What is this?
The Digital Age Walk-Free Wireless USB headphones use a simple USB dongle and the 2.4GHz frequency and 8 available channels for reliable performance and a 30 meter range. A tapered headphone design includes an adjustable and comfortably padded set of earphones that work off of two "AA" batteries (included). The headphones also include a built-in volume control dial. The USB transmitter includes a Blue LED signal indicator that lights up to show power and signal strength.
Digital Age Walk-Free Wireless Headphones ReviewOctober 10th, 2005
Pros: Decent sound quality; good range; cross-platform plug and play; very inexpensive.
Cons: Bulky transmitter; suspect to interference from other 2.4GHz devices and microwaves; non-rechargeable; uncomfortable during extended use.
Verdicts: Inexpensive and quick to set up, the Walk-Free headphones provide an easy way to get music from your computer to another room without wires, but don't expect anything extraordinary for sound.
I said it once and I'll say it again, Los Angeles radio is next to worthless. That's why when we got wind that the wireless USB headphones we previouslyreported on were making a debut in America, we were thrilled. Could their Walk-Free headphones be the key to streaming the wide variety of internet radio stations between rooms without buying another router or blasting the speakers? Let's find out.
Simplistic Design The Walk-Free headphones have a very sleek, modern look to them, underlining the simple control set and plug-and play nature of the USB interface. Black with silver tips at the earpieces, the Walk-Free's color scheme fits well into practically any room's surroundings, without drawing attention to itself. Apart from the control labels, the only print visible to passers by would be the "2.4GHz WIRELESS HEADPHONE" label on the right ear, a very minimalist marking.
The Walk-Free USB headphones are rather comfortable when first put on, using the classic vertical headband design with stepped extensions on the left and right earpiece to conform to the head's size. Although the headband is not padded, it is made out of a rubberized material that grips well so it's less likely to slip off smaller heads. The earpieces, both properly marked L and R, are slanted backwards a few degrees to line up with the skewed shape of the ears to provide a good seal with the thick, leatherette ear pads. The seal is essential to maintaining a good bass response, and also helps to drown out some of the room's ambient noise.
One thing I was surprised to see in the Walk-Free USB headphones was the fact that each ear pad twists off to reveal the metal speaker-guard to quickly clean out any hair or dandruff that eventually collects there and can fall in to become a vibrating nuisance. I've had several headphones in the past for under $60, and these are the first to do this, whereas the others would require carefully peeling off the pads and then slowly stretching them back in place.
To get the Walk-Free USB headphones set up, one only has to plug in the USB transmitter and turn on the headphones. Windows will automatically detect the transmitter as a USB Audio Device and set it up as the default sound card, and for Mac users it's as simple as going to the Sound Preferences and selecting USB Audio as the sound output device. A blue LED will light up on the transmitter to indicate that it's plugged in and getting power, which will then begin blinking as soon as any music or audio is played. The LED is exceptionally bright, so in a dark room it can cast an irritating glow as soon as it starts flashing, quickly solved with masking tape. One more small disadvantage of the transmitter is its size, it's rather bulky when compared to modern flash drives, and for some computers may take up the adjacent USB port or leave it in a tight squeeze.
Listening Pleasure Once plugged in and selected as the default output device, it's as simple as turning the headphones on and hitting the play button in your media player of choice. Audio streamed to the Walk-Free USB headphones was of decent quality, with more emphasis on the midtones and bass instead of the high notes, which seemed a bit muffled and flat. This can be tweaked in your media player's equalizer, however. I was able to use both the Bass Booster and Treble Booster EQ settings in iTunes without any noticeable repercussions, although when turned up above 75% volume the sound will seem compressed, crackle slightly, and there will be a steady hiss in the background. Channel separation was clear and helped to pinpoint enemy gunfire when used with in gaming. Speaking of which, there's no noticeable lag present when using the headphones while gaming, and Digital Age claims a 0.5ms delay is typical. That's nothing to complain about at all, seeing as how the fastest LCDs for gaming have a 4ms response time.
Because the audio is transmitted to the headphones digitally, listening at a distance did not degrade the audio's quality. You either hear them or you don't, and there's no static noise like most AM/FM radios get as the signal weakens. When interference is encountered however, a less annoying clicking sound will break the audio apart. I found that the interference is usually mutual, so if the headphones are operating on the same channel as my 2.4GHz wireless LAN operating on channel 3, nearby computers will lose signal.
Switching to one of the other 8 channels by clicking the button on the USB transmitter will usually stop the interference and restore network connectivity, although when plugged into the same computer as a 2.4GHz mouse I'm currently reviewing, it's near impossible to get the two devices and my LAN to co-exist. Oh, and the microwave oven always wins. When I placed the transmitting laptop in the center of the apartment, I was able to get a clear signal in every room of the ~1000 sq foot apartment, except the bathroom because three thick walls were in the way. There's about four other WLANS in the area, so my guess is that you could get a decent signal perhaps two or three rooms away in a less-interfering environment. As usual, your mileage may vary with this one.
Comfort-wise, the Walk-Free's were sort of a give-and take. While not the heaviest headphones I've used, the Walk-Free Wireless USB headphones are a tad heavier than most and weigh about the same as many of the larger PC headsets thanks to the two AA batteries housed in the left ear and the counterweight of the amplifier in the right. This was not my main concern, as I've used even heavier headphones from Bose and Sennheiser for hours on end without many problems. What got me was the earpieces exerting too much force on the outsides of my ears, causing discomfort usually after three hours of use to the point where I had to give my ears a 15 minute break, but again this is subjective to the size of my head and unfortunately can't be drawn out on paper.
Synopsis In a nutshell, Digital Age Products' Walk-Free USB headphones are an inexpensive liberator, excellent for listening to podcasts, MP3s, and internet radio practically anywhere without wires. Because they operate on the 2.4GHz spectrum, they can be used through walls unlike other wireless headphones that rely on the line-of-sight infrared spectrum, with pristine quality. Just be sure to avoid interference from WLANs and microwaves. In other words, if you prefer internet radio over conventional ad-saturated FM radio and an MP3 player doesn't fit the bill, for $60 the Walk-Free headphones are a steal.
- Scott Clark, Consumer Technology Editor
Where to buy Digital Age Walk-Free Wireless Headphones?
User Review(s)
We're currently upgrading our user review system; so we won't be accepting new reviews for now. Walk-Free Wireless Headphones Specs
Interface(s)
Original USB
Released date
September 2005
Platforms
Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, MacOS 10.3.x, MacOS 10.2.x, MacOS 10.1.x, MacOS 9.1
