Develop Bugs

[REVIEW] Nokia BH-214 (a different kind of bluetooth headset, $48)

(LONG! But I like too much info vs not enough)
You might be asking yourself, wtf is that thing?
See stock photo (theirs):
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Imagine it as a wireless wired remote to your phone's media player! I say wired because it's wired to the headphones, but it's wireless between the device & the phone over bluetooth.
Features:
Bluetooth HFP/HSP/A2DP/AVRCP
7hrs battery time
included earphones w/short cable
Buttons (on the face), clockwise from noon:
Phone (send/end)
Next Track
Play/Pause
Prev Track
Buttons (around edge)
Vol Up
Vol Down
Power
Photo (mine):
Pros:
Cost: $48 (clone or fake for $18?)
L O U D !
Uses *ANY* 3.5mm earphones to hear
Fantastic battery life
Did I mention loud?
Phone audio in BOTH ears
Stereo audio from your phone!
Really good audio signal, clean/clear . . . AND LOUD!
Just flat works well!
Included earphones have really good sound and a short cable, no excess cable dangling about, and comfortable!
The broadcast distance is pretty long too
Cons (and these are trivial!):
Included earphones seal almost too well
The blinking blue light is bright in the dark
Button presses don't provide any real tactile feedback, but it does beep in your ear
When it times out, requires a button press to get it active again
You have to turn off bluetooth on the phone to turn the ringer up, otherwise it just turns up the bluetooth connection audio (more of a phone issue)
I can't think of anything else
I've had a couple of bluetoothes (blueteeth? blueteethes?), but never really liked any of them. I always wanted stereo over bluetooth, but I've not liked any of the devices I've seen. What's great about the BH-214 is that you can use any earphones with a 3.5mm tip to hear! You're not limited to the ones they include.
I've got some Shure SCL2 IEMs (In Ear Monitors, professional grade) & some Sennheiser HD-465 (over ear) & I was expecting to be underwhelmed by the included headphones, but I'm extremely pleased with them. They are remarkably comfortable. I wore them for about 8-9hrs today with zero discomfort. The audio quality was fantastic too. I'm no audiophile though, so YMMV.
Now for you volume buffs, these can get LOUD! I plugged in my Sennheisers and cranked the volume on the BH-214. These are full size headsets and just holding them in my hand, I could hear the audio clearly . . . as could anyone sitting nearby. We've been working in a team setting lately and we've got 4 of us cramped in a smaller room and we all listen to headphones. I had Led Zeppelin playing and a guy across the table could name the song & was whistling along. That was before I even turned up the bluetooth media volume on the phone itself.
With the cable for the headphones being only 30", it makes it real convenient for storage & not have all this excess cable dangling around. My Shure's cable are 60" long & my Sennheiser's are even longer! Shorter means its also easier to store/transport. I keep my Shure's in a little round case that came with them, but it's bulky in my pocket.
For comparison, I took some pictures comparing my Shure SCL2 IEMs next to the included Nokia headphones.
I liked the fit of the Nokia headphones so much, I made sure my Shure's were using similar size & pliability inserts. The Nokia's come with small/medium/large. Mediums are installed by default & they are the ones I think have fit better than any other in ears headphones I've had.
The only downside to the included earphones is that they do seal really well. That might be a good thing for some people, but expect to not hear things & have people wave at you to get your attention! At dinner tonight, I didn't notice the waitress checking in on me. The other kinda annoying part about them sealing so well is that things like eating tortilla chips, all you could hear at that point was the crunch inside my head! Also, I could hear the cable rubbing against my collar as a rustling/brushing sound. Not a terrible thing IMO, but something to be aware of.
I started wondering why I was having that full seal issue with the Nokia headphones, but not with my Shures. Until matching the size/pliability of the inserts, I was using the medium foam ones on my Shures & they allowed a lot more external sounds in. When I switched to the black rubber pictured here, I did experience more of the full seal isolation, but not quite to the extreme of the Nokias. Again, just relaying my experience.
I started listening to the MP3s on my phone via the BH-214 on my way to work around 830am and listened virtually non-stop all day except for around lunch. I listened straight thru dinner & until I sat down at my computer about 830pm! They were still going strong & I did not charge them at all during work. I did the button press to see the state of the battery (green good/yellow 1hr/red low!) & it did show red.
I was watching some YouTube vids & the audio came across over the BH-214 fine.
When I hit pause for awhile, it would automatically power off after a few mins. Hitting the play button will reconnect it, but I've had it not get the phone profile reconnected & just the A2DP/AVRCP stuff will work. I got some phone calls today while listening to audio & it rang in my ear, but for some reason it did not answer it on the BH-214. I sat there for a few seconds before realizing that. It might've been something I did, but it happened a few times today. Even when I tried to initiate a call, while listening to audio, it didn't trigger the BH-214 to handle it. I'm not sure it's the device or me or my phone (rooted stock 2.2). I'll have to experiment some more to find out the deal. Twice was later during the day, so I wonder if it was something to do with the charge?
[8/31 UPDATE: When I know it's not going to reconnect the phone audio, I just turn on/off BT on the phone & it will reconnect. It's a little easier using the BT widget than trying to power off the BH-214 with it's tiny power button.)
Now, yesterday I made a call with it & it sounded great in both my ears, my buddy said it sounded like I was just on my phone (he has the Icon). I used it flawlessly this morning during a conference call while pulling into work. When it was my turn to talk, everyone could hear me no problem. The funny thing about the mic sensitivity was that when I was done talking, I got out of my car in the parking garage & someone's car alarm was going off. It was on another floor & not even close to me and they asked me to mute because they could hear it!
While I was packing up for the day, I walked away from where I was working back to my desk, leaving my phone behind. That had to be like 40-45 feet away & I never even got so much as a hiccup in the audio. Nothing. You couldn't tell if I was 1 foot away much less 45 feet away.
Overall I'm ecstatic about this thing thus far. I imagine I'll figure out the quirks about answering calls with it & getting an answered call with the phone switched to BT. Since calls is the least used feature on my phone, I'm less familiar with those functions.
RATING: 4.5 / 5
I love it & would definitely buy another if I lost it. I've already considered writing my name on it in case I do drop it some place!
Here you can see how the earphones are only 30" long:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
UPDATE:
Last night after writing the review, the phone rebooted on me when I tried to start Wired Tethering while listening to audio. Thought that was weird.
Then this morning, the BH-214 had timed out on pause, so I tried to reconnect it. The audio timer was running, but no audio was coming across. I went to check the bluetooth settings & noticed this in the menu:
Notice how it says "Connected to media audio"? When it first pairs, it will says "Connected to phone and media audio". Some how, the phone audio profiles drop even though it's checked for "Use for phone audio". Like this:
Then shortly after taking the screenshots while trying to get the audio to play, my phone randomly rebooted again. Does this have anything to do with the BH-214? It could just be my phone, but I can't tell for sure at the moment.

Sounds really cool, especially for the price. Ahh, I just wish it were a headset without wires, but for the purpose of what it is, sounds like a winner. Seems like the sweet spot looking for minus the headset (a2dp, range, battery, quality, etc). How are their other headsets?

Jbroad572 said:
Sounds really cool, especially for the price. Ahh, I just wish it were a headset without wires, but for the purpose of what it is, sounds like a winner. Seems like the sweet spot looking for minus the headset (a2dp, range, battery, quality, etc). How are their other headsets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What other headsets? Nokias? I don't know. Wired or not, I like it, but thats primarily because I WAS looking for stereo over bluetooth. In that regard, it works really well. Set up a long playlist, hit play & you can leave the phone tucked away for a long time. Call comes in, you can answer it (or at least when I learn how to!).
ericpd said:
Nice review and nice find. You know what, this only shines light on one short coming of the Evo,... the FM radio won't work without a wired headset plugged in. This would be like succotash if HTC were able to fix,... well maybe not fix, because nothing is really broken, but if they were able to fit an antenna in there without affecting the form factor, these two would be a perfect match. Doesn't matter which decides to be the pea and which chooses to take on the role of the Lima bean.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rarely and to date, have never, used FM. I will experiment some to see if I can get FM over bluetooth. I did experiment some with having headphones already plugged into the EVO & connecting bluetooth. It did not disconnect the audio from the wired plugins, but I didn't try to see if I could hear anything over bluetooth.
If it works, you can share audio! You keep your phone handy, plugged in directly to it, listening, hand someone the BT-214 & they get the same audio. I'm going to experiment with that right now!
UPDATE:
Experimenting with wired/bluetooth simultaneously doesn't seem possible. I think wired immediately takes priority. I was able to control the audio via BT-214 via bluetooth, but no audio came across. In order to get the audio on the BT-214, I had to unplug the wired, hit play/pause twice. As soon as I plugged in the wired, I got audio there immediately.

Found this review that showed more of the device and had similar pleasant results:
http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Nokia-BH-214-Review-review-r_2278.html

I found that at DealsExtreme, you can get it for $18 shipped:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.30406
Thing is, some of people claim that it is not authentic. Comparing the pictures to my device, some of the text on the clip is different. Mine says Nokia on the face and clip where as the pictures there do not. So, my guess is that it probably is fake. Or it could be manufacturer seconds (wouldn't pass retail QC).
I'm glad I didn't see the $18 one first because I would've bought it. After having bought an original for $48, I can say I'm happy enough to NOT have buyer's remorse.

LAYGO, which player were you using on your EVO? The default HTC app? I am wondering if it works with MixZing. Have you tried it with that?

sparhawk6 said:
LAYGO, which player were you using on your EVO? The default HTC app? I am wondering if it works with MixZing. Have you tried it with that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mixzing. I did zero config to make it work, it just worked.

Based on your review, I bought this thing for running with my EVO. Thanks. I hope that the device will control the Audible app as well as MixZing.

Very nice review. I'm considering picking up a set. I must admit though, that dealextreme clone looks tempting. Though I've found time and time again that when I skimp on something like that, I end up buying the better product anyway and thus not saving any money.

sparhawk6 said:
Based on your review, I bought this thing for running with my EVO. Thanks. I hope that the device will control the Audible app as well as MixZing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd be interested to know what all the AVRCP stuff it will control. I'd imagine it's more related to the app vs the BH-214.
If you're going running with the included earphones, stay clear of traffic or run in a park. I'm telling you they seal well! Yesterday walking into the office, my supervisor was behind me talking & had to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention. I'm very attentive, but she snuck in behind me!
If you use a different set of earphones, you could clip the BH-214 to your belt with the longer length cord. You might be limited to where you can place it if you use the included earphones. I wear it on my shirt and with enough slack so I can turn my head, it sits just above the nipple line. I wear a 29-30" silver chain & the BH-214 hangs just about the same distance on my chest.
Albaholic said:
Very nice review. I'm considering picking up a set. I must admit though, that dealextreme clone looks tempting. Though I've found time and time again that when I skimp on something like that, I end up buying the better product anyway and thus not saving any money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can say (again), I have zero regrets buying it. I use it everyday now where my old bluetooth, I'd simply forget about it until I wanted to make a call & I couldn't remember where I put it. My BH-214 sits next to my phone all day long or is clipped to me.
If you read the reviews on DE, you can hear some people complain about noise or humming. I do not have that issue at all.

LAYGO said:
If you're going running with the included earphones, stay clear of traffic or run in a park. I'm telling you they seal well! Yesterday walking into the office, my supervisor was behind me talking & had to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention. I'm very attentive, but she snuck in behind me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will not be running with the included headphones. Running with in-ear headphones that seal is painful for me (you can feel each step in your head). The big selling point for me was that I can use any pair of headphones with these.

sparhawk6 said:
I will not be running with the included headphones. Running with in-ear headphones that seal is painful for me (you can feel each step in your head). The big selling point for me was that I can use any pair of headphones with these.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You get it it yet?

LAYGO said:
You get it it yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I like it. It does want I want it to do.
I have a few issues:
I wish the buttons were more responsive, like a "click" or something. It's hard to tell when you've pressed them sometimes.
When I have multiple apps open that could be controlled by the device, it doesn't always control the one that's on my screen at the time. For example, if I have doubletwist on the screen and the audible app in the background, and I press pause, it will control the audible app (either play or pause depending on whether or not its running). That is probably an android problem.

Thanks for the tip off on this product. After Searching around I found it for 23.99 on Bestofferbuy.com (Resellerratings.com rates this as a good site and they state they do not sell knockoffs or fakes). I ordered this and then applied an online coupon for 10% off bringing the total value to $20.88 Shipped.
The only downside of this coupany is that it is Asian (China I believe) based so its 5-12 buisness days to ship with free shipping. I have ordered from them before and have not been dissapointed. I will report back with my opinion as well once I have it.

sparhawk6 said:
Yes. I like it. It does want I want it to do.
I have a few issues:
I wish the buttons were more responsive, like a "click" or something. It's hard to tell when you've pressed them sometimes.
When I have multiple apps open that could be controlled by the device, it doesn't always control the one that's on my screen at the time. For example, if I have doubletwist on the screen and the audible app in the background, and I press pause, it will control the audible app (either play or pause depending on whether or not its running). That is probably an android problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I said that as well in my review. It beeps, but there's no tactile feedback to indicate a click.
I have only ever had one app running to respond to a click, so I haven't had that problem.

Brutal-Force said:
Thanks for the tip off on this product. After Searching around I found it for 23.99 on Bestofferbuy.com (Resellerratings.com rates this as a good site and they state they do not sell knockoffs or fakes). I ordered this and then applied an online coupon for 10% off bringing the total value to $20.88 Shipped.
The only downside of this coupany is that it is Asian (China I believe) based so its 5-12 buisness days to ship with free shipping. I have ordered from them before and have not been dissapointed. I will report back with my opinion as well once I have it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see the white one is ~$17 & the black one is $23. I should probably get the black one too!
Know what though, that's the exact same description on DealsExtreme.Com. "Designers BH-214", doesn't say Nokia. I think this is a knockoff man . . .

Thanks for pointing that out. Man, I really need to pay better attention. Fortunately the reviews on DealExtreme seem to be above average on this. They point out the included headphones are sub par, but I already have Vmoda Remix. In addition, I primarily got this to hook up to my 3.5 Jack on my car stereo. Either way, its 20 bucks. If it sucks I will throw it away. Up until now I haven't been impressed with ANY bluetooth devices.

Brutal-Force said:
Thanks for pointing that out. Man, I really need to pay better attention. Fortunately the reviews on DealExtreme seem to be above average on this. They point out the included headphones are sub par, but I already have Vmoda Remix. In addition, I primarily got this to hook up to my 3.5 Jack on my car stereo. Either way, its 20 bucks. If it sucks I will throw it away. Up until now I haven't been impressed with ANY bluetooth devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like you could skip the middle man & connect the 3.5mm straight to the phone, no? Unless you never took the phone out of your pocket.
I did read that the DE folks some complained about audio quality or a hum. I don't experience any of that . . .

Wow.
Great product review.
I've been looking for something like this for a long time. Blackberry makes one, but it does not have its own battery.
The first great thing about it is THE DETACHABLE HEADPHONES. Why you ask? Because you can use them to broadcast to car stereo, home stereo, office stereo......any where really. Also because you can hook up your expensive set to the unit. The second, the size.....its tiny.
The only unknown is the battery life. Ill be waiting for a review on that one.

jasonziter said:
Great product review.
I've been looking for something like this for a long time. Blackberry makes one, but it does not have its own battery.
The first great thing about it is THE DETACHABLE HEADPHONES. Why you ask? Because you can use them to broadcast to car stereo, home stereo, office stereo......any where really. Also because you can hook up your expensive set to the unit. The second, the size.....its tiny.
The only unknown is the battery life. Ill be waiting for a review on that one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
Waiting for a review on battery life of the BH-214? I think I've covered that one already. I used it all day for roughly 12-13hrs, give or take an hour when I turned it off for lunch. It was still working at 830-900pm when I sat down to write the review.

Review of Antec GAIN bluetooth receiver w/pics!!!

This is a review of Antec GAIN bluetooth receiver with Android phone controls: http://www.antecmobileproducts.com/product_detail/148
I think this little gadget is one of the best kept secrets, and I will tell you why in my review. After spending some time reviewing wired headphones with in-line remotes and wireless bluetooth headphones with built-in controls, I have a good idea of what to expect from a headphone and it's control when using Note 2 or any other Android phone, like S4 I was just reviewing. Bluetooth technology is great since you don't have to tie yourself up with an umbilical cord to your phone and can pickup/end a phone call and play/pause audio and maybe control volume or skip a track, depending on models you use. But you also run into an issue when you are in a middle of something and battery goes dead. Plus, not all the headphones have both volume and track skip controls, and sometimes you are dealing with a single button with multiple functionality. Either way, you have some pluses and minuses with both. What GAIN does is to bridge these both giving you an option to use either one while also providing you all the necessary controls.
This little device is small, well actually its tiny! Measured at 40mm x 23mm x 15mm and weight of under 10 grams it looks almost like a toy you get with a Happy Meal. But it actually packs a lot of functionality and executes it really well. First of all it has a clip on the back so you can attach it close to you. Keep in mind, it will host the microphone so you have to remember its not the same as in-line remote on your wired headphones which is close to your face or a microphone built into your earbuds. You want to keep it close to you so it will pick up your voice better. It has a regular micro-usb charging port which is a big bonus since you don't have to dig for any old mini-usb or proprietary cables. According to Antec the battery should last 6 hours of continuous music play. I haven't tested it for 6 hours, so can't confirm that yet. Will rely on a vendor data for now. Next you have 3.5mm jack where you connect headphones. Headphones are supplied as part of the package. These are actually decent looking earphones, doesn't look cheap at all, and they even come with 3 pairs of interchangeable ear tips. The sound quality is not top notch, but its acceptable in this case. I have to note, they have a short cable which is the whole intent of the use because you are not plugging these into a remotely located phone, but rather into a small GAIN receiver which should be closer to you with it's microphone. Of course, the main idea is that you can use ANY headphones connected to this bt receiver to turn them into wireless headphones!!! In case of any regular wired pair of headphones, you will have to deal with an excess of wires, so will have to figure out how to manage it. Another bonus, this is BT receiver so you can use it to turn ANY speaker into a wireless speaker! As a matter of fact, you can even hook it up to aux input of your car stereo to stream music from your phone and/or pick up the calls that way. The possibilities are endless, but I wish Antec would have included 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio adapter cable. They did include usb/micro-usb cable in the package, but audio adapter cable would have been nice as well.
Now, about the bluetooth interface and phone/multimedia controls. When you look at this device, you don't see any buttons. It has a top flat panel which is clickable in the corners and in the middle. The corner functions are assigned to next/prev track selection and volume control, while the area in the middle is multi functional to pick up/end the call and to play/pause the music and the videos. To prevent accidental clicking, there is a lock button on the side. You also get LED indicator in the middle with a cool blue and red light. Pairing up with Note 2 and S4 took seconds, no need to enter any code. From the get go it was working controlling the audio tracks, volume, calls, YT videos, etc. Everything worked as expected. When you pair up with Android smartphone, you get both multimedia and phone pair up and this device supports all the profiles such as EDR, A2DP, Hands Free, and Headset. I was very impressed because I have seen bluetooth receivers before, but this one has a unique functionality to integrate all the audio, multimedia, and phone controls, comes with a bonus pair of headphones and charging cable, and cost around $30 plus change. I do have to mention the sound quality. It will not make a cheap pair of headphones sound like a million bucks. It just transforms it into wireless. So the bundled headphones were not necessary of the highest quality which is noticeable especially at higher volumes. But once I plugged in a pair of my Klipsch earphones - the sound was top notch. I did a/b comparison using Klipsch (S4A II) pugged directly to a phone and through GAIN and found very little degradation. I'm not an audiophile to analyze the whole frequency spectrum to exhaustion at different volume levels. I'm looking at it from a consumer point of view, and I was satisfied.
So, this one definitely gets my two thumbs up!!! A great design, excellent functionality, easy to use, and flexibility of converting any wired headphone into wireless and then back if you run out of battery - definitely a very impressive gadget. I will try to see how it works in the car next, just need to get audio cable adapter.
Here are some pics for your enjoyment:
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OK now you have made me want something else!
How do we buy this? How much is it? The link didn't seem to have purchase info just a link to download a manual. Maybe I missed it.
Time to Google! No. Time for bed!
Edit... OK Google saved me. It comes in other colors too!
Now no more play time. Vacation's over. Work tomorrow. Bummer.
Sent From My Ginormous Note 2

Does this also support the built in mic on some headsets?

DeMiNe0 said:
Does this also support the built in mic on some headsets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure it won't. The whole idea is to transfer only audio to your headphones, not a two-way communication with any other control built into your headphones. As a matter of fact, I was using my S4A II Klipsch which has built in-line control and also mic, and it made no difference. Only controls on the box and its built-in mic communicate with your phone.
This this box is my new favorite toy!!! I looked up other similar devices from Sony and Samsung, and nothing even comes closer in price. Plus, I was just testing it with external bluetooth speaker (and those usually have only volume up/down control, no way to play/pause or skip a track), and after connecting GAIN to that speakers 3.5mm input - I was able to use it as a remote control. Super cool!

very nice review bro! i have the same color, and it works just great. the only difference is, you might have a newer model because mine does not have a lock/unlock button on the side.
also, you are right, you cannot use the mic button functionality of your headphones. i have confirmed this.

Can you use it as a bluetooth headset for calling?

c0nvict said:
Can you use it as a bluetooth headset for calling?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely, it support all the Phone and Multimedia functionality. So you can play and control music, and also receive phone calls, thus a built in mic.

opasha said:
very nice review bro! i have the same color, and it works just great. the only difference is, you might have a newer model because mine does not have a lock/unlock button on the side.
also, you are right, you cannot use the mic button functionality of your headphones. i have confirmed this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotta give you big credit for helping me discover Antec (your mentioning of ISO headphones)!!!

vectron said:
Gotta give you big credit for helping me discover Antec (your mentioning of ISO headphones)!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, anytime bro!

I'm using the BlueAnt Ribbon which basically does the same thing and looks classier.

IsolatedAbyss said:
I'm using the BlueAnt Ribbon which basically does the same thing and looks classier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, not bad! But $20 more than Antec?

IsolatedAbyss said:
I'm using the BlueAnt Ribbon which basically does the same thing and looks classier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the Antec looks very nice, BUT, I do prefer the way that the BlueAnt looks! That said, with the BlueAnt being almost double the price, I would definitely purchase the Antec over the BlueAnt!
I bought the Acoustic Research ARWH1 about 4 or 5 years ago(it's an antique by now going by technology standards! Lol) . I think I paid around $20-30 when it was on sale back then. It still works great and has never given me a single issue! IT is pretty small and not too much bigger in overall size, has a clip on the back, and it has all of the needed controls on it too. That said, I'm not in the market for a BT bridge, but if I was, the Antec would definitely be my choice!
Thanks to the OP for the excellent review and pictures! This will be very useful to anyone looking to get one of these devices!
Here's a few pictures of my old Acoustic Research ARWH1
SwiftKey'ed from my White Sprint Note 2 using XDA Premium

Hey
If you are Europe based, you can purchase from Overclockers UK.

acemodder said:
Hey
If you are Europe based, you can purchase from Overclockers UK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for pointing this out. Often I forget that XDA is international community and outside you can't use US Amazon. I just looked it up from your reference and the link is: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-008-AN

Just bought from Groupon for 19,98€
Good deal

Thanks for your review

Bad audio quality! Sent back to groupon

ribelle85 said:
Bad audio quality! Sent back to groupon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What headphones did you use? The bundled one are not that good. Also, keep in mind, this bluetooth wireless connection compresses the sound, and that going to affect some high frequencies.

vectron said:
What headphones did you use? The bundled one are not that good. Also, keep in mind, this bluetooth wireless connection compresses the sound, and that going to affect some high frequencies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bose in ear

it's look a touch buttons wright ?
I think the normal ones is better
Maybe try it, after makes comparing with another types

Review of LG Tone Ultra (HBS-800) Bluetooth stereo headset w/lots of pics!!!

This is a Review of LG Tone Ultra (HBS-800) Bluetooth stereo headset. http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phone-accessories/lg-HBS800
When it comes to wireless headphones, you can group them into 3 popular categories: one with a full size over-ear design heavily promoted by rap stars, the other intended for sport activities with little earbuds connected by a short cable, and the third one with around-the-neck wearing design. For a comfortable everyday use, you can probably cross the first two off your list because they are either too bulky and awkward to wear or hang loose around your neck when not in use. With the last one a lot of companies tried to come up with an ultimate solution, but only one succeeded with a design that has been recognized with multiple awards. LG Tone series took wireless headphone world by storm with their very popular HBS-700 and later follow up with HBS-730. In hope to continue this streak of success, LG introduced a new LG Tone Ultra under model HBS-800. I just had a chance to test, to review, and to compare it to HBS-730. Here is what I found.
LG Tone Ultra arrived in a very nicely packaged box with a clear full size image of the headset on the front and detailed functional description with specifications and additional features on the back. I actually did appreciate the functional description since it served a purpose of a quick start guide. You might ask why would I need one while being quite familiar with HBS-730? HBS-800 was not just a refresh similar to 700 -> 730 but actually a redesign with some significant changes. You still get the same memory flex neck band design, earbuds magnetically attached to the end ports of the neck band, and individual controls for supported functions, but HBS-800 has been refined to the next level with an updated distinct look.
Starting with around-the-neck flex band, now it features a better defined body contoured fit where it stays put even while you move around. Don't expect it to be "glued" to your shoulders as you jump up and down or do decline bench press, but as you quickly turn to the side it moves more in sync with your body. The top has been uncluttered by moving volume buttons down the Call side of the band, and song transport buttons down the Audio Playback side of the band. For a diehard fans of HBS-700/730 these changes probably going to take a little bit of time to get used to, but I found them to be an improvement in ergonomics because now you can control these buttons with your thumbs. The next big visible change was Call and Audio Playback buttons. What used to be a round generic button with a blinking light, which I found to be distracting on a few occasions, now is a beautifully crafted buttons in a shape of a phone handset and play/pause symbols. That really added a touch of class to the headset, and also made it convenient to distinguish button functionality by touch even in a dark. Another big change was an update to where you attach earbuds. Though it's still at the tip of the neck band, now it's completely covered from the top. I found this change to be both a step back and forward at the same time. This change makes it more difficult to "park" earbuds by simply bringing them close to the ends of the neck band like it was with 700/730. Now, you need more effort to make sure they are positioned correctly before attaching them. But the benefit is that design looks cleaner, and you don't have to worry about knocking them down by mistake. That was actually one of the minor issues I had with HBS-730 where half of the time I found earbuds hanging after I accidentally knock them down.
The light indicator also got relocated down to the inner side next to the power switch. I was very happy LG kept the physical power switch considering so many other headphone manufacturers prefer to consolidate multiple controls into multifunction buttons. Here, there is no confusion when headset is on or off which also controls pair up with your phone. To my surprise, closer examination of inner side of headphones revealed another power switch. As it turned out, HBS-800 added a new feature with active Ambient Noise Cancellation (ANC) functionality. Using a basic principle of sampling ambient noise and negating it with an inverse soundwave, this feature was cleverly implemented to work independent of headphone being on or off. This way you don't even need to turn your headset to pair up with your phone, and instead just turn the ANC control on to use HBS-800 as noise canceling earplugs - great for saving the battery. The same with power on, if you don't require ANC feature, which introduces a slight hissing background noise, you can turn it off and enjoy your music with a highest level of signal-to-noise ratio. Also to note, the charging power connector remained a standard micro-usb so you can use any of your phone/tablet charging cable. Or use the included high quality usb to micro-usb cable to charge your headset from any PC or external battery or wall charger. Full charging from zero shouldn't take more than 2 hours, and battery life remained stellar at 10+ hours.
Moving on, pair up with a phone was flawless and headset got connected to the phone and media audio within seconds with an audible confirmation. As with a previous models, HBS-800 supports all the major BT3.0 standards such as HSP, HFP, A2DP, and AVRCP. I also appreciate how turning the headset on tells you the battery status, which also can be accessed later by pressing volume button down. In addition, I tested multi-point connection where I paired up Note 2 and S5 without any issues. I was able to stream audio from my Note 2 while a call to S5 paused it and then resumed playing music after I was done with a call. This becomes very useful, for example, when you are streaming audio or watching video wirelessly connected to your tablet and can also pick up the call from your paired up phone without taking headphones off and manually pausing your tablet activities. Speaking of calls, I actually did some testing being outside in a wind, and everything sounded crystal clear on both ends of the connection.
And speaking of crystal clear, I'm saving the best for last. With a release of Tone Ultra, LG teamed up with JBL using their patented Harmon audio drivers. One thing a lot of people don't realize, you need to treat HBS-800 just like any other in-ear headphones, which means you have to start by selecting a proper eartip from the included selection of S/M/L pairs. The proper eartip fitment will make or break the sound. That is why I see so many people writing their comments about not noticing a sound difference between 730 and 800. Without a tight seal you will not be able to appreciate a new rich warm sound with a deep punchy bass and a clear detailed mids and highs. Don't get me wrong, these are not audiophile quality headphones, but with enhancement of new JBL audio drivers and support of aptX which reduces compression of wireless sound - these actually sound very good! By default HBS-800 is set to bass enhanced mode which can be changed to a more balanced/normal sound or treble enhanced sound. To me, the sound improvement was one of the main changes stepping up to HBS-800 model where I finally was able to enjoy some decent bass! And just like with 700/730 models, the separation of volume and song transport controls (to skip next/prev as well as rewind forward or back) enhanced the listening experience where unlike with some other wireless headsets you no longer have to remember to short or long press volume buttons in order to switch between volume and track control. Google NOW worked flawlessly as well.
Overall, while being a big fan and a long term user of HBS-730, I approached this review a little cautiously trying to figure out if the price premium of HBS-800 will justify choosing it over recently reduced in price HBS-730 model. After a closer look and continuous use over the weekend, I was able to fully justify that. The redesign with an improved ergonomics, including neck band shape and a more logical relocation and change of buttons, the addition of independently controlled ANC (though might not be necessary for some, a bonus for others), and the improvement in sound quality (as long as you choose a correct silicone eartips), made a significant enough improvement in overall decision to move from HBS-730 to HBS-800 which I'm planning to do. Without a doubt YMMV and for some creatures of habit not every change will be welcomed, but hopefully my review will be able to guide you if you are thinking about the upgrade or just looking to purchase your first set of LG Tones. Also, be careful when you are shopping around especially on Amazon where there is a number of look-a-like low quality knock offs.
Here are the pictures.
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Can you post a picture of this under your shirt collar to see how hidden it would be. ..
It's only worthwhile me buying it if it is 100% hidden when buds aren't in use.
---------- Post added at 04:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:20 PM ----------
Work in an professional environment so visible headphones are a big no no...

MSK1 said:
Can you post a picture of this under your shirt collar to see how hidden it would be. ..
It's only worthwhile me buying it if it is 100% hidden when buds aren't in use.
---------- Post added at 04:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:20 PM ----------
Work in an professional environment so visible headphones are a big no no...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you go, looks very professional:

Thanks. They are visible... but only the last couple of cm's.

Great review, thanks! I wasn't aware there was a new model available. I've been enjoying my HBS-730 for over a year now, and battery life is still great. Depending on price, I may look into an upgrade. You mentioned multipoint connect, does the 730 have this capability as well?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

The Fer-Shiz-Nizzle said:
Great review, thanks! I wasn't aware there was a new model available. I've been enjoying my HBS-730 for over a year now, and battery life is still great. Depending on price, I may look into an upgrade. You mentioned multipoint connect, does the 730 have this capability as well?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't remember if I tested it, but I remember someone replying in my 730 review about having issues with it. On 800 it works flawlessly. Like I said, very useful when you are watching movies or playing music on a tablet while still connected to your phone so you don't miss a call.

vectron said:
Don't remember if I tested it, but I remember someone replying in my 730 review about having issues with it. On 800 it works flawlessly. Like I said, very useful when you are watching movies or playing music on a tablet while still connected to your phone so you don't miss a call.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I'm gonna have to pull out the manual and see because I know it doesn't work "out of the box" but I recall reading that in the feature list when I bought it.
Sent from my Evo 3D CDMA using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

User´s Manual
Hi, can you please send me the user´s manual, I buy this Great headphones but in China, I can´t read the manual. jajajaj

User manual
Yerus said:
Hi, can you please send me the user´s manual, I buy this Great headphones but in China, I can´t read the manual. jajajaj
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi. I have the same problem,bought the headset in Korea. It speaks Korean also the manual is in Korean language.Could anyone help to send me English manual or advise me where to downlod from? Thanks a lot.

Maybe I will try to take pictures of a few important manual pages and posted in here. I actually remember there was a quick start guide, that should be usefull. Just wondering since it's in your native language, why can't you understand it?

Does anyone know if there is a way to change the language on voice in the headset ? I got a pair, but unfortunately it speaks in a language I do not understand..
Much thanks

The sound is very low compared to HBS-730
Hi guys,
I was very excited when they launched the hbs-800, because even use the hbs-730 two years ago.
I'm testing two weeks ago, the sound is much lower, and even using the Viper4android. The bass is almost nonexistent.
You guys had the same feeling?

caiadinho said:
Hi guys,
I was very excited when they launched the hbs-800, because even use the hbs-730 two years ago.
I'm testing two weeks ago, the sound is much lower, and even using the Viper4android. The bass is almost nonexistent.
You guys had the same feeling?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sound is as loud as it was before. Keep in mind, you control volume both from headset and from the phone. Regarding bass, sounds like you are not getting a good seal with included eartips. Do you have another eartips to try? That's a secret for a great bass, tight eartip seal!

vectron said:
Sound is as loud as it was before. Keep in mind, you control volume both from headset and from the phone. Regarding bass, sounds like you are not getting a good seal with included eartips. Do you have another eartips to try? That's a secret for a great bass, tight eartip seal!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi buddy,
The first thing I do is test the earbuds, and have also tested it with others. I'm a user of phones from Motorola and LG. I thought my S9-HD spectacular, was disappointed with the S10-HD, and the only good thing in the S11-HD is the charge of 5 min. Bought the HSB-800 model just for finding an upgrade of 730. I read the review of this topic and decided to buy. I very disappointed with this headphone. I have three: S11-HD, HBS-730 and the HBS-800. I'm tired of auditioning, and I can no similar quality with the 730.
You got to see this release?
http://youtu.be/NXFCtom1m9U
http://www.whathifi.com/news/lg-and-harmankardon-unveil-new-premium-bluetooth-headset

caiadinho said:
Hi buddy,
The first thing I do is test the earbuds, and have also tested it with others. I'm a user of phones from Motorola and LG. I thought my S9-HD spectacular, was disappointed with the S10-HD, and the only good thing in the S11-HD is the charge of 5 min. Bought the HSB-800 model just for finding an upgrade of 730. I read the review of this topic and decided to buy. I very disappointed with this headphone. I have three: S11-HD, HBS-730 and the HBS-800. I'm tired of auditioning, and I can no similar quality with the 730.
You got to see this release?
http://youtu.be/NXFCtom1m9U
http://www.whathifi.com/news/lg-and-harmankardon-unveil-new-premium-bluetooth-headset
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, HBS-900 looks very cool! Tried searching for availability, don't see it released yet. Will be on look out!
With 730 vs 800, I honestly prefer 800 sound but for me 730 controls make more sense. Maybe because I'm used to it. For office or more professional place, 800 look slicker with out of sight controls and better hidden earbuds when not in use. But for outdoors when I'm in our backyard or just around the house, 730 work well. But the sound, especially when it comes to bass - 800 wins that one! But I had to use my other eartips to get a better seal for low frequencies.

vectron said:
Hmm, HBS-900 looks very cool! Tried searching for availability, don't see it released yet. Will be on look out!
With 730 vs 800, I honestly prefer 800 sound but for me 730 controls make more sense. Maybe because I'm used to it. For office or more professional place, 800 look slicker with out of sight controls and better hidden earbuds when not in use. But for outdoors when I'm in our backyard or just around the house, 730 work well. But the sound, especially when it comes to bass - 800 wins that one! But I had to use my other eartips to get a better seal for low frequencies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On ebay you can find. It's the same seller which bought the hbs-800.
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=251596615132&alt=web
Hugs.

caiadinho said:
On ebay you can find. It's the same seller which bought the hbs-800.
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=251596615132&alt=web
Hugs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh, so this is international release for now, not in US yet. My LG review samples come from LG US, so I might have to wait until it's available in the States. One thing I'm not too crazy about is that self-retracting wire mechanism. It's a great idea for wires not to hang down, very clean, but that type of mechanism usually doesn't last for too long. I guess, will see...

Connecting the HBS-800 to a PC
I've just got the HBS-800 and testing it out. I have an issue though. Is it possible to connect the HBS-800 to a PC through Bluetooth. Considering the PC as a second device or second handset.?
Thanks.

tel2G said:
I've just got the HBS-800 and testing it out. I have an issue though. Is it possible to connect the HBS-800 to a PC through Bluetooth. Considering the PC as a second device or second handset.?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you asking if you can pair up PC and Smartphone at the same time to a single HBS-800 headset? Since you can pair up HBS-800 with two different smartphones, I don't see why not, as long as your PC has Bluetooth 4.0. Personally I never tried it since I have old laptops.

vectron said:
Are you asking if you can pair up PC and Smartphone at the same time to a single HBS-800 headset? Since you can pair up HBS-800 with two different smartphones, I don't see why not, as long as your PC has Bluetooth 4.0. Personally I never tried it since I have old laptops.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Teah thats right. I've successfully paired the headset with the PC but it was not used as the default output for sound. So after pairing, playing songs or video still used the speaker of the PC, which is not cool

Review of Sennheiser Momentum 2 Wireless Bluetoth (M2 AEBT) headphones w/pics!!!

This is a Review of Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless Bluetooth headphones (M2 AEBT). http://en-us.sennheiser.com/momentum-wireless-headphones-with-mic , also available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SNI44CQ/
While waiting to receive my review unit of recently introduced Sennheiser Momentum 2 Wireless headphones, I was both excited and a bit concerned. Personally, I thought it was a risky move for Sennheiser to make a leap from a wired headphone world where they are a well known audiophile player and into a wireless universe dominated by products fueled with celebrity endorsements and exaggerated bass. Wireless Bluetooth technology has been maturing year after year, and now with BT4.x and aptX codec the performance of BT headphones have improved significantly with a sound being less compressed, more dynamic, and with a better transparency through a digital domain delivered to your headphones. But you still need to consider D/A conversion, amplification, and transport of analog signal to your headphone drivers. This fusion of digital wireless domain and analog driver tuning is the biggest challenge to tackle in order to deliver a transparent natural sound, something Sennheiser wired headphones are well known for. So, was Momentum 2 able to accomplish this wirelessly? You BETTER BELIEVE IT!!! Here is what I found.
Arrived in a sturdy cardboard box packaging, I had to pause for a second while looking at the cover picture. Even so it was a familiar image from my review of the original wired Momentum, I still took a moment to enjoy sexy lines of their design. Before opening the box, I usually like to take a tour around it to get acquainted with key features, list of accessories, design details, and technical spec data. Some of this info really stands out with key features of 22 hr battery life, BT + aptX support, NFC pairing, Active Noise Canceling (ANC), foldable design, wireless and wired connection, and 2 year warranty – quite an impressive list to get you excited for what awaits inside of the box. With a cover off, you will find a compact case made out of a soft material (kind of reminds me of suede texture) inside of a foam cutout, a familiar display setting I found with other Momentum models, though case material usually varies.
Unboxing.
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In addition to this soft touch case with a yellow stitching around the edges, other included accessories (all inside of the case) were a detachable audio cable, usb to micro-usb charging/data cable, a flight adapter, a soft draw-string pouch with headphones inside and the pouch placed in the case, and a comprehensive quick guide. Personally I prefer a more heavy duty hard shell case and eventually will look for one which shouldn’t be a problem to find since Momentum 2 has a foldable design, but I do have to admit this case looks really sweet with a yellow stitching matching the one used on leather headband. Audio cable has a right angled gold plated slim connector going to your audio source and 2.5mm twist-on connector going to earcup. This is the same connector used in the original wired Momentum, and my only comment here is that I would have liked to see some kind of an alignment marker so you know when connector is engaged and twisted correctly inside of earcup, but with a few tries you get used to it anyway.
Flight adapter is rather rare to see nowadays, but it also very appropriate since a lot of people use headphones with ANC during their travel, and sometimes you're required to turn off Bluetooth on a plane (putting your phone in airplane mode). Having a wired connection gives you the flexibility to use headphones when battery is low or when you don’t have access to Bluetooth or in a situation like an airplane. USB to micro-usb connector is obviously for charging, but there is also another undocumented feature which I’m going to talk about later in the review.
Accessories.
I already mentioned that unfolded Momentum 2 looks just like its original predecessor. You get the same stainless steel metal arc headband, split at the top, partially wrapped in premium leather with a dense foam padding inside and yellow stitching around the edges. Instead of a typical height adjustment mechanism and headphone yoke, you can slide the earcup up/down across a slit of exposed stainless steel headband sides. The sliding adjustment is very fluid and easily controlled with one hand without being too tight or too loose. The earcup itself is attached to a mounting pin and has a full 360deg pivoting rotation to adjust comfortably to the anatomy of your head and your ears. This adjustment mechanism has a pure German engineering quality written all over it, and at the same time it has a very fashionable modern-classic look. The wires from earcups going to headband are flexible and still have a heavy duty shielding. At the point of their entry to headband you will find 4 metal screws for additional security.
One of the most noticeable design changes introduced with Momentum 2 (both wired and wireless) has to be a foldable headband. Such mechanism is easy to implement with a traditional headband where you can design-in foldable hinges. Looks like Sennheiser decided to challenge themselves keeping the original design, making it look identical from outside, and adding a durable locking hinge on inside right at the point where leather band wrapping begins. This is another example of well executed German engineering - done with a slim hinge which is hardly noticeable from outside. The only comment I have here, you have to be careful when folding earcups in to make sure metal endpoints of the headband don't brush against leather earpads.
And speaking of earpads, you will be pleased to know these have been updated with a bigger opening in comparison to the original Momentum headphones. I never had issues with those original Momentum earpads, though my ears are just average and about 60mm in height. For me with original earpads it was tight but still comfortable. The new earpads are just perfect with an approximate opening of about 65mm in height, but that doesn't mean that 70-75mm ears won't fit in. The earpads are deep, with memory foam and a soft leather wrapping. According to a quick start guide, they are removable and replaceable, so it's definitely a big plus. The donut shape of earpads is not symmetrical where the thicker part is faced toward the back making fitment more comfortable. This also means that you can't flip left/right sides and always have to put headphones one way. The L/R marking is inside of the headband, right underneath of the hinges, and you also get 3 dimples on the outside of the left side at the folding edge, though I wish those dimples would be a little bigger for a “blind” id.
Looking closer at earcups, you will find the Left one having NFC pair up area and what appears to be a two microphone grills. A spec of M2 Wireless lists NoiseGard hybrid feature using 4 mics where I assume these are two of them. Right earcup is where you will find the actual controls. First of all you have a port for 2.5mm cable with twist-on lock, and also micro-usb port for charging and USB DAC input (more about it later). As a right handed person, I prefer cable attachment on the left side, but it’s not an issue moving forward since I’m planning to use these headphones mostly wireless. Right next to it you have another long microphone grill and 2 control buttons. One is a Power button (with led next to it) which also serves a purpose of initiating BT pair up once you hold it down. The other control has a spring-loaded rocking multifunction push button where you push it once for Play/Pause/Call and rock it up/down for a volume control. Furthermore, double and triple click while playing audio will trigger skip track next/prev, and double click and hold or triple click and hold will trigger a fast-forward/-back transport control. In idle, triple click informs you about battery status.
Design details.
Moving on to Bluetooth functionality of these new Momentum beauties, let me first start with a "digital" domain of the design. As it was mentioned before, Momentum 2 Wireless supports BT4.0 and aptX codec which is among the latest Bluetooth standards that enables high definition sound without lossy compression of the source. Pair up was effortless and headphones connected to phone and media audio without a problem. As an alternative you can also use NFC pair up. Keep in mind, with power on, ANC will be enabled automatically and you can’t disable it. Also, I had no issues making/receiving clear phone calls, though it was a bit of a new hearing experience considering ANC noise isolation.
Another way to connect to your source is wired, using detachable cable. With wired connection you have an option to use headphones in passive mode (with power off) or active mode (with power on). According to Momentum 2 spec, this will change input impedance (where btw, the packaging box has a typo so please refer to a spec on the web), thus you will be able to drive Momentum 2 wired with power off like a regular pair of cans, even with addition of external portable amp if you prefer to. With a power on, I would recommend direct connection without any external amping to avoid sound artifacts. I don’t know the exact chipset inside of these earcups, but once you turn the power on sound becomes wider/deeper, more textured and better balanced (especially when it comes to bass) - suggesting a high quality of internal DAC and maybe some amplification stage. Furthermore, with addition of ANC you will also hear a cleaner black background.
Now, here comes a total undocumented surprise! You can push Momentum 2 wired performance even further by using a direct USB connection to your smartphone or laptop/PC. Yes, in a typical fashion of USB OTG connection (to your smartphone) or USB DAC connection (to your computer) you can now bypass analog HO driven by low quality internal DACs inside of your phone or laptop. It’s hard to quantify the level of improvement since with some of the latest phones, like my Note 4, I find a lot of USB OTG DACs to offer only a marginal step up, but when it comes to laptops – you can expect a better wired sound through usb cable.
USB OTG / USB DAC functionality.
Before I proceed to a more detailed sound analysis, I want to bring up another key feature of these headphones – Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). I typically don’t require ANC in my everyday routine since I don’t take public transportation or work in a noisy environment. As a matter of fact, I probably wouldn’t even take these headphones outdoors. But I’m well aware that a lot of people rely on it during their daily activities and very serious about the quality of ANC implementation. I have briefly tested ANC offered by other headphones, and a lot of you probably will agree that Bose is at the top of that game, but I also found Momentum 2 Wireless to be not too far behind and sometimes even better than others (such as noisy hiss of Beats Wireless Studio). Personally, I was pleased with a quality of noise reduction implemented in Momentum 2, and found no annoying hissing or periodic pulsating white noise. There were some occasional bursts, but it happens rarely. I’m not going to carry on about these having the best ANC in the world, and in my opinion if this is your only top priority – Momentum 2 Wireless is not for you. But considering everything else these headphones have to offer and their outstanding performance, ANC implementation is just an icing on a cake!!! And just to be clear, ANC implementation in Momentum 2 Wireless doesn't feel like an afterthought feature added to make them look complete. This is actually a well functioning active noise cancellation!
So how do these sound? I tested them both wired and wireless, and found some interesting differences. As it was previously mentioned, in wired mode you have an option of passive mode (w/power off) and active mode (w/power on and ANC enabled). In passive mode the input impedance is 28 ohms and headphones function just like a regular wired set of cans which you can drive directly from HO of your audio source or through external amp. Even so stock OFC cable does its job well, I was testing these using Whiplash Modular Cable (Pure Silver Litz cable) with a custom 2.5mm connector that plugs right into earcup without a need for a twist-on lock.
Whiplash modular cable.
In this passive mode I found sound to be well balanced and with just slightly overwhelming mid-bass hump. What is interesting, the impact of this bass enhancement only comes out to play in the tracks with a strong 4x4 kick/bass drum, while it was hardly noticeable in mellow tracks. In general, wired passive mode is OK if you completely drained your battery, but I personally prefer to keep active mode always on. As soon as you turn on the power of active mode, you are greeted with an improved sound tuning and an expanded soundstage. One interesting phenomenon, most likely due to internal DAC, in active mode the input impedance goes up to 480 ohms (!!!), and it becomes quite noticeable since the volume drops and you need to compensate it from your source.
In active mode with a stock cable sound signature was close to a wireless mode performance. It was a very impressive comparison since this is a truly best audiophile quality wireless sound I heard to date. When I switched to Whiplash Pure Silver cable, level of detail retrieval went up and sound became just a little bit brighter and crispier. That was also expected and I was very pleased with a level of improvement using a custom cable. But for the sake of my testing, I will refer to how Momentum 2 sounds in a wireless mode of operation since I consider it to be the most important characteristics of these headphones.
So, overall I found Sennheiser Momentum 2 Wireless to have a balanced sound signature with a smooth warm organic tone and moderately enhanced bass.
Starting with a low end, you have a good extension down to a sub-bass layer which is smooth and well balanced with a mid-bass punch. The bass presence is excellent and builds a strong warm foundation without muddying the sound or overwhelming the rest of the frequency range. Also, it is well controlled without spilling too much into lower mids. The mid-bass hump I experienced in passive wired mode was completely gone and smoothed out as soon as you enter active mode.
Mids are warm and smooth, maybe just slightly recessed. They contribute to a full body sound starting with a thicker lower mids and going into a detailed lush of upper mids. Both male and female vocal delivery was very smooth and organic with an intimate feeling. Even though mids are warm and smooth, they still have an excellent retrieval of details without being harsh or analytically bright.
Treble is relaxed, detailed, organic, not too crisp or grainy and without any sign of sibilance. These are definitely great for extended listening period without ear fatigue. Some might perceive treble extension as a bit rolled off, but after a closer listening you realize that it's just a warm nature of the sound.
As I mentioned before, in passive mode soundstage was just average, controlled by your source, but once you put it in an active mode - soundstage expanded to a 3D depth and width with an amazing separation and layering of sounds.
Conclusion.
Overall, I know that wireless experience can vary depending on the make and the vintage of your phone or tablet, BT version and aptX support, Android vs Apple (where aptX is not even supported by iDevices), and perhaps your location due to surrounding that can interfere with a signal. But in my everyday use during a test period I experienced a flawless performance with a wireless sound quality that rivals some of the top wired headphones I’ve tested. Of course a big factor in sound quality has to do with a great job Sennheiser team done in tuning of these headphones to have a warm and natural full body sound that oozes with a high level of detail retrieval. When people think of wireless headphones, usually convenience of cutting a chord is at the top of their list. With Momentum 2 Wireless you don’t have to compromise a sound quality and can add it at the top of your priority list as well. On top of that Momentum 2 Wireless has a remarkable 22hrs battery life, a choice of wired or wireless connection, USB DAC support to connect to your smartphone or PC/laptop, very high quality build and comfortable fitment, convenience of foldable design, latest Bluetooth with aptX support and also NFC pairing, 2 year extended warranty, and of course a bonus of very capable Active Noise Cancellation making Momentum 2 Wireless a complete package with a great value even at its premium price.

smatree said:
seems great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the BEST!!! Pure Sennheiser sound quality in BT wireless with aptX audio codec.

Great review.
Got two questions tho:
1. How can you tell that aptX mode is enabled and working. Is there any notification icon on Android device?
2. Is it possible for you to receive record your voice? I am heavy phone call and Lync/Skype/Hangous user and the quality of my voice is extremely important for me.

Thank you for a really good review.
These headphones are really really good, bought them during a 1 hour sale for around 360 bucks, money that I dont reaaaaally had for the moment but it turned out to be worth it .
1 question. In one of your pictures you have connected the phones to your computer via usb and it shows up as an input/output device, do you need to do something with the headphones to do that or?

sorcgsdf said:
Thank you for a really good review.
These headphones are really really good, bought them during a 1 hour sale for around 360 bucks, money that I dont reaaaaally had for the moment but it turned out to be worth it .
1 question. In one of your pictures you have connected the phones to your computer via usb and it shows up as an input/output device, do you need to do something with the headphones to do that or?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to have the power on (so that internal usb dac is powered) and just connect it. If I remember correctly, it was recognized by Win7 as is.

I know this is pretty old, but I came here from google looking for info and your review its much better than browsing 200 pages of head-fi.
thanks for it, appreciated.

Headphones
The best headsets under Rs.1000 is definitely the Boat Rockerz 510. It comes with an exceptional build quality and marvellous sound perfect for Gaming. It is designed specially to run for long hours. I bought these headsets from VPLAK as they offered me the headsets at a much reasonable rate compared to other websites.

Insanely good review! This is how all reviews should be!
I can add to your excellent review that trying to connect the Momentum 2 AEBT to the Sennheiser Smart Control app is a friggin' mega-pain.. (if even possible). I can connect them to my phone without any problems at all, but it's impossible to get the sennheiser app to find any device AT ALL.. tried everything and the app just won't find my headphones. I have followed every guide, checked compatibility with my phone and still no success. I have seen that some people even reinstalled the app 10 times before they got it working..

Exanimus said:
Insanely good review! This is how all reviews should be!
I can add to your excellent review that trying to connect the Momentum 2 AEBT to the Sennheiser Smart Control app is a friggin' mega-pain.. (if even possible). I can connect them to my phone without any problems at all, but it's impossible to get the sennheiser app to find any device AT ALL.. tried everything and the app just won't find my headphones. I have followed every guide, checked compatibility with my phone and still no success. I have seen that some people even reinstalled the app 10 times before they got it working..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I shared this review 7 years ago which considered to be ancient I moved on to review high end audiophile equipment on Head-fi years ago as well as mirroring everything between Head-fi and my own review site.
If you don't need ANC and ok with TWS earphones, my favorite is still Hiby WH2 (DD version). Was the first pair of TWS to feature LDAC last year, even before Sony introduced it in their wf-1000xm4, not to mention it cost 1/3 of WFs.

USB-C to headphone adaptors

it was only after ordering that I realised these things can come with a DAC chip inside.
this is the one I ordered
iNassen USB C to 3.5mm Jack Headphone Adapter Type C to 3.5mm Aux Earphone Audio Mic Adapter, for Huawei P40/Mate30/30Pro,Samsung Galaxy Note20/20 Ultra 5G/S20/S20 Plus/Note 10,Google Pixel 4XL-Gray: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo
Shop iNassen USB C to 3.5mm Jack Headphone Adapter Type C to 3.5mm Aux Earphone Audio Mic Adapter, for Huawei P40/Mate30/30Pro,Samsung Galaxy Note20/20 Ultra 5G/S20/S20 Plus/Note 10,Google Pixel 4XL-Gray. Free delivery and returns on eligible orders.
www.amazon.co.uk
since quite a few of us are likely to buy one it might help others out if you've found one you think is a real winner.
when mine arrives I'll report back on what I think, but I'm also curious how good they'll be ultimately with v4a!
also whether having a DAC chip will affect the VDC support for headphones.
please share what you've got and what you think.

3mel said:
it was only after ordering that I realised these things can come with a DAC chip inside.
this is the one I ordered
iNassen USB C to 3.5mm Jack Headphone Adapter Type C to 3.5mm Aux Earphone Audio Mic Adapter, for Huawei P40/Mate30/30Pro,Samsung Galaxy Note20/20 Ultra 5G/S20/S20 Plus/Note 10,Google Pixel 4XL-Gray: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo
Shop iNassen USB C to 3.5mm Jack Headphone Adapter Type C to 3.5mm Aux Earphone Audio Mic Adapter, for Huawei P40/Mate30/30Pro,Samsung Galaxy Note20/20 Ultra 5G/S20/S20 Plus/Note 10,Google Pixel 4XL-Gray. Free delivery and returns on eligible orders.
www.amazon.co.uk
since quite a few of us are likely to buy one it might help others out if you've found one you think is a real winner.
when mine arrives I'll report back on what I think, but I'm also curious how good they'll be ultimately with v4a!
also whether having a DAC chip will affect the VDC support for headphones.
please share what you've got and what you think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 2 different ones. One I bought when I got my Tablet S5E:
Amazon.com: andobil USB C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Charge Adapter, Hi-Res USB C to Auxiliary Audio Dongle with DAC Chip, Support Phone Calls, and Music Control Compatible with Google Pixel 2 2XL 3 3XL,and More : Electronics
Buy andobil USB C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Charge Adapter, Hi-Res USB C to Auxiliary Audio Dongle with DAC Chip, Support Phone Calls, and Music Control Compatible with Google Pixel 2 2XL 3 3XL,and More: Adapters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
And one I bought when I got my Note 10+:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KXPMF1T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_C92M40AM2FNJ2H8AYV0X?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
The only difference between the 2 is one has 2 usb-c and the other has a 3.5 mm jack.
Both are interchangeable in both devices and work great.

hmm I just went for the straight 3.5mm jack on its own. I saw myself using it outside more (whenever that happens again) so never considered charging too. do you have headphones with a USB-c cable on them ?

3mel said:
hmm I just went for the straight 3.5mm jack on its own. I saw myself using it outside more (whenever that happens again) so never considered charging too. do you have headphones with a USB-c cable on them ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, they came with my Note. The Note doesn't have a 3.5 mm jack for a headset. Like my tablet, the charging port doubles as the headset jack also. Realizing that this cenario could potentially cause an issue if I Iistened to music for too long, I researched if there was a combo headset/charging adapter and there was.

the adaptor mentioned in my first post really delivers the bass. can't say if it's the chip inside (mediatek) or not because I've got nothing else to compare it to. my headphones (Sony MDR-V55) can handle bass but they're not really tuned that way.

3mel said:
the adaptor mentioned in my first post really delivers the bass. can't say if it's the chip inside (mediatek) or not because I've got nothing else to compare it to. my headphones (Sony MDR-V55) can handle bass but they're not really tuned that way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ideal DAC should have a flat curve ie true to the input values.
The only one I've tried is the Samsung one.
Because of it being tied to the C port I rarely use it.
Recent firmware upgrades for the Buds+ make them sound much better. Low bass on them starts at 27 hz and 35 hz has a noticeable presence. So I stick with the Buds+ for convenience and to avoid the C port inconvenience.
Stupid Samsung...

I too chose to get buds but decided against Samsung's on the mere principle that at the time they weren't the slightest bit waterproof, not even sweatproof. Why is that a big deal you ask? First, no, I'm not going to wear them in the shower or go swimming with them, although they do make ones that you can do that with. Second, I do live in Florida the state known for high humidity and enormous amounts of rain. I have been screwed by the "your phone has water damage" clause several times when my phone has never seen a drop all because of a stupid little sticker due to humidity (no not cause I sweat like crazy, lol) So, I went with the Jabra Elite Active 75t which are similar to the Samsung buds pro but $70 less, are water & dust resistant, they have ANC and pass through, 4 microphones, 28 hours of battery life, wireless charging, and while the Samsung rating is IPX 7 the Jabra is IP57. They have a built in EQ. You can custom set them to your specific hearing ability, like a hearing test, going through a series of beeps, to get optimum sound quality. They have a GPS locator so if you set them down and forget where, pull the app up on you cell and find them. They have a focus mode to play ambient sounds in the background. Don't get me wrong, I am a Samsung die hard through and through, but these Jabra buds beat Samsung hands down. Just my 1/2 cents.

HyperChick said:
I too chose to get buds but decided against Samsung's on the mere principle that at the time they weren't the slightest bit waterproof, not even sweatproof. Why is that a big deal you ask? First, no, I'm not going to wear them in the shower or go swimming with them, although they do make ones that you can do that with. Second, I do live in Florida the state known for high humidity and enormous amounts of rain. I have been screwed by the "your phone has water damage" clause several times when my phone has never seen a drop all because of a stupid little sticker due to humidity (no not cause I sweat like crazy, lol) So, I went with the Jabra Elite Active 75t which are similar to the Samsung buds pro but $70 less, are water & dust resistant, they have ANC and pass through, 4 microphones, 28 hours of battery life, wireless charging, and while the Samsung rating is IPX 7 the Jabra is IP57. They have a built in EQ. You can custom set them to your specific hearing ability, like a hearing test, going through a series of beeps, to get optimum sound quality. They have a GPS locator so if you set them down and forget where, pull the app up on you cell and find them. They have a focus mode to play ambient sounds in the background. Don't get me wrong, I am a Samsung die hard through and through, but these Jabra buds beat Samsung hands down. Just my 1/2 cents.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never had a water issue with the Buds+... I live in the desert but it's a dry heat.
The problem about not using them is you lose SSC support. A LDAC supporting device is the only other option or your stuck with inferior bt codecs.
LDAC and SSC are on the top of the bt codec heap.

blackhawk said:
Never had a water issue with the Buds+... I live in the desert but it's a dry heat.
The problem about not using them is you lose SSC support. A LDAC supporting device is the only other option or your stuck with inferior bt codecs.
LDAC and SSC are on the top of the bt codec heap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to admit I didn't know much about bluetooth codec codes until today. Your post prompted me to do research which threw me into a 3 hour wild goose chase. I finally found this chart that simplified it for me:
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Because you mentioned the code SSC. I opened my Developer settings and I don't have that option. So, I had to learn more. The aptX HD is at the top of the food chain. Unfortunately, Jabra made a conscious decision not to incorporate that code in their buds. Not sure why? Here is a website where you can look up a full list of products that do Products | aptX

HyperChick said:
I have to admit I didn't know much about bluetooth codec codes until today. Your post prompted me to do research which threw me into a 3 hour wild goose chase. I finally found this chart that simplified it for me:
View attachment 5217381
Because you mentioned the code SSC. I opened my Developer settings and I don't have that option. So, I had to learn more. The aptX HD is at the top of the food chain. Unfortunately, Jabra made a conscious decision not to incorporate that code in their buds. Not sure why? Here is a website where you can look up a full list of products that do Products | aptX
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately it's not that simple. Maximum bitrate doesn't necessarily mean overall better sound Q. SoundGuys have a pretty good write up.
AptX-HD has issues as well.
All bt codecs suffer to some degree*. The best ones for Samsung devices are SSC and LDAC.
Samsung's propiatory SSC is found only on its phones and a limited number of it's audio listening products, 5 total I believe.
Samsung also supports LDAC but depending on the bitrates as well as which codec is better makes comparisons almost impossible.
The listening devices supporting LDAC are limited as well but greater in number. Panasonic makes a few and of course Sony.
I haven't sample any LDAC headsets and only sampled the Buds and Buds+ so can't comment on that or which codec sounds better.
Of the other codecs available on the 10+ which are the same as all current models, SSC is the best.
No bt codec sounds better than a wired headset though, hardware not withstanding*.
With the Buds+ the low bass cutout is at 27 hz and 35 hz it's solid; probably about were it starts to roll off. That's pretty good.
For music listening I use Poweramp's equalizer and the bass from 250 hz down is heavily boosted. I never use the Wearables EQ but without Poweramp music listening be a lot less enjoyable. Vocals on music are surprisingly clear.
Guess it's time to compare the original Buds to the Buds+ but once I tried the +'s I didn't look back. Both have had major firmware updates, the most recent + updates was about a week ago.
The Buds+ are light and even partially inserted they simply never fall out. You can run, jump whatever, they stay put. Seamlessly couple with Samsung phones. Sound great on calls. Great battery life.
A lot of bang for the buck.
The Buds+ are the best bet for bt listening on a Samsung phone. An odd niche that Samsung has curved out for themselves.
For $270 more you could upgrade to Sony's best LDAC headphones. The drivers are certainly better but that's a steep price and lost is the ease of wear. Be fun to hear what's is or isn't there though
So now you know, in part, why bt audio gives me a headache
*all bt sucks, lol

blackhawk said:
Unfortunately it's not that simple. Maximum bitrate doesn't necessarily mean overall better sound Q. SoundGuys have a pretty good write up.
AptX-HD has issues as well.
All bt codecs suffer to some degree*. The best ones for Samsung devices are SSC and LDAC.
Samsung's propiatory SSC is found only on its phones and a limited number of it's audio listening products, 5 total I believe.
Samsung also supports LDAC but depending on the bitrates as well as which codec is better makes comparisons almost impossible.
The listening devices supporting LDAC are limited as well but greater in number. Panasonic makes a few and of course Sony.
I haven't sample any LDAC headsets and only sampled the Buds and Buds+ so can't comment on that or which codec sounds better.
Of the other codecs available on the 10+ which are the same as all current models, SSC is the best.
No bt codec sounds better than a wired headset though, hardware not withstanding*.
With the Buds+ the low bass cutout is at 27 hz and 35 hz it's solid; probably about were it starts to roll off. That's pretty good. For music listening I use Poweramp's equalizer and the bass from 250 hz down is heavily boosted. I never use the Wearables EQ but without Poweramp music listening be a lot less enjoyable. Vocals on music are surprisingly clear.
They're light and even partially inserted they simply never fall out. You can run, jump whatever, they stay put. Seamlessly couple with Samsung phones. Sound great on calls. Great battery life.
A lot of bang for the buck.
The Buds+ are the best bet for bt listening on a Samsung phone. An odd niche that Samsung has curved out for themselves.
For $270 more you could upgrade to Sony's best LDAC headphones. The drivers are certainly better but that's a steep price and lost is the ease of wear. Be fun to hear what's is or isn't there though
So now you know, in part, why bt audio gives me a headache
*all bt sucks, lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I want to listen to THAT kind of bass, I just jump in my car..... Kenwood head unit, 2-12" subs, yup definitely jump in my ride, that's my only escape

question, does Dolby Atmos on this phone make an almost insignificant difference to the output you get if you listen to something while toggling it on and off ?
not sure what the deal is there but what's my experience of it so far.

3mel said:
question, does Dolby Atmos on this phone make an almost insignificant difference to the output you get if you listen to something while toggling it on and off ?
not sure what the deal is there but what's my experience of it so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should alter it considerably. I generally keep it disabled for music but occasionally use it.
I'm using a Note 10+.

3mel said:
question, does Dolby Atmos on this phone make an almost insignificant difference to the output you get if you listen to something while toggling it on and off ?
not sure what the deal is there but what's my experience of it so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dolby Atmos was supposed to give you the cinematic surround sound effect. That being said, the "S" series did a better job at it than the Note did from what I've read. Personally, I haven't thought to try. Now, I'll have to

HyperChick said:
Dolby Atmos was supposed to give you the cinematic surround sound effect. That being said, the "S" series did a better job at it than the Note did from what I've read. Personally, I haven't thought to try. Now, I'll have to
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally it adds distortion to music as it's a flawed algorithm. If memory serves me if works by manipulating the phasing and changing the weighting of selected frequency ranges ie psychoacoustics*.
Dolby encoded movies and music are a different animal and it works best with these. I don't think phones are capable of supporting this version though.
*In an open listening area that is acoustically suitable you only need two speakers and a stereo image to reproduce the sound stage of where the image was recorded. Without the open air (buds, headphones) for the audio waves to interact the sound stage effect is destroyed. Dolby attempts to create the illusion of this sound stage.

@blackhawk to be specific I'm only talking about the Atmos app baked into the settings of this phone, I don't know if it's featured in other Samsung models. I've tried the Dolby Atmos that's a flashable / installable add-on on other phones and that's fantastic, especially when combined with v4a.
now that I've been able to use my headphones again I've been very underwhelmed by the Samsung inclusion of Atmos, I'm curious what others make of it now.

3mel said:
@blackhawk to be specific I'm only talking about the Atmos app baked into the settings of this phone, I don't know if it's featured in other Samsung models. I've tried the Dolby Atmos that's a flashable / installable add-on on other phones and that's fantastic, especially when combined with v4a.
now that I've been able to use my headphones again I've been very underwhelmed by the Samsung inclusion of Atmos, I'm curious what others make of it now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In a closed driver system ie headphones, buds the best you can do is a clean distortion free stereo image.
Without an open room there is no interaction between the different acoustic images coming from 2 or more stereo (or higher) drivers. These interactions are in order of many tens, hundreds etc of thousands per second.
If a audio wave at 20khz* meets with one at 19khz* a second wave at 1khz is created. These secondary waves collide with still more through out the 3D listening area to recreate the sound stage of were it was recorded. If done right you are there, electro-acousticly coupled.
Any attempt to create the illustration of that listening area tends to be feeble and add distortion to the music. The magnitude of the acoustic interactions in a open air listening are nearly infinite. It's impossible to faithfully recreate.
So if you like the way it sounds use it. It can be used to "center" vocals are increase their volume and clarity at the cost of suppressing other instruments in that recording. Tends to boost volume and bass.
*the 19 and 20khz are beyond most people's hearing range but the 1khz sound is not.
This is why in an open air listening area frequencies you can't hear become important to reproduce as they are needed to recreate the sound stage. Without them the sound stage is diminished.

Earlier today I stumbled on https://smile.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-External-VoiceDetect-Cancellation/dp/B08SH5TNLV
I wonder how they compare to the Chinese-made no-name shovelware.
Being Creative Labs one would expect at least some quality. And the price is relatively reasonable..

the previous version ''play 3'' seems to aimed at gaming headphone users

I tried out the free version of the Wavelet app last night and as I suspected it seems to be the DAC in the adaptor that's detected as the connected device rather than the headphones.
I had intended to restart using V4A once I've rooted but now I'm wondering even more about DDC optimisation or whether it'll count as a USB connection now.
getting a quality, recognised brand name might matter more than I thought.