Doro ProSound HS1910 Dect

Headset that's a Dect cordless in disguise

Wed 28 Apr 2010 // 07:02 UTC

Whenever you hear your phone ring, you simply press the HS1910's answer/hang up button, pop it on your head and away you go. The headset's 240mAh removable battery is good for 100 hours on standby and provides seven hours of talk time, though Doro cautions that it'll take 4-5 full charges for it to achieve maximum capacity.

'Hello? Anyone there?'

In day-to-day use the HS1910 is very simple to master. The headset has a large button to answer or end calls along with volume controls and a mute switche, making it altogether simpler than many Bluetooth earpieces. A small blue LED lets you know the headset is charged and ready for action.

Doro supplies three mounts for the earpiece, letting you wear the device clipped over your ear, over your head or behind your neck. In all three forms, the unit is commendably comfortable helped by its featherweight 27.5g mass.

Call quality was very good, with the HS1910's noise-cancelling microphone doing a good job keeping background nose at bay. Spending 45 minutes on the dog and bone talking to an airline booking desk was certainly a more pleasant experience wearing the headset than having a regular handset wedged against the side of my head.

If the Doro has a downside it's the cost. At £113 it isn't exactly cheap.

Verdict

Useful as a standalone phone or as a wireless headset, the HS1910 works well, with good noise cancellation and the range Dect provides over technologies like Bluetooth. But for real mass-market success, it needs a built-in ringer and the ability to make calls on its own - not heard of voice recognition, Doro? ®