Rocking out with stereo Bluetooth
Now that the iPhone OS 3.0 firmware has added stereo Bluetooth functionality to the Apple iPhone, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit stereo Bluetooth and what it promises.
Motorola Rokr S9 HD with iPod adapter
(Credit: Motorola)Stereo Bluetooth, or A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), is essentially a Bluetooth profile that lets you stream music from one device to another without the use of wires. The technology has been around for years, and almost all music phones have this feature. In fact, it was quite a big letdown that the original iPhone and iPhone 3G did not have this built in when they first launched, considering the iPhone's iPod heritage. Still, it's better late than never. The iPhone OS 3.0 update also brought stereo Bluetooth to the iPod Touch 2nd gen. If you have a music player instead of a phone, you can also purchase additional stereo Bluetooth adapters, like this Motorola D650 iPod adapter.
Stereo Bluetooth headphones come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some, like the Motorola Rokr S9 HD, are meant for active lifestyles, as it's shaped to hug the sides of the head. Others, like the Samsung SBH-600, are meant for serious audiophiles, especially with its promise of surround sound and bass boost. We also like the mono-to-stereo headsets, like the Plantronics Voyager 855, that can change from a mono headset to a stereo version simply by connecting an additional ear bud. One of the more popular stereo headsets among our readers is the Jabra BT3030, which isn't really even a headset so much as it is a pendant that you can use with any pair of 3.5mm-compatible headphones.
Samsung SBH-600 lets you listen to your tunes wire-free
(Credit: Samsung)Most of these headsets have microphones, with the ability to both control the music player and handle phone calls. Sound quality differ from headset to headset, so be careful what you buy. For example, the Samsung SBH-600 is great for listening to music, but no so much for making calls--the outgoing call quality isn't so great.
A note about the music player controls: In order for you to manage your music player from the headset, your phone needs an additional Bluetooth profile called AVRCP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile). This lets you use your headset like a remote control so you'll be able to play and pause songs, fast-forward through tracks, adjust the volume, and so forth. This is one of the few failings of the iPhone OS 3.0 firmware--it has a very limited form of AVRCP. We could play/pause music and adjust the volume from the headset, but we were only able to change tracks with the iPhone itself.
We've reviewed several stereo Bluetooth headsets here at CNET, and have compiled a simple Best Portable Wireless Headphones list, as well as a shorter list of the most recent stereo headset reviews. If you wish to learn more about Bluetooth, here's a link to our Bluetooth Quick Guide feature. As always, if you have more questions about this, feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me.
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Nicole Lee is an associate editor for CNET, covering cell phones, Bluetooth headsets, and all things mobile. She's also pretty geeky--she likes World of Warcraft, comic books, and shiny gadgets. E-mail Nicole. 
Voice quality is also quite good unless it's really windy outside -- then it cuts out a bit.
I've been using stereo BT since the LG Chocolate and I'm always impressed with the sound quality. Currently, I use it on my Storm to stream to a BT enabled car stereo. So much better than an FM transmitter, and having no wires attached to my phone is priceless.
The quirks that I've found are:
--Max volume not very high, which can be a problem with some MP3s, especially when you're doing something active or are in a noisy place. On the other hand, this automatically protects your ears, and allows you to hear ambient noises when engaged in activities where that's a good thing, like cycling.
--Sound quality not quite as good as directly plugging in headphones, due to Bluetooth's limited bandwidth.
--I've never been able to FF or REW within a song, only skip songs forward or go back.
--I've never been able to pause a song to initiate a voice call with it, only pick up calls placed to me (but when not playing music, it's easy to start voice calls by voice command).
--Every now and then it acts strangely, breaking up the sound and not responding to buttons. Re-pairing it fixes this.
--Because of its flat button design, it's hard to tell which button is which when you're not looking at it, so you have to feel around for them.
Ok, quite a few quirks! But it's not that expensive ($40 at Newegg), does what it's supposed to do pretty well, and none of these quirks are that bad. I'd recommend it, unless Jabra or someone else comes out with an even better version (that doesn't look like a dogtag or have flat buttons!).
It`s funny at the gym to see Apple users with their tangled , low-fi earbuds , while they look longingly at me with only headphones on that also allow me to take calls , change volume , and change tracks without touching the phone.
And with the battery choices you get with non-Apple devices I just upgraded my battery to a bigger 2100 milliamp hr battery for like $39 and get MEGA battery life.
I would NEVER spend my money on a device that doesn`t allow you to swap out the battery.
I only use my phone for making calls , listen to music (has a mini-SD card slot) , and use Outlook for an organizer and the CDMA radio is great and never has reception issues on Sprint.
BTW...the built-in stereo speakers blow away the iPhone by far !
I rarely need to touch my phone as Microsoft Sync does it all for me.
The Altec Lansing?s sound quality far exceeds every other BT stereo headset I have tried. They are incredibly comfortable, with the best BT sound quality there is, while staying securely on your head; are much cooler for any type of physical activity, ie walking or running outside or on a treadmill, and are even waterproof for when the sweat stars pouring. But most of all, they can be worn DISCRETELY, which is sadly lacking in most BT stereo headphones. I looked like a complete idiot if I ever wore the other BT headphones out and about ? no one even notices these, it looks like I have a small discreet single BT headset or just regular earbuds.
The Altec-Lansings use nice silicone pieces that stick in your ear that are super comfortable and deliver the sound where it is needed. They have full AVRCP controls, a quick mute button so you can cut off the sound instantly when talking to clerks and such, and of course you can talk on them, call quality is pretty good. There is even a base boost for those who like that sound.
Merging the superior speaker technology of Altec-Lansing, and the headset experience of Plantronics, none of the other units remotely come close to them in usability, sound quality, and comfort.
I would very much discourage anyone from getting the Jabra BT8010's - The pieces that go over the top of your ear are not attached well to the headsets, and continually fall out. You have to order a $10 pack of spares to survive owning them. And although they sounded pretty good, they make you look utterly ridiculous, as one headphone is big and bulky, and the other one is half the size. This gives you a ridiculous, lopsided look (my son BEGGED me not to wear them out in public), and they have large metal speakers up against your ear that makes them itch. Any of the bigger units that have large pieces completely covering the ears would be unusable outside your home, and are very hot ? like wearing earmuffs on an 80 degree day at the beach.
Check out the Altec-Lansings that just came out this past March (2009). Nothing remotely comes close to them. I use them with my Windows Mobile 6.1 pda phone, listening to Shoutcast radio stations, and wear them while treadmilling, shopping, house cleaning, even driving (Some will think this is dangerous, but I can hear external sound certainly as well as someone blasting their car radio).
The Altec Lansing?s sound quality far exceeds every other BT headset I have tried. They are incredibly comfortable while staying securely on your head, are much cooler for any type of physical activity, ie walking or running outside or on a treadmill, and are even waterproof for when the sweat stars pouring. Sound quality is simply outstanding. But most of all, they can be worn DISCRETELY, which is sadly lacking in most BT stereo headphones. I looked like a complete idiot if I ever wore the other BT headphones out and about ? no one even notices these, it looks like I have a small discreet single BT headset or just regular earbuds. They have great silicone pieces that stick in your ear that are super comfortable and deliver the sound where it is needed. They have full AVRCP controls, a quick mute button so you can cut off the sound instantly when talking to clerks and such, and of course you can talk on them, call quality is pretty good. There is even a base boost for those who like that sound. Merging the superior speaker technology of Altec-Lansing, and the headset experience of Plantronics, none of the other units remotely come close to them in usability, sound quality, and comfort.
I would discourage anyone from considering the Jabra BT 8010?s (that are rated excellent on CNET) as they have some serious problems. The pieces that go over the top of your ear are not attached well to the headsets, and continually fall out. You have to order a $10 pack of spares to survive owning them. And although they sounded pretty good, they make you look utterly ridiculous, as one headphone is big and bulky, and the other one is half the size. This gives you a ridiculous, lopsided look (my son BEGGED me not to wear them out in public), and have large metal speakers up against your ear that makes them itch. Any of those bigger units that have large pieces completely covering the ears would be unusable outside your home, and are very hot ? like wearing earmuffs on an 80 degree day at the beach.
- by mearsfan42 July 10, 2009 2:26 PM PDT
- If you want to get the Jabra BT3030 i'd recommend getting it at Ecost.com... i got mine there and it only cost $29 plus shipping... keep checking, they run out quickly but restock quick too..
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