Customer Reviews

Acoustic Research AW791 Wireless Surround Headphones (Silver)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Below is a review of the Acoustic Research AW791 headphones. Overall, the headphones deserve 3.5 stars.


The GOOD

1) Tremendous bass

If you have a home theater system and you use the headphones during quiet hours, you'll be constantly pulling the headphones off to make sure your subwoofer wasn't accidently turned on. The bass goes that low.

2) The audio cables are not fixed to the transmitter

This is particularly useful if you want to use longer or better quality cables. However, given the limitations of using RF transmission, it's doubtful that better quality cables would improve the sound quality.


The NEUTRAL

1) Sound clarity

One of the biggest complaints about RF headphones has to do with static.

However, under certain conditions, this can be the fault of the audio source, not the headphones.

If you're using a receiver or any device that can increase the volume of the audio, you can almost eliminate the static by increasing the volume on the audio source and lowering the volume on the headphones.

This is presuming the audio source doesn't distort the audio signal when you use it to increase the volume.

When you increase the volume on the headphones, you're amplifying both the audio signal and static.

If you're using a line-out connection from the audio source to the transmitter, you're stuck with increasing the volume on the headphones. On my Denon 2803 receiver, the headphones are connected to the Optical OUT jack. Unfortunately, this receiver doesn't let you increase the volume on the Optical OUT jack. As a result, the headphones will always be outputting static during movies with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.

2) The surround sound feature doesn't seem to make a difference on Dolby Pro-Logic or Digital 5.1 recorded content

I couldn't tell when it was on or off when watching a movie like Chronicles of Riddick.


The BAD

1) Acoustic Research included 550 mAh AAA batteries.

When watching movies recorded in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, the headphones would drop the audio whenever the audio elevated to a high level. Perhaps the batteries are unable provide enough power for high volumes.

The solution was to replace the included batteries with Energizer 850 mAh AAA batteries. With these batteries, you can really crank up the volume. Also, you can recharge these batteries in minutes rather than waiting several hours. And as result, you don't have to return the headphones to the transmitter stand - unless you want to.

2) No audio level control to increase the volume when the audio source cannot

On my Denon 2803 receiver, the Opt.-4 OUT is not amplified. So if you want to listen to movies recorded in Dolby Digital 5.1, you have to use the volume control on the headphones. However, this type of volume control amplifies everything - audio and static.

Having said all this, I would give the headphones 3.5 stars.

(...)

I have been shopping for wireless headphones to watch t.v.
for awhile and I was very excited to try these out.
After connecting them to the Digitical Optical Output on my
receiver I was ready to be blown away! What a dissapointment.

During the dialog of a movie there was a constant "hiss" in the backgroud and the max. volume is not that high. So, if you want to crank up the volume while watching a music or movie DVD movie you will be disappointed.

The one positive is that when watching a movie, if they are not talking and it is an action scene, the sound is very good.
But, as soon as they began to speak the "hiss" happens again.

Do not buy these, buy Sennheisers HD-65. They don't have the constant "hiss" and the max. volume is much higher.

Trust me, I tried half a dozen wireless models.

More than a decade ago, my wife and I shared a tiny house--less than 700 square feet. Since I like to watch TV while I work at home, our marriage was seriously strained until I discovered wireless headphones.

In ten years, I have tried them all--and ARs are without doubt the best quality, the best sound, the most durable and long-lasting. Other headphones invariably died after a few months: they cracked, burned out (one or both sides), or otherwise failed.

The ARs are exceptionally reliable. At 900 MHZ, you can leave the room, go outside, get the mail, even walk halfway down the block--and you still hear the TV. It's great! And the sound is addicting--making it hard to watch regular TV again without them. The sound quality is just so rich. I have even been known to listen to the news while I cut the grass! [One curious item: the 900 MHZ headphones occasionally pick up neighborhood wireless phones. . . In our case, I warned the neighbor to change her channel, but you might say this is an added unadvertised feature.]

I love everything about this product except one irksome shortcoming: the rechargeable batteries recharge by being placed on the set, where you plug the headphones into a special charger. Twice in the past, this charger has shorted out my headphones--requiring replacement. Luckily, the warranty and service are good--and each time I got a brand new pair of headphones.

The lesson? Best to rely on your own set of 3AAA batteries, or recharge externally from the headphones. And always buy the extended warranty. The charger is a nice feature, but it will eventually fry your heapdhones unless you move to DURACELL ULTRAs. [I get about 20 hours on a set of AAAs. Not all batteries seem to work well in these headphones. I have found the DURACELLS are the best.]

Oh--my wife and I made it to our 14th anniversary this year. So the headphones have worked their magic. And now with three kids, the headphones are useful in keeping sounds of war, or politics, or off-colored commercials (or horror movie advertisements) away from the kids. Another added bonus.

By the way, each set of headphones works on the same channel -- so you may get interference if you run more than one set in the same house at the same time, unless you are both listening to the same television. Within the room of the receiver, the interference is minor. But if you walk around the house, you'll find that you pick up other signals.

You can listen to TV or DVD, but depending on your setup, you probably will have to switch the out line from the cable receiver box to the DVD player or other device.

I really wish that after purchasing and using these headphones for several months that i could write an extraordinary review for them and say that they were more than i could have hoped for and that i had nothing bad to say about them but i cannot honestly say those things. I expect quality when I see the Acoustic Research tag on any item but this was not so with this set and possibly with others in the same line. Radio technology has been adequate for years to be able to provide clear reception up to several hundred feet with voice and other audio source signals but unfortunately, this technology is not found in these headphones. I recently purchased a much cheaper set headphones that was designed exclusively for my Xbox 360 (they can be used elsewhere but the sales idea and design are themed to the game console) and I chose to use the fiber optic cable connection and compare the quality between the Xbox headphones which used infra red signal from the base against the AR radio signal surround headphones using the fiber as well.

I would recommend infra red headphone technology in the same price range as the AR radio driven ones because the difference in signal and listening enjoyment you will get are worth not being able to walk around the house even if the radio gives you perhaps an additional 10 feet. They do not go very far beyond that. I live in a very rural area with very little of any radio interference so I am pretty sure that the problem lies with the quality of the electronics used in the transmitter base and the antennae. They function, but are not on par with what you should be able to expect from AR or other items in this price range.

It would be better to go with infra red headphones and there are a number of decent names that you can go with. The surround sound that is supposed to be synthesized in the circuitry is not noticably different in that you can tell when it switches to it but it does not give you a surround feel. Well, at least they are very comfortable even if you can set your watch by the static pulses.

I bought my AW791 from Ebay a year ago and all I can say is it's money well spent. It sells for about $200 but I got mine cheap for $120. I had a problem with to much hiss at first, but it went away as I continued to use it. I also tried different types of connections and cables and I had to settle for Monster Cables. I found out that utilizing the Digital Coax or Optical input jacks at the back of the unit, combined with FULLY CHARGED batteries, (this is very important) would eliminate the hiss. It has Dolby Digital capability so I use the Surround Sound when I'm watching a movie and switch to Dolby Stereo whenever I want to just listen to music. The Bass is hefty and the Surround effect is fantastic. Your ears will be ungulfed in sound details, which in my opinion can rival any sound from a studio room. You can connect 3 audio sources to this baby, 2 Digital and 1 Analog audio inputs. I connected 1 Monster M1000D Coax to my computer and 1 Monster Cable Ref Optical to my Onkyo receiver outs, and I can walk around the house listening to just about anything.

I bought this headset with anticipation of high quality surround sound wireless. What I got was PFfffttt every few seconds, and a constant desire to change the position of my head (8 feet from the transmitter). Fortunately after a couple of sad attempts at watching movies with these headphones they simply broke for no reason at all... no stress, no kid playing with them... just cheap plastic cracking like a kids toy from burger world. I tossed them in the trash with disgust. Save your money.

The Sound quality is reasonably good with great sounding bass. If this was a wired headphone I would give it 4 or maybe 5 stars. This product is not ready for wireless. When it does work it sounds great but you cannot get 1 minute of continuous play without it hissing or cutting out even at 3ft range. Beyond 30 ft its useless. Incidentally people buy this product for its wireless feature which doesn't work and thats why I give it 2 stars. If AR had had stick to wired & sell it at half the price they would make a bundle. It simple means that not enough testing was done before they release it to the public. IF AR CAN SOLVE ITS WIRELESS PROBLEMS THIS WOULD BE A SUPERB PRODUCT.

I have had the headphones for about a month and only used them every few days. The left earpiece broke off as I removed the headphones from my head. The headphones were never dropped or mistreated. The sound was good with occassional snaps and hisses but for a wireless product its hard to expect more sound quality.
I am returning the headphones and buying another brand.

I got for Christmas, great sound, but they physically broke the second day from normal use. It appears to be a design flaw in the piece that connects the lower section of the headset to the upper, just above the earpiece. If you've had the same problem please let AR know so they will re-design or make a modification to fix the problem. Luckily I was able to return them for a full refund, which is when I was told by a store rep that they have had a lot of returns for the same reason. I also sent an email to AR customer service for them to notify me of any plans for a fix.

Fist let me say, THANK GOD I didn't listen to any of the negative feedback left for this product! I bought this AR AW791 for my husband and these things are GREAT! I think alot of the negative feedback that was left here is for different item or model number because there isn't a tuning knob as some has talked about. We simply took these out of the box, inserted the batteries, let them charge for a couple hours and then plugged them in. We never had to adjust anything and got crystal clear music instantly. My husband walked all over our apartment (which btw seems to have alot of interferance with our cordless phones) with NO....I repeat NO interferance at all!! He even walked down the side walk and to the back parking lot and not one crackle or hiss. I've worn them a few times now too and not one odd noise our cut out at all.

The head phones are light weight and NOT heavy as some have claimed them to be. One guy said get asprin ready for a neck ache..WHAT!?? PLEASE!! These are the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn and I've worn alot of them! I read where alot of people stated the headphones have broke. I could see this happening if you were not careful with them, but NOT cheap by any means. I love the velvety ear pads and they are large enough they cover your entire ear.

My husband keeps these hooked up to his computer speakers (not the computer itself)This way he can still unplug them easily to listen to his speakers if he wants too without crawling around on the ground unhooking them from the back of the computer. We are thinking of getting another set for me so when we watch movies on tv we can turn up the volume and not worry about disrupting our neighbors.

I love these and most importantly my husband does too and he is very picky about comfort and sound quality! These were a GREAT purchase and please...DO NOT be afraid to get these! I think the negative feedback was left on the wrong product. These are AWESOME!! 5 stars all the way!!!!

ADDED...UPDATE....It's 3/17/09 and these things are STILL going STRONG! My husband and I still use them!!