http://www.amphony.com/products/h1000.htm

First the bad news: We have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone with 2 handsets, and a 5.8 GHz cordless phone with 1 hand set. The Amphony 1000's will not work while the 2.4 GHz phones are plugged in. The 1000's do still work while the 5.8 GHz phone is plugged in. Also, the 1000's do not work while the Frontier Design TranzPort wireless DAW controller [ which also operates at 2.4 GHz ] is on - and vice versa, the Tranzport doesn't work properly while the 1000's are on either.

Since the TranzPort is my new favorite toy, and since obviously I'm wanting to use the controller and well as the headphones together for total wireless bliss - the fact that they don't work together is a deal breaker for recording applications for me.

I'm hoping that the new Amphony 2500 GHz wireless headphones - that are arriving here soon for review - will not have the same problems. I imagine the 2500's @ 5.8 GHz are going to run fine with the 2.4 GHz TranzPort. Fingers crossed.

There is good news with these 1000 2.4 GHz wireless headphones: If you don't have 2.4 GHz cordless phones around then the 1000's just might work fine. Maybe you're not as hot on the TranzPort and don't need to use them togther. Although, using wireless headphones as well as a wireless DAW controller is just too attractive a prospect.

But the good news is that the Amphony 1000's only run around $129. And evidently you can add extra headphone sets for around $56 each of you already have the transmitter that comes with the 1000's. I have an email into Amphony asking how many headphone sets can be run simultaneously with a single transmitter.

And here's where I have high hopes for the 2500 headphones. If they'll operate while the TranzPort is on, and can run several pairs of 2500 headphone sets off of a single transmitter - then that's a very powerful system for use in personal studios. Imagine everyone being able to work and walk around with wireless headphones along with the freedom of wireless DAW control from the TranzPort.

With the 2.4 GHz turned off and TranzPort's not running, the Amphony 1000's work. I've got about a 2000 sq ft house and am able to walk to the other end of the house and lie in bed and still get clear reception. There is a sort of clicking sound in the headphones when walking around with them, but once stationary in one place the clicking stops. There is an optional Range Booster available to extend the operating range. Actually, I've gotten used to the clicks as I move around and no longer find them particularly irritating - and certainly not as irritating as being anchored by a cord, or stepping on a cord as can happen with corded headphones. Hey, we've all been there.

The 1000's are closed-back, so noise from the headphones to the outside is lessened - a plus for tracking vocals and other sources where less headphone bleed is desired. I've got several pairs of headphones here: Extreme Isolation, Ultrasone 550, 650 and 750, AKG K141S, AKG K240S, Stax 4070 and Stax SRS-2020, and the Amphony 1000's. As far as comfort, the Amphony 1000 are probably the most comfortable. They're also the lightest. They give reasonably good isolation from outside sources - I'd ball park sound reduction at around - 15dB-20dB. I'll check and see if Amphony has any figures. The ear cups are smaller, about the same size as the Ultrasone 550's.

The system operates with a transmitter that accepts RCA jack source. Initially I plugged in the cheapy RCA cords that came with the system, but later plugged in a pair of Monster "Interlink" Reference Total Bandwidth Interconnect RCA cables. The sound quality with the Monsters is noticably better. The headphones are powered by two AA batteries - one battery fits in each side. Battery life reported by Amphony is about 100 hours. There is an ON/OFF switch on the back of the left ear cup, and a volume control on the back of the right ear cup.

I'm getting sound to the Amphony 1000's with an RME 9652 soundcard running into a Benchmark DAC1.

The sound quality is actually pretty good, and certainly good enough for tracking. I'd read at GoodCans.com that the reviewer felt they sounded a little muffled. And I think they do if you compare them to all the hyped headphones with boosted mids and hi-mids on the market. That presence boost is what I don't like about the Sony's at all and why I don't like Ultrasones more than I do. Some people obviously like the boost, and especially if you're an old rocker and have had a lot of the upper range of your hearing blown out from concerts and playing live gigs with monitors blasting in your ears - then, yeah, I can see the attraction. But I still have all my hearing range. I don't like hyped cans, and have usually preferred to work with AKG headphones over the years.

I think the sound quality of the Amphony 1000's is more than acceptable, and even though I have some really nice headphones here, including the uber-expensive Stax 4070 electrostatics system with SR-717 amplifier [ hands down the best headphones I've ever used - they make Ultrasone's sound like tin cans ], I've still been using the 1000's to listen to music - and have been enjoying them immensely. Wireless headphones are a concept who's time has come. Cables and cords are the single biggest joykill in a studio for me. The more wireless [as long as it works well ] - the better. Wireless technologies have made huge strides in this first decade of the new millenium. It's quite liberating not to be hindered by a cord, and I'm still enjoying getting used to the idea.

Taking into account that the Amphony 1000's are so light, comfortable, fairly well isolated and, ahem, wireless, they're fast becoming the headphones I use most for casual listening when at my computer [ at night when I can turn off my 2.4 GHz phone ] - whether for CD's, MP3's or internet radio. I listen to a lot of internet radio, as it's the best source for finding new music, and I find the 1000's headphones perfect for that application. Did I mention there's no cord to get in the way?

Although I'm primarily focusing on recording applications when reviewing gear, there are obviously also other benefits from these wireless headphones, such as using them with TV and video systems. I'll have to try that out.

Still playing around.... [ and also looking forward to the arrival of the 5.8 GHz Amphony 2500's. ]

According to Catherine Hansen of Amphony, "An unlimited quantity of headphones can be used to one transmitter."

This an interesting solution. With a single $129 L1000 2.4 GHz Digital Wireless Audio Transmitter / Receiver and several sets of $56 HR1000 Extra Headphones, you can hand out cans to everyone and not have worry about an addition headphone amp or any cabling. I've been using this 1000 system quite a bit and I think they sound pretty good. They sound quite a bit like my AKG K141's.

I was interested in reviewing a similar type of wireless headphone system - the xdream headphones - but when I saw the product... HA... I honestly couldn't be bothered. I'm not going to subject myself or anyone else in the studio to looking like the robot from Lost in Space. I can imagine people with these things on walking around with there arms waving and shouting, "WARNING, WARNING!!"

Now...THIS is a piece of gear that might be good for me. I've been trying to determine how I was going to have to run multiple headphone dist amps around the studio...even sitting over at the key station (myself) is gonna require an extender at least.

Is there any break up? Lost signal? Is the volume on the headphones, or the transmitter? Otherwise, can everyone have their own level? Not mix (obviously)...but, volume?

Pop, On/Off switch is on the left phone and volume dial is on the right phone. So everyone has control of their own volume.

There's not break-up, but there are these little clicks as I walk around. But they're not there when I'm stationary. I've walked all over my 2500 sq ft house with these and haven't had a real drop out. I can go to the other side of the house – about 70' away - and sit and listen with these headphones.

If you're going to get a system for a studio I'd recommend getting the Range Booster. If you don't have any 2.4 GHz cordless phones, then you probably won't have a problem with the 2/4 GHz 10000 models.

I'm still waiting on the 5.8 GHz Amphony 2500's. I think it's going to be a great solution for project studio owners to easily run multiple sets of cans without any additional amps, headphone mixers, or cables.

Dan,
Will these work OK if you have a 2.4 wireless phone anywhere else in the house? Or just in a close proximity? For example, I track on the 3rd floor of my house, but the cordless is on the first floor.

Hello, so have you had the chance to try the 2500 model ? I'm thinking about getting one set, and maybe an extra headset later.

Soulgolem, I spoke with Catherine Hansen of Amphony today. The 2500's aren't out yet. I should have a multi-pair system for review in February.