Sennheiser is touting their new RS 220 ($600) Wireless headphones as playing in the same league as their Sennheiser HD 600 series wired headphones – which themselves are considered industry standard in entry to mid-level audiophile headphones. The idea that a wireless headphone such as the RS 220 could compete on this level is a high step forward in technology itself. The drive inside the Rs220 is actually the same driver in the HD650. That in itself is big, big news.

The conversation regarding the Sennheiser RS 220 v. Sennheiser HD 600 has already begun on the fanatic forums. We ourselves are desperately awaiting a review pair to compare to our own set of HD 650, just one small step up from the 600. The RS220 comes priced at around $600, just about $250-$275 more than the wired HD600. If they can indeed pull off the high end sound of their wired brothers, the RS220 may be this year’s headphone game changer.

For an excellent Sennheiser wireless headphone for half the money, consider the Sennheiser RS 180.

More looks in our gallery…

Fastcode turns us onto this student project… While most of your readers are familiar with the Sennheiser name, the German audio company’s name is supposedly known by less than 10% of “regular” headphone consumers. Not sure on that.

Well, industrial design student, Matthew Lim, looks to raise the company profile with his student project, Ecovinyl, which produces a turntable and headphones from sustainable materials. Lim claims that with current production costs, Ecovinyl could retail for $350; not a bad price for the combo.

Trouble is, Sennheiser has not said yea or nay on producing the project. We’ll see what comes of it.

More looks after the click.

I stand by the statement I made recently on Twitter. You can tell how much a DJ cares about sound and music based on the headphones they use. While they may not dictate the true sound from the P.A., a great set of headphones in the DJ booth (or any space that requires for music to remain isolated and “sealed” from external environments) will not only save your ears from fatigue but also dramatically lower your overall “play” volume. There is simply no need to put that much stress on your ears.

Think of it this way: the damage caused by loud, distorted music on your eardrum is as harsh as the damage that cigarettes does on your lung (the difference clearly is that smoke inhalation will cause cancer while loud noise will cause tinnitus and hearing loss – the former will kill you, sadly).

There are a variety of excellent options in the sealed headphone realm, all of which will run you just around $200 in price. No need to spend more than that in this category. I’ve been testing the Sennheiser HD-25-1 II model (shown above in the flat black; my demos are the Adidas version in blue which are exact in spec other than color). The HD-25-1 II has gained major juice through the DJ world as a replacement for the old Sony MDR series. The advantage of the Sennheiser lies in their durability and size. They take a beating in ways that most headphones simply will not. Size-wise, the cups fit over the ears in an almost locking method. Move around in the HD25-1 II and they’ll remain properly in place. And please swap out the pleather pads for the soft ones. Makes a hell of a difference in the summer.

Sound-wise: the quality is solid for  a $200 can. Highly sealed while retaining clarity, they need no extra amplification. Plug them into your mobile device and computer; they will work better than most.

I’ve been sitting on this headphone review for a minute. The reason is that most headphones require at least 20-40 hours of playthrough to get the very best sound from them. In head-fi geek circles, it is called the “burn in.” Today, I can report that the Sennheiser HD 558, the latest model in Sennheiser’s “audiophile” category has burned in splendidly.

A step up from the incredibly popular and affordable, Sennheiser 555, the 558 brings just a touch more response in areas that many consumer consider important: bass and clarity. Like the Sennheiser 555, the 558 can be driven by just about any output device: from the iPhone, iPad, to your mobile, desktop computer, and beyond. While it may not come with the right-angle 3.5mm jack found on more portable models, there is an adapter for easy plug-in.

I am often asked what headphone model I recommend for someone taking a step up from their white earbuds. At just around $170, the Sennheiser 558 is a very strong contender in the sub $200 market. Again, with no additional amplification needed, the 558 will bring you a clarity unlike the stock earbuds that came with your mobile device in a full-sized open air headphone.  The all-black finish is a major plus as well. - Jeff

Yes, that is an iPhone photo above.

Photography: Selectism.com