With the TV Clear product, Sennheiser has presented a solution that is intended to ensure ideal TV sound at all times. The in-ear headphones are connected to the TV via a transmitter unit and subsequently allow sound output including intelligibility profile settings.
Technical background
Technically, the product is relatively simple in design: They are largely ordinary in-ear headphones that can be connected indirectly to the TV. The TV sound is then transmitted directly to the earphones, with Sennheiser promising minimal latency that should not interfere with the synchronization of picture and sound. The transmission first runs from the TV to the transmitter unit. These two devices can be coupled via Toslink or a 3.5 mm jack cable. The transmitter in turn transmits the signal wirelessly via Bluetooth to the headphones. The transmitter itself needs to be powered via a micro-USB port and can also transmit the signal to multiple headphones at the same time.
Meanwhile, the headphones can also be used separately from the transmitter as ordinary in-ear headphones. For example, they can be connected directly to smartphones or tablets and subsequently used for music or phone playback.
Features
However, the functions of the headphones go far beyond those of ordinary in-ear headphones. For instance, there is the possibility of audio quality enhancement, which is supposed to allow concentration on the transmitted content. This is implemented via five selectable speech intelligibility profiles, in which the higher frequencies are raised to different degrees in their volume. This should make dialogs in particular easier to understand. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress ambient noise in order to only hear the TV sound.
The headphones also offer the option of choosing between an output that is exclusively through them and one that uses the usual audio output in parallel. The TV Clear thus targets different user groups: both people with hearing problems who watch movies in company and those who watch a movie and do not want to disturb their surroundings while doing so.
Settings can be made via an app that is available for both iOS and Android. The headphones are delivered with a charging case that can provide energy for a runtime of up to 22 hours when fully charged. The battery of the headphones itself allows a runtime of up to fifteen hours. The charging case can be charged via USB-C as well as wirelessly.
Price and Availability
The device is available now at a price of 399.90 euros.
