Samsung SBH650
The SBH650 is another clip-on adaptor that you can attach to your clothes when you’re walking around. It’s got a microphone so that you can take calls, but the mike is pretty small and the manual makes it clear that you need to keep it quite close to your mouth when you’re talking. The headphones aren’t the best quality either, as the stereo sound is rather lacking in detail. However, the adaptor uses a standard audio connector so you can use any other headphones that you already own, and with online prices around the £30-35 mark this is an affordable option for getting stereo Bluetooth on the move.
Reg Rating 80%
Price £35
More Info Samsung
Scosche tuneStream HZ5
Scoshe and JayBird obviously source their kit from the same place, as the design of the tuneStream and JayBird headphones are almost identical – right down to the flexible plastic headband and even the shape and layout of the various control buttons. However, the tuneStream may appeal to a different audience as its matte-black finish is a lot more subdued and businesslike than the garishly coloured JayBird. The sound quality is just as good, producing a nice full sound and healthy volume level. Scosche has a slight edge on price, though, as the tuneStream is about £10 cheaper than the JayBird when you look around online.
Reg Rating 85%
Price £90
More Info Scosche
COMMENTS
Whaaaat?!?
"promotional pics of a bosomy blonde in a sports bra"
And we only get the shot of the (somewhat garish) headphones?!?
This is not The Register which I know and love...<shakes head sadly>
You've let yourselves down.
iPad
Which, if any of the headphones with a mic can work with the iPad?
It would be useful for VoIP if they were compatible.
I would be interested in:
Bluetooth headphones with noise-cancelling, seperate batteries rather than built-in and foldable.
It seems that the only ones that offer this are the Nokias, and they are very expensive for headphones.
I use the buses, underground and trains a lot, so the noise-cancelling is very useful - even if the noise-cancelling is not the best it will make a big difference to my volume level and hence comfort.
The bluetooth is so that I don't get the cable caught on people and things.
I would also like them to use normal AA or AAA rechargeable batteries and to fold down to fit in my bag when I am not using them.
Please :-)
ttfn
Still a shockingly poor selection.
So no decent around-the-ear ones listed? That just leaves the Sony DR-BT50 as the only option I've yet to find that offers real comfort along with decent sound quality. Shame they have a shit build quality, mine broke in under a year of careful use.
The Etymotic in-ear ones not listed? ety8 I think. A friend of mine just highly recommended them to me. Quite an old model now though and look a bit funky.
The market for bluetooth headphones is still frustratingly poor and largely empty of choice.
Plantronics....
Based on the review (and other good reviews) I got myself the plantronics backbeat 903.
They turn out to be pretty useless. If this is the best one can get these days, then usefull bluetooth headphones are still some time off.
For example: as soon as I put my mobile in my pocket (pants), and start driving my bike, signal drops occur very frequently.
