Next-Generation Stereo Bluetooth Headsets | TechHive
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`REVIEW
`
`Next-Generation Stereo Bluetooth Headsets
`
`  
`
`By Aoife M. McEvoy
`PCWorld |
`APR 1, 2009 5:00 PM PST
`
`AT A GLANCE
`
`Motorola MotoRokr S9-HD
`
`Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800
`
`LG HBS-250
`
`Altec Lansing BackBeat 906
`
`Samsung SBH700
`
`Imagine a world where you can listen to music and make calls with a set of
`luxurious wireless headphones that fit your ears perfectly. You encounter
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`APPLE 1051
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`Next-Generation Stereo Bluetooth Headsets | TechHive
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`astounding audio quality, intuitive controls, and seamless switching between
`music and calls. And you can wear your headphones all day without feeling
`as though your ears are getting stretched to Easter Island statue proportions.
`
`Well, keep dreaming. Stereo Bluetooth headphones, alas, have a long way to
`go. After testing the latest crop of products, which enable you to listen to
`music tracks and manage your phone calls wirelessly, we were disappointed.
`
`Unlike monaural (or mono) Bluetooth headsets, which require you to insert a
`single earpiece in your ear, stereo units consist of a separate earpiece for
`each ear. As the name suggests, these devices are designed to deliver
`stereo sound. The whole listening experience should feel richer, with a more
`natural, lifelike audio--a bit like a surround-sound effect. (For more
`information about Bluetooth standards, see "How to Buy a Bluetooth
`Headset.")
`
`[ Further reading: The best universal remote controls ]
`
`Stereo Bluetooth headsets generally come in two styles: earbud-oriented
`units, in which a narrow-gauge wire connects the two buds, and headphone-
`style units, in which a band or stiffer cord connects the earpieces. All of the
`units on our chart are worn with the cord or band behind the head.
`
`I tested each set of stereo headphones across a wide range of objective and
`subjective criteria. I integrated the headphones into my daily life, examining
`audio quality, range performance, comfort and fit, layout and button design,
`and intuitiveness (or nonintuitiveness) of the controls. I found that each
`product excelled in one or two areas, and that's about it. For example, I liked
`how cushy the $80 LG Electronics HBS-250 earpads felt on my ears, but I
`struggled with the small controls, which were tricky to access. And while I
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`Next-Generation Stereo Bluetooth Headsets | TechHive
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`enjoyed the rich music played through the Motorola MotoRokr S9-HD
`headphones ($130), the device's headband and earpiece design felt awkward
`after a while. Even our top-rated product, the superlight Sony Ericsson HBH-
`IS800, had shortcomings--failing to include volume controls and track
`skipping on the headphones themselves, despite costing $200.
`
`Some good news: Except for LG's HBS-250, all of the headphones did a
`great job handling incoming calls while I was listening to music. When a call
`comes in, the headset pauses the track, and pipes a ringing tone into your
`ear; when you end the call or reject it, the music (or whatever you were
`playing) resumes. With the LG headphones, though the music stopped, there
`was no further indication that a call was coming in--just dead silence. A
`company spokesperson for LG suspected that our test unit was defective in
`this regard, saying that the headphones typically do multitask and alert users
`of incoming calls. (In every other respect the LG headphones seemed to work
`normally.)
`
`Company-advertised maximum playing and talking times for these units
`range from 4 hours of play time or 5 hours of talk time (for the Sony Ericsson
`HBH-IS800) to 10 hours of play or talk time (for the LG Electronics HBS-250).
`I didn't attempt to measure the stereo headphones ' battery life for this
`review.
`
`Before buying, you should make sure that the stereo Bluetooth headphones
`you're considering are compatible with your Bluetooth cell phone. Your phone
`must support the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (or A2DP) and the
`Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (or AVRCP). A2DP is the Bluetooth
`profile that enables your music source and the Bluetooth headset to stream
`music wirelessly in stereo; AVRCP is a Bluetooth profile that enables your
`Bluetooth headset to wirelessly control your music source. Most Stereo
`Bluetooth headphones also support the Handsfree and Headset profiles,
`permitting you to make and receive phone calls with your stereo Bluetooth
`headphones.
`
`Note that the iPhone currently does not offer stereo A2DP Bluetooth support,
`though Apple's upcoming iPhone 3.0 software will. The update is planned for
`release in this summer.
`
`For complete reviews of each of the five stereo Bluetooth headsets I
`examined and tested, click the following links:
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