SUMMARY: This extremely popular and well-reviewed TV listening system gives excellent sound quality, ease of use and portability for TV watchers who have hearing loss. This headset will help clarify dialog while reducing background noise for a more enjoyable TV watching experience both for the hard of hearing and others in the household who have been living with a TV set at full volume.
PROS: Since Sennheiser 840 uses radio frequency (RF), you do not need to have a line of sight between the transmitter and receiver, allowing the user to leave the room wearing the headset and still hear the TV. This device is high quality, has excellent sound, and is very durable.
CONS: Slightly pricey. Some users may find the headset uncomfortable if worn for long periods.
Design
Most of the TV listening systems are designed with the same basic idea. You have a transmitter that you plug into the back of your TV, and a receiver that the person who is hard of hearing places near them. The receiver can be a speaker, a headset, or a neckloop. The transmitter sends the sound from the TV to the receiver, and then the receiver sends the sound directly to your ears. For people who are hard of hearing, this type of system can help tremendously improve the TV watching experience. Not only will you be able to hear the TV clearly, but you also won’t have constant arguments with other members of your household over the level of the volume of the TV.
The design of the receiver of the Sennheiser SET840 is a lightweight stethoset style (basically a drop-down headset). Sometimes with this particular style of headset, the stem can be slightly weak and break easily, the 840 doesn’t have that problem because it is metal re-enforced. The headset is wireless, so you aren’t attached to anything and can move around your house freely while still hearing the TV, hi-fi system or radio. The volume control is a large dial that rests below your chin, kind of on your chest. This particular model is only available in blue.
Sound Quality
Audiophiles may argue that RF sound isn’t as good as infrared(IR) sound, but honestly, this device isn’t made for an audiophile, it is made for someone hard of hearing to make it easier to hear the speech on TV and to cut down on the background noise. The sound quality of the 840 is clear and outstanding quality. You can leave the room where the TV and transmitter are located and still hear the audio, which is an excellent feature of RF devices.
Comfort
The headset is designed to be lightweight and comfortable, with flexible ear pads. The style is Stethoset (sort of like a stethoscope) that hangs down from your ears. They are pretty comfortable as far as headphones go. If you watch TV for long periods or you wear a hearing aid, you may not want to go with a headset style listening system. There are other devices like the TV Soundbox that has a portable speaker that you place beside you, or the Audio Fox Wireless speakers that attach to your chair, sofa or bed that might be a better option.
Battery Life
The Sennheiser 840 runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery (BA 300). The battery is in the receiver, and you recharge it by placing it back onto the base. The charging time is 3 hours, and the receiver can run for approximately 9 hours on one charge. Some people purchase an extra battery, so they don’t end up not being able to watch TV because of a dead battery. It is probably not necessary to buy a spare battery if you can remember to place the headset back on the base when you are finished using it.
Features
The 840 has a robust metal-reinforced headband that will be durable and help it last for years. With some of the competitor’s products, the stems tend to break quite easily. You should not have that problem with this device. It has a large volume control dial that is easy to see and to adjust and balance control for setting the right and left ear volume. It also has an audible alert when the battery is getting low and needs to be recharged.
Performance
In terms of performance, the 840 tends to outperform the other major product in this category, which is the TV Ears Headset. There isn’t much to compare here, Sennheiser is much better designed and more durable than TV Ears. The sound quality is also far clearer than TV Ears, and it has a range of up to 100 m. You also don’t need line of sight for these to work, which is a huge plus if you get up and move around a lot, and want to keep track of what is happening on the TV.
Value
Priced between $200 to $300 a set, these aren’t cheap. However, if you compare them to the cost of a hearing aid or having to buy multiple versions of a cheaper product that is more likely to break down, they are pretty good value for what you are getting. If you think of the cost as an investment toward your or a family members improvement in the quality of life, they do start to look like a good deal. They are of high quality and will last for years. If they do stop working, the company offers a 2-year warranty.
Set up and ease of use
This system is straightforward to install. You just connect the base to the back of your TV and also to the wall. The system comes with all the wires that you need to attach it to your TV including one main power supply, a TV RCA adapter, a TV SCART adapter, and a TV connection cable with two 3.5 mm stereo jack plugs and one adapter to 1/4″ (6.3 mm) jack socket. To turn it on, you just put the device on. To mute the 840, you turn the volume down. You can turn down background music from the show you are watching, so the speech is clarified.
Warranty and Product Support
Sennheiser Set 840 has a two-year warranty. Sennheiser is a large company and has an excellent customer service reputation. If you run into trouble with the product, you can go to the Sennheiser website for more information on customer service and technical help.
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