More good news. This month, Rocketfish started selling two new wireless headphone models in Best Buy stores nationwide. There are two models, the RF-WHP01 and RF-WHP02. Each model has Avnera’s first generation wireless audio system, which at this point is popping up in many other places.
Both models are targeted at TV and home AV environments.
Key application usages:
- Watching TV at night without disturbing house-mates (Killer frickin’ app)
- Enhancing TV/AV audio for people with diminished hearing
- Listening to music from iPod dock, PC, home stereo while cooking dinner, doing housework, etc.
The RF-WHP01 and RF-WHPo2 are both very similar models, with the primary difference being:
- RF-WHP02 is mainly targeted at TV users, so it offers some hook-up flexibility. Including a boom mic option for older sets that don’t have supplementary audio outputs. This is also a quick and dirty way for someone to enjoy music at a higher volume level than others also watching the same TV, without headphones.
- RF-WHP02 has a spatial enhancement feature to enhance stereo sound.
- RF-WHP02 also offers some voice enhancement meant for people with diminished hearing who have difficulty picking out speech when watching TV.
- RF-WHP01 has black trim. The RF-WHP02 has metallic maroon trim.
The RF-WHP01 & RFWHP02 are available now at Best Buy stores. As of the writing of this article, they are not yet available online, though that’s only a matter of time.
UPDATE: They are available now online: RF-WHP01 for $79.99 and RF-WHP02 for $99.99.
To get a sense of what a killer deal this is… compare this to Sony’s 2.4GHz and the 60-some dB SNR 900 MHz junk that is still hanging around…
So forget IR, forget 900 MHz, forget paying north of $200… pick up a pair of Rocketfish headphones that just work.
54 Comments
It’s been a long time coming – I’m glad to see these on the market. This is one of the no-brainer applications for wireless audio. I actually appreciate the boom mic – I demo’d a previous product for some friends of mine and their TV’s audio shuts off when you plug in the RCA connectors…
Sound quality on the Rocketfish RF-WHP01 is poor. Volume fades in and out, stereo tracks drop in and out.
Sorry to hear. Sounds defective or you have hooked it up incorrectly. Have you tried using a different audio source to make sure it isn’t your source?
The hookup seems straightforward. Without using the Rocketfish the sound quality is adequate through system speakers. I will try them on another system as you suggest.
I retract my unfavorable review of the RF-WHP01. Evidently, the tuner/amplifier used initially is the culprit. The Rocketfish works as advertised on a separate audio device.
Glad to hear. Sorry about your tuner, though. Hope it’s still good for other uses.
Ihave the rf-whpo2 headset and it works great but it is
tight on my ears and I can’t wear it very long. What would
suggest I do about it. Thanks, Jack
Got a pair and can’t get them to work! All I get is a flashing green light on the ‘connect’. Called tech support, and they had no clue to anything! Could not tell me why light was flashing, or how to pair the headset to the base.
The instruction manual includes pairing instructions. I think you need to press the pair (or connect) buttons on the headphone for 3 secs, and on the base station for 3 seconds. Make sure both devices have power on when you do this.
Blinking light means generally that you don’t have a link established.
Good luck.
i need replacement batteries for these but have mislaid my original pair…can somebody tell me what mAh i should get.
I am using 1600 mAh batteries. They seem to work perfectly fine.
The stock batteries that come with the WHP02 headphones are 2250mAh…if/when mine finally die, I’ll probably just go with the highest capacity NiMH batteries available at that time.
WHP02
Can you use two headsets on one docking ststion? Can you use two docking stations on the same audio source?
Nope and Nope. Each headphone is one base to one headphone.
I’m considering buying these, to mainly use throughout my house. Does the signal go through normal walls ok? As in my kitchen is right next to my room, will I be able to listen alright, or to the family room two rooms over?
Ed. Your mileage may vary, but generally these headphones have pretty excellent range. What you describe is a pretty typical usage scenario. Let us know if you have success/problems… it will be good info to share.
Do not buy these headphones if you expect to be able to have them repaired for non-wayyenty damage. Our new pup chewed up the inner headband of the headphones. I contacted Rocketfish to get them repaired and was told to bring them to Best Buy to arrange the repair. When I went to best Buy, I was informed that they could replace them if the problem was covered under warrenty. If not, they have no proceedure to sed them out for repair even though I was willing to pay for the repair.
Cannot get the RF-WHPO1 to have connection with out JVC television. We have digital cable and need to just plug into the TV. Does the batteries have to charge?? I am getting a solid green light, just no sound out of earphones. HELP!!
Anyone looking for a great deal on these check out best buy outlet on ebay. I just got a pair for less than $30 that were returned. From what I’ve read alot of people are having issues with them being too tight. Maybe an option for those looking for repairs…
Back to the two Headsets, two Docking Stations question. If I put a ‘Y’ component to connect the two Docking Stations from the one audio source, will the two Headsets then work at the same time??
These sound great. My husband and I like to watch TV late at night but don’t want to bother the neighbours. Will I need to buy 2 of these or is there some other way? Will I be able to use 2 at the same time? Thanks
Hi Glenn and Lady,
You can buy two setups and use them side by side. You will need both base stations as these models don’t support multiple receiver use on one base station. As Glenn suggested, a Y splitter on the source audio will work just fine. The other option is to use the aux output of one basestation to feed the other basestation input… called daisychaining…
If you notice any interference between the units, I suggest placing the base stations about 2 to 3 feet apart. That should alleviate any stepping each other may do on one another. If you have a normal RF environment, i.e. not a college dorm or dense urban apartment building with tons of geeks in it, you should have plenty of spectrum for two units to operate very robustly.
I have a yahama sound bar and wanted to know if the RF-WHP 02 or RF-WHP 01 will work with this system. And how to hook it up,in the sound bar,or the Direct TV box?
Does your sound-bar give you line out audio? Or are you sending digital audio up to the sound-bar? What specific model is it and I can advise based on looking at the back-panel.
Either way, there is almost no chance that this can’t be done. Double negative.
In summary, it will work.
Thanks, My sound bar is Yamaha YSP-3000.
So essentially there is no audio output on the YSP-3000 other than the speakers themselves, obviously, and a subwoofer output, which is not useful for headphones.
Your main option is to use the red and white RCA outputs from your DirectTV box. If you are already using those to feed your soundbar, then I would recommend one of two options:
First, I recommend using a digital audio cable for connecting your soundbar. Then using the RCA for the wireless headphones. So RCA out from DirectTV to RCA input on headphones.
Second, If you are using RCA for both, then you simply insert the headphones in between using the input AND output jacks on the base-station of the headphones, which effectively passes through the audio to the soundbar. So DirectTV output to Headphone input, headphone output to soundbar input.
Thanks! Great answer! I’m going shopping now on-line for 2 headsets. Merry Christmas!
Thanks for your help. I did get the headphones hooked up but, it has an echo. All of my system is set up with HDMI cables except the transmitter for the headphones. Is that why the echo? And what can be done about it.
You mean delay? You are not hearing the audio twice are you? You might have lost lipsync between the video and audio. Is the audio early, or late?
To solve this, you may need to tap the audio output from your TV itself. Most TVs have audio output on the back these days. It will give you the audio for whatever video source your TV is displaying.
I have a few questions about the RF-WHP02…How do these headphones work with an ipod? Does the base have a ipod dock that automatically tunes to the headphones? I was planning on getting these to use when I cut my lawn, How good is the range on these? Would the signal be strong enough if I set the base up outside and was working on the other side of the house?
There is line input audio on the back of the base station. You can connect your iPod headphone jack to that. There is no dedicated iPhone dock.
Regarding range, it’s good, but not sure about your yard! How big is your yard? The range is reliably 100 feet. More in the wide open. Walls and stuff will make it less depending on how many and what materials your home is constructed from. Short answer… give it a shot and cross your fingers.
I really need help…just purchased rocketfish whpo1 headphones so my son could play his playstation 3 w/out me having to hear it. We have a 32″ hd Magnovix lcd t.v. He connected everything using the HDMI output for the red/white hdmi output. For a brief moment, the sound came through the headphones and not the t.v. When he took off the headphones, the sound was coming throught the t.v. and not the headphones. We have a consistent green light implying we have connection, but we cannot get the sound through the headphones, only the t.v. Can you help us?
I just purchased the WHPO1′s, my question is. Will my wife be able to listen to the tv with the headphones and me at the same time with the regular tv speakers? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you and Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!
Got these for Christmas on EBAY for 30 bucks. Install was easy. I have an output for just such a device that does not affect the sound on the tv. That way I can still listen to the TV after my wife is asleep. I like the sound. It comes through clear and the distance is pretty good through the house. Thats about where the good stuff ends. I too, as others have complained have experienced the pain of wearing these. They are very uncomfortable and after only a short period of time I begin to feel the pressure of the strap and phones on my head. Plus, the strap actually pulls them off of my ears which takes me completely out of doing anything around the house because they will not stay on correctly. I like the sound, I do not like the product.
I’ve been looking for a product that would allow me to watch TV at night and not disturb others sleeping. I also would like to use them even when there are others watching with me because I like the sound louder than they do. Would I be able to do that?
Aaron Hart,
Yes. It all depends how you hook them up. It really depends on your setup though as to how you make that happen. But both use cases can be made to work with the right hook-up.
I read all of the posts and a few of them want to know how to alleviate the tight fit. After an hour or so, these things become quite painful.Thats the only problem I have. I need another pair of wireless headphones but do not want to invest in another pair this uncomfortable. How about an answer. If nothing can be done, just say so.
Larry. I don’t see anyone asking for help on fit. I do see a couple comments/mentions of tightness from Rojosa3 and Jack Peaslee. Which comments specifically are you referring to that “want to know how to alleviate a tight fit?” Since this is just a personal blog, I think you should recognize that I do try to address the casual questions that come up, and my intent isn’t to ignore questions outright. So I don’t really get your tone, to be frank.
Anyways, I can’t really comment on fit. If the adjustments features on their design don’t provide you a good fit, I suggest you let Rocketfish know, directly. http://www.rocketfishproducts.com/EmailForm.aspx
Headphones are a very personal thing when it comes to fit. After seeing over 25 headphone designs go through development, I can tell you it is always a compromise, and no one design fits all.
I am looking to purchase a new set of wireless headphones. I have several pair that produce lots of HISS. Very annoying. Much of this is due to the frequency of the phones, 900 MHZ or 2.4. I cannot find anywhere on Rocketfish web site what frequency they use for these phones, nor, even what type of technology is used to transmit the data.
My current distance between base and headset is 12 feet (pretty close). So far, I have not found any headsets (under $100) that will not hiss. Any thoughts?
thanks, HH
To MTC,
Just curious how you can hear the “tone” of Larry’s statement in a messageboard post… Maybe Larry isn’t being rude, maybe he has no experience with putting his thoughts in typed words. My Grandfather made a post on a messageboard once asking a simple question that was taken the wrong way and he got flamed for a month about it.
To Hart Henry,
At only 12 feet from the transmitter the hiss you are hearing probably has little to do with the frequency used for transmitting and a lot more to do with the audio amplifiers built into the headphones… cheap headphones equals cheap amplifiers. That said, if you spend $75-$100 on wireless headphones (which these RockFish phones are priced) you should expect decent sound… especially at a range of 12 feet.
jdmcgee, fair enough, I guess. thanks for participating.
Hart Henry, Rocketfish uses Avnera’s AudioMagic wireless stuff, written about ad nauseum on this site by your truly. AudioMagic is 2.4GHz, and a digital transmission in nature. Any interference you hear on Avnera’s stuff will not be “hissy”, but rather choppy when it manifests… and hopefully NOT at 12 feet. Maybe 3 to 5 times that however. Can’t escape physics!
Thanks for the info. I am in the process of ordering a pair of RocketFish headphones. I will give you a full report when they come in!
Thanks,
HH
Thanks for the great review! I wish I had read this prior to purchasing the WHP01 since my only intent is to use the headset with the tv – looks like I should have shopped for the 02 version. However, I’m forging ahead with what I have, but my consternation lies in the fact that I can’t get any sound from the tv through the headset. Should I be connnecting these buggers to the DirectTV satellite/DVR thingy?
I just bought an RF-WHP01 system then I read the specs. in the manual for the WHP02 and wish I had purchased it instead!
However I cannot find a “cash and carry” WHP02 unit, the system I bought was the last one I could find in my county,
I tried a JVC-600 unit, it cut out and wouldn’t go a third the distance claimed, I tried a $100 dollar Sony system, it sounded good and it threw the signal far but the controls were clumsy, the cups were massive, it was also too big, unless your heads the size of a basketball,
Rocketfish should clean-up, the competition suck!
Here is the review I promised regarding wireless headphones.
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I previously purchased a set of 2.4Ghz Sony’s from a Big Box electronics store for approx $80. The issue I had with them is the constant static or white noise that 2.4Ghz has in an overcrowded band of RF signals. If I would turn my head a certain way, at times I could reduce the noise, however, this became pretty much a nuisance. There is so much 2.4 and 900 stuff out there from Cell phones, Wireless routers, wireless home phones, etc. getting clean/clear signals at almost any distance is challenging.
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I seriously thought about purchasing the RocketFish product because so many of you have given them good reviews. However, I have been (and still) am concerned about the over polluted 2.4Ghz range, that I was fearful the units would be unable to work without white noise. Or, if they did have bypass or band filtering, how would that effect the overall quality of the music I received through the wireless head set. I fortunately (or unfortunately) have a very sensitive ear to quality music, and wanted something that gave me the quality of listening through a wire.
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Therefore, I purchased a pair of 5.8 GHz Digital Wireless Headphones from a company called Amphony deemed the Model 500. Listening through these phones has generated a very positive response to my ears – no white sound with tremendous frequency response. Having access to the 5.8 band provides me level of wireless quality that 900 nor 2.4 can provide.
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However, although the sound is crisp, clean, and no complaints what so ever, it comes with a price. First, the unit is not rechargeable, you must use regular batteries or I suggest the new Hybrid Ni-MH rechargeable. I have used the units for over two weeks with garden variety AA batteries and have not suck the juice out of them yet. Additionally, the other drawback: my older pair of headsets had an Auto On/Off switch when you placed the units on your head. The head band had a switch in it, and when stretched over your head it turned the unit on. This was an excellent feature for me, because much of the time the headphones are used as Marriage Savers while I watch TV at night when going to sleep. Many times I would fall asleep and just pull the headphones off, and they would automatically turn off. The new Amphony does not have this feature, and the batteries will burn all night. However, these new phones must draw very low power, for I have done this several times over the past two weeks, and the “cheapy” batteries are still going strong.
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Here are the specs:
Audio transmission / Digital
Transmitter frequency / 5.8 GHz
Dynamic range Signal-to-noise ratio / 93 dB
Channel separation / 91 dB
Harmonic distortion / -88 dB
Error correction / 0.5 rate FEC
Audio sampling / 128 x oversampling
Max. audio input level / 2 Vrms
Transmitted data rate / > 3 Mbps
Operating range / Max. 100 ft. (30 m) line of sight, max. 30 ft. (10 m) through walls
Frequency response / 50 Hz … 20 kHz
Max. sound pressure / 110 dB
Operating time / Max. 100 hours with 2 AA batteries
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Conclusion: The price of the Amphony units are $99 and although very scaled back when it comes to features, it passes well beyond in quality of sound of other Wireless Headsets I have used. For those that are persnickety about the quality of sound, then I would recommend these headset to you. For those who go to sleep almost instantly after you go to bed with the TV on, perhaps another brand of headphones are for you.
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Thanks,
HH
Hart Henry, So you didn’t actually try the Rocketfish headphones? You are comparing Amphony to a Sony 2.4GHz system. FYI, Sony typically uses 900 MHz, and their 2.4GHz has historically been Bluetooth or a proprietary system based on Synic (from Syncomm, and based on their technology that was state of the art about 4 years ago).
The Rocketfish system uses Avnera’s wireless technology which is far superior to other 2.4GHz wireless audio solutions in terms of audio quality, RF co-existance, and interference rejection. Dynamic channel selection and power control are both closed loop, and audio-quality dependent, and further, audio specific error correction is employed.
It’s too bad you never actually tested the Rocketfish models against your final purchase. I think that would have been valuable for readers, particularly here, where readers are likely trying to learn more about the Rocketfish headphones, per se.
Were there any product comfort or aesthetic reasons that contributed to not going with Rocketfish beyond your feelings and opinions against 2.4GHz technology for audio?
Technically speaking.. range and power consumption will also be better on 2.4GHz than a apples-to-apple 5.8GHz product, but that is near impossible to test/compare with different maker’s products, and not a really meaningful comparison for consumers/readers.
I am looking for a set of good quality wireless headphones that will work with my tv system, sound system and satellite receiver. All connections are through HDMI and optical cable. My current headphones will not work with my new set up. Will the Rockfish work
HI MTC:
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Hopefully I answered the question in my previous post based upon specs why I purchased the Amphony system over the Rocketfish. The second reason is financial. I did not want to invest $100 into a pair of Rocketfish headphones and not like the product knowing full well the specifications before purchase.
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Call me old fashioned, but, if I purchase something, I generally do not return it unless there are serious circumstances that warrant such actions. Hence, if I did not like the $100 Rocketfish product then I would be out the $100 and cast myself as a “would-a, should-a, could-a” type of person.
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With that said, if anyone would like to send me a pair of the Rocketfish product, I will be more than happy to compare it against the Amphony and provide a full report.
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Thanks,
HH
I’m about to buy a pair today or tommrw. I don’t care abbout running arount 60 feet away from the base and whatnot, but I do hate that if I want to change the song on my iPod I gotta be right there. But one question, do the headphones have volume control and is the base portable? If not how long is the outlet cord? That’s really all of my concerns, for the most part I just want a nice pair that I can wear while sleeping haha…
My RF-WHP01 quit working after 3 months. I get the connect green blinking light. Have tried connect button to re -establish connect between headphones and dock and new batteries but neither work.