The premise of wireless headphones is a seductive one. They offer the chance to relax on the sofa and enjoy loud late-night sounds privately without having a cable snaked across the living-room floor. And portable music users on the daily commute need not be umbilically connected to their MP3 player or mobile phone.

What the brochures neglect to mention is that cordless convenience involves a trade-off with sound quality. InGear has examined six cordless headphones to assess this. Three are suited for home use, the others more to life on the road. Each was compared with a pair of wired £30 Sennheiser PX 100s, a best buy in InGear’s recent portable headphones Test Bench.

The first issue was reception. The headphones reviewed employ three types of transmission technology. The Sonys have an infrared (IR) connection, the Sennheiser and Beyer models use radio frequency (RF) technology, while the remainder rely on Bluetooth, a variant of RF. As most “music-friendly” mobile phones lack a standard headphone socket but do offer a stereo Bluetooth connection, the last type has mobile practicality.

All three technologies suffered signal drop-outs as the headset was moved away from the transmitter. Infrared worked for reasonable distances, but if the line of sight between the base station and the headphones was impeded, the music stopped. The RF models had a slightly longer range and worked through walls. However, the signal grew more disrupted as the distance from the base increased until it faded out altogether like a distant radio station. The Bluetooth designs simply worked or they didn’t, but the range proved the most limited.

Despite their need to carry batteries, models on test were light enough to listen to over a fairly long period, even if comfort was a different matter. Regular users will, however, find that recharging swiftly becomes a chore, especially if you must do this every day. Only the Sennheiser RS 130 offered a hassle-free recharging system.

In reality, complex transmission circuitry means no wireless headphone sounds as good as a half-decent wired design. The need to run power-hungry headphones from a couple of small rechargeable batteries compromises the sound quality further. None of the cordless headphones on test matched the modest PX 100s for clarity, power or depth.

That said, some were far better than others and cordless cans would prove a sonic boon for road warriors to whom convenience is king, as well as to late-night gamers or movie fans.

JARGON BUSTER

Bluetooth Short-range radio frequency (RF) transmission system for small portable devices such as mobile phones. Stereo variant is known as A2DP

Infrared (IR) Light transmission system invisible to the naked eye. Needs an uninterrupted line of sight

Radio frequency (RF) Traditional wireless transmission system using high-frequency waves. Travels through walls but can be hissy

FAMILY FAVOURITE


Sennheiser RS 130 - typically £90 or £70 from www.headphoneworld.com Well made cans, ideal for movies or casual listening

These smart looking RF-based cans are a class act at a reasonable price. At 10oz, including two AAA batteries, they’re not light but they remained comfy during a long movie. The headband padding is soft but not sloppy and the earcups fit snugly, even over large lugholes. To recharge the headset you sit it on a swish chrome-plated transmitter cum cradle that tops up the batteries while the headset is docked. Noise remained credibly low within the 65ft range and listening time was a full 15hr between charges. Music sounded smooth and civilised with oodles of atmosphere, albeit not up the Beyers in the boogie stakes. The “surround sound” feature wasn’t convincing but nevertheless this is a fine all-round package at a persuasive price.

UTILITY TOOL


Logitech Freepulse - typically £80, or £50 from www.amazon.co.uk A fiendishly flexible pair for music on the go, with surprising sound

These backband-style headphones come with a Bluetooth transmitter that plugs into any 3.5mm headphone socket and instantly creates a wireless audio setup. The transmitter is larger than most Bluetooth dongles and sits proud of, say, an MP3 player. Logitech also bundles a range of adaptors to help the Freepulse and an iPod to fit snugly together. Setup proved easy: the Logitech paired up to its transmitter in seconds. This is the second lightest headset on test but it felt flimsy and the wiry plastic headband wasn’t overly comfy. Still, at least this kept the cans tightly in place. Sound was surprisingly good, with punchy bass and some refinement - not far behind the “hi-fi” Beyers. Range was 33ft despite a few drop-outs and the built-in rechargeable battery lasted 7hr. Impressive overall.

HEY MUSIC LOVER


Beyerdynamic RSX 700 - typically £100, or £71 from www.amazon.co.uk Decent music maker hobbled by shoddy design

The RSX 700s are credible music makers, churning out big, bouncy basslines in keeping with Beyer’s audio heritage. Despite this they lacked smoothness so weren’t easy on the ears over long periods. They come with a cheap-looking transmitter base station that connects to an audio source such as a hi-fi or TV. However, this is not a recharging cradle. Instead, a power lead plugs into a socket above one earcup, which proved fiddly and each charge provided barely 5hr of listening. Despite weighing 10oz, they felt unwieldy due to a clumsily fitting headband and cheap vinyl padding. The small earcups fitted poorly and vibrated, implying flimsy construction. Overall, the Beyers sounded good but struggled to justify their price.

FASHION VICTIM


MOTOROLA S9 - typically £60, or £56 from www.mobilebee.co.uk Stylish and well made but disappointing sonics This Bluetooth-based Motorola headset has a high-quality finish and a cool rubberised headband that’s allegedly water-resistant. To recharge it you unplug a rubber cover and insert a mini-USB power lead. The robust S9 is the lightest headset on test and a cinch to set up. It fits round the back of the head and comes with three types of earpiece. Unfortunately, it has too much grip on your ears and not enough on the sound, which was coarse. And though the battery lasted 6hr the connection tended to drop out. Fine for a gym workout; otherwise, give it a swerve.

SENSIBLE SHOES


Nokia BH-501 - typically £46, or £36 from www.amazon.co.uk Credible mobile phone buddy but modest sound

This headset is intended to partner a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone and so doesn’t need an extra transmitter. The Nokia is a compact and lightweight (2.4oz) backband-style design. It has a built-in microphone and so can work as a hands-free phone device. The connection proved more robust than its rivals – albeit its range was only 10ft – and the batttery lasted 10hr. Far more comfortable and better sounding than the Motorola, the BH-501 gave a snappy rendition with chart music, but jazz fans may find it tinny. As a phone widget with limited music features, it succeeds, but the Logitech spanks it for sound and it’s way inferior to full-sized designs.

MOVIE MOGUL


Sony MDR-DS3000K - typically £195, or £150 from www.play.com Mediocre music maker but decent for action fans

This pricey Sony employs older infrared technology yet has one neat trick. The transmitter base station has a digital input to connect a DVD player or AV amplifier for wire-free “virtual” surround sound. The 9.7oz headset is comfy and its base station doubles as a recharging cradle, though it proved fiddly to fit the headset in. The Sony did deliver 20hr of playback on one charge. However, hiss levels were high and range was 23ft maximum. The Sony made a fist of an action scene from 24, sounding far better in “cinema mode” than in its lightweight stereo performance. Nevertheless, flimsy construction and mediocre music making mean it’s not great value.

Reviews by David Price. Prices include Vat & delivery