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Sometimes it's necessary to compare apples to oranges, especially if you're looking at the health benefits of fruit. If you need anti-oxidants, go for the apple; if vitamin C is what you want, choose the orange. It's not a case of deciding which fruit is better: rather, which fruit better suits your needs.
Comparing RF wireless headphones to headphones with noise reduction technology may seem apples-to-oranges, but each pair has strengths that meet different needs. Both features significantly add to the cost of the headphones; are wireless and noise reduction headphones worth the cost? If so, which best suits my regular listening environment? To address these questions, I compared both kinds of headphones in the home and work setting. Going head to head (well, to my head at any rate) were the Sennheiser RS 85 RF wireless headphones and the Bose? QuietComfort? 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling? headset.
The Sennheisers at home
The Sennheiser RS 85 system ($249.99) uses an RF (radio frequency) signal to send sound wirelessly from a transmitter base to the portable headset. The transmitter (an unobtrusive spike less than 4-1/2" tall) is contained in a cradle that also holds the 'phones when not in use. This cradle charges the batteries in the 'phones (as well as a spare set in the base). The headphones have a volume control, as well as a button that fine-tunes the incoming signal.
Being mobile was a definite plus in the home setting. The powerful transmitter on the Sennheiser's base unit freed me from the confines of the kitchen/family room that houses both our TV and stereo. Often during listening sessions other sounds competed for my attention, such as the television, dishwasher, and general uproar of teenagers coming and going. Although I couldn't overcome the noise with the RS 85s, I could escape it. I found I could range from attic to basement without losing any sound quality, allowing me to seek out quieter listening spaces.
The Sennheiser headphones are designed for extended listening, with soft velour padding and a generous-sized cup that doesn't press on the ears. This attention to comfort was much appreciated, especially as listening hour piled on listening hour!
The rechargeable NiMH batteries lasted about 3.5 hours per charge, which easily covered my nightly listening sessions. During a round of Saturday chores, I did deplete the batteries once. The RS 85s come with a backup pair of batteries that charge in the stand. I simply swapped out the batteries, and went back to cleaning the garage.
With a range of 300 feet, the Sennheisers were welcome companions for outdoor activities such as getting the mail or filling the birdfeeders. Hooking them up to a portable CD player stationed in the garage, I could go all the way out to the edge of our property. (If you try such a configuration, plug the transmitter into the line out rather than the headphone jack. The signal is stronger and the headphone volume controller doesn't have to work as hard.)
 Going mobile: the Sennheiser RS 85 RF wireless headphones |
The Sennheisers at the office
Depending on your job situation (and how self-conscious you are), the RS 85s are good for extended listening in the office. It was great to be able to go to the printer or do some filing without interrupting the music. Not having a cord to entangle in the phone line was also a plus. I did get some strange looks tooling through the halls, though.
Many computers, printers and other devices generating electronic interference surround my work environment. Despite all this potential interference the Sennheiser transmitter delivered a clean signal in my immediate work area. Problems arose when I moved through the building, though. Although the transmitter was only ten feet away, the fireproofed metal stairwell effectively blocked reception to the headphones. I-beams that frame the major portions of the building also seriously interfered with reception.
 There's a kind of hush: the Bose? QuietComfort? 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling? headphones |
The Bose QuietComfort 2s use a sophisticated patented electronic process to reduce noise. Small microphones built into the earcups pick up exterior noise right before it reaches the ear. Bose electronics compare this signal with the signal coming into the earcups through the headphone wire, and generate a new signal. This signal is designed to be 180 degrees out-of-phase with the exterior noise, taking into account the frequencies of the signal coming through the wire. The out-of-phase sound waves generated by the headphones cancel most of the waves from external noise, drastically reducing it without interfering with the signal coming through the headphones themselves.
The system works best on constant sounds, such as machinery or motor hums. The ability of Bose's system to virtually eliminate jet engine drone has made the QuietComfort 2 (and its predecessor, the QuietComfort headphones) wildly popular with air travelers and long distance commuters.
Since there is a short time delay while the sound is being processed, the more frequently the volume dramatically shifts, the less successful the cancellation technique is. In our house, the Bose did well eliminating refrigerator hum, and the rumble of the dishwasher. It was somewhat overwhelmed by conversations shouted over the noise of a blaring TV.
The QuietComfort 2s were very comfortable to wear for long periods of time, even more so than the Sennheisers, although the difference between the two was slight. Both pairs, however, were far easier on the ears than my current, much less expensive headphones.
The Bose at the office
As the testing progressed, I found myself increasingly looking forward to the office sessions spent with the QuietComfort 2s. The noise reduction technology engulfed my ears in blessed near-silence. I could still hear coworker's conversations, but the sound was muted. The low rumble of the HVAC vent near my desk all but completely disappeared. There was one potential occupational hazard from working in sonic isolation — I found myself really pounding the keyboard with these headphones on. I couldn't hear the keys' gentle clicking, and so I unconsciously kept typing harder trying to hear the sound I knew should be there!
Best for the home?
The noise reduction features of the Bose didn't really make that much of a difference in my admittedly boisterous home environment. While the QuietComfort 2s were able to take some of the edge off, enough of our family's barely controlled chaos came through to detract from the listening experience.
By contrast, the Sennheisers were ideal. Not being tied to the stereo system, I discovered that my listening time increased dramatically with the RS 85s. Besides the noise issues, I simply don't have time to sit down in front of the stereo and just listen. There are too many chores to do around the house and yard. With the Sennheisers, I was able to do my required tasks and get some serious listening time in.
Best for the office?
The Sennheiser RS 85's mobility was a convenience, but not a large one in an office setting. It was nice not to get clotheslined every time I reached for a file, but it was seldom appropriate to wear the headphones away from my desk, especially when interacting with coworkers and supervisors!
By contrast, the Bose QuietComfort 2s were perfect officemates. I felt as if I were in an isolation chamber, which helped me focus on difficult tasks with undivided attention. The Bose softened the sound somewhat, compared to the Sennheisers. At the office, though, this was a benefit. The music was less immediate, allowing me to enjoy it without diverting attention from the tasks at hand. While wrestling with particularly complicated layouts, I even turned off the music and just used the noise reduction feature to work in near silence.
If my job required frequent travel, the Bose QuietComfort 2 headphones would have been elevated to the status of necessary office equipment, along with my desk and computer.
Apples to oranges revisited
Are they worth the expense? Although there's a small price difference of $50 between the Bose and the Sennheisers, their cost is still $100 - $150 more than good-quality regular headphones. After living with the RS 85s and the QuietComfort 2s for a while, I find I'm no longer satisfied with my old headphones. They still sound fine, but I can't wear them for long periods of time comfortably, as I could the Sennheisers and the Bose. At home, I miss the Sennheiser's mobility, and the quality of the sound reproduction, even while working out in the yard (where now I must slave while enduring the neighbor's boom box). At work I long to slip on the QuietComfort 2s and have office hubbub fade softly into the background. For me, after experiencing both, purchasing either headphone set is an investment that generously returns in convenience, comfort and listening enjoyment.
Which feature is best? It really came down to apples and oranges; wireless for the house, noise reduction for the office. Using the Sennheiser RS 85s and Bose QuietComfort 2s may not improve my physical health like anti-oxidants or vitamin C, but my enhanced listening experiences at home and work decidedly improved my mental health.