Good :
Work well in line of sight of transmitter (says up to 7m)
The neighbours can't 'tune in'
Can use more than one headphone set with the same transmitter
Light and comfy enough
Decent enough sound.
Very decent power length (maybe 20-30 hours with rechargeable ?)
On/off and volume control on phones
Uses AA batteries meaning no 'downtime' while recharging
Works fine with my rechargeable AA batteries
Bad :
Sound is tinny/thin (but still decent for non-quality listening)
If you don't switch power off on the headphones it will run down the batteries
Doesn't work out of line-of-sight to transmitter
If you have more than one transmitter in a room (e.g. computer and TV), if they are both on they will interfere with each other
Basic comfort fit
Plug came as a 2-pin plug, meaning a 3-pin adapter was needed
With TV use, certain TV titles seem to make the signal cut-off. You need to press volume control on the remote control to get sound again
Verdict :Good for casual long-term TV or non-quality wireless headphone listening and if more than one person wants to listen. Too tinny for 'quality' listening. Probably only worth considering if you worry about 'snooping' security. Also no annoying 'downtime' to recharge an in-built battery as it uses AA batteries. Use rechargeable batteries
Philips SHC1300
In box : one set of headphones, one transmitter, and 2-pin plug and cable
Transmitter sensor type : infrared
Thoughts :
I am presuming 'infrared' is relatively 'obsolete' for wireless headphone technology, being superseded by radio or bluetooth sensors due to the 'line of sight' issue. That is, infrared does not work out of sight. However, this means you can be sure your neighbours can't tune in to what you are listening to, as it won't go through walls. Technically I guess it could go open windows etc, so you need to check your room is 'air-tight' if you want to be sure about security. I am guessing these headphones are quite old (2011 ?) and judging by the tatty box they came in I am guessing they are either old stock Philips have sold on to get rid of or some other reason.
2-pin plug : This is a bit of a nuisance if you live in a 3-pin country. You need to buy an adapter. You should be able to get one for £1/$1 out of a dollar/pound shop.
Sound quality : The sound is very thin but clear. They are definitely not for quality listening. Possibly the reason is so they are not so power hungry (which they certainly aren't). For clear think listening such as watching TV, they are pretty good.
Controls : They have a volume control on one ear, and a power on-off switch on the other ear
Battery : They use 2 AA batteries. I use rechargeable (duracell) and they work fine, lasting maybe 20-30 hours. The good thing about not using a built-in battery is that you can change the batteries anytime, rather than having to recharge.
Infrared : As mentioned, they only work in line in sight. They can work round corners to an extent but you will quickly lose connection. If in sight, they are said to work 7m. Sound can be affected if things are in the way of the connection, so you need to keep your 'field' clear of obstacles too.
Transmitter : You can buy more than one set of headphones and they will work with one transmitter instantly. This means for example 2 people can watch the same TV show. When you switch the audio source off, the transmitter will stay 'live' for 5 minutes then sleep. When the transmitter is emitting a signal, the 4 LEDs go slightly red.
With TV use titles can affect the volume :
This seems to be an issue with a few Philips headphones I have tried with TV. I am wondering if it's a 'safety feature' Philips use, perhaps for headphones of a certain age. When watching TV, it seems that certain signals TV use such as titles or ad-breaks can make the sound go mute. To get it back I need to press the remote control sound control. If it was a safety feature, it's a nuisance. It does not seem to happen with computer use. I have a feeling it only happens with TV. Some TV channels do not have the issue.
So overall, I am happy with these cheapish 'secure' and 'convenient' wireless headphones, even though the sound quality is quite tinny and basic. I don't know if bluetooth is secure. If they were, then I would choose bluetooth. However, at least with infrared you know it's pretty secure. And with it using replaceable batteries rather than an in-built lithium battery, this is another very convenient benefit of these headphones.
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