The Pioneer SE-DIR800C headphones come at a rather steep price. However, when you consider the usability and features included, these may be the last headphones you ever purchase.

For starters, the SE-DIR800C headphones are wireless. Audio data is transmitted from a small base station, allowing you to move around freely to a range of up to 26 feet. Keep in mind that the SE-DIR800C headphones use an IR transmission system, so there must be a direct line of sight between the headphones and the base. When the headphones are docked, the base station supplies power to the included AA rechargeable batteries.

The SE-DIR800C phones offer Dolby Headphone surround processing, which creates a virtual 5.1 surround sound signal from the two headphone speakers. The base station has internal decoding for Dolby Digital, DTS and even Dolby Pro Logic II, and the virtual surround sound effect can be turned off for normal stereo playback. The SE-DIR800C headphones provide a great frequency response of 12Hz to 22,000Hz. The base station has standard analog stereo inputs as well as coaxial and optical digital audio inputs (coaxial cable supplied).

These headphones do not have any noise-canceling features, but the closed-air design physically blocks out some external sounds. The headband is self-adjusting and proves to be quite comfortable, even during long listening sessions. If you don't want to wake the rest of the house with a late-night movie viewing, the SE-DIR800C headphones let you listen to movie soundtracks without giving up a thing.


Pros:  Wireless operation, Dolby Headphone processing, great sound
Cons:  Expensive

Warranty
90 days parts and labor