The Boss HS-IR Wireless Infrared Headphones are among today’s top infrared headphones because of the audio quality, comfortable design and battery life. These TV headphones are designed for in-vehicle entertainment and have a shorter effective range than most infrared headphones designed for home entertainment. While there is no surround sound, we found the audio quality very impressive and clear. Also, through our research we found that users enjoyed the design of the headphones and the comfortable over-the-ear fit. In addition to those great features, the headphones consume minimal power and have better battery life than most competing products. Overall, these infrared headphones have several beneficial qualities in each of our ranked criteria.
This set of Boss infrared headphones comes with two headphones and a single transmitter. Each of the headphones has a receiver on each ear cup. This will allow you to move 45 degrees to the right and to the left away from the transmitter’s signal. As with all infrared products, you need to keep a line of sight with the transmitter or else you will lose the audio. You can move approximately 15 feet away from the transmitter and the signal will still be strong enough to play clear sound, but as you move farther away, the audio will become less clear and you may lose it altogether.
We did appreciate the power switch and the personal volume control that comes on each pair of headphones. These features make the headphones convenient and comfortable for each individual user, allowing them to have the volume at a personal preference. These infrared headphones also have an automatic shutdown feature that will turn off the power if no signal or audio is detected for approximately five minutes. The automatic shutdown assists in preserving battery life.
As mentioned above, these Boss infrared headphones have a low power consumption providing a long battery life. They receive power from two AAA batteries which will last for approximately 50 hours. You can use disposable or rechargeable batteries; however, be aware that each brand and type will provide a varied lifespan.
The impressive design of these TV headphones provided a great deal of comfort for each user. The head strap goes over your head, instead of behind, which we learned through our research most users find more comfortable because they enjoy relaxing their head and laying it back while watching TV. The ear cushions cup your ear instead of lying on top, which takes pressure off of your ears and allows you to wear them for longer. It also blocks more outside noise, which lets you focus on the audio coming through the headphones.
These infrared headphones are designed for vehicle use but can be used with your home entertainment system if you have a 12V AC adapter. They don’t have a carrying case, which we were disappointed about since they have been designed for traveling and in-vehicle use. The transmitter will need to be hardwired to your vehicle so the headphones are all you will need to keep track of.
We were not impressed with the Boss Audio Systems website. We were able to find the infrared headphones under their mobile video products to access the product page. The product page provides very little information; you will find an image of the product and a link to make a purchase. There is no product information or specifications on the product page, which we were disappointed about because we wanted to know the audio frequency response.
The warranty on Boss Audio Systems’ infrared headphones is one year from the date of purchase. To learn more about the warranty you can contact a Boss representative. To contact customer support we found an email address and phone number on their website. After a month, we still have not received a response to our email. We called the toll-free phone number that is also available on their site and we were able to speak with a representative in approximately five minutes. The customer support representative said that Boss Audio Systems does not test the frequency response and was unable to provide us with the information. The representatives that we spoke to were very helpful and friendly. In our research we found that people felt comfortable speaking with the representatives and found the customer support line a convenient and helpful option that they would use again if needed.
These Boss HS-IR Wireless Infrared Headphones are among the best infrared headphones we found. They have a sturdy and comfortable design that doesn’t weigh down your head, making you want to take them off before your movie has even ended. While the TV headphones don’t offer the effective range or degree that our higher-ranked products provide, they do come with all of the features we found most important to infrared headphones – an automatic shutdown feature, personal volume control and the ability to move around while still receiving the signal. They are among our top choices for infrared headphones, and if you are looking for in-vehicle infrared headphones, this may be a good option for you.
