Extremely convenient, can be uncomfortable; overall very good.
I have for some time been trying to find the perfect ear/headphone set for my smartphone - but I really don't want lots of trailing wires (which inevitably get tangled up, or worse, broken) and I don't want to walk or sit around in public with great big 'cans' on. In short I want good quality sound, but unobtrusively!
So how do these headphones stack up for my requirements?
* Firstly, sound quality
I am writing this review listening to some Celtic folk music and the quality is excellent. The bass response is great whilst the higher tones are rendered crisply. Adjusting the volume on the headset is pretty easy. So far, the few phone calls I have made have gone without problem.
* Secondly, convenience.
Not having to worry about the wires is just brilliant and personally I'll forgive many other weaknesses for this massive advantage! The headset folds up neatly into a small volume (as shown on the photos) which is also really great, especially when travelling. This unit definitely ticks *all* the boxes under this heading.
* Thirdly, comfort.
It can be quite fiddly getting the unit comfy on my head. The angle of the unit is critical in getting the best sound experience, without blocking off the ear canals and then hearing nothing! The hard headphone tips don't mould into the ear like in ear buds with soft tips but sit in the ear just over the ear canal, so if you don't get the angle right they become increasingly uncomfortable as you wear them. However, this perching in the ear means that with the volume set right I can hear stuff going on in the background if I want to without inflicting my music on those around me. It can take a bit of fiddling to get the length of the arms and the angle of the headset right to optimize hearing & comfort whilst keeping the headset stably positioned on the head; the most comfortable position on my head is neither the most stable, nor the best from a sound quality point of view. However, for the record, I have now had my set on for over an hour without problems. This positioning aspect is the only weak spot, really (hence the 4 rather than 5 stars overall).
* Fourthly, technical aspects.
It took a bit of setting up, but that says more about my inexperience with Bluetooth operation in my phone (HTC Desire Z) than about the unit itself! Once set up it generally pairs automatically with my phone. Occasionally I do have to tell the phone to connect, and/or press a button on the unit to nudge connection, but that's not a problem for me. Adjusting the volume (left arm) and using the player controls (right arm) whilst wearing the set on the two arms is possible, although the latter is a bit more tricky as there are three small control button quite close together. The other minor irritation is the intermittently flashing blue light during normal operation which is very intrusive in the dark (my wife won't let me use them in bed - the light keeps her awake!). This could be overcome with sticking something over the LED, but it's a shame the LED wasn't on the *inside* of the unit so that it wasn't visible to others. This is a relatively small point overall. The battery life seems fine - I haven't run out so far, although I don't use it *that* much, and anyway its power supply is via micro USB, same as my phone and it charges in ~2hrs, so that's convenient!
Summary
Of the various units I've tried, this is my favourite for carrying around with me and for listening to music/podcasts; it seems to work fine for phone calls too. Only drawback is stability/comfort if used for long periods, especially if moving about a lot. Convenience outweighs minor comfort/stability problems for me.
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