Recommended bluetooth stereo headsets

[Dmon]

I've been using Plantronics Pulsar 590A for some time and they have worked flawlessly. Good sound and I can easily go into another room still with good sound and no interruptions.
Yesterday I tried the Sony DR-BT20NX and was really disappointed. Excellent sound but the sound dropped when I turned my back or held it behind my back. Tried it with both the Tytn and the Qtek 9100 with the same result.

Just add to the list, it would be nice to know in advance which headsets work well with the Tytn

Plantronics Pulsar 590A
Sound: Good
Reception: Really good, can walk around in my apartment without sound dropping.
Talk: No complaints except if it's really windy.
Design: Ok, however one "ear" flashes blue while in use. Makes you look like something from star trek...

Sony DR-BT20NX
Sound: Good
Reception: Extremely bad. Can not even put it in my front pocket without the sound dropping
Talk: Didn't even try. The reception was so bad these were not an option.
Design: Excellent. Looks good and you just put the strap around your neck. While not in use there are small straps for holding the plugs in place so the cable doesn't get tangled.

[msgadget]

I really like the Jabra 8010. The hook is flexible and adjustable. It's taken awhile for me to get used to it though. I've worn a Jabra 250v forever. It has a small cord that goes around the back of the neck that hooks onto the headset on the other ear. You can use mono or stereo.

I use it/them with the HTC 8525. It brought out volume issues with the phone that I didn't know I had though. Searching, reading and people on this forum helped me get those issues fixed and now everything works perfectly.

MsGadget

[vp3G]

I'll cast my vote for the Plantronics 590. Phenomenal with the latest A2DP and hardcore's tuning tips. Never a skip and the battery life is incredible!

More than once while listening to my Hermes with them have I've pondered the exorbitant amount of cash I've sunken into my home theater over the years.

:eek:

[Dmon]

I agree on the Plantronics 590. They really raised my expectations, I thought all headsets were equally good which I have found out they are not.

Has anyone tried Motorola S705? They seem really awesome with lcd display, 3,5 mm jack (you can use your own headphones), radio, good battery life (better than with the Sony ones according to a forum I read) and BT class 1 instead of 2 which gives them a theoretical range of 100m instead of 10m which is standard. A little bigger than many but I am really tempted giving them a shot.

http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details.jsp?globalObjectId=152

[rob.ocelot]

I agree on the Plantronics 590. They really raised my expectations, I thought all headsets were equally good which I have found out they are not.

Has anyone tried Motorola S705? They seem really awesome with lcd display, 3,5 mm jack (you can use your own headphones), radio, good battery life (better than with the Sony ones according to a forum I read) and BT class 1 instead of 2 which gives them a theoretical range of 100m instead of 10m which is standard. A little bigger than many but I am really tempted giving them a shot.

http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details.jsp?globalObjectId=152

Interesting.

I think (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this) that both the BT transmitter and the BT reciever need to be Class 1 to get the kind of ranges that they state for Class 1 devices. I don't know of any current phones and only a few USB dongles that are Class 1. Class 1 devices are also more power hungry.

[njay22]

I highly recommend the blueant ones (X5?). I have them and then another three friends bought them. It also comes with a 3.5mm transmitter so you can use it with your PC/ipod,etc.

[Dmon]

Interesting.

I think (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this) that both the BT transmitter and the BT reciever need to be Class 1 to get the kind of ranges that they state for Class 1 devices. I don't know of any current phones and only a few USB dongles that are Class 1. Class 1 devices are also more power hungry.

I'm really not looking for a device that has 100 m range, but I figure that if it has that kind of range having the phone in your front pocket or moving around in the apartment should be no problem.

Btw. The Plantronics also come with a 3,5 mm transmitter so it can be used for pretty much everything.
The Motorola set does not come with a transmitter but you can buy one separately. If you buy one you can pair it to the phone and another source at the same time. For example, if you are streaming music from your computer and you receive a call, the music mutes and the device switches to your phone.

[vp3G]

Probably worth noting there's also Plantronics 590E which is headphones and charger only and is a great option for those who don't need all the trimmings included with the pricier 590A.

[Dmon]

Probably worth noting there's also Plantronics 590E which is headphones and charger only and is a great option for those who don't need all the trimmings included with the pricier 590A.

I think the pricier ones are a really good buy since you can use them with all equipment imaginable. Forgot to mention that they also come with a regular cable so if you are out of battery or sitting on a plane you can use them without bluetooth.

[Dmon]

Saw these in a swedish shop. They are from Korea and I haven't heard of them before. They were charged and I got to try them out. The sound was good but a little low on base. They were really small and I like the way they look, although the shiny front seems to smudge easily. All controls worked like a charm and I could put them in my pocket and walk around the store without any interruptions. Maybe not hifi but the were quite cheap, the store price was 700 SEK (or about 100 $). I'm thinking of going back later this week and test the call quality. Found a website with the specs here:

http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/11283714/Bluetooth_Headset.html

Edit: Tried them again and the call sound was good. However, the bass was really too bad so I won't be buying them.

[fil]

ive got some gear4 ones, get to just over 20M appart before it drops the audio, and need to get 10Ms away for it to pick it up again.

5hrs play back

paid £11.49 for them off amazon hen they done a deal!

[Intergalactic]

Yeah! the ultimate headset, a superior breed, the best on the market, top of the line, I believe that says it all, yeah! the ultimate headset........!

[mouth]

Plantronics Discovery 655
... works great with my Hermes.

Long battery life, easy charging from the same mini-USB cable, good reception and signal distance.

[st3v3]

i gotta mention my Motorola Ht-820s which were brilliant on my magician (with alota patching) but are flawless and ever lasting on the Hermes.

[pcm2a]

How about the ITech R35s? I've been debating buying them off ebay. They get real good reviews and seem like they would beat out any other kind since you use your own headphones with them!

Even has controls to switch songs. Some reviews say media player on windows mobile supports the controls some reviews say it doesnt.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ITech-Clip-R35-Stereo-BlueTooth-HeadPhone-Dongle_W0QQitemZ160128749353QQihZ006QQcategoryZ133 229QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[basilrsa]

I have a Nokia HS-12W as well as a HTC BH S100 and both work well on the latest WM6 ROMS.
I use the Schap's ROM without any reg edits.
The advantage of the HTC is that it has a 3.5mm jackplug on the earphone side so you can attach your favourite earphones.
The sound of the Nokia blows away my IPod. Deep base and rich treble.
The range on both are about 10 to 15 meters in an unrestricted enviroment.
The Nokia costs about twice as much as the HTC in South Africa.
I can recommend both of these Stereo BT Headsets.

[mcsegeek]

How about the ITech R35s? I've been debating buying them off ebay. They get real good reviews and seem like they would beat out any other kind since you use your own headphones with them!

Even has controls to switch songs. Some reviews say media player on windows mobile supports the controls some reviews say it doesnt.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ITech-Clip-R35-Stereo-BlueTooth-HeadPhone-Dongle_W0QQitemZ160128749353QQihZ006QQcategoryZ133 229QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Well...I bought my R35 off of Ebay and I'll say that I'm a happy customer. Sounds great to me with Sleuth's WM6 LVSW variant, A2DP skip fix, and seems to hold a charge for a decent amount of time before needing recharging. I would say that they are not very good at the telephony part however...whenever I answer or make a call with them...I always get complaints about sound from the other party. They do work with WMP for what it's worth though. I'd say they are a worthy A2DP investment especially if you have a favorite pair of headphones already...

[pcm2a]

I have some Logitech BT head phones but they are just too big/bulky for jogging, gym, etc. I was thinking how nice it would be to have my phone in my gym bag and the little R35 clipped on!

[Dmon]

Plantronics Discovery 655
... works great with my Hermes.

Long battery life, easy charging from the same mini-USB cable, good reception and signal distance.

These are not stereo though...

I bought the Pulsar 260 since the Pulsar 590A have worked really well. At first I was quite disappointed but I then upgraded my rom to LVSW and the sound was dramatically improved. Some slight background noice but nothing big. Controls work well and the range is fantastic. Also no interruptions yet.
The only thing that irritates me is the cable length. You can easily clip it to your belt and so if you hang it around the neck there is a lot of cable dangling around. The sound during calls where adequate but my girlfriend said there was a little squeking noice every time I stopped talking and it was a little irritating. This was with the old rom and I have not yet tested call quality with the new rom. I will report back on that.

Edit: The call quality is adequate and the sound did improve with the new rom. The squeking sound is gone, only a little static left but nothing much.

[ajmoncrief]

I am very pleased with me Nextlink spider.
(http://www.radioshack.com/sm-nextlink-spider-bluetooth-headset--pi-2290597.html)
I got one on sale from Radioshack for $40 bucks I believe a while back. I've heard that some of the units have problems retaining battery but I have no problems with my unit. I get really great sound and reception in my 3 bedroom house. Callers can hardly tell that I am not speaking directly into my phone and its comfy too.

[pcm2a]

I bought the iTech R35 off ebay, cost me about $45. Never had it skip, sound quality is fantastic, I can get about 15-20 feet away from my gym bag. Such a small little device clipped on my pocket and I use my own lightweight headphones. I can even change the song forward and back. My logitech BT headphones cant do that.

Sometimes when I'm at the gym I see someone with some bluetooth heahphones. Boy do they look big and heavy.

[strandkanten2]

Anyone tried Motorola S9?
I like the size of them, only know them from picture though.
Any experiences of interest since I´ll probably will buy them online without trying them on myself.
cheers!

[bapski]

Anyone tried Motorola S9?
I like the size of them, only know them from picture though.
Any experiences of interest since I´ll probably will buy them online without trying them on myself.
cheers!

tried the S9 the whole day today. only tested stereo function. stereo sound was ok. (am not an audiophile) but i did get some skips and stuttering of audio (not sure if s9 issue) i do have the A2DP tweaked to best performance. tried calling on my phone while listening to music and it did mute(?) the stereo sound and replaced with a phone ring..

had to return it after work. my ears were aching! not from the sound but from the earbuds i guess..

i like the form factor. small and decent to good enough sound..

if i were into listening to music.... id get this one..

[nicholasendean]

Anycom bluetooth headset with removable microphone which connects into the usb socket descreatly hidden when not in use. The unit is rechargable via standard mini usb which plugs into the mike usb. Very clever design.
Also remarkably comfortable for long periods of wear due to the leather? suple ear pads.


http://nicholas-endean.blogspot.com/2007/07/i-love-a2dp.html

my choice! no problems with skipping or naff playback quality AND battery lasts well over 16 hours of continued usage. (tested on rather long coach trips)
It also recharges from scratch in just under 1 hour.

THESE FOLD UP INTO A NEAT SIZE FOR STORAGE TOO!!!

Tested and works all around my apartment too.Even works with hermes in the back room and me in the garden. Dont know what that is in feet but its more than i expected put it like that

[Ronnymes]

I have the Sony Ericsson HBH-DS970, great headset!!
http://us.gizmodo.com/images/hbhds970_main-thumb.jpg


some specs :
The HBH-DS970 Bluetooth headset weighs in at less than one ounce and features call answering (duh) and track skipping. The control unit has a bright backlit display and has a battery life of 6 hours talk time or 300 standby hours. This is a great Bluetooth headset

[pen6uin]

Motorola S9
Well i have to say these are very good, Great for the gym which is why i purchased them.But Be aware of CHEAP IMITATIONS i thought i had got a bargin on ebay until i started to compare them to the official motorola site after i had poor batery life, as i had never seen a pair for real wasnt to sure what they should look like (only on the ads )but after they started to come apart aswell i started to get surspiciouse and did some checking the indicator lights were all wrong and the build quaility was very shoddy.
Emailed the seller to explain he was selling fakes who said they were from America,have sent them back and he is refunding me.
ordered a proper pair from Carphone Warehouse and they are world apart in every way.
I would Recommend these for Music and Watching episodes of 24 down the gym anyday.

[grkn]

What about the new nokia BH-500?
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/reviews/item/Nokia_BH-500_Stereo_Bluetooth_Headset_Review.php

Seems ideal for those who prefer to use their own headsets, had the itech i35 but had some problems with skipping etc.

[edhaas]

I am quite happy with the Pulsar 260 headset. It's unobtrusive, runs a long time, sound quality is to my ears excellent, and I can make phone calls with it. No skips with my current rom, with no tweaks.

[grkn]

The pulsar 260 seems almost perfect for us in-ear stereo headset geeks.
Willbuy!

[DJ_Nitro]

I had the pulsar 260, had to return it, it stopped working after a week of use.
The beeps were way too loud.

[Kola71]

I use the Motorola S9 and have been pretty happy with the sound but they are the only BT headphone I have tried.

They were very uncomfortable though the first day with the factory installed ear plugs. I changed to the supplied optional ear plugs and they are much more comfortable for all day wearing.

[Bbasso]

ugg...
So I was walking past radio shack today and I noticed a 50% off on some items, yeah I'm a sucker...
Well here is my review on:
NextLink "Spider" Bluetooth Stereo Headset

the good:
Easy to use, quick to charge, and pretty compfy while blocking out unwanted sounds even at low volumes. plenty of range/distance, I was impressed. Enough volume for the hearing impaired LOL.. decent amount of bass.


Now for the bad:
The freg range is horrible, it seems like they forgot to put the tweeters in. When on phone calls I'm told the sound is good on their end, clear and loud. But listening is like holding up a paper towel tube... hollow and distant again with no trebble.

I will be returning them tomorrow. and saving a few more $ to get the motorola set which seems to be getting reviews.

hope this helps...

[hellejoep]

I'm using the Jabra 320 A2DP headphones, and they are excellent!

[PeLa]

I use the Motorola HT820. Great sound.

[davidf]

I have had the motorola S705 for a few days now and they are very good.sound works well with the dopod 810 after 6 hours of use the battery was still showing about 30 % so good battery life. Range from the phone is excellent. Small note the earbuds are extremely uncomfortable, so they will be replaced with some sony in-ear buds.

[evolution_theory]

Based on the recommendations I just ordered the Plantronics Pulsar 590A from amazon for $112.99 with free shipping.

[mfabre]

Anyone tried Motorola S9?
I like the size of them, only know them from picture though.

I have a pair. Use them everyday to/from work. They sound very nice, no skiping and although I do not have a different set to compare, battery life is more than enough (more than the hermes, anyway)

Quality is good but depending on the rubber cups you select it may be a little heavy on the bass. Volume is LOUD :-)

Only complain is that in "telephone" mode, they pickup quite a bit of ambient noice. If you are in a noisy place, people may have problems hearing you.

Hope it helps

PS: they charge from the Hermes charger :D

[wpbear]

The best is HELIUM DIGITAL from Canada of all places.

[Judgementand]

I have both the Motorola HT820 headphones and the Motorola S9 headphones (bigger cups with first and water-proof sporty design with the latter).

I use the S9 headphones more often but occasionally use the HT820s for times when my surroundings are loud.

[mobilechrisd]

I've been using the Motorola S805 (http://direct.motorola.com/ens/s805/Headset_Home.asp?country=USA&language=ENS) with my Cingular 8500 for several weeks now and love it.

Using Sleuth's A2DP fix and the registry settings for best performance. I have no complaints on sound quality.

I plug them back end at the end of an 8 hour work day so I'm not sure what the battery limits are on this one.

I haven't tried them for voice yet but I hear they work fine.

CD

[margatenj]

I have the Sony Ericsson HBH-DS970, great headset!!
http://us.gizmodo.com/images/hbhds970_main-thumb.jpg


some specs :
The HBH-DS970 Bluetooth headset weighs in at less than one ounce and features call answering (duh) and track skipping. The control unit has a bright backlit display and has a battery life of 6 hours talk time or 300 standby hours. This is a great Bluetooth headset

On the display, when you get a call, does it show you the callers id?

[deHustla]

I definitely choose the Plantronics Pulsar 590A! Hey,thanx for the review!

[bamse]

I have the Sony Ericsson HBH-DS970, great headset!!
http://us.gizmodo.com/images/hbhds970_main-thumb.jpg


some specs :
The HBH-DS970 Bluetooth headset weighs in at less than one ounce and features call answering (duh) and track skipping. The control unit has a bright backlit display and has a battery life of 6 hours talk time or 300 standby hours. This is a great Bluetooth headset

Doesn't work well with the Hermes though. Just can't get rid of the skipping!

[bamse]

Interesting.

I think (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this) that both the BT transmitter and the BT reciever need to be Class 1 to get the kind of ranges that they state for Class 1 devices. I don't know of any current phones and only a few USB dongles that are Class 1. Class 1 devices are also more power hungry.

The range of the S705 connected to the Hermes is astonishing! And no skipping! And built-in FM radio!

They are a little weak in the bass though. Even with Sony in-ear plugs that should match the ones that come with the SBH-970.

But the best I've tried so far. Very good choice.

[jompao]

Doesn't work well with the Hermes though. Just can't get rid of the skipping!

Range is the problem with this headset. No skipping when using Sleuth's A2DP fix on Tytn

[jompao]

ugg...
So I was walking past radio shack today and I noticed a 50% off on some items, yeah I'm a sucker...
Well here is my review on:
NextLink "Spider" Bluetooth Stereo Headset


Now for the bad:
The freg range is horrible, it seems like they forgot to put the tweeters in. When on phone calls I'm told the sound is good on their end, clear and loud. But listening is like holding up a paper towel tube... hollow and distant again with no trebble.
...

And you have tweaked the A2DP settings by setting joint stereo to on and deleting bitpool value, standard WM6 settings sounds like crap?

[grkn]

Well, I'm getting the Jabra 320s and Plantronics 260ies to give them a spin :)

[evojulz]

I highly recommend the blueant ones (X5?). I have them and then another three friends bought them. It also comes with a 3.5mm transmitter so you can use it with your PC/ipod,etc.

Bump, I have the X5 headset and they are great! Almost identical design to the Anycom headset.

I like how the battery is interchangeable with the bluetooth transmitter.

The plugin mic is ok but only useful if you are initiating the call or using the headset for desktop chat/skype. No chance of plugging that sucker in before you can answer an incomming call.

[grkn]

These are very much not in-ear :)

[2trieu]

Any one has experience with this headset ??? I am planning to buy it, but I need to find out if it will work with my 8525

[sumtingwong]

removed... wrong forum... Basically It was just a diatribe about how it doesn't vibrate and was wrong for the Athena (don't know about Hermes)

[NetHead]

Just got the Motorola S705s, but they're going back because of a design defect--the two channels are out of phase with each other!

Other people who have noticed this:
http://www.amazon.com/review/RLAEB39FQP33V/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm/
http://howardforums.com/showpost.php?p=9705814&postcount=1

:(

[bamse]

Just got the Motorola S705s, but they're going back because of a design defect--the two channels are out of phase with each other!

Other people who have noticed this:
http://www.amazon.com/review/RLAEB39FQP33V/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm/
http://howardforums.com/showpost.php?p=9705814&postcount=1

:(

Mine had the same problem (checked with an oscilloscope). No wonder I thought they sounded a bit lame compared to my SE SBH-970s :-P

Got my money back, so all is fine. Except that I am still looking for a skip-free bluetooth headset with built-in FM radio to go with my TyTN.

Oh, and that Motorola seem to be totally ignorant about the issue...

[whozethere]

I usually look at CNET videos to see what I think about various devices. I have been interested in this . . . I usually read the user's reviews, but there are only 2 very divided reviews.

http://reviews.cnet.com/bluetooth-headsets/plantronics-voyager-855-bluetooth/4505-12523_7-32600914.html

[NewForce]

Interesting.

I think (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this) that both the BT transmitter and the BT reciever need to be Class 1 to get the kind of ranges that they state for Class 1 devices. I don't know of any current phones and only a few USB dongles that are Class 1. Class 1 devices are also more power hungry.
You don't have to pair 2 Class1 bluetooth device together to achieve their spec range.

I have Motorola S705 to use with my Asus P535 and my HP/Compaq/IBM Laptop/Desktop.

With Asus P535 at my home master-room, I can walked around my home about 25meter range freely with S705.

With Laptop/Desktop at my workplace that paired with the very cheap TinyTech 10m bluetooth dongle, I walked around 80m+ freely and s705 still working and transmitting my music normally.

[Ziggy-Inti_United]

hi guys...
i'm just asking if there is a headset that :
1. we can change the battery (its better if it use the aaa battery)
2. have 3.5mm jack
3. sync perfectly to my hermes without flaw

thx so much guys...

[Henrikmand]

I've been using the Motorola S805 (http://direct.motorola.com/ens/s805/Headset_Home.asp?country=USA&language=ENS) with my Cingular 8500 for several weeks now and love it.

Using Sleuth's A2DP fix and the registry settings for best performance. I have no complaints on sound quality.

I plug them back end at the end of an 8 hour work day so I'm not sure what the battery limits are on this one.

I haven't tried them for voice yet but I hear they work fine.

CD

I've searched Motorola's website to know if there's a 3,5 mm minijack outtake from this headset.

For me, that would be perfect, as I'm using it to connect to varius music-systems...

Could you please post that information?

[Tyrone777]

Hello,

Just purchased the Plantronics 855. With a lil fiddling I got MSVC 1.6 to work and it now controls my phone perfectly. The sound is a little low at time but not really worth complaining about. The housing does seem a bit flimsy but all in all it makes it a super light device. The optional second earpiece comes in handy for the movies/music. All in all it is a good piece of gear and I picked one up at newegg shipped for $57.99 although I think it was a price mistake :D and they raised the price to $79.99 soon after.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875978056

[Ziggy-Inti_United]

hi,

i saw the jabra BT3030, anyone have experience difficulities wit it?reviewers named it as "dog tag BT" haha...