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September 23, 2008 6:02 AM PDT

Talk hands-free with $20 Samsung Bluetooth headset

by Rick Broida

Still holding your cell phone to your ear? How 20th century. With a Bluetooth headset, you can leave your phone in your pocket--and walk around looking as if you're talking to yourself. Car Toys has the Samsung WEP200 Bluetooth headset for just $19.99, plus a ridiculously reasonable $1.95 for UPS shipping.

The WEP200 is a couple of years old, but even by today's standards, it's impressively compact. As noted in CNET's review (and the First Look video up above), it fits comfortably in the ear and has good controls, good sound quality, and a pretty frakkin' cool carrying case that doubles as a charger.

So, to sum up, here's a solid Bluetooth headset for a fraction of its original price. I haven't tried this one myself, but the reviews are mostly positive (including this one over at PC Magazine). If anyone already owns a WEP200, hit the Comments and let your fellow 'Skaters know if it's a winner.

Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog.
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by Secesh September 23, 2008 7:13 AM PDT
I bought the newer, more expensive samsung small bluetooth headset (WEP500) after the experience with this one. This headset is still the champ: audio quality on the receiving end is the best I've ever had with any small bluetooth headset. -- not too much background noise.
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by airmousam September 23, 2008 7:26 AM PDT
looks like 40 on their website?
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by rickbroida September 23, 2008 8:20 AM PDT
I'm still seeing $19.99.
by jmpetersen September 23, 2008 7:49 AM PDT
My WEP200 is a solid device with outstanding battery life. The only tedious thing is that it needs a full 5-6 seconds of pressing the power button to turn it on or off (do any bluetooth headsets have a simple on/off switch?).

The case/charger combination is very compact too, it lives in my ashtray, safely out of site when the car is parked.
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by loose_screw September 23, 2008 8:21 AM PDT
Are these legit and not fakes? There are some on ebay for cheaper, shipping included. I know fake moto headsets are pretty common, not sure about these. is Car Toys a reputable dealer?
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by rickbroida September 23, 2008 9:47 AM PDT
I don't have any firsthand experience with them, but they've been around for something like 20 years. I think they're a safe bet.
by kenped86 September 23, 2008 10:10 AM PDT
i had this. it was great, except that it was so small that I lost it within the first month!
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by Grammar-Nazi September 24, 2008 7:20 AM PDT
I own one of these. I've had it for more than a year, and it's been fantastic. It still works great. I can go four-five days between charges, and I have minimal problems with it.

The only issue I had was keeping it in my oversized ear with the provided ear adapter. I solved that issue by purchasing Jabra ear gels, which are on Amazon right now for like $3. The large ones work perfect for me; the only issue is you have to remove the ear gel so the earpiece will fit in the charger. However, I've been using the same two ear gels for a year (one for each ear) with no problems whatsoever. I have NEVER had the bluetooth earpiece fall out of my ear, and you barely notice it.

I paid full price for mine. I'm buying another one so I have a spare. At $20, that price can't be beat.
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The best things in tech are cheap. "The Cheapskate" scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets, and all the other tech stuff that makes life worth living. Send your own cheapskate tips to thecheapskate@gmail.com. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

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