Hardcore TV fanatics can have a hard time trying to follow all the episodes of their favorite shows and movies without disruption. To save those around you from noise and give them peace of mind, you need to look into getting yourself one or several best wireless headphones for TV.
The best wireless headphones provide sound with the highest clarity and quality without the pesky wires wrapping all over hands and legs. Additionally, you get an opportunity to do other things like cooking or sorting out your wardrobe while listening to your favorite show.
Most top-quality professional-grade wireless headphones for TV can transmit the best audio quality even when you are several feet away from the TV. They majorly sport a good battery capacity, durable design and powerful signals that can travel through walls made from any material.
Table of Contents
Wireless Headphone Comparison
| Model | Battery Life | Range | Audio Quality | Noise Cancellation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sennheiser RS 165 (Editor's Choice) | high | Moderate | High | Moderate | |
| SONY MDR-RF985RK (Editor's Choice) | high | High | Moderate | High | |
| Sennheiser MM 550-X (Editor's Choice) | high | Moderate | High | High | |
| SONY MDR-DS6500 Digital Surround (Editor's Choice) | high | High | High | High | |
| Power Acoustik HP-902 RFT | high | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | |
| Sennheiser RS 160 | high | Moderate | High | High | |
| Bose SoundLink Bluetooth | high | High | High | High | |
| Sennheiser RS 185 Digital System | high | High | High | High | |
| Sennheiser RS 175 | high | High | High | High | |
| Sennheiser IS410 | high | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
The 10 Best Wireless Headphones for TV 2018
Comfort and improved functionality are some of the defining factors of the best headphones for TV. This largely involves covering the ears completely and isolating the noise to deliver a serious audio punch that meets the needs of the hardcore audiophiles. So, if you’ve been looking for the best pair of headphones to keep you tuned in on your favorite show, the list below will make you grin.
Sennheiser RS 165
There are several reasons why Sennheiser RS 165 is a good pair of headphones. First, their good ergonomic design makes them a comfortable wear. The ear cups and headband are padded with soft rubber to minimize pain.
Being a radio frequency headphone, the audio quality delivered is exceptionally fantastic. This is further boosted with the inbuilt high-end transducer and over-the-ear mechanism that ensures all the sound is concentrated around the ear for an ultimate listening experience.
When it comes to the battery life, Sennheiser RS 165 is one of the best wireless headphones for TV with a good life span. You can enjoy up to 18 hours of uninterrupted listening when charged fully. Even though its batteries are removable, you don’t really need to since the base station can recharge them.
Sennheiser RS 165 is also a good set of headphones to buy if you want to watch/listen with a friend. Its powerful RF transmitter allows up to two headphones to be connected to it without the audio quality being affected. The sound will remain crisp as long as you don’t stray past a 30 meters range.
So if you are looking for top-notch headphones and are willing to part with your cash, Sennheiser RS 165 might be your best pick. There are many positive reviews from clients backing it up.
Although this is a very good product, some people might not like the fact that it is expensive. This is a high-end product that costs more than other products in the market. Other customers might find its bass to be insufficient.
- It’s a product of the latest technology
- Clear and high-quality sound up to 30 meters range
- A comfortable wear
- High-end transducers
- Features a bass boost to provide ultimate listening experience.
- Multipurpose transmitter with both digital and analog input
- Compatible with any device with analog audio output
- It’s a bit costly
- Even with a bass boost, its bass quality is still wanting.
Sony MDR-RF985RK
If you are looking for top-grade wireless headphones for TV that exert less pressure on your finances, you can try Sony’s MDR RF985RK. It has a classic design just like Sennheiser RS 165 only that its audio punch is a little less immaculate.
The product features an ergonomic design that consists of soft padded headband and ear pads for a comfortable wear. The headband can be adjusted to lessen the strain on the ears thus helping you listen to your shows for longer hours. The closed back design ensures the sound delivered is noise-free.
One thing that sets Sony MDR RF985RK apart from most headphones is its powerful battery life. You can enjoy listening to your favorite movies and shows for about 25 hours before it runs out of charge. However, this excellent battery life comes at the expense of the audio quality.
Its base station transmits audio at a frequency of 915-916 MHz, which means the bandwidth is limited and the audio quality won’t deliver the best experience for hardcore audiophiles. Nevertheless, if your primary goal is to enjoy music away from the source, then Sony MDR RF985RK is still a good purchase.
The low frequency at which this wireless headphone operates gives it an advantage of transmitting audio at a wider range than the powerful 2.4 GHz transmitters. If the design of the walls and other obstructions is a bit friendlier, the audio signal can reach as far as 150 feet from the source. So, if you need to tune in to your favorite show and still do your chores in a room far away from the TV, Sony MDR RF985RK could be your best pick.
This product does not have digital input system. Furthermore, the audio provides very limited band width. However, it is a good product overall.
- Has one of the excellent battery life spans
- Noise-free audio quality
- Longer sound range transmission (150 feet)
- It’s a comfortable wear
- Audio comes at a limited bandwidth
- The absence of a digital input system knocks a few points off its average score
Sennheiser MM 550-X
Sennheiser is respected for their enthusiastic efforts to produce headphones of the best quality. Sennheiser MM 550-X is one of their wireless headphones for TV that’s sets the bar high in the headphones market.
In terms of ergonomics, MM 550-X is soft padded both on the headband and the ear pads, hence a comfortable wear. The ear pads look like suction cups; a design that covers the ear fully and cancels noise thus providing an unbeatable listening experience.
Sennheiser MM 550-X is Bluetooth enabled. This means you can connect it to your smartphone, tablet, iPod and any other Bluetooth enabled device. Playlist and volume controls are located at the back of the ear pad for easy adjusting.
Sennheiser MM 550-X is a darling among serious audio lovers. The audio quality is top notch, and it’s enhanced by the apt-X-codec and several other features like the collapsible microphone. However, all these powerful features mean you’ll need to shell out a bit more bucks for this product. The good thing is, it’s worth it.
The only drawback of this product is that it is expensive. We could not find any other setback.
- High-tech product for serious audiophiles
- Cozy to wear
- Compatible with all Bluetooth enabled devices
- Cup-shaped ear pads to lower noise and improve sound quality
- Its battery performs fairly better than most Bluetooth-enabled headphones
- It’s a costly product
Power Acoustik HP-902 RFT
Power Acoustik HP-902 are some of the best wireless headphones for TV that are considered an economical purchase. They sport a powerful, multi-functional transmitter that ensures the sound quality remains impressive even when you are far away from the audio source.
Power Acoustik HP-902 RFT comes in two pairs hence quite convenient for enjoying a show with a partner. Each set has its own switch and sound control for independent adjustment. The audio quality doesn’t get affected when both of them are in use. After all, its 900 MHz is powerful enough to transmit high-quality audio to both pairs.
Well, in terms of ergonomic, the headband lacks soft paddings, but the ear pads are surrounded by a soft material for comfort. The headband is adjustable to minimize the strain that comes from long hours of use.
When it comes to the battery life, Power Acoustik HP-902 RFT has a good one, and it comes with two batteries. This lets you enjoy countless hours of uninterrupted listening without the need to recharge them.
This is a good product but its headband does not have paddings. It does not come with a power supply as well. Therefore, the customers need to pay extra to get one. Its radio frequency is not enough at high volumes.
- You can easily shift between listening and conversations by using the auto-mute control buttons.
- Audio quality remain crisp at a radius of 100 feet
- Its stereo jack is compatible with many audio and video gadgets
- Interchangeable inputs for concurrent listening over different gadgets
- It’s an economical buy
- Has a good battery life
- Doesn’t come with a power supply; you’ll to buy one
- Its 900 MHz Radio Frequency is not sufficient at high volumes.
Sennheiser RS 160
Another top-of-the-line offering from Sennheiser series, this model too has a powerful set of headphones, but it has even a better feature that you wouldn’t expect from most headphones; portability. Its transmitter is compact, yet powerful enough to allow four headphones to be connected to it.
RS 160 is equipped with a Kleer technology to provide the best audio transmitted at a CD quality (44.1 kHz, 16 bit). Normally, most wireless headphones use FM signal which broadcasts audio at a lower resolution than their CD counterparts. Kleer tech makes Sennheiser RS 160 deliver crystal clear sound with minimal background interruption.
In the ergonomic department, RS 160 is well padded with soft covering both on the ear pads and the headband for extended hours of use. It comes with 2 NiMH rechargeable batteries that guarantee up to 24 hours of continuous use.
Sennheiser RS 160 has a pretty decent sound range of up to 20 meters. Beyond that, the audio quality starts to falter. Its bass is also not one of the finest. So, if you want headphones with full-bodied bass, RS 160 may not be the best pick for you. It also needs long charging time
- Pleasing aesthetics
- Crisp and quality sound
- Comfortable to wear
- Portable
- A decent transmission range
- Good “Kleer” technology
- Has a longer battery life
- Long charge times
- Serious audiophiles may find the bass to be a little less punchy.
Sony MDR-DS6500 Digital Surround
If the listening experience is not complete to you without a surround system, then Sony MDR-DS6500 Digital Surround is your dream headphone. The buzzing sound created by this product is unparalleled by many other top-notch headphones. The sound quality delivered is equaled to the experience you get when in a movie theater.
From the design to functionality, this set of headphone has it all. The ear pads and the headband are fitted with spongy material to them a comfy wear. The ear pads have a suction cup design and snugly fit into the ears thus canceling noise and delivering an impressive 3D listening experience.
Unlike most headphones with shorter transmission range, Sony MDR-DS6500 Digital Surround sets the bar high by transmitting high-quality audio over a radius of 100 meters and at a frequency of HW700. The sound quality doesn’t get affected by Wi-Fi or any other signals around the house. It’s also easier to switch them from analog to digital.
Sony MDR-DS6500 Digital Surround also sports a 7.1 virtual phone technology that makes them provide listeners with a firsthand listening experience. This is a critical factor that most gamers and movie aficionados look for in the best wireless headphones for TV. The virtual phone technology makes them feel a part of the movie or game and not just viewers or players.
Most headphones sacrifice sound quality at the expense of a good battery life. Well, with Sony MDR-DS6500, both the sound quality and battery life are excellent. When fully charged (a 3-hour process), the headphones can provide a non-stop listening for up to 20 hours. There is also a battery saving sensor that turns the headphones off when removed from the ears and switches them on when you put them back.
Like most headphones, MDR-DS6500 has most control buttons located at the sides of the ear pads for easy operating. The smart docking station provides a base for storing your headphones when not in use.
Just like any other high-end quality product, this is also quite expensive.
- Comfortable to wear
- Supports 4K switching through HDMI throughput
- Excellent multi-channel game or movie playback
- Longer battery life
- High quality surround sound
- High transmission range of up to 100 meters
- Pleasing aesthetics
- Fast charge
- It’s pricey
Bose SoundLink Bluetooth
There are many Bluetooth-enabled headphones for TV, but very few are as powerful as Bose SoundLink Bluetooth. Bose boasts of transmitting high-quality audio with a good bass response. The controls are intuitively placed to allow you to operate it with ease.
The headband and the ear cups are fitted with soft fabric to give the user a longer listening time without the ears being strained. Apart from tuning in to your favorite shows, the headset of this headphone can be used to receive calls as well.
Bose SoundLink Bluetooth can be connected to virtually all the devices around with a Bluetooth. In other words, it’s an economical purchase; you don’t need to buy another set of headphones for your smartphone, tablet or iPad as this can pair up with any of them.
Bose’s battery life provides only 10-15 hours of uninterrupted use when fully charged. This is not quite an attractive feature for avid TV viewers or gamers who want a whole day of watching or gaming. Additionally, the headphone operates fully on Bluetooth; no digital transmitter or FM signal. Therefore, if you own an old TV set without a Bluetooth, this headphone won’t be of much help when you need to watch your favorite shows without distracting others. Furthermore, all Bluetooth enabled devices work perfectly when you are close to the source, and so does Bose. However, if you stray far from the TV, the sound quality starts taking a nose dive. This is an expensive product as well.
- Compact size
- Powerful performance with a good bass
- Simple control panel
- Compatible with all other Bluetooth enabled devices
- About 10 hours of continued use before it needs to be recharged
- Come with a rather hefty price tag
- Low noise cancellation.
Sennheiser RS 185 Digital System
Like its brothers (or sisters?), Sennheiser RS 185 Digital System has also been equipped with all the features that make it an exceptional wireless headphone for TV. It doesn’t use a Bluetooth; instead, it uses a powerful bespoke RF system that delivers high-quality audio at a better range.
Sennheiser RS 185 comes in two units, the headset, and the dock. The dock charges the headphones and connects to the TV. There are both analog and digital options to switch from whenever you want. The headset has been designed for home cinema use only.
RS 185’s headset is full-sized to cover the years completely for a close-range listening. The ear pads and the headband are soft padded to make them a comfy wear. The headband is only padded on either side of its center revealing a chip at the middle for to link with the dock for charging.
The open back design makes this headphones none noise canceling. So if your house is always noisy, the Sennheiser RS195 could be a better pick as they share same features, but 195 has a closed back design to cancel noise.
Being a Hifi system, Sennheiser RS 185 Digital System doesn’t disappoint when it comes to producing crisp and distortion free audio. But in order to do that, it needs to communicate with the dock hence, can only be used at home.
When it comes to the transmission range, these headphones fair better than most many headphones. The audio quality remains clear up to a radius of 100m. However, when there are plenty of other signals like Wi-Fi, the audio quality gets affected slightly.
The only drawback of these headphones is that they do not have noise canceling feature. We did not find any other setback with this product.
- Good quality sound
- A reliable headphone with a good transmission range
- Very comfortable
- Lightweight design
- Long battery life
- They don’t have a noise reduction mechanism
Sennheiser RS 175
Home entertainment gets better when you have Sennheiser – RS 175 with you. This wireless product transmits high-quality audio at a longer range. It’s equipped with neodymium magnets that provide a powerful bass and virtual surround listening. The virtual surround mode provides a spatial and livelier sound taking your listening experience to the next level.
The digital wireless technology that went into developing this product ensures that the sound quality remains crisp even as you move from one room to another. Its design is simple to set up, and the controls are located on the sides of the ear cups you don’t have to move to the dock to the TV to adjust volume.
Sennheiser – RS 175’s multi-purpose transmitter is versatile and can be connected to a wide array of TVs due to its possession of both analog and digital inputs. The transmitter itself serves as a charging and docking station.
When unpacked from the box, the headphones’ sound features are set at a normal range that makes both music and audio clear to the listener. If you have a hearing problem or want to improve the sound effects for a better experience, adjust the virtual surround and the bass boost feature to a level that feels good to you.
Sennheiser – RS 175’s ear cups have a closed back design to concentrate sound in the listener’s ear thus preventing distractions coming from other devices or people. The ear pads and the headband have an ergonomic design where both are soft-padded for additional comfort.
The bass does not support high volumes. This is the only setback with these headphones.
- Super comfortable wear
- They put up a good audio performance
- Excellent transmission of up to 100 meters
- The digital and analog input makes them compatible with both new and old TV models
- The bass gets distorted at high volumes
Sennheiser IS410
Last but not the least is Sennheiser IS410. This is a high-quality in-ear headphone that takes your listening experience to the next level. They have been designed for individuals who find the big gadgets to be a bit uncomfortable. They are also suitable for people who wear glasses.
Financially, they fall somewhere in the middle hence a perfect pick for anyone who is looking for high-quality wireless headphones but at a pocket-friendly price. Sennheiser IS410 provides a high-quality audio, thanks to its powerful transmitter and the infra-red technology it utilizes. The transmitter has a compression button that refines speech thus making conversations easy to understand.
Balance and volume controls are intuitively placed on the stethoset headphones for easy use. As small as the headphones are, the stethoset styled headphones are soft-padded while the headband is wide enough to lessen the strain on the ears when tuned in for longer hours.
Sennheiser IS410 comes with a battery saver feature that turns the headphones on when worn and off when removed. Its battery life provides about 16 hours of uninterrupted entertainment.
The transmission range of these headphones is very limited. You also cannot use it while moving around.
- Clear audio quality at a 12-meter radius
- Fast charge
- Long battery life
- Suitable for individuals with glasses
- Ultra-light weight
- The audio transmission range is too small compared to most headphones
- Not suitable for those who move around a lot
How to Choose the Best Wireless Headphones for TV
When you are considering buying new wireless headphones or thinking of replacing your existing ones, you need to consider certain aspects before making a decision. Good wireless headphones always provide excellent sound quality. They should have a wide wireless range and good battery life. A powerful wireless signal is a must in good headphones. It can either be Bluetooth, infrared or RF. One of the most important features that good wireless headphones should possess is the comfort of wearing them.
They should fit snugly in or on your ears without causing any pain and should also be very comfortable. Price is another factor to take into account. If you are strictly on a budget, then you need to pick up a product that fits your needs within your budget. Durability is another feature to look for. You do not want to buy a product that breaks down after only a few months of use. Good headphones come with excellent batteries as well. Therefore, you need to do some research before buying a product.
Editor’s Choice
Although most of the headphones listed in this article have admirable qualities and have been highly rated on many reputable tech gadget platforms, our editor’s choice products are Sennheiser RS 165, SONY MDR-RF985RK, Sennheiser MM 550-X and SONY MDR-DS6500 DIGITAL Surround. These four products stand tall over their counterparts in the market today.
As compared to Power AcoustiK HP-902 RFT, Sennheiser RS 165 is a better radio frequency product that provides excellent audio quality. It comes with good batteries that last up to 18 hours. When we compare this product with Power AcoustiK HP-902 RFT, we find that the latter does not come with a power supply, meaning that you have to shell out extra money to get one. On the other hand, the Sennheiser RS 165 comes with its power supply and produces better sound quality at high volumes as compared to Power AcoustiK HP-902. The Power AcoustiK HP-902 delivers bad noises at high volumes. Sennheiser RS 165 also supports both digital and analog inputs. When it comes to the comfort of wearing the headphones, Sennheiser RS 165 is better than Power AcoustiK HP-902. This is because Power AcoustiK HP-902 does not have soft paddings.
The second product in the editor’s choice list is SONY MDR-RF985RK. When we compare this product with Bose SoundLink Bluetooth headphones, we find that the SONY product is more affordable as it comes at a cheaper price. Furthermore, when we consider noise cancelation, SONY MDR-RF985RK provides noise-free audio whereas Bose SoundLink Bluetooth has low noise cancelation. The battery life of SONY MDR-RF985RK is better than that of Bose SoundLink Bluetooth as well. It provides up to 25 hours of audio time before if runs out of charge. On the other hand, Bose SoundLink Bluetooth only lasts about 10 to 15 hours. Overall, SONY MDR-RF985RK is better and more reasonable product than Bose SoundLink Bluetooth.
Next in the list is Sennheiser MM 550-X. As compared to its brother Sennheiser IS410, it provides better range of audio transmission. Sennheiser IS410 also cannot be used if you move around a lot. On the other hand, it is not the case with Sennheiser MM 550-X as you can use it while moving around in the room. Sennheiser MM 550-X comes with the apt-X-codec and several other features such as noise guard button. Its battery life is also better than Sennheiser IS410. Although Sennheiser MM 550-X is more expensive than some of the other products in the market, it is worth every penny.
Last but not the least; SONY MDR-DS6500 DIGITAL Surround occupies a place in this list. It supports both digital and analog input and comes with 7.1 virtual phone technology. Upon comparing it with Sennheiser RS 160, we find that SONY MDR-DS6500 DIGITAL Surround provides better battery life and sound quality. The SONY product’s bass is also much better than that of Sennheiser RS 160. SONY MDR-DS6500 DIGITAL Surround delivers perfect sound quality in wider range as compared to Sennheiser RS 160. The audio quality of Sennheiser RS 160 starts to falter beyond 20 meters.