optical out. I ran a 35' optical cable ($12 shipped from Monoprice) to my bed area and the sound is several notches better than the RS110 I had (though those are not bad). Using IEM's are much easier with my head on the pillow (full size headphones push up). I also use the D10 for my laptop.

 

[priest]

jclyle, thanks very much for your impressions on these.

 

[jaylotc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jclyle /img/forum/go_quote.gif No way to tell when balance is centered except with your ears. Its very easy to hit balance instead of volume.

User guide states that simultaneous press of Left and Right balance button will reset balance control to center level.

 

[vladt]

Hi Jclyle, Also just got a set of RS180

Just wondering if you had to bring both headphones and receiver out of standby by pressing the "stand by" button every time you wanted to listen to them?

I was hoping that simply lifting the headphones off the receiver brings them out of standby, but found that not to be the case.

Cheers
Vladt

 

[braky]

Hi,
yes you have to press the standby button on the headphone and on the receiver to get them out of standby.

I do have another issue with them: the quality of the KLEER system disappoints me. There is very distinct noise in the right channel. (where the controls are located) It's disturbing in low-volume movie scenes and music.

You can here it even without plugging in the source cable. Just setting up the wireless link activates the noise. I tried resyncing the headphone and receiver but that did not resolve the issue. I do most of my listening at night.

Do you guys also have this issue or is this normal for the "KLEER" transmission?

Cheers,
Braky

 

[jaylotc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braky /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, yes you have to press the standby button on the headphone and on the receiver to get them out of standby. I do have another issue with them: the quality of the KLEER system disappoints me. There is very distinct noise in the right channel. (where the controls are located) It's disturbing in low-volume movie scenes and music. You can here it even without plugging in the source cable. Just setting up the wireless link activates the noise. I tried resyncing the headphone and receiver but that did not resolve the issue. I do most of my listening at night. Do you guys also have this issue or is this normal for the "KLEER" transmission? Cheers, Braky

I have both RS 160 and RS 180. Both works well without any noise artifact on either left or right headphones. You should consider returning the unit for a replacement as it is possible that your got a defective one.

 

[braky]

I sent them back to amazon in Germany as another user on amazon.de experienced the same issue...
Replacement should arrive on Monday. Fingers crossed for a good unit this time.

 

[John Willett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jclyle /img/forum/go_quote.gif Got my RS180's from Amazon today (markings on them say HDR 180).

RS = Radio Set (it's the complete thing - transmitter and headphones)

HDR = Headphone Dynamic Radio - ie: the headphones

TR = Transmitter Radio - ie: the transmitter

 

[braky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braky /img/forum/go_quote.gif I sent them back to amazon in Germany as another user on amazon.de experienced the same issue... Replacement should arrive on Monday. Fingers crossed for a good unit this time.

Update: got the replacement today and .... no more noise!

SQ wise vs my Shure SE530 and HD650:
The highs sound a bit sharp compared to the HD650 and SE530, the bass is similar to the se530 but not as full as HD650.
But this all is compensated by the fact that it is a wireless system.

Controls are at first very tricky but after 4 weeks of fiddling with it, it's no issue anymore. Comfort of wearing them is similar to HD650.


Cheers.

 

[aabottom]

I'm thinkin' on these. Although, I just bought some HD 650. I'll try those for awhile to see if I can live with the wire.

 

[Sinty]

id die if they actually sounded like the 485 which are my favorite set of all time...a wireless version of the 485!?!?!?! good lord id sell my arm for that

 

[Voohoo]

Any more impressions on these phones? I'm getting interested in some wireless cans, mainly for gaming, casual listening, and for funsies! I have a pair of Sennheiser HD 555s which I still use quite regularly despite being replaced by my D2000s. If the SQ of the RS 180 is comparable to my 555s I might spring for 'em. I just wish they were cheaper. I'm also looking at Ultrasones which are in the same price range and would kill the 180s in SQ. But I would just love to have wireless.

 

[Griff de-la Griff]

I just got mine and they seem to be doing ok.
There is like a veil infront of the music and Im hoping it will lift off as they burn-in.
 
They sound alot better then the rs170 imho. The soundsignature seems more adult.
I tried the 170 on a very good setup and was very dissapointed, they didnt have the 180´s
so I got them online untested.
 
To me 180 is more homogen sounding and more balanced.
The "bass"-boost and "surround" setting on the 170 is a joke, they both sound awful.
I did get these almost only for late movie watching and gaming but I feel music
is the best way to determine how a speaker is sounding.
There is music in movies and games aswell as voices and it should sound good.
 
I didnt try the surround in a movie so it might work ok there, but to me it sounded like a cheap dsp hall or something.
 
These are not hi-fi. So maybe if a person thinks they are both shait then they could get the 170´s.
 
I feel that if one can just relax and not analyze too much these work very good and I feel
like stomping my feet to the music and that is always a good sign.
I didnt feel this on the 170.
 
 
This is all just a quick listen with brandnew phones and not the best source. Just figured I should
say something like "hi" in this thread.
I will come back later when they are more used.
 

 

 

[soulman63]

I just tested a pair of Beyerdynamic RSX700's and found them awful, now returned to Amazon. No matter what channel I selected i experienced audio clipping when more than 5 feet from the receiver. Am now looking at the Sennheiser RS180's but as I am using a Denon micro system (DRA F107) I only have a possibility of connecting them via audio jack. Will this work? And have any users of the RS180's had problems with interference from other wireless devices like PS3 using wireless broadband as I believe that was what caused the problem with the Beyerdynamics!
 
Help appreciated!