Location: Home» Electronics » Over-the-Head Headphones » Sony MDR-DS3000 Infrared Wireless Digital Surround Headphones

Related Categories

•	Over-the-Head Headphones

Headphones

Accessories & Supplies

Sony MDR-DS3000 Infrared Wireless Digital Surround Headphones

enlarge

Other Views:

Brand: Sony
Category: CE

List Price: ~~$229.99~~
Buy New: $199.00
You Save: $30.99 (13%)

New (2) from $199.00

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

35 reviews

Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 6.8
Dimensions (in): 15 x 5 x 9.3
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.

MPN: MDRDS3000
Model: MDRDS3000
UPC: 027242628113
EAN: 0027242628113
ASIN: B00023C6SE

Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Features:

•	Comfortable, cordless, open-air headphones with a 23 foot transmission range and a 90 transmission angle
•	Incorporates Sony VPT Virtual Phones Technology, with 125 million instructions per second Logic 3D processor
•	Optical digital input allows use with Dolby Digital and PCM audio
•	Gold-plated analog input for noise-free Dolby stereo and pure stereo sources
•	Ideal for DVD players and other components with Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround or DTS Surround Sound

Accessories:

•	Sony MDR-IF3000 Additional Infrared Wireless Dolby Digital Headphones for MDR-DS3000 Transmitter
•	Philips HL150 Lightweight Stereo Headphones
•	Shure SCL2 Sound Isolating Earphones with Single Dynamic Driver, Black
•	PHILIPS SJM2604/17 Universal Retractable White Stereo Earbuds
•	Ultimate Ears-Metro.fi 150 Noise Isolating Earphones (Black)

Similar Items:

•	Sony MDR-IF3000 Additional Infrared Wireless Dolby Digital Headphones for MDR-DS3000 Transmitter
•	Digital Audio Bi-Directional Optical Toslink Switch and Splitter
•	3 FT Digital Audio Optical TOSLink Cable Optic 3ft
•	Fiber Optical Toslink Digital Audio Optic Interface 6 Foot Cable
•	Blade Runner (Five-Disc Complete Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com Product Description
Sony's MDR-DS3000 Infrared Wireless Digital Surround headphones are designed for audiophile home theater enthusiasts, and are ideal for DVD players and other components with Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround or DTS Surround Sound. They feature a comfortable, open-air design and a self-adjusting headband, and work at a 23 foot transmission range and a 90 degree transmission angle.

The transmitter that comes with the headphones and enables their wireless transmission incorporates Sony VPT Virtual Phones Technology with advanced level 125MIPS (125 million instructions per second) Logic 3D Processor to provide richer and more natural sound quality, and weightier, more substantial bass sounds to enhance the sound's live presence. There's even a Decode-Mode indicator on the front which visually indicates when the system is in Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround, or DTS mode, and provides a snazzy, stylized representation of the virtual speaker placement relative to the listener. The optical digital input allows you to use the phones with Dolby Digital and PCM audio-enabled devices, and its gold-plated analog input provides noise-free Dolby stereo and pure stereo sources from external devices.

For you audiophiles out there, please note these phones sport a fifth order Delta/Sigma A/D converter that uses 64X over-sampling for high precision audio, as well as a multi-level Delta/Sigma D/A Converter that achieves 18 bit resolution. There's also SILMIC Electrolytic capacitors at the analog stage, for more natural sound, and the copper board traces are literally twice as thick as conventional designs, giving you higher conductivity.

The phones sport a high power infrared transmitter with separate FM carriers for wide bandwidth, and high channel separation, and its 90-degree transmission angle further enhances your ability to enjoy uninterrupted surround sound listening without pinning you down to one spot. You'll get superb transient response with the long-stroke 12um polyester film diaphragms: the new diaphragm shape resists bending and flexing to provide low levels of distortion. Plus, the oversized 30mm diameter drive units are larger than most headphones, for noticeably deeper bass sounds.

The built-in Dolby Pro Logic II decoder unlocks any Surround Sound tracks included in traditional VHS Hi-Fi, and stereo TV, sources to provide the maximum "live" entertainment experience available even here. Built in Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS 5.1 Decoders reproduce all popular surround sound systems, including state of the art 5.1 channel sound as well as Digital Theater Systems surround sound. Headphone functions include automatic On/Off, volume control, muting, power save, and the ability to recharge on the base.

What's in the Box
Headphones, processor, stand for processor, AC power adapter, rechargeable NiMH batteries, optical digital connecting cable (Toslink to Toslink)

Product Description
Enter a world without wires with the new MDR-DS3000 Infrared Wireless Headphones. These headphones are ideal for DVD players and other components with Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround or DTS Surround Sound. These unique open-air headphones are comfortable, cordless and have a 23-foot transmission range, a 90? transmission angle and a self-adjusting headband. For superb sound and mobility, the MDR-DS3000 Infrared Wireless Headphones make the perfect addition to your home theater.

Customer Reviews: Read 30 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Great Performance For The Price October 29, 2008
donald J ronemus (Alburtis, PA United States)
This is a great product and does the job. It's no replacement for a true surround sound system! My wife can now sleep with me watching movies. The only problem I have is with the Sony first line of support. I wanted to connect the headphones to my Sony laptop VIA optical cable and the one that came with the headphone will not work on the PC side. Support did not know what they where talking about and cound NOT inform me of what kind of cable I needed. I called them 4 time and it was my work on the internet that found out what I needed. (Got cable here on amazon and it worked great,Monster Cable ILS100TM-1M Toslink-to-Mini Optical Digital-Audio Interconnect)

4 out of 5 stars

Good quality - it does the job September 24, 2008
Maykel Fernandez (Miami)
I bought this product from B&H because they had the best price. After doing research on which wireless surround sound headphones to buy I ended up with this unit because it was the only one capable of adding a second headphone set to be use by more than 1 person at a time.
I have an 11 month old daugther who goes to bed early. I wanted to watch movies and TV shows with my wife without waking up the baby up. THIS WORKS perfect.
The unit is comfortable and the sound is pretty good. (It could use a little more base) I never planted to walk around the house with the headphones on so the fact that it was infrared and not RF was not a factor for me. You should have the base at the same level as the heaphones when in use for the hiss to go away. If they are not aligned you may hear a low hissing noise when quiet scenes come on.
I haven't had any listeners fatigue while using the headphones yet. The volume and dolbu digital sound is pretty decent. ( Cannot be compared with a good surround system - no headphones ) of course but it does the job right.

I don't have a reference point to compare them with other units like the Pioneer or the DS6000 so I can't say that the others are better.

The ability to use a second headphone set with the same base is what sold it for me. Being able to use an unlimited amount of headphone sets is definitely a plus.

Note: You may want to buy an Optical sound splitter from amazon or somewhere like that so you can enjoy more than 1 unit. Ex. I have my Direct TV receiver's optical output connected to the splitter, and from the splitter I have two optical cables going out: one to the headphone's base and the other to my Yamaha receiver ( to listen to surround without the headphones).

Overall: This unit does exactly what I expected it to do. Haven't found anything really problematic with it EXCEPT: It's a mission to get the headphones attached correctly on the base for charging purposes (the design for this feature is just not up to par with the whole overall design of Sony DS3000)

4 out of 5 stars

A Good Buy July 16, 2008
Richard E. Hanson (Mill Creek, WA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Pros: Clear, crisp sound, Good Price, Sony Quality, easy set-up
Cons: It takes care to place accurately on charger, will not transmit to other headsets while one is on the charger

I purchased these about a month ago. I read every review I could find and had some hesitance. After receiving them (I bought the unit with the extra headset) I tried them out and was delighted. They were very easy to set up. I plugged the power source in and connected to an Optical cable. One reviewer was upset because the enclosed Sony batteries have square supports at either end (she referred to them as square thingies) and she thought it meant only Sony baterries would work. Actually any AAA battery will work, but don't try to charge them on the transmitter unless they are the Sony batteries. If you use dry batteries, don't place them on the charger. If you use another brand of rechargeable batteries, be sure to have an appropriate charger for them.. One advantage to this would be that the by not using the charger, it would always be in transmit mode.

Some people don't like the range or angle. That is the nature of Infrared wireless. I only use the headset to watch TV and videos. (I have a Sony Bravia LCD and BluRay Disk player) If you are a music listener and want to use them as you walk around the house, you should buy an RF set, not these. But if you want to watch TV without disturbing others, these are great. I have not experienced the Hissing that some reviewers wrote about. As far as being heavy or light, that is relative to what you are used to. They are heavier than my previous headsets, but are much better. They are also lighter than the headsets I use when I go private flying. I am quite comfortable with them. I charge one set after I am finished for the night and alternate every other night with the other set. I find that the charging light stays on the same length of time regardless of how much use the set has. I suspect the it does not necessarily go off according to with the set is fully charged, but stays on according to some timing device that will always insure a complete charge. I would say that if you want clear sound for TV and video watching these are a good purchace.

5 out of 5 stars

An excellent addition to a home theatre July 9, 2008
eternalodyssey (St. Louis, MO)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I bought these so that I could watch television late into the night as my wife sleeps. They are very well made and the battery lasts for quite a while. I like how you can swap the batteries out with AAs if they run low so you are never unable to use them. Like others have mentioned, the range is only about 33 feet and within an IR conical profile in front of the transmitter. This is to be expected because the information is transmitted via a wide "beam." I find this advantageous because I have a Home Theatre PC, a Wii, Roku box, and a PS3 that could be used with this and I did not want to encounter major interference with sound using any of those products. Because this is not based on a transmitted "radio" signal, there is no chance of interference. While I like the concept of the optical in, its just not convenient to keep switching back and forth between products that do not have that option so I just use the A/V jacks all of the time and quality of sound is great. One tip I would give to anyone to reduce any audible hiss they may encounter is to leave the volume for the headphones waaaaaay down and then just use your receiver to control the sound level. You will hear almost no hiss and the tiny fraction you do hear will be drowned out by your sound anyway. The sound is comparable to a really good pair of headphones but is admittedly not as good as a surround sound system. But hey, its a lot better to crank the sound up on these at night while my wife sleeps then it is to turn the sound way down so that I do not disturb her and not be able to hear anything.

5 out of 5 stars

Best sound ever June 22, 2008
T. Grubbs (Falls Church, VA USA)
This is the only way to hear every word spoken on TV. Great tone.

Information

What is Podcasting?

Privacy Statement

Ad Partners

Apple iPod News