The TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award for infrared headphones goes to the Pyle Dual Wireless IR Mobile Video Stereo Headphones w/ Transmitter. While these TV headphones have been designed specifically for in-vehicle entertainment systems, you can easily hook the transmitter up to your in-home entertainment system for the additional benefit of in-home use. These television headphones provide an effective range of 26 feet, which should allow you to move around your TV room without losing reception to the audio. We were pleased with the quality of the audio as well as the design features of these Pyle infrared headphones.
Like other headphones in our lineup, you will find a power switch and a volume control on the headphones for personal use. We feel all infrared headphones should have a personal volume control for in-vehicle use as well as in-home use because if someone is talking to you, you can quickly adjust your personal volume as necessary. We really enjoy this feature, and while it isn’t necessary, it was convenient and makes the headphones slightly more enjoyable. Another great feature with these headphones is that they are sold in pairs. You will get one transmitter and two headphones in each package, a great benefit if you are planning on using them with more than one person at a time.
As we mentioned in the introduction, the infrared headphones have an effective range of approximately 26 feet. While not the highest, it is a comparable distance to other infrared headphones and offers a decent amount of room to move around. While you want to face the transmitter head-on to get the best signal, you can move slightly to the left and to the right. The headphones have been designed to provide a 45-degree leniency in each direction. As you exit the effective degree or the effective range you will begin to notice the audio fading. During our research we found that this often happened at approximately 15 feet.
A unique feature that these infrared headphones have is an auto-mute function. The auto-mute feature will automatically turn off the power amplifier and will mute when the transmitter connection is lost; this saves you from hearing extensive amounts of static. This will happen when the transmitter is shut off or when the headphones lose the infrared signal. After three to five minutes of no infrared connection, the automatic shutdown feature will kick in and the headphones will shut off. You can tell the difference between the auto-mute and the auto-shutdown features by looking at the power indicator lights. If the power indicator light is still on, then the headphones are on mute. If the power indicator lights are off, then the headphones have been turned off. These features help to prolong battery life and ensure that you get the best possible audio quality.
The Pyle PLVWH6 Infrared Headphones run on two AAA batteries making it possible for you to use disposable or rechargeable. They have an adjustable head strap that will fit a child or an adult and is lightweight so you may forget that you are even wearing headphones. In our research we found that some users who wore them for an extended period of time got uncomfortable, though most users enjoyed the fit and the lightweight design. They are designed for in-vehicle entertainment, but if you purchase a transformer you can use them for in-home entertainment purposes. They are portable and easy to travel with, which is another great feature.
The headphones are made of plastic and are designed to go over your head as opposed to behind your head. The ear pads lie on top of your ears and don't seal in the sound so you may hear some outside noise. This does come in handy when you are watching with another person and they want to talk to you.
We were very impressed with Pyle’s help and support resources. At the top of their site is a link to their contact information. The contact information includes a toll-free phone number as well as an email address. We were very impressed with their level of customer service and the help that we received from their representatives. When we called them, we were always connected to a representative within five minutes. The representatives were able to quickly find the information that we were seeking and made sure that all of our questions were answered. They were equally as efficient in responding to our emails and provided a response within 24 hours. Again, we were impressed with their organization and attention to detail as they answered each of our questions very effectively.
Through their website you can find a product page with specific information on the PLVWH6 infrared headphones. There are tabs for product details, videos, manuals and downloads, and reviews. While the tabbed areas for videos and reviews are empty, you can get product details and download the product manual. The manual is four pages and provides basic information on the headphones and the infrared effective range. The website was very clean and organized so we were able to find everything quickly.
We were impressed with several aspects of the Pyle Dual Wireless IR Mobile Video Stereo Headphones w/ Transmitter: the audio quality, the design, the versatility and the help and support. While they don’t have the largest frequency range, the audio comes out very clean and clear and with no interference. The volume and power controls on the headphones are very convenient and the automatic shutdown feature is a great way to extend the battery life. We were pleased with the infrared transmitter as well as the receivers in the headphones and feel that these are among the best infrared headphones available.
