TDK WR700 Wireless Headphones
Submitted by jwhitakr on Thu, 07/08/2010 - 18:07
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Several weeks ago we reviewed TDK’s new in-ear earphones, the EB900. Several reservations aside, we thought that they were a competitive product for the asking price in a field of dozens of similarly priced in-ear headphones. The second headphone in TDK’s new Life on Record audio line, however, is far more unique. The TDK WR700 is a portable wireless headphone utilizing Kleer wireless technology designed, unlike the majority of high-end wireless sets, to be used on the go as well as at home. Does the Kleer system allow the WR700 to compete with wired sets in sound quality and ease of use or just pave the way another compromise between ‘wireless’ and ‘headphone’? Let’s find out.
Design
The TDK WR700 was designed as a portable headphone that’s still comfortable and convenient enough to use at home. The construction is mostly plastic but feels quite solid. Due to the two AAA batteries and wireless receiver/control circuitry, the housings of the WR700 are slightly heavier than those of the average portable headphone of similar size but the lack of a cable makes up for the extra weight. The rubberized cups are also thicker than those of wired headphones, but not so much thicker that they draw attention. In fact, the entire grey-and-black construction of the WR700 is extremely unassuming and rarely attracts a second glance. The headband is padded in very soft black pleather and exerts little pressure on the wearer’s head. The earcups rotate and fold inwards for storage and the shallow supraaural pads seal well with the ear – so well in fact that mild driver flex, or audible bending of the driver membrane due to pressure build up, can be coaxed from the headphones.
After just over a month of use, the folding mechanism does creak a bit on our set but the sound is nothing we wouldn’t expect from a pair of plastic hinges. Overall, the build quality of the WR700, while far from that of professional DJ and studio sets, feels solid enough to last in consumer applications.
Packaging & Accessories
The TDK WR700 comes in a simple but handsome dark grey cardboard box. Opening the magnetic flap reveals a window showing off the headphones themselves and advertising the benefits of Kleer wireless technology. Inside the box you will find:
Inside the box you will find:
- TDK WR700 wireless headphones
- Kleer wireless transmitter
- AAA batteries (4)
- Soft 3” extension cord
- Silicone band
- 6.3mm (1/4”) stereo adapter
- Soft carrying pouch
- User manual
The accessory pack is very elementary but nevertheless surprisingly well thought-out. Versatility was clearly a recurring theme in the development of the WR700. The short extension cord is included for hooking the transmitter up to small portable players or hard-to-reach headphone jacks that it cannot be plugged into directly. The stretchy silicone band allows the transmitter to be attached to a portable player in a configuration that amp-carrying audiophiles will find familiar. And of course the ¼” adapter allows for the headphones to be used with home audio systems and dedicated amplifiers.
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| TDK WR700 Box | Overhead view |
Specifications
- Type: On-ear
- Ear coupling: Closed
- Driver type: Dynamic
- Driver diameter: 34mm
- Frequency response: 20 to 20,000 Hz
- Input sensitivity: 106 dB/mW
- Impedance: 32 Ohms
- Input connection: 3.5 mm plug
- Wireless type: Kleer 2.4Ghz
- Transmitter range: 33 ft (10 m)
- Battery life: 30-40 hours
Technical Background
Before getting into the hands-on experience with the TDK700, let's cover a few details about wireless technology. Despite having been around for many years, wireless headphones have remained a relatively niche product due to low price/performance ratios when compared to wired sets as well as their own, technology-specific, issues. The vast majority of wireless headphones use either an IR (infrared) signal or one of the two common household wireless bands. Infrared wireless avoids almost all sources of interference but has a very limited range and necessitates that the headphones maintain a clear ‘line of sight’ to the transmitter at all times. RF (radio frequency) wireless headphones transmit in either the 900 Mhz (analog) or 2.4 Ghz (digital) wireless bands and are generally susceptible to interference from cordless phones, baby monitors, wireless networks, and much, much more. Specialized RF protocols such as Bluetooth and Kleer attempt to get around the problem by offering short distance (low power) signals that subdivide the 2.4 Ghz spectrum into smaller bands and then avoid bands occupied by other devices to prevent interference.
Compared to Kleer, Bluetooth subdivides the spectrum into smaller bands but suffers from higher power consumption and limited bandwidth. When applied to audio, the bandwidth limitations mean that lossless (CD quality) audio has to be compressed prior to transmission – the theoretical maximum bandwidth of Bluetooth devices cannot accommodate uncompressed audio files. Kleer, on the other hand, allows for unhindered transmission of lossless audio. There are other advantages to the technology, such as low power consumption and point-to-multipoint connectivity, which allows a single transmitter to be shared between several receivers (headphones). On paper, then, Kleer is the ideal protocol for wireless audio devices but, as with most promising technologies, the magic is in the implementation. Read on to see whether the TDK WR700 takes full advantage of the unique capabilities of Kleer.
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| Accessories | Folded |
Hands-On Usage
The headphones and transmitter each require a pair of AAA batteries and, although 1.5V are recommended, I had no trouble using 1.2V NiMH cells. The battery life is rated at 30-40 hours depending on listening volume. With my preferred medium-low volumes, I easily attained well over 30 hours of battery life even with my none-too-fresh 850mAh rechargeables. Fresh sets of disposable batteries will live up to the claim even at higher volumes.
Connecting the headphones to the transmitter can be completed in mere seconds after some practice. The trick is turn on the transmitter first (by tapping the power button) and then the headphones (by holding the power button down until the light flashes). When the red lights on both the headphones and transmitter flash simultaneously at three-second intervals, the device is connected. There is no channel selection – Kleer does this automatically. There is also no trickery involved in syncing several sets with the transmitter – up to four WR700s can share a transmitter when in range. The only other buttons on the headphones themselves regulate the volume. All three buttons are conveniently located on the right earcup and are large enough operate purely by touch.
What is most surprising about the operation of the headphones once they are powered on and synced is the complete lack of interference. The Kleer system delivers what it promises – cordless phones, microwaves, and wireless networks have absolutely no effect on the Kleer signal. Moving towards the extremes of the WR700’s 30ft range, which usually results in a dramatic increase in static with other wireless sets, is absolutely drama-free with the WR700s. The Kleer system merely continues switching channels until it can no longer reach the headphones and the music cuts out. There is no static and no clicks or pops. When the headphones come back in range, audio cuts back in. The only reservation is in respect to time as the WR700 will shut off if no signal is found within five minutes to preserve battery life. The transmitter will actually do the same so leaving a powered-on WR700 connected to a shut-off iPod will only waste five minutes of battery life. Overall, the user-friendliness of the WR700 and the Kleer technology in general is extremely impressive and a revolutionary step up from the conventional wireless sets of yesteryear.
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