Bluetooth Pioneer Ericsson Has a Winner
Written: Dec 01 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Better ergonomics, improved battery life and excellent design give SonyEricsson a winner!
Cons: Minor but somewhat annoying design flaw causes earpiece to rub against rubber coating.
The Bottom Line: Overall, this headset is a winner. If you have been waiting to “go Bluetooth” now may be the time!
|
|
|
| pgray007's Full Review: Ericsson Hbh-30 Wireless Bluetooth Headset |
SonyEricsson’s latest bluetooth headset is more evolutionary than revolutionary, compared to the company’s last two bluetooth headsets, the HBH-10 and HBH-15. I previously owned the HBH-15 and I can say that most of the changes to the newest version are welcome. I have had the headset for about four months now, and use it regularly with my Ericsson T-39 (so unfortunately I can’t comment on integration with non-SE phones).
For those new to Bluetooth headsets, operation is simple and comparable to most other one-button hands free corded units. If a call comes in, the headset will ring, in addition to the telephone, and a press of the button immediately outside your ear will answer the call. To place a call, press and hold the button, and you can voice-dial a contact if you have this feature configured on your phone.
The first major change from pervious SE headsets is that the battery now rests behind the ear, versus where the battery and the majority of the electronics in the unit where on the part of the headset that was directly outside the ear. In my opinion, this makes the headset more comfortable, and more importantly eliminates the headset from moving around too much when making rapid head movements. The HBH-15’s design placed a lot of weight directly outside the ear where it could swivel. If one made a rapid turn of the head, for example turning your head quickly while driving, the force of the movement would make the earpiece pop out of your ear for a brief moment. This annoyance has been corrected with the HBH-30 since the majority of the weight rests securely behind the ear.
This new design also allows the headset to easily be used in the left or right ear, since the “boom” portion of the headset can spin in relation to the earpiece. Pervious SE Bluetooth headsets could not be changed for left or right ear use “on the fly,” and I find this to be a very welcome feature since you can change ears while on the phone. The only annoyance with the ability to quickly change ears is that the volume up/down buttons do not “remap.” This means that the top button raises volume when the headset is in the right ear, but the top button in the left ear lowers volume. I would like to see the headset swap the button assignments, so the top button always raises volume, regardless of which ear the headset is in.
The second most important change is that the HBH-30 incorporates a standard Ericsson power connector. Pervious headsets required a cradle, which was just one more item to pack and lose while traveling. This headset can use any existing SE charger, and the one I purchased even included a US charger, in addition to the carrying case and manuals in the box. This is probably my favorite “new” feature, and should be welcome for users of SE phones, since now one charger can recharge your phone and headset.
The newer headset also provides superior battery life. The unit seems to last on standby about 4 days with minimal call volume. With average to heavy use I tend to get about 2 days out of a charge, using the headset about 50% of the time, primarily while driving. Reception is very clear, and I have never had anyone comment on poor quality when using the headset, except in very windy environments.
In an open environment you can expect to travel around 15 feet away from your phone without any degradation in sound quality. This is great for walking around a room while talking, or driving, which is where I use my phone most often. In “noisy” environments with lots of radio noise, such as airports, the distance you can travel from the phone becomes more limited. If I have my phone in a pocket on my right side, and the headset in my left ear, a small amount of static becomes noticeable. Distance also decreases when around other 2.4 gHz devices such as cordless phones, microwaves, or 802.11b networks. While you can’t travel 15 feet away from your phone with a microwave powered up in the same room, you can still go 5-7 feet without any problems. I’ve used the headset, microwave and an 802.11b network all at the same time, and as long as you are around 5 feet from your mobile phone, things will work out fine.
The headset also uses the voice dialing feature in supported SE phones, so you can receive and place calls without ever touching your phone! For voice dialing you must have Bluetooth set to “On” rather than “Automatic,” and I find the HBH-30 does a better job than the HBH-15 in this regard. The specifications also say voice answering is supported, but I have never been able to get this feature to work, either with a Bluetooth or standard corded headset.
All is not well in wireless paradise however, and this headset has a couple of minor flaws. In terms of design, the part of the headset that houses the battery ahs a nice rubberized coating to make it more comfortable. Unfortunately this coating contacts the plastic that goes I your ear when not in use, and has rubbed a scratch into the rubber coating. This headset also loses the menu functionality in the HBH-15. With the HBH-15 you could set options for the headset, and view battery status using the phone’s accessory menu. The HBH-30 only reports version information in the accessory menu.
The voice quality and signal strength of the HBH-15 are combined with better ergonomics, improved battery life, and the elimination of the charging cradle.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
pgray007
|
|
Location: Orlando, Florida USA
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.