Customer Reviews

Sennheiser MX W1 In-Ear Totally Wireless Headphone with Digital High-Fidelity Stereo Sound

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

These headphones sound fantastic! They produce a well balanced sound across a wide frequency. Bass, mid range and treble all sound excellent. I haven't heard any distortion. Kleer definitely produces a crisp, clear sound and the headphones allow you to hear an incredible level of detail. I would have thought these were wired if I tested these blindfolded. Operation is simple. Activate the headphones, then activate the transmitter and you have sound!

There's quite a bit of innovation in one package. The transmitter is very small. About half the size of a gum package. It comes with a rubber band to strap it to a MP3 player. If you are in a clear space, you can walk quite a distance away from the transmitter. I was able to get 40 feet away without the audio cutting out. If you walk around walls or corners, it may cut out but if you are directly across, above or below the transmitter, through a wall, it comes in perfectly clear.

Twist to fit works fairly nice and the headphones feel comfortable. You may have problems jostling them loose if you have any jarring movements like running, but seems to handle walking on a treadmill quite well.

The transmitter can last for 10 hours on a single charge, the manual says the headphones last for 3 hours but I have had them run for up to 5 hours. You can charge the headphones in the charging dock three times while on the go but charging the headphones alone can take around several hours, plus or minus, depending on how run down they are. Battery life and charge time is the only true downside aside from the early adopter price.

Pros: Sound amazing, remote charging, comfortable.
Cons: Battery life, cost.

I have been looking for wireless ear buds for a very long time and I immediately purchased the Sennheiser MX W1 as soon as I found it, justifying that the price of convenience was worth the cost. When I received it I could have sworn the ray of light shone right on the box! Could this be the answer to my prayer? Anxiously, I opened the box and knew immediately that this was high quality stuff. I immediately charged it and after long awaited hours, it finally charged. These are my findings:

SOUND - No doubt about it, the sound is chrystal clear.

NO WIRES BABY! - The hassle of tangled wires and wires catching on something is now only a nightmare!

EQUIPMENT:
TRANSMITTER - very light in weight and surprisingly small. You can go about 15 to 30 feet without losing signal (depending on walls, corners, etc.).
EARPHONES - very light weight, sleek in design. However, they're not made for small ears. I am 5'1" woman and petite in size so everything about me is small. These earphones do stay in my ears - and I can even walk and move about - as long as I don't "bump" them or else they will just fall out. In other words, the ear buds are too big to "lock" in place in my small ears. I have to fuss with them to make sure they somewhat stay in place. If the ear buds were just a little smaller it would be perfect for me. Not recommended for small ears - especially children!

BATTERY AND TRANSMITION - At first the transmitter didn't want to come on but after poking around the DC inlet with the charger then it finally came on. Then I had some trouble having the earphones communicate with the transmitter. But eventually they found each other and haven't had problem since. Sometimes one earphone may only run for a very short time, which is odd (15-20 minutes) but after charging it again (which takes up to couple of hours), then it lasts up to 5 hours. If you use only one earphone at a time, like me, then you should have nothing to worry about as far as charging time goes.

IMPROVEMENTS:
Earphones - Sennheiser should offer different size ear buds (the earphones comes with small, medium and large ear rubber cushions to help secure it in place in between the ear folds but if the ear buds are too big to even go inside the ear opening then the cushions are useless.

Remote capability - It only has an on and off button on the earphones. I just feel that for the price I paid for the MX W1 earphones, it should at least have a pause button so that I don't have to go back to my iPod and rewind where I left off at. Better yet, having a volume, rewind and fast forward control on the earphones would make this product more appealing, even to those who don't believe in spending more on accessories than the iPod itself!

All and all, I think this is a very innovative product and I give Sennheiser a big kudos for becoming the first to come up with this, even before Apple. Sennheiser will more than likely improve its MX W1, hopefully taking into consideration my suggestions for improvements.

UPDATE: Buyers beware of the outragious cost of the replacement batteries! I've enjoyed this product for a year now. The rechargeable batteries are now worn out from both earbuds and maybe the transmitter. No problem, I call Sennheiser to place an order for the batteries. My jaw drops when I discover it's over $17 dollars PER battery (meaning each earbuds need batteries and also the transmitter; a total of 3 batteries!) Yikes! I haven't been able to find any other stores or on-line sites that offers this type of battery. It's lithium-ion rechargeable button cell 40 mAh, 3.7 VDC.

I was disappointed in my earbuds at first, because I couldn't get a good fit, and I discovered that the manual is totally inadequate in this regard.

The "secret" for me was to twist the buds backwards (instead of forward) and "catch" the rim of the "bowl" of my ear. The fit is now snug and secure, I can even use the toilet standing up without fear of them dropping in, hahaha.

The other issue I had was I thought I had a pairing problem because the left bud would "cut out" in about 15 minutes. I tried all the re-pairing techniques, and no joy.

What I discovered is that the left battery was no good. It wouldn't hold a charge, and I noticed it stayed lit in the cradle after the other bud charged and its light went out.

I contacted "Eric" at Sennheiser USA, and he immediately sent me a replacement battery by first class mail. Didn't have to register and go through all the normal RMA hassles like other companies.

The customer service experience was personal, and felt like I had my own concierge at Sennheiser.

5 thumbs up to Eric at Sennheiser USA!

As far as sound quality goes, GiGo applies here. f you "groom" your mp3's with "MP3 Gain" (free), to set the playback gain tag to the area of 91db, the MX's will leap into crystal clear optimum sound quality mode.

For you audiophiles out there (like me), playback gain adjuustment DOES NOT introduce clipping when applied properly, and will eliminate clipping as well.

Many of the Amazon MP3's are clipping already because they know that many portable devices, like iPod, have low level audio output, and that most customers would rather have max volume even with some clipping.

MP3 Gain will fix this, and you will be much happier with your SennBuds. Anyone that needs help with this can e-mail me, and I can go into more detail.

Bottom Line:
These are the best wireless headphones you can find hands down. That said, they are not likley good enough to consider using as your primary headphones (depending on the intended use).
The headphones work amazingly,

--as long as the transmitter remains stationary-

and I can't stress that point enough.
Also, there is a slight sound delay. Not a problem for TV, movies, or music,

--huge problem for gaming. You cannot rely on audio cues. It was a disaster for playing Rock Band 2--

If the transmitter is on your arm while running or working out, or in your pocket while walking, or etc., then it does not matter how close the trasmitter is to the earbuds, it will drop sound consistently.
HOWEVER, if you run on a tread mill, and you set your MP3 player on the stand in front of you, it's bloody grand. In fact, if you don't mind picking it up and setting it back down wherever you go, it's good for the gym (but it will drop sound while walking and holding it your hand).
The Good that doesn't make it good enough:
Sound quality is decent for wireless headphones (not amazing mind you, just good enough to listen to all the time).
The synching, charging, and storing is very intuitive. If you are nerd, you will be tickled by it's design.
The buds are comfortable, very adjustable for all sizes, and do not fall out the ear during excessive movement.

These little cans are absolutely superb. I just got them, charged them up and listened to them. Within the first few seconds I heard sound wirelessly like I never thought was possible. Simply stunning reproduction. I also own what I would consider (as well as others) as "reference standards" audiophile wired headphones, Sennheisers HD650 and while not quite as flat or with the rich bass as the HD650's, the MXW1's are very, very close.

I was very nervous about spending $500 on theses, but you will definitely hear the $$$ difference between these and the $200 hi-end bluetooth alternatives. I am sure the Kleer technology used by these (vs. bluetooth) is the key difference in the sound reproduction (uncompressed vs. compressed transmission).

Other perform points such as distance and comfort were very good to excellent, although I can imagine possible less comfort for those with very small ears. The "twist-to-fit" mechanism seem large even for me, but after 2 hours of continuous use, I had no wearers fatigue.

The only knock is the charging time. It took about 3 hours out of the box for the buds to charge. Pairing was simple and straight-forward.

Bottom line, if you are looking for audiophile level fidelity in a wireless headset, these are the ones. They are a pleasure to hear your music with the freedom of being wireless.

I bought these for use in the car. (Yes, I know you're not supposed to wear headphones while driving, but I decided that this is daft. You can legally conduct a conversation but not listen to music through a bluetooth headset? Ridiculous. Talking is more distracting and thus more dangerous to yourself and others. As for the emergency vehicle argument, I usually listen to my music loud enough with my normal car speakers that I sometimes don't hear the sirens on an ambulance, police car or fire truck until they are close by, and that is perfectly legal)
The sound quality is definitely up to Sennheiser standards for this type of earphone. That is to say, they are as good as all the other types I have ever tried, and that is a lot. I have some $400 in-ear earbuds (Shure E5c) that are better, predominantly in the bass tones, but that is, in my opinion, mostly because they are right inside my ear canal!
I also have some very good traditional cans, including the Grado SR225 and SR80, and those are also better, of course, but then they sit outside the ear and have much larger drivers, so they really ought to be.

Bottom line for me is the audio is truly CD quality, and I can wear these in the car without fear of being pulled over - they look just like the wireless bluetooth headsets so many people have these days. I can also wear them in the gym and they won't fall out. I am very happy with them. If there was a Kleer in-ear earbud, I would get that in a second, as that would offer improved bass, but otherwise I would say these are as good as you could possibly ask for given there form factor. Good job Sennheiser.

I am very happy with these earphones. The sound is great. Bass and treble well balanced. In summary:

PROS:
-Light and discreet.
-Great sound.
-They come with rubber adapters to twist and fit in your ear so for moderated action they are always in place.


CONS:
-Only the price so far.

The sound coming out of these things is phenomenal. The setup is not as critical as the manual might lead one to believe. I use them mostly with my iPhone which I simply tuck in my shirt pocket. The band holding the transmitter to the iPhone sometimes interferes with the iPhone touch screen. The only major problem I have is adjusting the twist-to-fit for a snug fit. The bass suffers if you can't get them snug on your ears, which I can't seem to do. If I push in on them with my finger the bass is really strong. The retail price is really steep, but I was able to find them for more than $150 less than here.

9/13/11 Update:
After using these for more than one year, I have raised my rating from 3 stars to 4 stars.

The bottom line is that I am happy with this purchase -- these earphones serve the purpose I hoped they would. There are issues. They are somewhat uncomfortable. If worn for more than 1 hour, they can become painful. Some will find them painful, others will not. It depends on the structure of your ear. In my case, only my left ear becomes painful. As the title of this review indicates, there are battery replacement issues (see the original review below for details on this issue and other more minor issues).

Again, on the plus side, the sound quality is outstanding.

Original Review Follows:
This is a preliminary review which I may update over time.

I own the Sennheiser RS 180 (two sets), RS 120 (1 set, two pairs of headphones) and -- most recently -- this MX W1.

RS 180s are used in the home theater room and the master bedroom (allowing for 2 headphone sets in either room).
RS 120s are used in the guest room.
MX W1s are also used in the master bedroom.

I have some quibbles with the MX W1. But, overall, I believe they will suit my purpose -- to provide wireless headphones for listening to TV in bed (but only when paired with the RS 180 transmitter). Others may or may not be happy with this purchase. The sound quality probably beats any ear bud on the market. So, those seeking superior audio quality in a wireless ear bud will probably judge the advantages to outweigh the disadvantages.

1) Battery replacement issues:

Sennheiser warns that using any replacement battery but their own will void the warranty. One reviewer claims Sennheiser wants $17 per battery. Still, my guess is that any LIR2032 battery should work in the ear pieces. The worst part is that Sennheiser telephone support confirms that the rechargeable batteries in the MW W1 transmitter and the MX W1 docking station are not designed to be replaced by the consumer. The entire unit (transmitter and/or docking station) must either be replaced or mailed in for service. How stupid is that? Then again, by the time these batteries wear out, it might be time for an upgrade anyway.

2) The MX W1 transmitter is best suited for use with portable devices:

Unless some sort of attenuation is applied to the input, I do NOT recommend the MX W1 transmitter for TVs or other non-portable devices. I have paired the MX W1 headphones with the RS 180 transmitter. The only advantage that offers is the ability to attenuate the input from the headphone jack by 8dB. The RS 180 transmitter has a switch which applies 0dB or 8dB of attenuation. For iPods and similar devices, 0dB is recommended. For TVs, receivers, etc., 8dB is recommended. I found the MX W1 transmitter signal was so loud that I had to reduce the TV volume to very low single digit levels. That might increase the likelihood of static or poor signal to noise ratios.

3) The short range can be problematic:

The MX W1 has a short range and easily loses connection to the transmitter (even the RS 180 transmitter). At a distance of 12 feet, cupping my hand over a single ear piece is all that is required to drop the sound from one or both ear pieces. In fact, doing so can actually cause the connection with the transmitter to be lost -- at which point the earpieces have to be removed from the ears and the connection reestablished. Oddly enough, the MX W1 does fine when a wall is in the way. But, a cupped hand is the kiss of death. My current impression is that so long as I cater to the demands of this temperamental device, I will (in my case) have no problem maintaining the connection.

The transmission range weaknesses in the MX W1 appear to reside in the ear pieces -- no range advantage seems to be gained by pairing the MX W1 with the RS 180 transmitter.

4) Is the niche well thought out?

Clearly, the MX W1 is intended to fill the niche of wireless ear buds for portable devices (like an iPod). Audiophiles may be willing to trade less comfort for better sound. For others, wired ear buds might be better suited to this purpose.

5) "Twist-to-fit" takes some getting used to:

There are multiple techniques for getting the unique "twist-to-fit" design snugly fitted. And, it may take time and patience to figure out which of the three sizes of "twist-to-fit-pads" works best for you. But, I think most people will adapt to this fairly quickly and with a reasonable -- but less than ideal -- comfort level.

Summary:
Again, I use the MX W1 as a wireless headphone for listening to TV in bed. The RS 180 headphones work well for this purpose. But, resting my head on the pillow is then problematic (the pillow pushes on the bulky headphones). Pairing the MX W1 ear pieces with the RS 180 transmitter has provided a satisfactory, but still less than ideal, solution -- at a VERY high price. Of all my Sennheiser purchases, I am most pleased with the RS 180s and least pleased (relatively speaking) with the MX W1. The MX W1 is a great product. But, it could be better.

Others may want to think long and hard about how well this expensive device will meet their needs and expectations.

I had been searching for wireless earphones for about a year and it was kind of difficult to find. I saw the movie, "Definitely, Maybe" and tried running a search to hopefully get a match. They weren't the exact pair from the movie, but they are a really close match! I was a little wary of the price at first and it took me about a month before I finally bought them. I've had them for about 2 days now and am in love with them. I experienced zero problems with the initial set up. I've received zero problems since. I'm currently deployed to Iraq and it's so nice to be able to just pop an earpiece in under my ACH (Helmet) when I can and just take it out and turn it off when I can't. The sound is great and I've been able to get better quality from these then most earphones that are available to me out here. Charging dock is a great idea. When I first received them I charged them all for about an hour and used them nonstop for an entire movie. I let them charge overnight and have been using them for a few hours now with no hiccups. Twist to fit design fits good in my ears. I could understand how some other people may have issues with it since everybody's made differently, but it fits perfectly in my ears. Overall it's a great product and I have already started recommending them to my friends. Thanks Sennheiser