Review: Sennheiser RS 220

SENNHEISER RS 220
Price: Rs 24,990

Music is a very personal thing. One man's harmony is another's noise. So choosing headphones is tricky business.

Of course, you can opt for a high-end audio system for your living room or den, but when it comes to personal entertainment the new Sennheiser RS 220 has to be the ultimate. This headset, despite being wireless, delivers your sound without any sort of distortion or noise. While other wireless headsets struggle to negate the static, with the RS 220 the only thing you have to worry about is maybe not hearing a fire alarm go off or someone ringing the doorbell. The sound is crystal clear, powerful and soft at the same time.

It works wonderfully well if you are on the same level as the transmitter, which doubles as the stand for the headset. However, on a different floor or blocked by a few rooms, the wireless is lost. But in a 30-m area indoors, a solitary wall or obstruction does not bother this headset thanks to the cutting-edge Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum used.

The headset is comfortable to wear and the ear cups, which have a felt cover, do not heat up even after long hours of use. The headset comes with rechargeable batteries which can last for about 16 hours on a full charge. On the left, there are buttons to on/off and change the source from analog, coaxial and optical. Since the transmitter has separate connection options for all three, you beam sound from three sources and change at will wherever you are in the house. On the right cup are volume and balance control, though you will rarely need to use the latter. The transmitter has touch buttons for on/off and to change source. At the rear, it even has a volume control which you can use to set a low maximum volume. In fact, the headset gives out a warning beep if you push the sound beyond a certain limit -- a very thoughtful addition.

The only thing we do not like about the RS220 is its price. But then this is no regular headset. This is the epitome of luxury for an audiophile.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT? Don't think twice if you can afford it

Courtesy: Gadgets and Gizmos