Boo, I looked at mine and looked at the manual as well. There is no obvious way to change the (lithium ion) batteries that I can see, so I'm afraid that it's probably correct that they need to be changed by a dealer (bummer). Mine are still going strong after more than a year and I just leave it sitting on the charger 24/7. Doesn't seem to hurt it. The model number on mine is MDR-RF985RK. Got them at Costco but don't remember what I paid for them.

They are certainly fine for just listening to TV. For 'critical listening', based on what the others have said, I'd go for the Sennheisers. BTW, good to hear from you. We need you jazz-loving ol' farts to help keep the genre' alive .

chas