Experts Online

A REAL, MULTIPLATFORM Bluetooth stereo (A2DP) headphones roundup: FIVE headphones

Werner Ruotsalainen — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:08:41 -0500

Anyone having been into the audiophile / Hi-Fi business knows loudspeakers and headphones should never be tested alone, without comparing their audio quality (and other parameters) to other, comparable headphones (speakers etc.). This is why strictly comparative tests are needed to fairly compare the sound quality of each set to one another. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the A2DP stereo Bluetooth headphones reviews doesn’t belong to this category and, therefore, shouldn’t really be taken seriously.

Bluetooth headset candidate #6: Plantronics Voyager 510

Rey Flores — Mon, 14 May 2007 16:37:42 -0500

Specs:
Bluetooth version - 1.2
Range - 33 ft.
Talk time - up tp 6 hours
Stand-by - up to 100 hours
Charging time - 3 hours
Weight - approx. 0.5 ounces
Noise cancelling w/WindStop technology

MSRP: $79.99

Around here in the San Francisco Bay Area, the entry-level offering from Plantronics, the Voyager 510, seems to be a very popular choice amongst the mobile-inclined! There are a lot of managers and directors at my workplace who have made it their headset of choice. In addition, from speaking with a lot of the cell phone retailers in my area they can confirm its popularity. and who could blame them knowing the reputation of Plantronics. These facts piquing my curiousity, I decided to add this to the line up for my consideration. Will it pass my test?

Bluetooth headset candidate #5: LG HBM-730

Rey Flores — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:55:05 -0500

Specs:
Bluetooth version - 1.2
Range - 33 ft.
Talk time - up tp 7 hours
Stand-by - up to 170 hours
Charging time - 2 hours
Weight - 0.3 ounces
Echo cancellation/Noise suppression

MSRP: $79.99

LG's popular Chocolate phone and other candy-bar like stylings with the concealed keyboards are all the rage with teens and young adults alike. Much like established manufacturer Motorola, LG is now making headsets as attractive as their phones (have you seen the LG Prada Bluetooth headset?). The product in question for this quick review is the HBM-730 which comes in a pretty reasonable price in comparison to the competition.

Bluetooth headset candidate #4: Logitech Mobile Traveller

Rey Flores — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:07:21 -0500

Specs:
Bluetooth version - 1.2
Range - 33 ft.
Talk time - up tp 7 hours
Stand-by - up to 300 hours
Charging time - up to 4 hours
Weight - 0.3 ounces
WindStop noise cancellation

MSRP: $79.99

Logitech's offering is a reasonably priced headset packed with a noise-cancelling capability not usually seen at this level. The Mobile Traveller is actually an improvement/evolution from their previous Mobile Freedom headset (which was reviewed by a fellow contributer of MobileGadgetNews.com Eric "GrYph0n" Jones). It has been reduced in size and boasts improved sound. I'm hoping this could be the one that'll past my convertible test!

Bluetooth candidate #3: Motorola H700

Rey Flores — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 18:15:03 -0500

Specs:
Bluetooth version - 1.2
Range - 33 ft.
Talk time - up tp 6 hours
Stand-by - up to 200 hours
Charging time - less than 1 hour
Weight - 0.2 ounces
Echo and noise cancellation integrated

MSRP: $99.99

Motorola here builds upon the proven success of their earlier HS850 model. The build quality and functionality is similar except the H700 is about 1/3 smaller than its predecessor. Motorola touts the "iconic look and feel" in order to create the sense of style and worldliness that deserves the price point that it comes in at... but is it worth it?

Bluetooth headset candidate #2: Motorola H500

Rey Flores — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 14:55:40 -0500

Specs:
Bluetooth version - 1.2
Range - 33 ft.
Talk time - up tp 8 hours
Stand-by - up to 200 hours
Charging time - less than 1 hour
Weight - 0.55 ounces

MSRP: $69.99

Motorola is a well-known brand, releasing several stylish headsets to compliment their equally as stylish line of phones. The H500 prices itself into the midrange of the selection of available competng headsets out there.

Bluetooth headset candidate #1: Jabra BT125

Rey Flores — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 14:32:14 -0500

Specs:
Bluetooth version - 2.0
Range - 33 ft.
Talk time - up tp 8 hours
Stand-by - up to 170 hours
Charging time - approx. 2 hrs.
Weight - less than 0.5 ounce

MSRP: $39.99

This headset has quite a lot going for it: 1. can be purchased at a very attractive pricepoint for those first venturing into their first Bluetooth investment; 2. extremely lightweight; 3. great battery life; 3. reduced delay due in part by the new 2.0 spec (which is rare to find at this value), 4. comes from a very reputable company with an established trackrecord known for their headsets.

Bluetooth Headsets

Rey Flores — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:17:18 -0500

One of the most considered add-ons to your Pocket PC Phone Edition or Smartphone (or any wireless phone for that matter) is a Bluetooth Headset. There are a multitude of reasons to justify the purchasing of one. A few of them are:

- If you have a Pocket PC Phone, you certainly aren't too inclined to to hold a bulky phone (AKA: brick) up to your ear.
- Regardless of platform, you need to use a hands-free device to drive safely or multi-task.
- Sometimes your device of choice just doesn't quite cut it in terms of voice quality, so you hope that you can get a better experience through a headset.

Living in California, using a hands-free device while driving is now law. I'm not a big fan of having to use the phone while driving, but as of late, I have had the need to converse on my commutes to and from work quite a bit and not to use a headset was not a viable option for me as well as for the sake for highway safety.