TDK WR700 wireless headphones $99.99 USD on Amazon

Don't know how long this sale is going to last for but checking today, the TDK WR700 wireless on-ear headphones that use Kleer wireless technology (no Bluetooth) can be had for $99.99 USD from J&R Music and Computer World. Pretty sweet deal.

You may not have this price appear as the default when you visit the TDK WR700 page on Amazon, but you should see it in the choices on the right. And if you don't, the offer is over.

Here's some of the latest reviews of the TDK wireless headphones on Amazon:

From January 6, 2011: "I got these for my girlfriend for Christmas. She absolutely loves them. Ive tested them out too and they are pretty darn good. I'm happy with my purchase so there that is."

And from December 29, 2010: "I just bought two pairs of these headphones as gifts for Xmas, and the recipients love them. Thankfully, they also let me listen to them for a while (they're lucky to get them back)! I've owned other wireless headphones before (Sony, Sennheiser) and this blows them out of the water. The KLEER wireless technology is hands-down the best wireless audio technology, it's CD quality. Great range, great bass. Not one problem with interference. Worth every penny. The range is fantastic and the battery life is outstanding thus far. They're on-ear, not over-ear so they don't look obnoxious when wearing them either. The leather ear cups and headband are as comfortable as can be. They fold away for compact storage as well in the carrying sleeve. All in all, I can't think of anything to criticize.

Why would anyone pay double for Beats by Dre or Bose when you can get the same quality at a lower price with the freedom of wireless?!"

Purchase the TDK wireless headphones on Amazon >>

You may not have this price appear as the default when you visit the TDK WR700 page on Amazon, but you should see it in the choices on the right. And if you don't, the offer is over.

And remember, the TDK wireless headphones use Kleer wireless audio technology, not Bluetooth. This means you hear CD-quality, lossless, uncompressed, digital stereo audio without the wires!

AKG Wireless On-Ear Headphones Kleer-based

UPDATED (Jan 22, 2011): So I got a comment on this blog from someone wondering when I was going to talk about the AKG Kleer-based wireless headphones. Or, more officially, the AKG K 840 KL Premium Class Wireless On-Ear Headphone. Check out the cost and vendors on Amazon UK >>

Sounds pretty exciting to me. Pairing AKG with Kleer wireless technology, a match made in heaven that will give Sennheiser a run for it's money.

To be honest though, I didn't know AKG had released its wireless headphones. I had a strong idea AKG was working on them, but didn't know they were available. I guess that's my other issue. They appear to only be available in Europe. And even at that, very limited. I couldn't find any reviews either. Which surprises me as I would have thought AKG would have swamped all the typical consumer electronic blogs (Engadget, etc.) and given them review copies of their new wireless headphones. 

So all I've got to go on is the official press release from AKG on Sept 10, 2010 (whoa, that's a long time ago. I was asleep at the wheel on this one).

AKG^® K 840 KL On-Ear Mini Headphones Brings Lossless Audio with Kleer^® Wireless Technology

Streaming CD-Quality Audio Wirelessly Is Now Possible with Less Interference, Greater Ease and Portability

HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE:HAR), today announced the availability of new wireless headphones, the K 840 KL, which provide a best-in-class, cordless listening experience for consumers with an on-the-go lifestyle. Audiophiles and music lovers can now lose themselves in rich, pristine sound on the go with a brand-new pair of wireless headphones that can be played further wirelessly and with longer battery power than any other wireless competitors. The K 840 KL feature Kleer^® wireless technology, which streams lossless CD-quality sound over the air from an iPod or iPhone, or any other music player.

The K 840 KL delivers pure, uncompressed 16-bit stereo audio over a robust 2.4 GHz radio link so listeners can hear the intricacies of their music, with virtually no interference. With these wireless mini on-ear headphones, music lovers can move up to 20 metres from the audio source and still have a high-quality sound experience. 

The K 840 KL also feature an extended battery life that recharges quickly to give listeners more playback time, less downtime and up to two weeks of normal usage.

The K 840 KL is design, sound engineering and wireless technology at its finest’, said Thijs Linthorst, general manager, HARMAN International EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Asia), Russia and India. ’This product is truly the cream of the crop when it comes to a pair of wireless headphones boasting the highest standard of sound quality with the most elegant, intuitive design.

The K 840 KL mini on-ear headphones have a proprietary 3D-Axis² folding headband which doesn’t compromise a comfortable fit for hours of use.

AvailabilityThe AKG K 840 KL mini headphones will be available in October 2010 and will cost: €349. For more information, please visit http://www.akg.com/.

One last thing. Looking at the image, it looks like AKG decided to go with the 3.5 mm universal audio jack. Nothing wrong with that, but it comes with a short cord. Again, nothing wrong with that, but my concern is how that will work with an iPod. In many ways, doesn't really matter as you'll probably hook the transmitter up to your iPod then put it in your knapsack, purse, pocket, etc. To me, that type of short cord is ideal for listening to music at work from your laptop. I know I do the majority of music listening at work, where it's great to be wire free and not yank your head off when you move your chair away from your laptop. 

Check out the cost and vendors of the AKG K 840 KL Premium Class Wireless On-Ear Headphones on Amazon UK >>

One last thing. The vendor doesn't appear to have any ratings yet. So buyer beware. Check out the vendor's return policy and protect yourself! Not saying don't trust the vendor, but like Ronald Reagan said "Trust but verify."

UPDATED (March 10, 2011): Looks like the vendor has changed. This vendor has a overall positive rating. Still, always good to review the vendor's rating, do some research. Heck, even contact the vendor, find out their return policy if you have any questions.

Arcam rWand Wireless iPod transmitter for rCube and rDAC

UPDATED (Jan 22, 2011) So this is interesting. On Amazon UK, a vendor is selling the iPod transmitter made for Arcam (only one available, what's up with that?) for £69.95. 

And what I didn't realize (as I'm a little out of the loop) is that there is another Arcam sound system that looks like it supports the Kleer wireless audio protoocol, the Arcam rDAC. 

One thing I don't know is if the Arcam iPod wireless transmitter is only specific to the Arcam music systems (rCube and rDac). I'm almost positive that it isn't, that these wireless transmitters based on Kleer technology can be associated to any Kleer-based wireless earbuds/headphones/speakers. 

But don't quote me as you never know. And since I don't have this system, I can't be positive. But like I said, Kleer technology usually allows any Kleer-based transmitter to any Kleer-based receiver (wireless earbuds/headphones/speakers). 

If you own the Arcam rCube of Arcam rDac and you have a different manufacturer's Kleer-based transmitter, you'd need to be able to put the Arcam products into association mode so that they would pair with your new Kleer-based transmitter. But I don't know if the Arcam products have a button for that. Sorry. I suspect they do, but suspicion is a lot like making an assumption and assumptions usually never end well for me. Needs further investigation.

My other concern with someone selling the Arcam iPod wireless transmitter is the price of £69.95. Looks a little hefty in comparison to the Airphonic Standard Kit for £79.95 from the WireFreeHiFi website, which sells numerous Kleer-based products. 

The Airphonic standard system consists of two small dongles, the S5T+ transmitter which connects to any iPad/Pod/Phone, and the RX1 receiver replaces an iPod etc in a compatible docking system (make sure it's compatible). And the Airphonic transmitter and receiver only cost £79.95. 

So for 10 more Pounds, you get a iPod-compatible receiver. Just wanted to point that out. At the same time, if you already own Kleer-based wireless headphones, especially the Sennheiser RS 160, 170, 180 which are designed for watching television, then the Arcam rWand will allow you to make the RS series mobile (again, it should if it can go into association mode).

The vendor of the Arcam rWand Wireless iPod transmitter for rCube and rDAC currently has a 98% approval rating on Amazon UK, so that's always a good sign. 

UPDATE (Jan 22, 2011) : As my technical writer friends always say, RTFM. Here's a link to the Arcam rCube manual (PDF). In it, it describes how you put the dongles/transmitters into association mode and how you put the rCube speaker into association mode. I knew there had to be a way. The manual is great, easy to read, easy to understand. 

50 Cent launches Kleer-based Hybrid (wireless/wired) Headphones

Wow. 50 Cent has decided to launch his own brand of headphones called "Sleek By 50 Cent". And he decided to go with Sleek Audio technology. Sleek Audio is known for its high quality earbuds and customs. And it's known for its use of Kleer wireless audio technology which is also featured in the new Sleek By 50 Cent headphones. That means you'll be able to enjoy either wired or wireless with his headphones. No pricing yet, but the announcement was made at CES 2011 in Las Vegas. Here's some info and pictures from Trusted Reviews.

And the website of http://www.sleekby50.com/ right now is just a landing page but more info will follow soon.

Finally, both Sleek Audio and Kleer are getting the attention they deserve. Thanks Fiddy!

"can you listen to the tv with the mx w1" and "can i watch tv with kleer" responses

Two people visited this blog recently using Google keyword searches of:

• can you listen to the tv with the mx w1
• can i watch tv with kleer

Yes to both but with qualifications:

The Sennheiser MX W1 true wireless earbuds do have a low latency as they use Kleer wireless audio technology. However, the latency is not quite low enough so that you can watch TV and not have lip-synch issues. The latency is needed in case the MX W1 needs to switch to a different band in the 2.4 GHz channel and not have the music drop. Now, the lip-synch is minor and may not bother everyone. However, just to be warned, they weren't designed for watching TV or videos off your laptop; they were designed for listening to music, where there are no lip-synch issues. Again, it may not bother you, but please be aware and purchase them with "eyes open" if you know what I mean. 

Now, the Kleer-based Sennheiser RS 160, RS 170, or RS 180 wireless headphones were designed to be used to watch TV. The latency was specifically lowered so that there are no lip-synch problems when watching TV. 

Here's some recent reviews of the Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones from Amazon: 

From the "Great Headphones" December 12, 2010 review:

"These are perfect for listening to TV while others in the house need quiet, plus I can hear the other person talk to me with the open design which I like."

Also from December 12, 2010 some excerpts from a review titled "Outstanding on all fronts":  

"Takes some pretty fancy technology to really impress me these days, and but these headphones are nothing but perfection. I have used high end corded headphones for a long time, and have always preferred Sennheiser. After shopping around for a new pair I finally decided to give the wireless a try. I really did not want to waste a bunch of money for a lesser model so I went all in with the RS 180's and I am truely amazed. Not only do they sound better than my old HD595 pair, the wireless mode is truely the next step in multimedia enjoyment. With a fairly simple set up between my iTunes, Apple TV and an iPod remote I can put the headset on and have perfect high end sound quality at my computer for gaming, then walk away with music playing and then go lounge in bed and watch a streaming movie.

I have watched action movies, played the latest CoD Black Ops and many other games and listen to a wide variety of music and have really found no weak spot as far as sound depth. They exceed any wired headphones I have used for any of the same activities."

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones on Amazon.com >>

Purchase the Sennheiser RS 180 wireless headphones on Amazon UK >>

And as the Sennheiser RS series wireless headphones use Kleer wireless audio technology, this means you hear CD-quality, uncompressed, lossless, digital stereo audio.  Bluetooth compresses audio, which is bad. Kleer lets you hear what the artist/director intended and without the wires. 

Arcam rCube review on Pocket-lint: "the rCube’s promise of lossless music streaming dimension is exciting"

Great review of the Arcam rCube on Pocket-lint from November 18, 2010. Read the entire review. 

My favorite section: "With millions of us having ditched our CD collections this kind of product ought to do well with people searching for a modern Hi-Fi system. Small, perfectly formed and portable, the rCube’s promise of lossless music streaming dimension is exciting and makes the £500 price tag appear good value - this is a pretty serious Hi-Fi component, after all."

Find out the cost of the Arcam rCube on Amazon UK >>

Here's an excerpt: 

"Sick of those £50 iPod docks that spew out meek music? Then try Arcam’s rCube for size; Wi-Fi meets Hi-Fi on this ‘pod-friendly speaker that’s about as high-end as it gets at this size. Ready for more good news? It’s portable. Yup - unplug the 5kg rCube from the mains and its internal Lithium-ion battery will keep going for between 4 and 8 hours. There’s even a grip-hole hidden just behind the iPod dock for carrying the thing around.

The ability to play music from an Apple gadget isn’t exactly new - we’ve seen hundreds before - but the rCube could be about to offer something genuinely new: lossless wireless streaming."

And the lossless wireless streaming is courtesy of Kleer wireless audio. Kleer is not Bluetooth, Bluetooth compresses audio, which is fine when you're talking on the phone. But when you want to listen to music, you want to hear the music the way the musician intended. With Kleer, you hear CD-quality, lossless, uncompressed, digital stereo audio.

There are several ways to enjoy the Kleer wireless sound with the Arcam rCube. It comes integrated in the rCube speaker so that you can pair the speaker with any Kleer-based wireless earbuds or headphones.

Or, you can purchase the separate rWave or rWand dongles. The rWave is USB, allowing you to connect it to your laptop, Windows or Mac. And the rWand dongle is a portable transmitter that you can connect to any compatible iPod/iPhone, allowing you to stream wireless audio from your iPod to the rCube speaker.

Another excerpt:

"Cunningly hidden along the bottom of the rear of the rCube are various ins and outs. A USB port for software upgrades, a power switch and a 3.5mm auxiliary jack to attach almost any audio device are expected. More welcome is a video port that’s capable of taking 720p video from an iPhone 4 (only) to a TV. There’s also a bass button that should be depressed if you use the rCube in the corner of a room."

Arcam also recommends you place the rCube speaker on an angle if you place it in the corner. But I figure you'll figure all that out.

Purchase the Arcam rCube on Amazon UK >>

Review Arcam rCube portable iPod speaker system on RegHardware: Earns a Reghardware Recommended Thumbs-up

Great review of the new Arcam rCube portable iPod/iPhone speaker system on RegHardware from Nov. 30, 2010.  

View pricing of the Arcam rCube on Amazon UK >>

Here's an excerpt:

"Inside the cabinet are three amplifiers driving four speakers, two set into each side of the cabinet. That's a combination rated at 90W RMS – 35W from each mid-range driver and 10W from each tweeter – and is enough to fill even a large room with sound.

The rCube’s output has not been achieved at the expense of quality. No matter what I played on it – and I listened to everything from Nine Inch Nails to Carole King, and Tangerine Dream to Tannhauser – the reproduction was always a bright, clear, focused, taught, powerful and superbly detailed sound, that never failed to impress."

"The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed the Bass button around the back. These boosters sometimes make everything sound just a little phony and muddy, but not in this case. Press it and the already impressive amount of bass acquires just that extra bit a depth and power, without getting woolly. Yes it's invasive electronic voodoo, but it’s voodoo that works and pays dividends when listening to bass-heavy musical genres."

And the verdict:

"Compared to B&W's Zeppelin or Philips' DS9000 Fidelio, the extra £100 is peanuts when you take into account the increased quality of sound the rCube delivers. Lest we forget forget that it’s also very small, with an internal battery and wireless option. I have to say that, had the rCube been available for inclusion in my up-market iPod dock round-up, it would have taken the gold medal."

Purchase the Arcam rCube on Amazon UK >>

And, Kleer wireless audio technology is built into the rCube, meaning it will pair with Kleer-based headphones/earbuds, such as the DigiFi Opera S2, Opera S5, or Sennheiser RS 160, RS 170, or RS 180.

Only issue is that the rWand and rWave dongles cost extra.

But the good news is that the rWand and rWave use Kleer wireless audio technology. Which means that the dongles stream uncompressed, lossless, CD-quality, digital stereo audio. And that works very well with the Arcam rCube's high fidelity sound system where it makes a difference.