Shopping for a Bluetooth headset makes you feel a bit like Goldilocks: you have to search a long time to find one that’s just right. BT headsets must be one of the last bastions of technology where you can still spend hundreds of dollars on something that doesn’t even work. It’s not like they’re brand new either.
*Motorola H500*
My first BT headset. No one could ever hear what I was saying. The mic is too far away from your mouth and pressed against your temple. Maybe the Moto engineer responsible has a very big maw or has a very small face…
*Motorola H700* [pictured, left]
The extendable boom makes it easier for people to hear me. Inbound sound quality is so-so and the noise cancellation is sometimes too zealous. Other factors weren’t great but not bad. The real deal killer was that I couldn’t even put my skinny arm between my phone and the headset without getting static. I really wanted to like this headset.
*Sony Ericsson HBH-610A*
I borrowed this from a co-worker for an afternoon. It’s got awesome range – I think I walked 20 feet and through a wall and still no static. A bit bulky, but if that’s what it needs to work, then so be it. I would have bought this except the ear loop was too rigid – after several minutes of use, my ear was in pain.
*Plantronics Discovery 640* [pictured, right]
Outbound sound quality is almost as good as my phone. Inbound is very loud and clear. It comes with a trio of sized silicone ear gels that are incredibly comfortable – so no more ear loops. It’s small and sexy looking. Finally, the radio range is several feet. In other words, just right.