TDK WR700 Wireless HiFi-Headphones review

TDK is better known for recordable media than it is for audio hardware, but the company also produces a wide range of headphones, which now includes this new WR700 wireless set of on-ear headphones. They seem to be designed primarily for portable use. The receiver plugs into a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and is powered by a pair of AAA batteries so it can be used on the go with a MP3 player. However, given the receiver is bigger than many MP3 players, this may not be the most pocket-friendly pairing.

We didn’t have any trouble pairing the receiver with the headphones. They use a proprietary wireless technology that works on a 2.4GHz wireless frequency. In the Shopper offices, which is filled with wireless networks, we found it had a range of around 20 metres but reception was prone to static and drop-outs with a wall or door in the way.

The headphones fold up, but they’re fairly chunky and not nearly as compact as other collapsible headphones we’ve seen. They’re powered by another pair of AAA batteries. The earpads aren’t quite as large as we’d like and the headband could be a little more flexible, but it still feels comfy.

Audio quality was generally good. Electronic music, jazz, blues and classical music all sounded crisp and clear, although there was a hint of muddiness in pieces dominated by percussion or string instruments. The bass wasn’t as deep and thumping as we’d like, but it’s by no means weak and bass-heavy rock and pop tracks are still enjoyable. There was some distortion in rock tracks at the high end at very loud volumes. All genres of music didn’t sound quite as warm as we’d prefer either.

Listening to music without disturbing anyone else, while still having the ability to roam the house, is liberating. Although the WR700 headphones have a reasonably long range and generally good sound quality, we’re not convinced the receiver is ideally sized for portable use; while its reliance on batteries isn’t ideal for home use, leaving it stuck somewhere inbetween.