Customer Reviews

Sony MDR-RF960RK 900 MHz RF Wireless Headphones with Auto Tuning

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(44)

 

 

I wanted a set of wireless headphones to use with my home theater system so that I could watch movies while our baby was asleep. I chose these because they appeared to be the best set that was in stock at Best Buy. Overall, I'd say they are a good set of headphones. It should be noted that no analog wireless headphones will ever sound as good as a comparable set of wired headphones. If you keep this in mind, you won't be as disappointed.

I would like to address some solutions to some of the negative points that were brought up in earlier reviews. If you have problems with these headphones, try reading the instructions. There are many ways to improve your listening experience.

1) Static problems -- If you're plugged into the headphone jack of your receiver and you get static, try turning up the volume on your receiver to the point just before it becomes distorted. Then adjust the volume to a comfortable listening level using the volume control on the headphones. This enables a higher gain signal from the receiver which will override some of the static.

2) Auto Tuning -- Yes, the transmitter does have a channel selector on it, but this does not mean that it's manual tuning. The selector simply sets the range of frequencies you want to use. The headphones themselves have an autotuner built into them which fine tunes the signal. I've found that this works just as advertised.

3) Turning them On and Off -- The off/on switch of these headphones is built into the adjustable head-strap. As long as you're not wearing the headphones (or otherwise engaging the head-strap) then the headphones will be turned off. When not in use, it is best to return the headphones to the charging base. It will automatically stop charging the batteries when they have reached a full charge. The batteries are nickel-metal-hydride (as opposed to Ni-Cad), so you don't have to worry about fully discharging them before charging the batteries to avoid the memory effect.

4) Batteries -- Yes, Sony provides proprietary batteries with these headphones, but if you ever need to replace them, it is not absolutely necessary to use their batteries. The headphones will accept standard AAA batteries; however, in order to be able to recharge the batteries you must use the nickel-metal-hydride variety instead of Ni-Cad.

In summary, these headphones will not disappoint as long as you recognize the limitations of analog wireless, and as long as you read your instruction manual.

I bought these headphones despite some negative reviews since none of the other wireless headphones seemed significantly better and I already have an older set of Sony wireless headphones that are pretty great. Never mind why I wanted another set...it's too boring to get into.

So now my older wireless set is hooked up to my home theater setup upstairs running off the audio outputs while these new babies are set up by my computer downstairs running off my computer's headphone jack. I put the headphone on and immediately began receiving audio from my satellite channel upstairs! Loud and clear...anywhere in the house...no problem. I soon discovered that by pressing the "Tune" button on the headphones it searched for and found the audio signal from my computer! Great, until I left the room. Then came all the background swissshh noise being complained about. Bummer, until I read the instructions that said when running off a headphone jack you need to turn the volume to maximum. O.K. there was a slight improvement but still the background hash was very much there, very annoying. After a day or so of thinking about the problem it suddenly dawned on me that
A. Winamp, Real Player, Windows Media Player ALSO had volume controls and these were not yet maxed out.
B. Windows Volume control allows you to adjust overall volume, wave volume, etc. These were set quite low!

By turning up the volume in every case the problem is virtually solved. Audio from the upstairs system is still more noise free in more places than the headphone jack audio, but now I'm getting reasonable results from the computer audio setup.

In other news these headphones are extremely comfortable and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them for use in a TV or audio system. For use as a computer monitor you'll have to max out the volume in all places. No big deal.

Rather than simply rave or rant about how good or bad these are, I think we need to revisit some of the facts and derive opinions from there. I hope to support some of the other comments made, as well as dispell some of the erroneous information.

RF-BASED LINK

If you're looking to cut the cord and have the freedom to move from room to room, you need to RF (radio frequency) instead of IR (infra red). The RF960RK utilizes a 900MHz FM (frequency modulation) Stereo transmission method, not too much unlike your FM radio, only on a much smaller scale. As such, it is susceptible to all of the fallibilities of FM, including fading and interference. While both are possible, the RF960RK does a considerably good job of minimizing these problems. If you're demanding flawless performance throughout your home, these will not meet your expectations. In the same room, the performance is second to none. However, there will be dead spots a couple rooms away from the transmitter, as well as some degree of static/hiss in certain spots. It would be nice if the transmitter could be a little more powerful to overcome this, but needless to say, I think Sony is limited here by the FCC's Part 15 regs. regarding transmission power/range. Some tips to minimize the problems experienced:

- Place the transmitter up and away from other objects, particularly metal ones. In other words, don't put the transmitter inside your stereo system cabinet, put it on top and in the open.

- Provide the transmitter with an adequate input drive (i.e. higher volume setting on your system). It's a work around rather than a true fix, but it will improve your headphone performance. By providing a stronger drive, you improve the SNR (signal to noise ratio), or in essence, drown out the hiss. The transmitter will automatically limit the input to head off distortion. If you have too much drive, you'll notice it when placing music that is really dynamic in volume, as the quiet parts will slowly get louder. Granted most of us don't have an oscilloscope to set the correct input drive, a little bit of experimentation will allow you to find a happy medium.

- Try a different channel. The transmitter offers three. Unless you are in a very dense population situation, you should be able to steer clear of interference from other 900MHz based products.

Ultimately, the shortcomings of analog transmission (FM) will not be solved until some digital transmission method (i.e. Spread spectrum) replaces it. Such a method is simply an eventuality as the technology matures and prices become more reasonable.

THE HEADSET

Regarding the fidelity of the headset, with the shortcomings of the wireless link set aside, is quite good. The speakers provide a rich bass, crisp treble, and all round good prescence. My speculation is that if these cans were hard wired in, they would be in the class with the higher end consumer wired headphones.

BATTERY PERFORMANCE

Sony, in my experience with their portable products, has always done an above average job with battery management and treatment. These headphones are no exception. They are supplied with two AAA Nimh (Nickel metal hydride) cells, that will provide up to 15 hours on a full charge (16 hour charge cycle). If you're absent-minded, you can also use non rechargable alkaline AAA, which should provide up to 24 hours. The charging base is a little bit tricky to line up, but a green LED lets you know when the headphones have been successfully seated. The green LED goes off once the charge cycle is complete. Leaving the headphones on the stand will not overcharge the batteries. Sony seems to be very good when it comes to battery charge management and designing safeguards to prevent overcharging. When the headphones are removed, a red LED on the base lets you know that the transmitter is active.

The headphones do not switch on until the inside strap is extended (i.e. placed on your head). Thus, you can place the headphones down on a table and they will be in the off state. A red LED on the right side indicates when the headphones are on and the batteries are at a useable charge level. A note about the strap, it does feel a bit loose at first, but I have not encountered a problem with the headset slipping off.

Other controls on the headset include a volume wheel and a tune button. All you need to do to tune the RF960RK is push the button and it will self tune automatically.


CONCLUSION

All in all, I have to say this is a reasonably good product for the price. If you're a purist or otherwise demanding audiophile, you might be disappointed. However, if you're just someone who wants very local portability of stereo audio from your system, TV, computer, etc. without disturbing others, reasonably good quality and acceptable range throughout a typical residence, it may be exactly what you're looking for.

I bought these headphones to replace a set of JVC headphones that I bought at Costco seven years ago. I assumed that the technology would have gotten bette in the years since I bought the JVC, and I wanted to upgrade.

After using these for two days, I'm sending them back. There are two things that are just downright annoying about the headphones that make them far worse than the 7-year old unit I was using before.

1. There's no way to turn them on or off. They go on whenever you pull them off the charging stabd and they turn off whenever you put them on the stand. While this may seems like a smart way to have the headphones work, its not. The reason? There's no way to stop charging the unit once the battery is full without turning it on and draining the batteries. Leaving a unit on the charger all the time is a sure fire way to ruin the batteries, and Sony makes sure that you have to buy their replacement batteries by using proprietary batteries in the headphones.

2. Its very difficult to put the unit into the base so that the charging terminals align correctly. I assumed from the picture that the charger was inductive, but its not. And note from my discussion above, that if you don't get the charging terminals lined up correctly, the headphones will stay on and the batteries will drain.

My JVC unit sounds just as good, has an on/off switch, uses standard NiMH rechargeable batteries, and uses a charging cord that's easy to plug in.

I just got a pair of these this past Father's Day and after three days of use, I love them! I have them hooked up to my receiver through the headphone jack so I can watch TV or movies at any volume I want without disturbing the family at night, or while other people are in the room reading or whatever.

The base doubles as a charging stand, so they are always ready to go. The base also only broadcasts when it detects an audio signal. The headphones themselves only turn on when they are on your head. All very well planned out and designed.

I haven't tested the whole 150ft range, but I have been able to get all over the house and still get good sound quality. My only problem with them so far is I wish the adjustable strap could get a little tighter ... they feel a little loose on my head. Other than that, a great set of headphones!

I purchased these headphones several months ago. I live in a condo with a neighbor downstairs who is quite sensitive. I got them to listen to music, as well as the sound from my computer or television. I'm not an audiofile, and this is the first pair of wireless headphones I've owned. This is what I've found:

Pros: They are wireless, so I can listen to music as I cook or clean, and don't have to trip over wires when watching television with them on. Their sound quality is reasonable, considering they are wireless (always some level of static noticeable).
They are rechargeable, and I've never had a problem with them charging. I can use them for hours on a single charge.
They are reasonably comfortable. I sometimes wear them for an entire evening.

Cons: I use them specifically because I live in a condo, and unfortunately, they do work well through walls. What this means is that I know a lot more about my neighbor than I care to. The frequency of her telephone must be exactly the same as these headphones, when she gets on the phone I can hear her entire conversation as clear as a bell. I've tried adjusting the various settings, but her phone appears to put out a more powerful signal than my stereo. That means when she's on the phone I have to take them off.
They also have a really jolting blast of static that occurs periodically, I can only assume they relate to some form of interference. Once again, I live in a multi-unit dwelling, so what my neighbors do is having an impact on these phones. I've not noticed any interference from my own equipment, and I sit in front of a computer with wireless keyboard, and my stereo, I have a digital cordless phone that doesn't interfere. They do pick up signal through walls (a good thing for cleaning and cooking...as long as my neighbors aren't on the phone). This blast of static is loud and startling, causing a certain degree of unease when using the headphones, as one never knows when it will happen.

Overall, I think they are about as good as can be expected considering their design and purpose. That said, I will be buying a pair of wired headphones and an extension cord for use when I'm on the computer or watching television, or listening to music and not moving around the house. I don't regret owning them, but they are not a total solution. I rated them a 4 stars because I think they do a good job, and the problems I'm encountering are due to my living situation. In a house, for example, they might not have the interference issues I'm encountering, in which case they have a reasonable sound.

I am writing this review primarily to address a few issues brought up in an earlier review titled "bad design". Mr. Martin's review was useful in my search for these headphones because I specifically looked for the issues he brings up. However, there seems to be some incorrect information in the review. Or, perhaps, Sony has resolved their design issues since this review.

1. Headphone actually includes, in my opinion, a pretty nice auto-on-off feature. If you look at the picture of the headphone, you will notice two (2) straps that go over the head. The strap closest to the head is actually an on/off switch. As soon as you put the headphone on, the strap gently gets pulled turning the headphone on. It turns off when you take off the headphone. Works quite well!

2. I would agree that you have to "settle" the headphone onto the charging base for it to start charging. But I have not found it to be a challenge. There is an indicator light in the front of the base. It stays red if the headphone is not set on it correctly (and not charging). The light turns green when the headphone is being charged. The light turns off when the batteries are charged.

In general, I have been quite happy with the headphone. The quality of sound and range of the reception is quite robust. The only complaint I have about this product is the lack of documentation. For example, the above two points about "charging" and "auto on/off" were things I had to experiment and discover on my own. Sony should include some user information with a description of these features.

All the other features are great, except for the noise. Even the sound is good but it is once again ruined by the static. Returning mine right away.

I've had great luck with these headphones and, for the most part, I second all the good points in the other personal reviews. Just a couple of tips:

The battery issue: A web search for these batteries only turned up one source - at over $25 for a pair of AAAs! Searching Sony's site comes up blank. I think it's criminal for Sony to do that to us, but there is a solution. Regular Ni-mh batteries will work in the holders if you rig up something to hold the little switches inside the batter compartment closed. Sony wants to make sure you use their (low amp) proprietary, square-ended batteries, so they have little "hooks" at the negative end of each battery position. I cut a little rectangle of thin but rigid plastic to hold these hooks out of the way, and better quality rechargables work fine. WARNING: Do not put normal (alkaline, etc.) batteries in and place the headphones back on the base. At best, you could lose the headphones. At worst, maybe burn down the house. You've been warned.

The reception issue: I had wonderful reception for quite a while and suddenly started getting scratchy, iffy reception. Thinking it was the batteries going bad, I rigged up new and better ones (see above). Then I noticed that the noise filter had been switched on (on the base). I also found that someone else in the house had a set of wireless headphones on their computer. Turning off the noise filter (Go figure!?) and finding an exclusive channel solved all the problems, and I'm enjoying these immensely again!

These are the most comfortable headphones I've had - with or without wires.

Hope it helps...

I purchased these Sony headphones today to replace a pair of Radio Shack wireless headphones. My experience with the Sony headphones is quite negative so far. Given the wide variance in reviews of this product, it would be reasonable to conclude that this is an inconsistent product with an unreliable design.

The Radio Shack headphones were $50. They used a set of red LEDs for transmission (requiring line-of-sight at all times), and worked quite well until the transmitter failed. The Radio Shack headphones failed within six months of purchase, so I decided to buy the $99 Sony headphones expecting better quality and a longer warantee.

The Sony headphones are practically useless. I will probably return them tomorrow unless I can figure out a way to make them work better. The signal drops out frequently and static is annoyingly present, even with line-of-sight use in the same room. Some of the other reviewers suggest "maxing the volume," but I'm using the line-out from my cable box which has no volume control. This setup worked fine for my previous (cheaper) wireless headphones. It should work for these as well. Even if I can find some way around the flaws, if they were properly designed then I wouldn't have to!

If you are willing to spend $99 on these junky headphones, you could probably afford to spend a bit more to get a pair of Amphony wireless headphones which use digital wireless with error control to eliminate static forever.