SET840 -TV RF Stereo TV Assistive Listening Headphones System

I actually have 2 versions of this product, both purchased thru Amazon. The first headset was the Sennheiser SET830, purchased in April 2011. I use it every evening and it is going strong after 18 months. The Set830 uses an infrared (IR) signal to broadcast TV sound from the base station to your headset. Most of the AV remote controls we use operate via IR. And like these remotes, the headphones have to be in sight of the base station. If you leave the room, or turn away from the TV the sound will shut off. In addition if anything (like a bowl of popcorn on you lap) comes between you the base station, the headset will shut off. Other than those annoyances the 830 gives off high quality, static free sound. The volume can be turned up quite loud if needed. The dynamic range compression and high frequency boost options are great for making dialogue easily understandable. These are adjustable to meet your hearing needs. Also there is no sound delay between what you are hearing and what the actors are saying. Or any noticeable delay between headset sound and TV speaker sound. That would be really annoying if others were watching the TV, and you could hear the delay between your headset and the TV sound. These do not block out environmental sound very much. You will still be able to hear the phone ring or the door bell. The Sennheiser SET840 which is reviewed here was purchased just about a week ago. It is very similar in design and weight as the 830. However it is quite different in that the signal is sent to the headset by "radio frequency" or RF. The main advantage is no more loss of sound when you leave the room or face away from the TV. That is a big plus. It has the same great features as the 830 and the sound quality seems to be the same as the IR version. There are 3 frequency setting to choose from to send the signal to the headset. This is because it is quite possible that there would be interference from other RF sources in the area. You can choose the frequency with the clearest reception. The one advantage of the IR 830 version is that you would probably never have IR interference. The one exception could be a plasma TV depending on its age and brand. I have read that plasmas can potentially cause problems with IR operated equipment. The brighter the plasma screen, the more IR interference it could cause. For newer plasma models, this may no longer be a problem. At any rate, both Sennheisers have made my TV watching experience infinitely better. Highly recommended if you are at the stage where you are straining to hear what is being said by the actors.

My mother's TV Ears brand TV listening system kept suffering from broken earphones. I got fed up repairing them, or purchasing replacement headphones over the years when I knew they just would not last. I finally ordered the Sennheiser Set 840. Its sound and quality construction just blows TV Ears out of the water! The reception is crystal clear and of hi-fi quality. Receptions is not lost even when walking into other rooms. With Sennheiser's long experience in selling high-end hi-fi headphones, I was justified paying the extra cost for the model 840. They are worth every penny. Installation took less than two minutes. And, we like the 4 sound (treble) settings for extra clarity during voice or musical broadcasts. They are simply superb for TV musical programs. It is first-class equipment all round. -------------- Addendum It has been two months since purchasing the Sennheisers for my hard-of-hearing mother. She raves to everyone how nice they sound and how much clearer her TV music shows are now compared to her previous TV-Ears system. The Sennheiser is also saving money by not falling apart like the TV-Ears invariably does. I was replacing or fixing broken ear phones every three or four months with TV-Ears. The Sennheiser's extra large volume control is also a nice feature. This was an excellent investment. -------------- 2014 update This proved so popular with a few of my mother's hard of hearing guests that I had to order a second headset. Now she and her sister can both enjoy TV music programs together when she visits for the evening. The base unit has only one recharge bay for the headphones, but they recharge so quickly it isn't any trouble keeping two units up-to-snuff and ready for use. But there is an auxiliary charge slot in the base's side if needed. You just remove a headset's battery and slide it into the auxiliary slot. I also purchased a stereo adapter (1/4" male plug on one end, and 1/8" mini female receptacle on the other end) that allows the mini plug that normally plugs into the TV output to be plugged into her electronic organ. Now she can use her Sennheisers while playing the organ too. A very versatile unit indeed!

Had been having difficulty separating the music and the vocal so most of the conversation was lost to me. As well similar difficulty hearing accents and woman and children's voices. The three options that Sennheiser SET840 TV RF Stereo TV Assistive Headphones offers to remedy these very situations did just that. I have to engage all three: compression (setting #1) that makes quiet sounds louder and louder sound reduced; treble boost (setting #2 and #3) that addresses high frequencies and thus makes the speech clearer thus intelligible and this option can be further fine tuned from the rear of the transmitter by adjusting from min to max (med is factory setting) as music and speech exit from different earbuds. I had read reviews and a few customers found the hanging transmitter a little heavy after many hours of use which was a concern for me as I could not use over the ear headphones for this very reason....in fact gave me earaches and headaches. I took a gamble and I do find them pretty comfortable and find after quite a few hours (if binge watching a series) I have to adjust them often or take a break for a bit. Overall I am very satisfied. I am even going back and re watching some series that I found were completely lost to me do to complete lack of understanding because of unintelligible speech (to my ears)....thanks Sennheiser. I recommend this set highly.

Really happy with Sennheiser Set40 headphone system. Works beautifully. From understanding less than half the dialogue on some films using just my hearing aids (particularly American accents), I can hear better than 90% of the dialogue with Sennheiser. I can leave the TV volume very low and crank up the sound with Sennhauserand without annoying the neighbours. Prime quality, well worth the price.

The sennheiser is able to filter the sound waves and makes it easy for an elderly person to hear the tv without the rest of the family having to put up with the volume being terribly loud. It makes watching tv enjoyable for everyone. Especially good in nursing homes when residents often share rooms!

,Purchased the product for my personal use looks good havent been able to use the product because I cant connect the product to the TV I need a university degree to and the knowledge to connect it up having said that can you recommend someone to connect it up and then I can tell you if its good or not. cheers Doreen...

This is the only product that worked for my mom. We tried other Brands, but the arms would break off. My mom is very hard of hearing, with ringing of the ears as well. With this product she was able to hear the TV, which she enjoyed watching.