Sennheiser Is Making Headphone Parties for Your TV a Thing

Most people don’t use headphones to watch TV, but if they were to, the experience can oftentimes suck. If you’re using a regular Bluetooth connection, there are issues with latency, which causes audio and video to fall out of sync. Plus, you can only use one paired device at a time.

If you’re using Sennheiser’s new solution, however, things are different. The company’s RS 275 TV Headphones bundle comes with two pieces of hardware: the HDR 275 TV Headphones and the BTA1 digital transmitter. Together, the two devices are leveraging an up-and-coming Bluetooth tech called Auracast to make the experience of using wireless headphones to watch TV just a little better and possibly more communal.

First, let me back up. Auracast is a relatively new Bluetooth tech that creates a type of “radio broadcast” for Bluetooth that is ultra-low latency. The idea here is that it allows multiple devices to sync up and all stream (or play out loud in the case of Bluetooth speakers with Auracast) the same audio at the same time.

© Sennheiser

In Sennheiser’s case, Auracast comes into play with the BTA1 digital transmitter, which is essentially a hub that you can connect audio sources to. With its optical and 3.5mm ports and HDMI ARC, the BTA1 should be compatible with lots of different devices, including TVs, stereos, laptops, and game consoles, as well as A/V receivers. A 3.5mm cable, an optical-to-3.5mm cable, a USB-C, and a USB-A-to-USB-C cable are all included in the box, by the way. There are also physical buttons on top to switch between inputs, but you can pair your phone and use the app to do that as well. The whole thing is powered via a USB-A connection.

When hooked into your TV or another device, the BTA1 opens up the audio streaming capabilities, allowing you to broadcast your TV’s audio via Auracast, covering up to 50 meters. At that point, any device that supports Auracast can join and stream simultaneously—headphone party, anyone? It’s worth noting you can also set a password for your Auracast stream if you don’t want any nearby hooligans crashing the party.

Sennheiser, for its part, doesn’t pitch the BTA1 as a party box for separate/simultaneous headphone or earbud listening, but rather as an easier and more efficient way for people to listen to their TVs privately—or as a solution for those who don’t have a sound bar for some reason. Lack of space, maybe? I don’t know. Even if Sennheiser doesn’t say it outright, Auracast is objectively meant for party-style, communal audio, so the implication is there.

You don’t need the RS 275 TV Headphones in this bundle for this to work, either, but Sennheiser has designed the headphones to pair well with the setup. They have a 50-hour battery life, they’re connected with the transmitter right out of the box, and they also have a noise suppression feature that is meant to reduce static and hiss from old movies. The earcups and battery are also replaceable, which is a nice touch. If any of this speaks to you, the two pieces of hardware are being sold in a bundle, but you can purchase the transmitter separately.

The RS 275 TV Headphones bundle is available for preorder on Feb 3 for $299.95, while the BTA1 TV Transmitter can be purchased for $129.95. Both will start shipping on Feb 17.