Comments on: Rocking out with stereo Bluetooth

Stereo Bluetooth headsets let you listen to your music without wires.

[Devhux]

I was glad to see that the Jabra BT-3030 received mention in this article. Definitely suited to those who want good sound quality for music, and the fact that I can use my own headphones is even better.

Voice quality is also quite good unless it's really windy outside -- then it cuts out a bit.

[gumby8]

Doesn't Bluetooth have inherent bandwith limitations reducing the quality of sound compared to a wired connection? I'm not sure what the point of "audiophile" quality headphones is in this case? Of, course, let's not mention the fact that you are listening to a compressed source of music in the first place. I'm no snob and realise the benefits of portable music... but?

[Mach1_8]

I had no idea that the new OS didn't have full AVRCP. The omission got little more than lip service in this write up, but it almost defeats the purpose of stereo BT altogether. If you use this feature, it gives you the ability to fully control music playback without taking your phone out of your pocket/bag/holster. Here I was thinking that I might actually consider getting the iPhone because it finally has all of the features the most basic of cell phones has. I guess I'll have to wait some more.

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.

[bamb0o-stick]

Wow. The Jabra BT3030 are now $62 on Amazon. The review here says it costs $30, quite a huge jump. Does anybody know any more stereo bluetooth adapters like this one that allows you to plug in your own headphones? I tried the Sony Ericsson HBH adapters and they aren't that great.

[koviea]

I've owned and used the Jabra BT3030 for the past 9 or so months, and while it has its quirks, I think that it's a great little device. I use it when running, cycling, even walking around (although I've gotten a few funny looks, but I couldn't tell if it was because it looked like I was wearing and speaking into a dogtag, or just talking to myself). Music sounds reasonably good, conversations sound clear on both ends (or so I've been told by people on the other end), the controls are nice, and it even works with streaming apps like Orb (but you have to first plug something into the headphone adapter, then remove it, to have the audio go to Bluetooth).

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!).

[koviea]

I forgot to add that yet another thing that I like about the Jabra BT3030 is that its Bluetooth radio isn't anywhere near your ears or head, so no fears about RF emissions doing bad things to your brain. Of course, wired headphones also emit RF radiation (whether or not used with Bluetooth), but I'm guessing at much lower levels, and at less dangerous frequencies (but I'm no expert on this).

[dfrizzle]

I've got the Plantronics Voyager and I love it. Because it comes with multiple earpieces, I can even where it joggin/working out and it holds tight. Love the extendable mic too, people say they cannot tell I'm on a bluetooth at all.

[DarkHawke]

How's the bass on these? I've been in love with the *idea* of wireless portable headphones for years, but all that I've heard about them so far is that they really don't sound all that good compared to their wired counterparts. I just got the V-Moda Vibe II's because I'm entirely addicted to their bass response, the best I've EVER heard from in-ear headphones and I've had a bunch of them over the years. The Plantronics Voyager certainly looks attractive and less clunky than all but the Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800. Sure would love to ditch the wires (mostly). Even one hard jerk of the headphones from one's ears because the wire caught on something is one too many!

[AppleSuxLeo]

Funny , clunky iPod "adapter" is exactly why I never use Apple products. My Moto Q...3+ yrs old has BT2.0 with A2DP and works wonderfully with my S9 Moto headphones and my Microsoft Sync system in my 2009 automobile. Voice dialing of numbers is flawless.
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.

[jlbenitezr]

I've written a small review on the Plantronics Voyager 855 and my experience with the headset and my iPhone. You can have a look here http://joebenitez.posterous.com/plantronics-voyager-855-review-photos

[mpeterson78]

I've got the Sony DR-BT21G and they work/sound pretty well. Bass is good, fit is comfortable, call quality is ok, but not great. The play/pause works for music, as does the volume, but the lack of AVRCP on my iPhone prevents the next/previous track buttons from working. Not a bad deal though, about $70 at the sonystyle store. I'm happy, and am eagerly awaiting an AVRCP update for the iPhone!

[Andante51]

I own 3 BT stereo headphones, but the best by far are the Altec-Lansing Backbeat 906 and 903 models, and I was disappointed that these fantastic headphones were not mentioned in this review. The 906 includes a dongle to listen to any non-BT source, the 903's are just the headphones.

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).

[Andante51]

I was rather surprised the article did not include the best set by far that came out in March of this year, the Altec-Lansing BackBeat, models 903 and 906. The 906 has a dongle for use with non-bluetooth devices, the 903 does not.

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.

[mearsfan42]

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..