Sennheiser launches RS 220 wireless cans for audiophiles

Now we know what you’re thinking, wireless headphones and audiophile quality? You must be joking! Well, that’s what Sennheiser claim to have delivered with their new RS 220 that just launched in India. The new cans will be available across all major electronic outlets throughout the country with a price tag of Rs.24,990. You can now enjoy your music without the entanglement of wires from any device, be it phone, home theatre system, PC, etc.

Audiophile quality?

The headphones feature a large circumaural design for the earcups, so they sit comfortably around your ear, no matter how large your ears may be. The earcups are also lined with a plush velour covering, making them comfortable to wear even for long durations. The RS 220 feature padding underneath the head band for a more comfortable fit. The drivers support a frequency range of 16Hz to 22kHz, but they haven’t mentioned the size of the driver. The headphones are powered by two NiMH rechargeable batteries that come bundled with the headphones, which offer a usage time of roughly 6 to 8hrs. The really interesting bit, however lies in the wireless receiver, where instead of simply having analog inputs, you get one optical, one coaxial and two analog inputs. You can connect up to two headphones to the receiver at the same time as well. The range can extend up to 100m from the sound source and up to 30m indoors. The transmitter for the new RS 220 wireless headphones transmits the digital signals to the headphones without compression via a stable 2.4GHz connection. The wireless system makes use of what is called Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) technology. And even if interference occurs at one point within this frequency range, the output signal experiences no interference and the overall sound quality is fully maintained.

The headphone also features a power switch to toggle the headphones ‘On’ state as well as balance and volume controls. We’ve reviewed their earlier model, the RS 180 a while back, but weren’t too impressed with the audio quality. This is Sennheiser’s flagship offering, so let’s hope it fares better for the kind of money they are asking for it.