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It's pretty good,
My first concern was that the sound quality was going to be rubbish, like when you listen to music with a mono BT headset, something I never did because aswell as being mono it also cut all of the clarity from the music ! fortunatly I can report the music makes it through in hi quality sound
My second concern was that the audio player was not going to work properly fortunatly although not perfect it's working quite well !! most notably the track listing is not showing in the screen, the biggest down side is that it stutters a bit from time to time, not so much that you want to throw it aginst a wall, but enough to be mildly irritating (seems to be linked to a bit rate issue) . also rewind and FF do not work with the universal, but next/previous track does, as does pause and auto pause on phone ring. I am a bit dissapointed that nokia did not include any kind of equalizer settings I personally would like some more bass.
The phone side is quite impressive I like the ability to quickly redial the last number or voice dial however due to the same limitations as the audio player it is currently not displaying peoples names only their number !! otherwise works quite well.
The FM RDS radio is a nice addition, it works well considering the aerial is the strap around your neck
my biggest overall gripe (ie wont be fixed by a firmware upgrade) is the shape of the earpieces, for a company that have been making headsets for this long these are awfull, it's like wedging big uncomfortable lugs in your ears, the real jasjar earpieces are way more comfy (and have better bass response)
So far only tested with media player as reports would indicate that for now A2DP only works with media player
Re: My Review of the Nokis HS-12W A2DP BT Headset
ice_coffee said:
I am a bit dissapointed that nokia did not include any kind of equalizer settings I personally would like some more bass.
So far only tested with media player as reports would indicate that for now A2DP only works with media player
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once the Pocket Music and Pocket Player people get on top of it, you can have remote control with their programs, as both offer equaliser/preamp.
Both are working on it.
Cool I look forward to it !!!
I have got to the bottom of my stuttering !! it is nothing more than signal strength, but I dont see why it is happening !! its hard to explain but the signal is not as robust as when you are just using it for phone calls. it claims 10 Meters and its true that in an open area with devices able to see each other both phone call and music will just about manage 10M however if you put an obstacle in the way (like a door) , where as the phone would continue to work the music player will not !! infact for 100% reliable music you are looking at 1 meter (open air) , and half that again if your phone is buried deep in your pocket.
check my review here:
http://www.mobileplanet.com/forumthread.asp?code=121010&thread=2
Guys whats your range like, i get no more than a meter away from my phone and the sound drops out, also have a hiss in the background that is really annoying at low volumes any thoughts ???
I did mention the whole 1 meter thing in my second post !!! I can't hear any hiss ( none loud enough to degrade the music anyway !!) tested with my Exec at full volume and media player also at full volume but the headset at minimum volume, ( thus giving the headset the best signal to noise ratio to play with )
ice_coffee said:
It's pretty good,
My first concern was that the sound quality was going to be rubbish, like when you listen to music with a mono BT headset, something I never did because aswell as being mono it also cut all of the clarity from the music ! fortunatly I can report the music makes it through in hi quality sound
My second concern was that the audio player was not going to work properly fortunatly although not perfect it's working quite well !! most notably the track listing is not showing in the screen, the biggest down side is that it stutters a bit from time to time, not so much that you want to throw it aginst a wall, but enough to be mildly irritating (seems to be linked to a bit rate issue) . also rewind and FF do not work with the universal, but next/previous track does, as does pause and auto pause on phone ring. I am a bit dissapointed that nokia did not include any kind of equalizer settings I personally would like some more bass.
The phone side is quite impressive I like the ability to quickly redial the last number or voice dial however due to the same limitations as the audio player it is currently not displaying peoples names only their number !! otherwise works quite well.
The FM RDS radio is a nice addition, it works well considering the aerial is the strap around your neck
my biggest overall gripe (ie wont be fixed by a firmware upgrade) is the shape of the earpieces, for a company that have been making headsets for this long these are awfull, it's like wedging big uncomfortable lugs in your ears, the real jasjar earpieces are way more comfy (and have better bass response)
So far only tested with media player as reports would indicate that for now A2DP only works with media player
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please tell me one thing: I've seen the unwired.net review state that the headset can connect simultaneously to a headset profile and A2DP profile, but only if coming from the same device, meaning that you cannot have A2DP coming from your PDA and Headset coming from your phone. Is this true? The guy said it was a preproduction model and firmware can be changed, so could you please tell me if this is in your model too?
Yes, this is true. It can only connect with one device at the same time.
roma said:
Yes, this is true. It can only connect with one device at the same time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That means this device is crippled, as it is very common for one to have music on one device and use another as a phone...
Do you know of any other product that offers the same opportunities in a similar form factor desides this one? I've found this one from Sony Ericsson http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp...der&php=php1_10394&zone=pp&lm=pp4_1&pid=10394 but it does not have radio.
I'm looking for something very close with this Nokia headset. Only one thing left, that I think very important. I want to be able to unplug the earphones from the unit. This is important, so that when we get to the airplane, we can unplug it and still use the same earphones connected directly to the Uni without the BT on.
Secondly, it will enable the unit to be plugged into Car Audio AUX input.
I have saw a couple of headsets that have this feature, from GlobalSat, and from itech. But both do not have caller ID screen.
http://www.usglobalsat.com/item.asp?itemid=98
In short, I want something like this Nokia, but detachable earphones like the Globalsat or itech.
I'll probably be getting this as well very soon. Just one thing, has anyone tried it with wizard and if so, what was it like?
Anyone know where to get one in the US? All links found so far are sellers in the UK.
im sure expansys US are selling it !!
Since my review I have tried it with a nokia phone and it performs better, the issue with signal strength from 50CM or less through you body has been improved. The main problem might be the positioning of the BT chip in the UNI, this may never be fully resolved !!! unless someone can hack the UNI firmware to tell the BT chip to broadcast with more power than it should.
ice_coffee said:
im sure expansys US are selling it !!
Since my review I have tried it with a nokia phone and it performs better, the issue with signal strength from 50CM or less through you body has been improved. The main problem might be the positioning of the BT chip in the UNI, this may never be fully resolved !!! unless someone can hack the UNI firmware to tell the BT chip to broadcast with more power than it should.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, i will look at their site.
I bought the Nokia a few weeks ago but havent really tested until today. After reflashing the rom on my BA and installing the A2DP cab it works very well. Range is good with line of sight and the controls work ok. Only thing is an occasonal sound dropout of under a second, which has already been mentioned. Not enough to be a problem so far. Sound could use a bit more bass but that can be solved with a player that has an eq. Overall im happy with the Nokia.
I've had this headset for a week and am very pleased with it. Before this one I had the bluetake i-phono mini 450rx and they weren't half as good. This headset connects quikly, plays music with good sound, the radio is good with the programming of the radio stations literally being a minutes work. And most importantly, I can have a decent conversation with someone without problems. I experience stuttering ebery once in a while. But as commented above the range isn't great, but it's good enough to live with. The only downside at the moment is that I have to use windows media player that needs the playlist to be set up every time and the remote control doesn't work after a while of listening to music or after using other apps. I hope that this is a software issue. Before I had my mda I always had nokia phones because they were the best developed in their music functions. This headset strikes me as being the same good technology combined with A2DP. So in the whole I am very happy with this headset. I don't mind the earphones, I think they're comfy (far better than the original mda pro headset which gave bad sound and wasn't stable or comfy), everybody their own preferences. If I had to go for an alternative to this headset, I would go for the sony ericsson HBH DS970, but I didn't have the patience to wait for it and it doesn't have a radio built in. The only downside to choosing the universal was that it doesn't have a radio (something I've had in my nokia's for a while). Now my universal it complete and I am one proud universal owner!
ng
you can use the pocketmusic.You have to buy it but it works fine with the HS-12W. All the AVRCP commands works.
The HS-12W its really great. The only downside its that the universal dont use all of his functions. No ID caller, no play list in display, no message alert.
I belive that there is a software problem. I hope someone finds the solution.
But dont getr me wrong: the HS-12W is great.
I wouldnt say the HS-12W was great at all
my review:-
*sounds quality is good, but you can't unplug and plug in your own headphones.
*completely unergonomic design, Nokia should take a lesson from Sony on ergonomic remote designs, each button should 'feel' different. Each time I want to do something on the nOkia I have to actually look at it.
* it's pretty ugly, anyway no where near as nice as the HBH-DS970 (or whatver it's called ) the sony ericson one.
but as far as the basic connection, streaming that all works very well.
all just my humble opinion so take with pinch of salt
Here is a link to a user review of the sony ericsson headset http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?p=7463154#post7463154
I personally prefer the Nokia as it has a radio and the construction is solid. Also no problems resuming music after a call.
Everybody his own opinion, it all depends on what you want from a headset.
In any case I'm happy with this headset but agree that the headset has more possibilities than the universal uses, maybe in time there will be an update or something. But untill that time it works fine.
About pocket music, I'm not sure it works so great. I downloaded the trial version and tested it with some music, but the remote control didn't respond. Maybe I should try it again. I want to be sure the software is worth it for me before I buy it.
because in order to get it, I had to cut the original earbuds off...
How did I get to do this? (either read the story or jump to the end.... )
I had first tried out the Sony Ericsson HBH-DS970 and found out that it was not enough compatible with the HTC Universal (e.g.: after a call it would not continue to tranmit the music stream)
I then tried the HS-12W. All important features are supported, just ID-Tags are not transmitted nore is the name of the caller (but the number is).
On top of it it has a RDS-FM radio built-in...and looks good too...I decided I wanted to keep it.
Only problem: I could hardly understand anything....the original earbuds had a shape/size that just sat so strangely in my ear that the front was not exposed to the inner ear but rather covered so that the sound level was just too low.
Since I am one of these guys who do not give up easily when they are convinced of an idea, I was looking for a solution to the problem.
I remembered an enhancement item for the original ipod earbuds: I bought a couple of Griffin Ear Jams. I cut them in a shape to fit the Nokia buds and glued them to the rubberborder of the ear buds. Not bad at all. It was loud and had much more bass than before.
It did not maybe look supergreat with these white add ons, and frankly, the more I was listening, I found the sound to be lacking treble and somewhat sounded like from under a pillow. My personal belief is that the original earbuds are lacking treble in order to reduce the transmission of some white noise caused by the BT connection...and with the Ear Jams in place that enhanced the bass the pillow sound was perfect. It was really not bad at all, but as I said, with the time I noticed it more and more...
Before buying the Nokia, I had used Sennheiser CX-300 headphones when listening to music. An excellent value for money, it rivals easily headsets of double the price.
Now, all of a sudden. with the Nokia, I had no use for the Sennheiser anymore.... It was just laying there, on the board, getting dusty.....
should I never ever be using it anymore? Such a good pair of headphones...if only the Nokia had better earbuds...
Do you guess the rest?
Yes, i did it: I cut the original earbuds from the Nokia, freed the Sennheisers from it's cables...and transplanted them onto the Nokia HS-12W....
Yes, it worked. And it sounds just soooo good.
where did you cut it? just near to the earbuds or at the connection to the neck? (the other end of the cable)?
My problem is with the Universal + HS12W combo is that its SOOOOOO stuttering :evil: . If its on me, the Uni is in my hand, it can stutter... it can always stutter... I ask: why?? Maybe it's not because of the reception quality because at home I can move to the other room and it doesn't loose the connection just the stuttering factor rises... Is it the bandwidth or lacking CPU?
I'm starting to think about throwing it to the wall...
other con: radio sensitivity is very BAD.
I cut them somewhere in beteen the earbud and the microphone so i did not lose the speaking function. (sennheiser is only headphone).
i agree with the suttering issue. i tend to believe that it is more the pda side..bad antenna construction..but at the end who cares if it does not work...i must say the way i am using the combo i can live with the shortcomings. i also feel the stuttering increases with the transferred bitrate.
as far as the fm reception is concerned: i am not unhappy with the quality, obviously it is n ot noise free most of the time, but i get my main stations in a reasonable manner, i find. (and then most of the time i am listening to internet radio streams..i am on a 5GB plan...
cheers,
Andy.
AndyME said:
I cut them somewhere in beteen the earbud and the microphone so i did not lose the speaking function. (sennheiser is only headphone).
i agree with the suttering issue. i tend to believe that it is more the pda side..bad antenna construction..but at the end who cares if it does not work...i must say the way i am using the combo i can live with the shortcomings. i also feel the stuttering increases with the transferred bitrate.
as far as the fm reception is concerned: i am not unhappy with the quality, obviously it is n ot noise free most of the time, but i get my main stations in a reasonable manner, i find. (and then most of the time i am listening to internet radio streams..i am on a 5GB plan...
cheers,
Andy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can agree with the bad radio construction on the uni side.. This was mentioned in an other topic too I think . It's good you have 5GB plan.. we have only 200MB for a reasonable price.
How do you control the bitrate between the devices? Does the mentioned registry setting (hklm\sw\ms\bluetooth\a2db\setting) working? I've started to play with it, but originally, this key hasn't existed.
i was thinking about the lifetime of this device, because of the battery (not replaceable)by user, and the fixed headphones... looking ath the price of that headset i don't want to throw it away after just one year..
Hi kchris,
sorry for late reply, I did not get a notification.
re. bitrate control I cannot comment. I just meant to notice that with higher bitrate e.g. different quality of radio streams, the connection is more sensitive since the buffer holds less seconds of sounds.
I only have a problem if i use the universal in the rear pocket of my pants. the body is a real obstacle for bluetooth waves, it seems. not very elegant, but it works: if you hang the display over your shoulder so it hangs down on your back, there is no stuttering if the htc is in the rear pocket....(at least in my case).
There is a screw at the back of the device...no I have not opened it yet...lol...but I would guess one can have access to the battery easily, the question is only where to get a new one from... :?
(Between you and me: gadget freek that I am, I would be surprised if I still have it in one year....but who knows...I really like it...)
Exchanging against the Sennheisers for me was a great solution, the sound has improved so much, I did not expect it, I must say.
I have to admit: I love to adapt things to my needs....
There are headsets where you can use the headphones of your choice, but I think in this case the mic must be in the device itself, so it will be quite far away from your mouth..or maybe it could have a mic on a cable that you have to clip somewhere high on the shirt..I don't know how good this is supposed to work or how convenient it can be...
I created this review and posted on Android Central. Figured I should share here as well. Original Thread can be found here and i have copy and pasted below. Hope this helps!
After seeing someone mention the Motorola T505 in this thread, I decided to check it out for my self. I know this device has been out for a while, but due to the quality of it, I think a review can be beneficial for some.
Purpose of review: For those of you that drive older cars that did not come with bluetooth technology built in to the stereo and would like to hear phone calls on your stereo, this can be the device for you. Additionally, for those of you that do not have an iPod compatible radio and like to use their EVO as their primary portable music device, this may also be the device for you.
Overview and Un-boxing:The Motorola Motorokr T505 (link to Motorola's website) as an all-in-one bluetooth speaker phone and fm transmitter. The device measures approximately 2.75 inches long and wide (front to back and side to side, respectively) and is just shy of 1 inch think without the included clip (utilizing the pretty mandatory clip brings it to about 2 inches). The unboxing is very straight forward. Included inside the box are the device itself, the clip, a fold-our instruction pamphlet/diagram, a car charger (for the blue tooth. It will NOT work for your EVO), and some other miscellaneous papers. The instructional diagram is extremely easy to read and has pictures for every step of the setup.
Layout: The main function of the accessory is to be a BT speakerphone. The face of the device 2 buttons surrounding a back lit Motorola "M". The left button has a phone icon which is used for accepting, ending, flashing through, and making calls. The right button displays the play & pause icon, used for pausing and recommencing music and muting phone calls. On the left and right side of the device are the volume up and down buttons (respectively). While on a call, these buttons will raise or lower the volume and while playing music, these buttons will go forward or backward through your track listing. On the back of the device, opposite the call button is the power button and opposite the play/pause button is the FM transmitter button. The power button is activated and deactivated by holding it down for three seconds. The same goes for the FM transmitter button.
*It is important to note that these buttons are a bit awkward and take some time to get used to. This especially goes for the instances when you are required to press 2 buttons at once*
Using the T505: The pairing procedure is extremely simple. Once the device is on for the first time, it automatically goes into pairing mode. It came up immediately on the BT scan on my EVO and paired with no errors. The T505 announced that i may need a password and if so, the password is 0000, but i did not need it. Once paired, any audio output from phone calls made or received is played from the BT (which is not clipped about a foot away from me on my visor). The audio in microphone is also on the BT. Sound quality is very good on the speaker phone but it can be a little hard to hear people when driving on the highway. This goes especially for those of us that have loud cars (yes, i'm one of those guys that drives a very loud modded car. Sorry for setting your alarm off when i drive by ). However, this becomes a non-issue in FM transmission mode. On the other end of the phone, people reported that i would occasionally sound distorted but for the most part, ok. Having the windows open did not seem to effect the quality of my voice; people still said they could hear me fine, although i was more or less unable to hear them (again, non-issue, as i will discuss later). It is important to note that people did say they could hear everything, eg, road noise, my loud-*** car, etc, but my voice was still the most dominant thing they could hear. Additionally, any music you play on your EVO will be played on the speaker as well. The sound quality is decent, at best, for music and if you receive a phone call, they music stops as the device announces who is calling you. If you reject the call, your music picks up right where it left off. Same goes for you accepting and ending the call a few minutes later.
FM Transmitter: The built in FM transmitter is what changes the game for me. Once pair, you can turn on the FM transmitter. The BT will scan and within a few seconds, announce what frequency it recommends (usually a low 88-90 frequency). Once turned to that station, any audio from the phone is put out through your car's speakers. This holds true for both phone calls and music. You can easily control the volume now by adjusting the volume directly on your stereo and all the button features on the BT (taking and ending calls, skipping music tracks, etc.) still remain active. If the station you are on has a bit of static, tapping the FM button will make the device scan for a new station. Once you find a station that sounds good, you can save it by (awkwardly) pressing and holding the play/pause and FM button for 3 seconds (the BT will chime to let you know you saved it). Now the BT will prioritize that station next time you turn the FM transmitter on. And of course, when you receive or make phone calls, the music goes on pause while the call is on and picks up where it left off when ended.
Music Quality: As many users are likely to be playing music through this device, it is important to note that the quality is NOT perfect. That being said, it is very good. There are times where the volume seems to drop for less than a second, as if there was too much sound in the split-second of music and the BT couldn't transmit everything, but this is rare and inly noticeable when BLASTING the music. Overall, i would rate the quality of music 8 out of 10 as it is very good most of the time but occasionally gets hissy or sounds weird as aforementioned.
Battery Life: Here is another big seller for me. The battery life is GREAT on this BT. To put this into perspective, I drive anywhere between 30-50 minutes to work, then another 30-45 minutes to campus, and finally 40-50 minutes back home. Work is 5 days a week, school is 4 (even though i used this over the weekend, i am not including weekends in this small analysis). All things considered, MINIMUM weekly usage (excluding weekends) is approximately 460 minutes (over 7 hours). My BT is connected the entire time and almost always on FM transmission (i usually don't play music in the morning, but going to school and home, i always use it). Plus i take calls occasionally too. Considering all the aforementioned, after 2 weeks of this (10 work days), my battery was still not low (the "M" flashes red when low). I decided to charge it today just cause. I am very impressed with the battery life of this BT.
Trepidation: It wouldnt be fair for me to conclude this review without stating what i do not like about the BT, so here are a list of annoyances:
1. The speaker itself is not as loud as i'd like. When i'm not on FM transmission and i get a phone call, i don't want to have to turn on the FM transmitter and change my radio station just to hear who's calling me. When normally driving on the street, this speaker will suffice. But if you have a loud car and you're flying down the highway, eh....
2. The buttons are a bit awkward. I've gotten used to them already, but initially, it's a little annoying using the buttons on the back of the BT.
3. The music quality issue listed above.
4. This is the closest you can get to having a BT sync in a car stereo without having a BT stereo, and it comes with a small price. You have to press a lot of buttons to get it started. For example, a typical "getting in my car" experience when leaving work and heading to school. Get in my car, start the car, turn on the EVO BT, plug it into the car charger, turn on the T505, wait for it to sync, turn on the FM transmitter, wait for it to announce the station (same station every time, it's already saved on my radio), change to appropriate station, select music on EVO you want to hear, enjoy. Sounds like a lot because it is. Admittedly, this takes all of 15 seconds, but still, sometimes i don't feel like it. Also, you cannot turn to the saved FM station before the BT announces it otherwise it'll grab a different one. Weird, but it happens.
Conclusion: I am very happy with this device and recommend it to anyone that would like the things listed in the purpose of review section. My biggest worry was the battery life and it is phenomenal. It's not perfect, but it's very close. Because the device is older, most stores around me didn't carry it (no best buy, walmart, etc.) I was able to find it at Staples for $85 (but i had a $25 coupon ). However, i've seen it online for as low as $59.99 (tiger direct, i think).
**Lastly, I do not have my factory car antenna. I replaced my antenna with an Autoloc in-car antenna, so my antenna is located inside my car on my rear windshield. I am aware that many people have had trouble getting good reception with FM transmitters. Reception is not an issue for me, and whether that is due to device quality, antenna quality or possible antenna location, is unknown to me. The point is, there are many variables to consider when purchasing a product such as this; individual results may vary due to these variables. My experiences are as above and I hope if you purchase this product, yours will be too.**
Hope this was informative and helps someone!
I have one of these as well and works perfect on my EVO.I got mine for xmas back in 08 and while i dont use it every day i will def agree on the battery life.If i've recharged this thing 12 times since i had it it would be a miracle!Highly recommended!!!!
I got this for my Palm PRE, worked great. Now I use it for my EVO, I use it daily.
I have this device as well and while it is great I wish the fm transmitter signal was stronger...commuting from new York to jersey, I have to change stations in the t 505 often.....
Can anybody suggest a good bluetooth headset for MT4G?
How is SE MW600? I would like to know if anyone could see the song title in the set and whether all the volume up, down, next etc are working fine.
bnvsvkk said:
Can anybody suggest a good bluetooth headset for MT4G?
How is SE MW600? I would like to know if anyone could see the song title in the set and whether all the volume up, down, next etc are working fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you could always google search "SE MW600 review" and see what people say. And if you want end users try punching in "amazon SE MW600 review" and see what they are saying.
Personally i use an older Motorola ear bud that serves the purpose.
bnvsvkk said:
Can anybody suggest a good bluetooth headset for MT4G?
How is SE MW600? I would like to know if anyone could see the song title in the set and whether all the volume up, down, next etc are working fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I Work At best buy and I'm using the Plantronics 975 its a great device very comfortable with great noise cancellation
plantronics 855 is a great headset. a2dp stereo bluetooth and a removable earpiece.
I've been using mine with a Jawbone Icon (Rogue) and I haven't had any issues. It's light, stylish and very functional.
I don't know if these are the "best" but I have the Motorola behind the neck ROKRs, and like them.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875982253
imho
Plantronics Voyager Pro +
Willing to bet you one dollar paypal that it's the best bluetooth you've ever owned.
Reasons:
Gel air filled custom ear fittings *these actually screw on too , very impressive
long mic boom (so people can actually hear you)
not one person to date has said I sound like sh*t (FINALLY)
a2dp support
status updates by pressing power button (announces battery time remaining)
press and hold outer button, it calls a toll free number that you can configure on a website to hookup with your e-mail, it reads rss feeds, news.
I also work for t-mobile and I've used bluetooth headsets ranging from 29.99 to 199.99, some of them I thought were amazing (motorola backbeats) but the problem always came down to whoever I was talking on the phone saying
"dude are you on bluetoooth?"
me: yes
"you sound like sh*t"
me: YARGGGGG HOW MUCH MONEY DO I HAVE TO SPEND TO SOUND DECENT
Many beg to differ, but I've owned the same pair of rocketfish headsets for almost two years now...very good to me with many sweaty head days at the gym.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
I know this is a late reply but I thought I would throw in my 2 cents on the topic.
I was looking for something to listen to music while at work (desk job), working out, etc.
I ended up buying the Motorola S305 from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BH3I9U)
I have had these now since February and I am extremely happy with them.
PROS
Comfortable to wear
Decent sound quality
Easy to use controls
Phone headset is has good call quality. Others can hear me as if i'm on the handset
Micro USB charger, same as phone
low cost
CONS
Foam earpieces soak up sweat
no noise cancellation
Overall, for $35.00, you can't go wrong!
Plantronics seems to be the winner. I have both 925 and 975. Both are optimal and work fantastically.
Now my 925 is paired with my HD2, and the 975 with MT4G.
Are any of these recommended for both phone calls and for working out (sweat resistant)? I'm just mainly looking for headphones for working out minus the dang cord. Also if I get a phone call when I'm working out or shooting basketball, I wanna be able to answer without stopping.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
bump... anyone have an opinion? Just waitin to buy one for some input from people who I actually trust lol
I've owned the Plantronics BackBeat 906 for almost a year and have had mixed results with both a G1 and a MT4G.
It can be so comfortable that I forget I'm wearing it. But sometimes the earbuds are loose, mostly when worn under bicycle helmet straps. Because it's loose, I can't hear music very well.
Audio sounds great. Convenient controls. Haven't figured out how to skip a song on Pandora or a podcast on Listen though. Clicking play sometimes starts a saved voicemail rather than Google Listen or Pandora. I'm not sure how to define the "default" media app in Android.
Paring is hit-or-miss. Often it pairs with just the phone audio and not the media audio. This happened more on the T-Mobile ROM than it does on Cyanogenmod 7, but still happens. The solution is a cumbersome opening of the BT settings, long-press the device, un-check and then re-check Media Audio.
Reception is good if the phone is within 20-30 feet (the advertised range.) Reception is horrible if the phone is in a pocket. I have a backpack with a very high pocket and that usually works, unless I turn my head to the left. It is VERY annoying.
Here's what I sent to Panasonic:
I own a G1 Android-powered phone and about 50% of the time when I turn on my BackBeat 906 it syncs with the phone audio, but not the media. Is there some trick to get it to sync with both?
Also, the reception is so poor that when the phone is in my pocket the audio drops out completely. I am tall, but much less than 30' tall.
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Their response:
Please try a reset...press and hold the power button on the headphones....and while you are doing that, please connect the charger to the Backbeats until you see a blue or red solid light and then release the button.....let it charge for an extra 30 seconds and then try to use them
Also, delete the headset from your cell phone's list of paired devices. Once deleted, make sure to power your phone completely off. Then power it back on. (This will reset the Bluetooth stack in the BT software on the phone). Then re-pair the headset with your phone.
If this does not fix your issue, my suggestion is to try pairing the headset to another cell phone, if possible. If the issue continues with the second phone, you will need to replace the headset. If your headset connects properly to the second phone, then the problem may be with the first phone rather than the headset.
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...did not help. I still struggle with piss-poor reception when the phone is in a pocket.
well what frickin good is a bluetooth headphone set if you can't have the phone in your pocket lol
Yes Rosebud1, it is extremely frustrating! It's fine sitting on a desk, but for cycling, running, or walking I would not recommend this headset.
Thanks for the reply. What horrible customer service too!!
Yeah, it was a pretty useless response. I suspect it's just a horrid design flaw that they know they can't fix, so sending the customer on a wild goose-chase delays the inevitable.
U should check out the jabra clipper. I use it when I work out n its awesome
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
so basically... it seems like no one has found a really good set for a decent price
Under a motorcycle helmet
I am looking for a bluetooth headset that will fix and work well under my motorcycle helmet. Any recommendations?
Hi all,
I bought a pair of Plantronics Backbeat 903+ headphones yesterday.
Thought I'd put a quick review and warning for anyone that is thinking of using BT headphones for anything that is latency sensitive.
I will use them mainly for music. Probably rarely for phone calls unless I happen to be listening to music when I get a call.
Sound quality is quite good. They sound fuller and not as harsh as the stock headphones that came with the Note.
Better than I expected, but there is a lack of highs. It was very noticeable when compared to my cheap, corded, Philips SHL9500 foldable headphones that I usually travel with.
Had to nudge the highs up in the EQ of Power Amp to be able to hear the treble well.
Range is better than I expected too. I'm just in a small apartment, but I could walk all around the room and into the next room and around the corner (losing line of sight), with no noticeable difference in sound. This was further than the 10m range they claim.
I also put the phone in my jeans pocket and it continued to work fine. I'd read some reviews complaining that it needed line of sight or would drop out, but no such problems for me.
Battery life is awesome on these. They claim a full charge will last 7 hours. I used them for 3-4 hours last night.
When I turned them on this morning, they said they had 5 hours remaining. I probably wasn't listening constantly over the 3-4 hours last night as I was starting and stopping apps, so that is probably about right.
Also, when you turn them, a voice announces how many hours the battery has left which is handy since there is no visual indicators.
Comfort for me was very good. I had them on for almost 4 hours last night and didn't notice them most of the time. Although when I took them off, my ears were a little sore from the buds being in there, but with most in ear phones my ears get sore sooner than that and I notice it whilst they are still in there.
Note that the cord between each ear is quite short and only just reaches around my head. I can fit 2 fingers between the cord and my head, but only just, and I have a shaved head. I also tried on the Jabra Sports in the shop, but they didn't feel as comfortable to me, and also the cord was quite a bit longer and I thought it may get in the way or get caught on something when exercising. So best to try them on in a shop to check if they fit your head.
One thing I didn't realise about bluetooth headphones is that they introduce latency. It seems to be about 500ms.
You can test the latency by connecting the BT headphones and then changing your ring tone. When you audition different ring tones it will play them through both the phone speaker and the headphones, and you will hear the lag.
In addition to listening to MP3s, what I primarily wanted them for was for music apps and recording, so that I wouldn't have a cord getting in the way, or have to be restricted to the length of the cable.
It's not too big a deal with the multi track programs I use (Loopstack and Audio Evolution mainly, with FourTracksPro) as I can adjust the latency, but it means I have to change it depending on whether I'm using the BT headphones or not).
But for apps that require live input and monitoring (like drum, guitar, piano apps that you play and want to hear yourself playing live), the latency makes them not really useable.
I can still use these headphones to record guitars and vocals through the Note's microphone, but I just need to adjust the latency which is annoying.
Any music app that is program/sequence based like Caustic or Easyband, is not too much of a problem as you don't really notice the latency, apart from the fact that what you see on the screen is slightly out of sync with what you hear.
Also for games that require the audio to be in sync with the screen, the 500ms is not really useable (I have a game called Beats, which is a rhythm game and you need the screen and audio to be in sync).
For video, though using the stock video player, it is in sync, so there must be some latency compensation going on in the software which is good.
When I tried youtube, using the youtube app, it is out of sync at the start, but then it gets into sync, so there is some kind of buffering or compensation giong on there too.
So, if it's just listening to music or watching video is what you want them for, I thin they are really good.
If you want to use them for games or music apps that will be negatively impacted by the latency, then you are probably better off sticking with corded headphones.
I will probably end up carrying corded phones with me when I travel for the times when I don't want any latency.
But for walking around, exercising, just casual use, the Backbeat 903+ headphones are really good and am happy to be free from a cord for those situations.
Cheers,
Rich
good review...I was planning to pick one up.
richlum said:
Hi all,
I bought a pair of Plantronics Backbeat 903+ headphones yesterday.
Thought I'd put a quick review and warning for anyone that is thinking of using BT headphones for anything that is latency sensitive.
I will use them mainly for music. Probably rarely for phone calls unless I happen to be listening to music when I get a call.
Sound quality is quite good. They sound fuller and not as harsh as the stock headphones that came with the Note.
Better than I expected, but there is a lack of highs. It was very noticeable when compared to my cheap, corded, Philips SHL9500 foldable headphones that I usually travel with.
Had to nudge the highs up in the EQ of Power Amp to be able to hear the treble well.
Range is better than I expected too. I'm just in a small apartment, but I could walk all around the room and into the next room and around the corner (losing line of sight), with no noticeable difference in sound. This was further than the 10m range they claim.
I also put the phone in my jeans pocket and it continued to work fine. I'd read some reviews complaining that it needed line of sight or would drop out, but no such problems for me.
Battery life is awesome on these. They claim a full charge will last 7 hours. I used them for 3-4 hours last night.
When I turned them on this morning, they said they had 5 hours remaining. I probably wasn't listening constantly over the 3-4 hours last night as I was starting and stopping apps, so that is probably about right.
Also, when you turn them, a voice announces how many hours the battery has left which is handy since there is no visual indicators.
Comfort for me was very good. I had them on for almost 4 hours last night and didn't notice them most of the time. Although when I took them off, my ears were a little sore from the buds being in there, but with most in ear phones my ears get sore sooner than that and I notice it whilst they are still in there.
Note that the cord between each ear is quite short and only just reaches around my head. I can fit 2 fingers between the cord and my head, but only just, and I have a shaved head. I also tried on the Jabra Sports in the shop, but they didn't feel as comfortable to me, and also the cord was quite a bit longer and I thought it may get in the way or get caught on something when exercising. So best to try them on in a shop to check if they fit your head.
One thing I didn't realise about bluetooth headphones is that they introduce latency. It seems to be about 500ms.
You can test the latency by connecting the BT headphones and then changing your ring tone. When you audition different ring tones it will play them through both the phone speaker and the headphones, and you will hear the lag.
In addition to listening to MP3s, what I primarily wanted them for was for music apps and recording, so that I wouldn't have a cord getting in the way, or have to be restricted to the length of the cable.
It's not too big a deal with the multi track programs I use (Loopstack and Audio Evolution mainly, with FourTracksPro) as I can adjust the latency, but it means I have to change it depending on whether I'm using the BT headphones or not).
But for apps that require live input and monitoring (like drum, guitar, piano apps that you play and want to hear yourself playing live), the latency makes them not really useable.
I can still use these headphones to record guitars and vocals through the Note's microphone, but I just need to adjust the latency which is annoying.
Any music app that is program/sequence based like Caustic or Easyband, is not too much of a problem as you don't really notice the latency, apart from the fact that what you see on the screen is slightly out of sync with what you hear.
Also for games that require the audio to be in sync with the screen, the 500ms is not really useable (I have a game called Beats, which is a rhythm game and you need the screen and audio to be in sync).
For video, though using the stock video player, it is in sync, so there must be some latency compensation going on in the software which is good.
When I tried youtube, using the youtube app, it is out of sync at the start, but then it gets into sync, so there is some kind of buffering or compensation giong on there too.
So, if it's just listening to music or watching video is what you want them for, I thin they are really good.
If you want to use them for games or music apps that will be negatively impacted by the latency, then you are probably better off sticking with corded headphones.
I will probably end up carrying corded phones with me when I travel for the times when I don't want any latency.
But for walking around, exercising, just casual use, the Backbeat 903+ headphones are really good and am happy to be free from a cord for those situations.
Cheers,
Rich
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the reviews. I am looking for ones to go to the gym.
I actually own the same model. Owned the previous model up until i wore it out. It's a perfect set of bt headphones to work out with and it's discreet when wearing it around. It fairs well functionality-wise; haven't had an issue with my note.
Thanks for the review.
I have just bought my Note2 and Plantronics 903+ and as i am a normal user (phone calls and music) it is really awesome.
But I have few issues with this and i need your confirmation
1) The Music forward and backward buttons doesn't change the music track? I have my corporate mail and hence have set up PIN lock in my phone. Is that dur to auto locking of phone with PIN or the Bluetooth buttons are not compatible with Samsung Note2?
2) While making calls outside, the noise cancellations is pretty good, but at times i hear some disturbing sound/noise in the call and i am pretty sure it is only through the Bluetooth i hear the noise.
The forward and back buttons work on my Note 2.
You have to hold them for a few seconds otherwise they just do volume up and down.
I'm using N7 player.
I notice that the headphones get A LOT of wind noise when outside. I notice it a lot when riding my bicycle. But, also when just walking.
I've since bought a pair of Jabra Halo 2 and use them most of the time now. They are more comfortable and sound better. Plus, I can connect them with a cord for zero latency.
I use the Plantronics if I'm going to be sweating a lot.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Nice review and good advice for all potential buyers. However, I feel a clarification about BT latency is in place. Not all bluetooth headsets introduce so much lag. I'm an avid Motorola S10 user and altough some delay is present, it's nowhere near the 500ms OP estimated for the Plantronics set. In fact, even rhytm games like Tapsonic are still playable on the S10, which leads me to believe the delay is more around the 50ms mark. Huge, half-second lag seems to be more a sign of bad implementation by the manufacturer than limitation of the bluetooth standard. Let's not forget that Playstation 3's joypad uses BT technology, but it's implemented so well that tests found it to be practically lagless down to less then a frame ([email protected]) compared to wired connections.
Is that low latency for media playback, or phone calls?
When you connect BT headphones to your phone (or PC) they make 2 connections. 1 for phone calls and 1 for media playback.
Both of my BT headphones have low latency for phone calls because they use a lot lower quality when in phone mode.
But both have high latency for media playback mode. (ie. Anything other than phone calls)
The amount of data required for the BT controllers is a lot less than that required for stereo audio.