How to Choose Wireless Ear Phones for TV

How to Choose Wireless Ear Phones for TV
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Buying Wireless Ear Phones

There are many good reasons for needing a pair of wireless earphones for your TV. Maybe you are a video game addict that enjoys playing Halo until 3:00 in the morning. Maybe you live with someone who telecommutes and needs the quiet to work. Maybe you share a room, and your roommate is going to smash all of your duds if she has to watch A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy one more time. No matter what your reason for needing a set of wireless headphones is, you want quality. The odds are that you also do not want to pay more than you have to to get a good pair. That is why today we are going to look at some of the better, budget friendly wireless headphones on the market. We will also look at how you can evaluate a pair on the fly if you choose to shop at an in real life store.

FM HiFi Wireless Headphones 5 in 1 Super Bass Cordless Earphone

The FM HiFi Wireless Headphones 5 in 1 Super Bass Cordless Earphone model runs on FM bandwidths and works not only wirelessly with your TV (and gaming systems) but also as a pair of wired headphones for your MP3 player. Its signal tower is relatively sleek in design. It is worth noting that these headphones do fit a little bit snugly even at their biggest size, which could be a problem for some users. It is also worth noting that, if you are using these not to be polite but to correct a hearing problem, then these have the best sound quality, or at least the closest quality to a hearing aid. They are not certified, but they come close.

Koss HB60 Infrared Clip-On Wireless Headphones

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The Koss HB60 Infrared Clip-On Wireless Headphones model skips the band and offers you ear clips. If you enjoy ear clip style headphones, then this model is the way to go. Just be aware that it runs off of an infrared signal. That means that, if a direct connection is blocked by something (say a passing person), you may lose the sound. Also, if you happen to move around a lot in the house, you may encounter signal issues. The total range is 250 square feet for the device, which is fairly generous. It is also worth noting that, if you have a pair of non-wireless headphones that you love, you can plug in the headphone jack on the wirlesss receiver. Then, you have instant wireless headphones! With this definite bonus, this wireless headphone is the way to go for any person who is in search of a way to modify an existing pair.

Sennheiser Wireless Headphone for TV Listening

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The Sennheiser Wireless Headphone for TV Listening is a bud style model that is great if you prefer in the ear sound to on the ear sound. Just be aware that you will have to deal with the band in the back, so, if you have a wide head, this is probably not the model for you. These also run on infared signal and not on FM, which is great if you live near a lot of FM signal towers: think Manhattan. It is also worth mentioning, however, that even the makers of this system label it as “mono” and not “stero” quality sound. Also, this model only has a twelve meter range, so you have to use it close to the TV: no wandering to the kitchen to get a snack.

Choosing a Pair on the Fly

If you have decided to skip the shipping costs and just go to a physical store, than you will need to remember some basic guidelines for choosing a pair of wireless earphones.

Guideline One: Always ask to see a demo pair. Many stores will already have them set out as part of the display. If they do not, take the initiative and ask about a demo pair. The store may have it hidden in a backroom. They may even be willing to let you try a pair from a box. You should then evaluate the pair for:

  • Weight. A heavy pair will be uncomfortable.
  • Overall fit. Try on a pair to see if it is too tight or too loose. If you can not easily adjust it to make it fit right, then this is not your pair. (Note: You may want to bring alcohol wipes for this test.)
  • Sturdiness. If they feel flimsy in your hands, you may want to invest in a less breakable model.

Guideline Two: Always find out about warranties.

  • Ask about a warranty, but do not just jump on the store warranty. Find out about the manufacturer’s warranty as well because you do not want to buy a one year warranty,only to find out your headset already came with a two year guarantee from its maker.

Guideline Three: Be sure that it is compatible with your TV.

  • This is really only going to be an issue if you have an older TV. If you do, be sure that you have the proper audio jacks available on your set before you shop. This step only takes a few seconds, which is not nearly as much time as you would spend in a return line.

Basic Setup

While the specifics of setup may vary based on your model, here is a quick guide to setup:

  1. Plug in your signal box. This is the box that hooks into your TV and transmits the audio signal wirelessly to the headset. You will need to plug in the powercord (unless you have a battery operated model) as well as the audio cable into the “audio out” jack.
  2. Turn on your headset, which will generally require batteries as well.
  3. If you have a radio signal based model, tune the headphones and signal box to the same frequency.
  4. Enjoy!