"can you listen to the tv with the mx w1" and "can i watch tv with kleer" responses

Two people visited this blog recently using Google keyword searches of:

• can you listen to the tv with the mx w1
• can i watch tv with kleer

Yes to both but with qualifications:

The Sennheiser MX W1 true wireless earbuds do have a low latency as they use Kleer wireless audio technology. However, the latency is not quite low enough so that you can watch TV and not have lip-synch issues. The latency is needed in case the MX W1 needs to switch to a different band in the 2.4 GHz channel and not have the music drop. Now, the lip-synch is minor and may not bother everyone. However, just to be warned, they weren't designed for watching TV or videos off your laptop; they were designed for listening to music, where there are no lip-synch issues. Again, it may not bother you, but please be aware and purchase them with "eyes open" if you know what I mean. 

Now, the Kleer-based Sennheiser RS 160, RS 170, or RS 180 wireless headphones were designed to be used to watch TV. The latency was specifically lowered so that there are no lip-synch problems when watching TV. 

Here's some recent reviews of the Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones from Amazon: 

From the "Great Headphones" December 12, 2010 review:

"These are perfect for listening to TV while others in the house need quiet, plus I can hear the other person talk to me with the open design which I like."

Also from December 12, 2010 some excerpts from a review titled "Outstanding on all fronts":  

"Takes some pretty fancy technology to really impress me these days, and but these headphones are nothing but perfection. I have used high end corded headphones for a long time, and have always preferred Sennheiser. After shopping around for a new pair I finally decided to give the wireless a try. I really did not want to waste a bunch of money for a lesser model so I went all in with the RS 180's and I am truely amazed. Not only do they sound better than my old HD595 pair, the wireless mode is truely the next step in multimedia enjoyment. With a fairly simple set up between my iTunes, Apple TV and an iPod remote I can put the headset on and have perfect high end sound quality at my computer for gaming, then walk away with music playing and then go lounge in bed and watch a streaming movie.

I have watched action movies, played the latest CoD Black Ops and many other games and listen to a wide variety of music and have really found no weak spot as far as sound depth. They exceed any wired headphones I have used for any of the same activities."

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones on Amazon.com >>

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones on Amazon UK >>

And as the Sennheiser RS series wireless headphones use Kleer wireless audio technology, this means you hear CD-quality, uncompressed, lossless, digital stereo audio.  Bluetooth compresses audio, which is bad. Kleer lets you hear what the artist/director intended and without the wires. 

Arcam rCube review on Pocket-lint: "the rCube’s promise of lossless music streaming dimension is exciting"

Great review of the Arcam rCube on Pocket-lint from November 18, 2010. Read the entire review. 

My favorite section: "With millions of us having ditched our CD collections this kind of product ought to do well with people searching for a modern Hi-Fi system. Small, perfectly formed and portable, the rCube’s promise of lossless music streaming dimension is exciting and makes the £500 price tag appear good value - this is a pretty serious Hi-Fi component, after all."

Find out the cost of the Arcam rCube on Amazon UK >>

Here's an excerpt: 

"Sick of those £50 iPod docks that spew out meek music? Then try Arcam’s rCube for size; Wi-Fi meets Hi-Fi on this ‘pod-friendly speaker that’s about as high-end as it gets at this size. Ready for more good news? It’s portable. Yup - unplug the 5kg rCube from the mains and its internal Lithium-ion battery will keep going for between 4 and 8 hours. There’s even a grip-hole hidden just behind the iPod dock for carrying the thing around.

The ability to play music from an Apple gadget isn’t exactly new - we’ve seen hundreds before - but the rCube could be about to offer something genuinely new: lossless wireless streaming."

And the lossless wireless streaming is courtesy of Kleer wireless audio. Kleer is not Bluetooth, Bluetooth compresses audio, which is fine when you're talking on the phone. But when you want to listen to music, you want to hear the music the way the musician intended. With Kleer, you hear CD-quality, lossless, uncompressed, digital stereo audio.

There are several ways to enjoy the Kleer wireless sound with the Arcam rCube. It comes integrated in the rCube speaker so that you can pair the speaker with any Kleer-based wireless earbuds or headphones.

Or, you can purchase the separate rWave or rWand dongles. The rWave is USB, allowing you to connect it to your laptop, Windows or Mac. And the rWand dongle is a portable transmitter that you can connect to any compatible iPod/iPhone, allowing you to stream wireless audio from your iPod to the rCube speaker.

Another excerpt:

"Cunningly hidden along the bottom of the rear of the rCube are various ins and outs. A USB port for software upgrades, a power switch and a 3.5mm auxiliary jack to attach almost any audio device are expected. More welcome is a video port that’s capable of taking 720p video from an iPhone 4 (only) to a TV. There’s also a bass button that should be depressed if you use the rCube in the corner of a room."

Arcam also recommends you place the rCube speaker on an angle if you place it in the corner. But I figure you'll figure all that out.

Purchase the Arcam rCube on Amazon UK >>

Review Arcam rCube portable iPod speaker system on RegHardware: Earns a Reghardware Recommended Thumbs-up

Great review of the new Arcam rCube portable iPod/iPhone speaker system on RegHardware from Nov. 30, 2010.  

View pricing of the Arcam rCube on Amazon UK >>

Here's an excerpt:

"Inside the cabinet are three amplifiers driving four speakers, two set into each side of the cabinet. That's a combination rated at 90W RMS – 35W from each mid-range driver and 10W from each tweeter – and is enough to fill even a large room with sound.

The rCube’s output has not been achieved at the expense of quality. No matter what I played on it – and I listened to everything from Nine Inch Nails to Carole King, and Tangerine Dream to Tannhauser – the reproduction was always a bright, clear, focused, taught, powerful and superbly detailed sound, that never failed to impress."

"The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed the Bass button around the back. These boosters sometimes make everything sound just a little phony and muddy, but not in this case. Press it and the already impressive amount of bass acquires just that extra bit a depth and power, without getting woolly. Yes it's invasive electronic voodoo, but it’s voodoo that works and pays dividends when listening to bass-heavy musical genres."

And the verdict:

"Compared to B&W's Zeppelin or Philips' DS9000 Fidelio, the extra £100 is peanuts when you take into account the increased quality of sound the rCube delivers. Lest we forget forget that it’s also very small, with an internal battery and wireless option. I have to say that, had the rCube been available for inclusion in my up-market iPod dock round-up, it would have taken the gold medal."

Purchase the Arcam rCube on Amazon UK >>

And, Kleer wireless audio technology is built into the rCube, meaning it will pair with Kleer-based headphones/earbuds, such as the DigiFi Opera S2, Opera S5, or Sennheiser RS 160, RS 170, or RS 180.

Only issue is that the rWand and rWave dongles cost extra.

But the good news is that the rWand and rWave use Kleer wireless audio technology. Which means that the dongles stream uncompressed, lossless, CD-quality, digital stereo audio. And that works very well with the Arcam rCube's high fidelity sound system where it makes a difference.

Arcam rCube What Hi-fi Sound & Vision 2010 Award Winner for iPod Docks

Congratulations Arcam rCube for winning iPod Docks Product of the Year, Awards 2010!

The award-winning Arcam rCube uses Kleer wireless audio technology to stream your tunes wirelessly when you want to (note, sad to say, the dongles currently cost extra). Otherwise, pop your compatible iPod/iPhone into the dock and control your tunes from it or the remote.

View pricing of the ARCAM rCUBE portable speaker on Amazon UK >>
Here's some images:

iPhone docked in the Arcam rCube

Detail of the Arcam rCube

Arcam rCube remote and speaker

Arcam rCube remote

Arcam rWand Dongle, connects to compatible iPod/iPhone, transmits audio wirelessly using Kleer wireless audio technology to rCube speaker

Arcam rWave Dongle, USB connection to your laptop, streams audio wirelessly using Kleer wireless audio technology to your rCube speaker(s) 

Here's the review from the What HiFi Sound and Vision website:

"At first glance, Arcam’s new rCube doesn’t seem like much of a B&W Zeppelin-challenger. At 20cm cubed, it looks almost frivolously small in this assembled company but, as every sensible person knows, size isn’t everything.

Besides, note the price – if that doesn’t put it straight into Zeppelin territory we don’t know what does.

It may have taken Arcam a little while to clamber aboard the speaker/dock bandwagon, but the company’s put that time to good use – the rCube is a thoroughly thought-out device.

On the top, beneath a flush-fitting flap, is the iPod dock (when the dock’s unoccupied the flap serves to reveal a carry-handle – this is a portable device), and some touch-sensitive controls. Portable iPod powerAt the bottom there are four concealed screws – unscrew these to remove the baseplate and access the pre-installed Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery.

And positioned at the rear is a 3.5mm input, composite video output, component video output (which rather meanly requires a bespoke, extra-cost adaptor), a USB input (for firmware upgrades only) and a power switch.

Oh, and there’s an innocuous-looking button marked ‘bass’. Arcam believes the rCube sounds best placed in the corner of a room, angled at 45 degrees.

Such positioning allows the opposed, side-mounted mid/bass drivers to reflect off the walls  –– if the rCube is sat in open space, give the bass button a push to reinforce those low frequencies. In any event, the rCube can’t be obstructed on either side.

An optional USB transmitter
As well as dealing with docked Apples, the Arcam can stream PC-borne music wirelessly using an optional USB transmitter, or directly from an iPod/iPhone using a Kleer dongle. 

And one rCube can both send and receive to/from a second rCube, so you can establish a multi-zone network with little fuss.

It’s just as well, after that preamble, that the rCube is a fine-sounding device. The proximity of the drivers means it doesn’t so much deliver a soundstage as an omni-directional presentation, but within that it’s mightily impressive.

Whether listening to a 256kbps copy of Elton John’s Take Me to the Pilot or a 1411kbps WAV file of Missy Elliot’s Get Ur Freak On, it’s a clean, balanced and above all informative listen.

Flawless frequency integration
Low frequencies don’t have the outright extension of some rivals, but bass is taut, controlled and nuanced, while the midrange is full of detail. Integration with the open, crisp high frequencies is flawless.

Timing, too, is natural and unforced, so there’s a rare unity to the rCube’s sound. It snaps through dynamic peaks with positivity and deals with the toughest tempos dismissively.

Complex or muddy mixes are confidently unpicked, and the Arcam can turn its hand from a massed orchestral assault to a single-voice-with-guitar without breaking sweat.

In short, it’s everything you want from an iPod speaker dock."

And, Kleer wireless audio technology is built into the rCube, meaning it will pair with Kleer-based headphones/earbuds, such as the DigiFi Opera S2, Opera S5 wireless earbuds, TDK WR700 wireless headphones, or the Sennheiser RS 160, RS 170, or RS 180 wireless headphones.

Only issue is that the rWand and rWave dongles cost extra.

But the good news is that the rWand and rWave use Kleer wireless audio technology. Which means that the dongles stream uncompressed, lossless, CD-quality, digital stereo audio. And that works very well with the Arcam rCube's high fidelity sound system where it makes a difference.

Purchase the Arcam rCube on Amazon UK >>

Trusted Reviews investigates the Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones

Good thorough review of the Sennheiser RS 170 Kleer-based wireless headphones from March 2010 on the Trusted Reviews website. Does an excellent job of reviewing the RS 170s, and as he's used other wireless audio technology headphones (infrared, FM radio), he has a pretty good idea of what wireless cans should sound like, and not sound like. 

Favorite quote: "It’s no coincidence that several people I know who have become dads in the last few years now swear by their wireless cans. It’s the only way they get to watch the movies they want to watch at the volumes they like to watch them without waking up the kids (or getting an earful from their worn-out other halves)."

I can believe it, especially as the RS 170 wireless headphones are designed for watching the television as the latency is low enough that there is no lip-synch problems. Still, for those who want to use these to play guitar, you will notice the latency. Still, these weren't designed for musicians, but for audiophiles and couch potatoes (especially dads with wee ones) who want to watch their favorite movies or tv shows without the wires. 

Another excellent excerpt: "The closed-back design does a great job of shutting out the outside world, though a small amount of sound leaks out, and also ensures a decent bass response, which you can always beef up with the bass boost. I’ve heard more articulate and well-defined low-ends before, but the RS 170s handled poppy electronic tracks from Royskopp and small group jazz from The Bill Evans trio equally well, and there was no shortage of raunch when I switched to rockier material from Soundgarden, Led Zeppelin and Pearl Jam. The mid-range sounds ever so slightly boxed-in, but there’s plenty of detail there and in the high-end."

So, yeah, higher end, more expensive headphones, you will get full range. But you do have to pay much more for those headphones. And as far as I know, all of those are wired. 

And his closing line: "There’s an awful lot to love about the RS 170s, and very little to dislike. In fact, my one complaint would be that the volume controls are hard to locate by touch alone, and that you have to remove the headphones to change it. This, I think, is pretty small beer, and when set against the excellent sound quality and wireless performance, not worth worrying about. Sure, the RS 170s are three times as expensive as some budget wireless headphones, but to my mind the premium price is just about worth it. Think of them as a long-term investment, giving you your music and movies as you like them, and the rest of your household a spot of peace."

Heard the complaint about the small buttons from other people, but I've also read that you get pretty used to them, so at first it's a hassle, but then becomes a bit of a no-brainer. 

Looks too like they've come down in price. 

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones on Amazon.com >>

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones on Amazon UK >> 

And as these wireless headphones use Kleer wireless audio technology and not Bluetooth, you hear uncompressed, lossless, CD-quality digital stereo audio. You can pair these Kleer-based wireless headphones with other Kleer-based transmitters from other manufacturers as well. And up to four people can listen to one transmitter at the same time.

Read the entire review on the Trusted Reviews website >>

Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones and iTunes

Had someone find this blog using the keyword phrase "sennheiser rs170 audio quality with itunes" but then bounced as he couldn't find what he was looking for. Figured this gave me an opportunity to discuss iTunes audio compression (the little I know) and wireless earbuds/headphones that use Kleer wireless audio technology.

Wireless earbuds, wireless headphones, wireless speakers that are built using Kleer technology deliver uncompressed lossless, CD-quality, digital stereo audio. This means you hear what the musician/artist/director (if you're watching TV) intended.

But, and here's the catch, if the music you're listening to is already compressed, then that's what you hear. Now most of the time you might not notice or really care. But when you use Kleer-based wireless earbuds/headphones, you might notice you're missing something, especially if you've heard the songs before on your CD player, so you have something to compare. 

One of my favorite web articles about bit rates is the What does your bit rate say about you? article on the CNET Australia website. Here's some excerpts:

"128kbps
You probably don't know the bit rate at which your music is encoded -- this is the default iTunes rate -- and it seems good to you. You're probably happy with the headphones that came with your MP3 player. But you may have started downloading free music back when Napster was in its original illegal P2P form, and you may currently be a Limewire user, having never heard of or felt the need to understand BitTorrent. You don't see the advantage in hard-disk-based MP3 players and wouldn't know what to listen out for when offered an album encoded in lossless format. You're perfectly happy with having a 2GB MP3 player or an iPod Shuffle. You're unlikely to own a large library of CDs." 

So of course the biggest advantage to using the highest (lowest?) compression rate is that you can fit the most songs on your iPod, Touch, iPhone, you get the picture. 

At the other end is lossless compression (as opposed to lossy). So when you rip a song at lossless, the file size is huge. But it is true CD-quality. So when you listen to a ripped song at lossless quality with Kleer based wireless earbuds/headphones, you hear it at true CD-quality. 

Here's how someone is described who likes their songs lossless on the CNET Australia site:

"Lossless (FLAC or Apple Lossless)
You are most likely to be born before 1978. You are the most likely group to be a Mac user and your headphones cost in excess of AU$150, possibly made by Shure, Sennheiser or Ultimate Ears. You own a fifth-gen video iPod and an HDTV. Your laptop cost at least AU$2,500 and you consider yourself a cinema fan. You are the least likely to download music illegally, instead preferring to own a huge CD library. You're highly likely to be a musician and own at least one book about either quantum mechanics, philosophy or psychology. Your mobile phone bill is considerably higher than average and you may work in the technology industry.

You're depressed when you see people on the train using their MP3 player's bundled headphones and you probably listen to technology podcasts. You may well know the bit rate your podcasts are encoded at. You used Napster back in the day, but you never stopped buying CDs. You use Limewire or BitTorrent to occasionally sample an album, but you always buy the CD if you like what you hear."

To be perfectly honest, I did rip CDs at the lowest bit rate, then also ripped the same songs at lossless. And using the Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones, I could hear a difference. 

So of course you can use the Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones with iTunes (you just gotta hook it up properly) and enjoy your music without the wires. But just remember, if you purchase the songs off iTunes, you get the bit rate you purchase at. And if you rip songs using iTunes, you can set the compression rate as low as you want so that you can really get the full benefits of your Kleer-based products. 

One last little bit of of advice. On your iPod / Touch / iPhone / iPad, rip the songs you really want to hear all the finest details at lossless levels. Other songs, rip it at 128. This way, you should be able to fit all your favorite songs on your iPod. Cause really, why do you need 1,000 songs on your device? 

Watch Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones turned into outside wireless headphones!

Had somebody hit this blog with the keywords "w-1 Kleer transmitter for RS 170" but then bailed as there was no info (so hard to please everyone). Well, now there is.

I suspect what he was looking for was any information on the ability to pair a Kleer-based transmitter with a different manufacturer's headphones/earbuds. The w-1 is the Sleek Audio wireless kit that turns any Sleek Audio earbuds, even custom ones, into wireless earbuds.

So to prove the point (so imagine the transmitter is the Sleek Audio w-1 transmitter), watch this great video on YouTube demonstrating the interoperability of Kleer-based wireless products.

In this case, pairing the DigiFi S5T transmitter (dongle) made for the iPod/iPhone (make sure it is compatible, check out on the WireFreeHiFi e-commerce website) with the Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones. It's a great training video as well, showing you how it's done, and his thoughts about both products.

The video has 4,000+ views and is just a little bit longer than 10 minutes in length, which flies by.

Also, since the video was published, WireFreeHifi has an iPad compatible transmitter.

FREE SHIPPING UNTIL DEC 31, 2010 !!!!! WireFreeHiFi is a UK-based company that ships to North America (States, Canada) and Europe.

DigiFi (a Korean company) first got noticed for its Opera S1 wireless earbuds, which have since been discontinued which is a shame as they had an excellent price point when they were available. Still, the DigiFi Opera S2 wireless earbuds (with universal headphone jack transmitter) and the made-for-iPod Opera S5 wireless earbuds, the upgrades to the S1, make up for it. Even the Sleek Audio wireless kit was designed by DigiFi, with some Sleek Audio upgrades, which is why it looks very similar.

And then DigiFi expanded into making separate transmitters, which you can then associate to other Kleer-based headphones, in this case, turning the Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones, ideal for watching television without disturbing anyone, into mobile cans. They also have a transmitter/receiver combo that can turn any iPod-type stereo into a wireless stereo. Check it out!

Purchase the S5T on the WireFreeHiFi website (ships to the USA, Canada, UK, Europe) >>

Almost forgot my usual plug about the awesomeness of Kleer wireless audio technology. Kleer, a proprietary technology delivers uncompressed, lossless, CD-quality, digital stereo audio, a technology feat that Bluetooth can't match.

Using wireless headphones/earbuds based on Kleer technology means you can hear music the way the artist/musician intended, but without the wires.

Opera S5 wireless earbuds for iPad and iPhone: Uses Kleer wireless audio technology

Here's the DigiFi Opera S5 wireless earbuds and transmitter that will work with the iPad and iPhone. SlashGear reviewed them and found it very impressive.

They ship already paired, so all you'll need to do is attached the transmitter to your iPod or iPhone, play your music, and start grooving to your music (if that's your thing). You can purchase them on Amazon UK. They're distributed by WireFreeHifi, who also ship to the States no worries. 

And WireFreeHifi has free shipping until Dec 31, 2010 but I don't know if that applies when you purchase from them via Amazon. So if you want free shipping, you may need to purchase them from WireFreeHifi, who have their own online shopping cart.

Anyhoo, the DigiFi Opera S5 use Kleer wireless audio technology to deliver CD-quality, uncompressed, lossless, digital stereo audio. No Bluetooth, Kleer is not Bluetooth. Kleer is a proprietary wireless audio technology. Bluetooth compresses sound, Kleer does not. So with Kleer, you hear what the artist/musician intended. 

The Opera S5, because it connects using the Apple dock, has volume and track control on the earbuds. This means you can raise/lower audio and pause/start/stop/skip/fast forward/rewind an audio track, all from your earbuds. No need to touch your iPad or iPhone for those controls, it's all with you located conveniently on the wireless earbuds.

Here's some photos of what they look like when you wear them. 

When I used to own a set of the old DigiFi Opera S1s (which they don't make anymore), I used them exclusively for listening to music on my laptop when I was working. I used to actually reverse them so that the receiver that normally sits on the back of your neck, would dangle in front on my chest. Somehow was more comfortable that way for me. So you may also try some different ways of wearing the earbuds, find out what's comfortable for you, what works best. 

Purchase the Opera S5 Kleer-based wireless earbuds for iPad / iPhone on Amazon UK (ships to the States) >>

Purchase from WireFreeHiFi (free shipping until Dec 31, 2010) >>

Review Sennheiser RS 170 Kleer based wireless headphones: "Best audio purchase I made all year"

Another positive review of the Sennheiser RS 170 on Amazon from December 1, 2010.  My favorite line: "Long story short, I would recommend these to anyone that wants a good set of wireless headphones for general use music/movies/games. They are WELL worth the money."  I'm sure a big reason he likes the RS 170 wireless headphones so much is that they use Kleer wireless audio technology, no Bluetooth. Bluetooth compresses audio, which is fine when you're talking on the phone. But when you want to listen to wireless audio, from music to the movie score, you want to hear it how the musician or director intended. And that's where Kleer comes in. Kleer delivers uncompressed, lossless, CD-quality digital stereo audio without the wires.

Here's an excerpt:

"When I finally decided to order some wireless headphones for the living room, I did my research. These were a bit over my target budget at the time, but thanks to the reviews here on Amazon I decided to give them a shot and I am extremely glad that I did.

I ordered this set back in August of 2010, as sort of a birthday present to myself. My wife and I had discussed getting some headphones for the living room so that when I wanted to watch TV or play a louder game at night I wouldn't annoy the neighbors, or her beauty sleep.

I almost immediately decided to look for wireless headphones for the convenience of not having the cord to deal with, or worry about a new kitten chewing through. Also for reasons of convenience, I knew that I wanted a rechargeable set so that I wouldn't have to deal with battery swapping.

My past experiences with wireless headphones were never good as they were fraught with low usage times before needing to be recharged, static from being too far from the receiver or not being 'tuned' to the receiver properly and having to be manually adjusted. I was quite pleased with what I saw when I ran across the Sennheiser RS 170 Digital Wireless headphones, as it seemed like these wouldn't have any of these issues. I am pleased to say that my experience with this set of headphones has been the exact opposite of my earlier experiences; these work fantastically and exactly as advertised."

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones on Amazon.com >>

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones on Amazon UK >> 

 

 

Sennheiser RS 170 Kleer-based wireless headphones: "Great sound quality and range and super easy to use!"

Great review on Amazon of the Sennheiser RS 170 Kleer-based wireless headphones from December 4, 2010. And, the author purchased the RS 170 because of Kleer wireless audio technology. Nice, very nice. You see, these headphones, along with the Sennheiser RS 180 and Sennheiser RS 160 and the Sennheiser MX W1 true wireless earbuds do not use Bluetooth. Bluetooth is fine for talking on the phone, not for listening to music or watching television as it compresses audio. And that's not what the musician or movie director intended. Kleer wireless audio delivers uncompressed, lossless, CD-quality, digital stereo audio. You hear what you're suppose to hear, with no hisses or other white noise. You hear what the artist, what the director, what the movie composer wanted you to hear. Couple it with Sennheiser audio technology, it's a win/win. Here's the review:

"I spent a considerable amount of time before deciding on the Sennheiser RS 170 Digital Wireless Headphone. In the end I chose it because of the KLEER Technology and the fact that it had a charging base station (missing in the RS-160) and was not as expensive as the RS-180. The sound quality is great. No disturbance at all. The range is great too. I can listen to the radio or listen to music while moving around our house (2 levels) without any disruption or disturbance. I would highly recommend this product. "

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones on Amazon.com >>

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 170 wireless headphones on Amazon UK >> 

Free shipping on Kleer-based wireless earbuds and other iPod accessories until Dec 31, 2010

Christmas comes early at WireFreeHifi, a distributor and online retailer of Kleer-based wireless earbuds (DigiFi Opera S2, iPod-certifed DigiFi Opera S5, Sleek SA1 wireless headphones), wireless bike speaker (Cy-Fi), and various iPad/iPhone accessories that free you of the wires. FREE SHIPPING UNTIL DEC 31, 2010! Which I guess technically means you could buy these after Christmas, but are then then still Christmas presents? Sure, go for it.

Visit the WireFreeHifi website to find out more >>

And while WireFreeHifi is based in the UK, they ship to the States, Canada no problems.

TDK WR700 review wireless headphones: "Recommended!!!"

Some pretty amazing photographs of the TDK WR700 wireless headphones on the TDK website. Only issue is that the info is all in Japanese. Not a problem if you are fluent in Japanese though. The Google translate tool does a decent job of translating. 

Speaking of Japanese websites, there's a positive review of the TDK WR700 on the AV Watch website. On the site, the reviewer also discusses other Kleer-based wireless products.

Kleer wireless audio technology (not Bluetooth) delivers CD-quality, uncompressed, lossless, digital stereo audio. And here's a review of the TDK WR700 wireless headphones from the Amazon UK website:

"I had been thinking about getting a pair of wireless headphones for a while so when these came up, I just had to have them. First of all, setup is a breeze, basically plug and play. You are up and running within seconds. At first I was just using them right next to my PC, which is where I had the wireless transmitter plugged into and the quality is excellent, I don't think you could really tell the difference between wired and wireless unless you were an audiophile and even then I suspect it would be difficult to distinguish between the two.

Having decided the quality was impressive I decided to see what the range was like. I looked at the box and noticed it said metres, which isn't really that great to be honest but big enough for my house, so I went off to explore. To be fair it does quite well for it's 10 metre range, but remember this is in optimal conditions and so does not take walls, interference and other obstacles into consideration, which is why the signal started to degrade after about 8 metres (estimated).

In terms of comfort, they are fantastic and very nice to wear. Don't think I would have any problems wearing these for hours on end, and the quality and build of the headphones is also impressive....not cheap looking or feeling at all...pretty classy in fact :)

Price wise, they are not exactly cheap, but I guess you get what you pay for. Having said that, I think I would like to see double the range for this price point, which is my only real complaint.

Overall a great product.

Recommended!!!"

Purchase the TDK WR700 wireless headphones on Amazon.com >>

Purchase the TDK WR700 wireless headphones on Amazon UK >>

iPad + Kleer = best party music system yet: Review on SlashGear

Article on SlashGear from  Apr 19th, 2010 about the Kleer-based S5T transmitter. Now, I'm jumping ahead of the queue here as this is only about the transmitter. But because Kleer-based transmitters can be paired with Kleer-based receivers (earbuds, headphones, speakers), then the advantage here is that it is up to you how you want to listen to your iPad. Do you want to use Sennheiser RS series (160, 170, 180) Kleer-based wireless headphones? Or, the Digifi Opera S2 or S5? You can even purchase the D&A RX1 dongle, which can be used on any compatible (make sure it is) speaker.

Then enjoy CD-quality, lossless, digital stereo audio, courtesy of the Kleer wireless audio technology (no Bluetooth).

Here's an excerpt from the SlashGear article:

"The iPad accessory market is on course to mimic the wildly successful iPhone ecosystem, but what are the must-haves?  If you’re anything like us you’re a music fan and you want to use your iPad with an existing iPod speaker dock; we’ve just tried out the D&A RX1 iPod speaker dock receiver dongle we reviewed back in February, paired with a Kleer S5T transmitter, and – despite the iPad initially saying the accessory wasn’t compatible – we’re now enjoying our iTunes music (not to mention Spotify and other streaming services) in high quality and with no cords."

Read the rest of the review on the SlashGear website >>

Purchase Kleer-based products from the WireFreeHifi website >>

NOTE: WireFreeHifi ships to the USA and Canada, so no worries when ordering from their UK-based website. FREE SHIPPING UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2010.

Note: iPad not included in the purchase of the DigiFi S5T product lines.

Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones review: "The Best"

Short and sweet review of the Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones on Amazon from Nov 29, 2010. Here's the review:

"The Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones have an unmatched sound quality. They are very comfortable to wear for hours at a time. Being wireless means the user has a degree of freedom that is simply amazing!"

The Sennheiser RS 180 use Kleer wireless audio technology to deliver uncompressed, lossless, CD-quality digital stereo audio. Ideal for watching tv, the RS 180 allow you to watch your favorite shows without disturbing anyone else.  Compared to Bluetooth wireless headphones, Kleer technology doesn't compress, so the sound you hear is what the director or composer wanted you to hear. 

Read the rest of the reviews on Amazon and also remember to read the reviews of the vendors as well before making a purchase. 

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones on Amazon.com >>

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones on Amazon UK >>

TDK WR700 Wireless Headphones review on CNET: earn 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Good overall review from CNET on the TDK WR700 wireless headphones, posted on Oct 18, 2010. Reviewer gives them a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. Has some issues but at the same time realizes they are not even close to being showstoppers. Which is why I guess they didn't score a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. And good to see that the reviewer mentions that the TDK WR700 wireless headphones use Kleer wireless audio technology. One of the complaints I read on other product reviews is the hiss from an old technology wireless headphone. What you notice with wireless headphones/earbuds that use Kleer technology is that there is no hiss during the quiet parts and you hear CD-quality, uncompressed, lossless digital stereo audio. Bluetooth compresses audio, distorting it even further from what the artist originally intended. Kleer doesn't compress, you hear what the artist intended.

Here's an excerpt from the CNET review:

"As noted, the other benefit is the sound quality. While the WR700's are a little bright and have a slightly canned sound (they don't sound "open," which may cause some listening fatigue) they deliver rich sound with good detail and strong bass. What impressed us was that we didn't feel we were listening to wireless headphones, which is praise in itself.

So despite some small shortcomings in design, we liked TDK's WR700 headphones and for the price (around $120 online) we think they're a decent option for people looking for a set of wireless headphones for late-night TV watching or music listening--or just to have the freedom of not being tethered to your mobile device."

And they've got a video, which is always appreciated as you get a much better sense of the product from just pictures. He opens up the headphones and the transmitter to show off the batteries, and more:

Purchase the TDK WR700 wireless headphones on Amazon.com >>

Purchase the TDK WR700 wireless headphones on Amazon UK >>

And there are always more reviews of the TDK WR700 wireless headphones on the Amazon websites. And, always remember to read the reviews of the vendors as well. 

US shipping available on iPod-certified DigiFi Opera S5+ wireless earphones for iPod: "Great for gyms or power walks"

Good news for U.S. Christmas 2010 shoppers, the DigiFi Opera S5 wireless earphones (earbuds) can now be ordered from the States (Canada included) from Amazon UK.

The iPod-certified DigiFi Opera S5 delivers audio and track controls on the wireless earbuds. This means you can pause, advance, skip, stops songs and can change volume without having to touch your iPod and transmitter. And, as the Opera S5 uses Kleer wireless audio technology, this means you hear CD-quality, lossless, uncompressed, digital stereo audio. 

Here's a November 20, 2010 review (I fixed some grammar) from Amazon UK:

"The cable of my earphones always annoyed me at the gym and kept on sticking to gym machines and getting pulled out of my ears. The opera 5 solved this problem entirely.

If the songs on the iPod are good quality, the Opera will play them, in my opinion, as well as wired headphones.

I've bought another three to give as xmas gifts. This is a super device."

Purchase the DigiFi Opera S5+ from Amazon UK (ships to North America) >>

TDK WR700 Wireless Hi-Fi-Headphones Review: "crisp clear detailed sound of high quality corded headphones"

Had to post the definitive review from MyCE of the TDK wireless headphones that use Kleer wireless audio technology.

One of the most in-depth reviews of any wireless headphones, heck, probably any headphone The review is from April 2010, but it still stands as extremely thorough, covering everything from detailed specs, what's inside the box, how to set up the headphones and the transmitter, sound performance and quality, background noise suppression, transmission distance, dealing with other 2.4GHz equipment, and audio latency. Pretty high tech tests, loads of photographs, screenshots of the testing equipment results, and well written results.

The review is several pages long, but well worth the read. Here are some excerpts:

"The most impressive features of these headphones include how small the transmitter is and how crisp, clear and detailed the audio is, clear enough for us to notice defects in many of our MP3 and M4A files, especially anything at 128kbps.  While Bluetooth headphones would do away with the transmitter, they are only compatible with Bluetooth enabled equipment and typically rely on lossy audio compression for transmission that compromises the sound quality.

With such a small transmitter, we expected the transmission range to be no more than within reaching point, but we had no issue with the headphones operating with two concrete walls in-between the transmitter.  The headphones also operated fine without line of sight such as with the transmitter in a port behind a PC or TV."

Here's the list of the positive items from the last page of the review:

• Transmitter a little larger than a 9v battery and plugs directly into the headphones socket.
• No cradle, dock, cables or power socket required; just the small transmitter and headphones.
• Crisp clear detailed audio, enough to reveal defects in many MP3 & M4A encodings, some up to 320kbps.
• Excellent response across the frequency range from deep bass to high treble.
• Comfortable to wear, even after extended listening periods.
• Excellent transmission range, with no dropouts through 2 concrete walls in our test.
• Negligible interference with Wi-Fi equipment, unless transmitter is placed right at Wi-Fi AP.
• Pairs automatically when powered on and both automatically power off after 2 minutes of silence.
• Transmitter can be shared with additional WR700 wireless headphones. 
• Volume control on right ear piece.
• Batteries, carry pouch, 6.25mm adapter and extension included.
• Runs on ordinary AAA batteries.

The reviewer does have some minor issues, but you'll have to read them on the MyCE website. And, the TDK wireless headphones earned both the editor rating of excellent, and the editors choice.

Purchase the TDK wireless headphones on Amazon.com >>

Purchase the TDK wireless headphones on Amazon UK >>

Purchase the TDK wireless headphones on Amazon.com >>

Purchase the TDK wireless headphones on Amazon UK >>

DigiFi Opera S2 wireless earbuds review: "I love these headphones"

Ah, yes, the DigiFi Opera S2 wireless earbuds (headphones), the upgrade from the Opera S1, which are no longer available (not even on eBay at the moment). The Opera S2 uses Kleer wireless audio technology, so the wireless audio you hear is CD-quality, uncompressed, lossless, digital stereo audio. The transmitter uses a 3.5 mm connection, so that it will connect to any regular headphone audio jack, so an iPod, Touch, etc., laptop, and stereo system.  Just make sure it fits with an Apple product as some of them have made odd headphone jacks.

The major upgrades from the Opera S1 are better audio components were used in the headphones, so better overall sound. And the best upgrade is that the wireless headphones have volume controls located on the wireless earbuds, meaning you can turn up or down volume without having to fish out your iPod, or turn it down on your laptop. 

Here's the review from Amazon UK:

"I love these headphones. Great sound, very comfortable, and long range. I can plug the transmitter in on my 2nd floor, and still hear clear sound from my basement. 

They come with a few different sized earpieces which allow you to select the best fit for your own ears. For me, when I when wear them in the normal position (left earbud in left year, right earbud in right ear), the receiver hanging behind the neck tends to pull the earbuds out of my ears, even though it weighs just about nothing. So I wear them backwards (left earbud in right ear, right earbud in left ear), wrapping the wire from each earbud up and around each ear. This is even more comfortable for me, and keeps each earbud securely in place even during intense exercise, and keeps the receiver snugly against the neck instead of flopping around. 

I highly recommend these if you're looking for comfortable wireless earbuds with great sound and a 3.5 mm mini plug to connect to just about any audio device." 

And as you noticed, the review is from the Amazon UK website. These are not currently available on the Amazon.com site. But the good news is that these ship to the USA, Canada, rest of Europe from WireFreeHiFi, which is based in the UK. 

Purchase the Opera S2 wireless headphones from Amazon UK (ships to North America, and more) >>