Wednesday, August 17th, 2011
There’s no shortage of excellent headsets for the iPhone, but too often it’s been impossible for me to find something of equal quality for Android or BlackBerry. Sure, you can plug in the headphones themselves and they’ll work on everything, but the microphone and in-line buttons never do, turning your expensive headset into just another pair of in-ear headphones.
The Etymotic MC2 Headset solves this problem by offering universal compatibility – headphones, buttons and microphone all work on iOS, Android, BlackBerry and HP WebOS. The headphones themselves aren’t shabby either… these are the best £75 headphones you can buy, with superior noise cancellation and a rich sound too.
Etymotic MC2 Noise-Isolating Headset & Earphones
You can also get a sense of the style that quite figuratively drips off this headset in the picture above, with a cool polished black aluminium finish. Even the cabling is high quality; the cables have been reinforced with Kevlar (yes, that bullet-stopping stuff) to ensure they’ll easily outlast the two year warranty.
The kit also comes with a selection of earbuds of various shapes and sizes, so you can find the best fit for your ears. You can also see there’s a stylish clamp on the right, which you can attach to your ear if you feel the need. Or you could probably use it to clip the line to your shirt, whichever you prefer.
Etymotic MC2 Noise-Isolating Headset & Earphones
These are top quality headphones, unique in their universal operability and unmatched at their price point for aural accuracy. Check out the Etymotic MC2 product page for more information.
If you’ve got any questions or comments about the MC2s or indeed anything else, let me know via the usual channels:
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think!
Loading ...
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
As more and more of us are using our mobiles as our MP3 and Video players, and while the headphones that come in the box aren’t bad, they’re never the best. We’ve already put together a Headphone Buyers Guide, but what if you want to leave the wires behind and get yourself a set of Bluetooth Headphones? Well, to help you decide, here’s our top ten Bluetooth Headphones & Stereo Bluetooth Headsets.
Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Bluetooth Headphones:These are without doubt my favourite Bluetooth Headphones, hence they’re at number 1 in my top ten. Although it still has a wire, the IS-800 is pretty much the only headset that doesn’t feature a fairly bulky control unit. Instead this has a small, simple in-line control that allows you to answer and end calls. Battery life is impressive at upto 270 hours – especially considering how small this headset is! The only slight downside is that the IS-800 doesn’t have any music controls on, so you will need to control your music on your phone.
(more…)
Loading ...
Friday, March 20th, 2009
UPDATE: Apple have confirmed that the iPhone 3.0 software update will be available to download on the 17th June and will be free for iPhone users and there will be a small charge for iPod Touch users. More Information
In case you may have missed it, yesterday, Apple announced a new version of its iPhone software (iPhone 3.0) that also runs on the iPod touch. While a lot of the new features will only be available on the iPhone, there are a few new features that will make it onto the iPod Touch.
Applications will be smarter and able to do more, Copy & Paste will be added for email, but probably the most exciting addition to the iPod Touch (and iPhone 3G) is the introduction of Stereo Bluetooth that will allow you to listen to your music using Bluetooth Headphones, Bluetooth Car Kits and Stereo Bluetooth Speakers.
Did you say Bluetooth? On an iPod Touch?
You might be thinking I’m going a little bit crazy as the iPod Touch doesn’t have Bluetooth. Well, no I’m not crazy, the iPod Touch 2G does infact have Bluetooth built in, but Apple chose not to use it.
When the 2nd Generation iPod Touch launched last September, several people decided to take it to pieces and examine the components. Amongst them they found a Bluetooth chip, that until iPhone 3.0, has been lying dormant. This new version of the operating system will enable the chip to allow Bluetooth connections for peer-to-peer connections and the use of Stereo Bluetooth accessories.
Great news for all you music fans who are fed up of getting tangled in cables. Looks like its time to dig out my Motorola S9′s.
Apple are still to confirm whether you will be able to control your music using controls on Bluetooth Headphones, or whether it is only going to play music, either way its still an unexpected feature that will be more than welcome on the iPod Touch & iPhone 3G. The only bad news is that Stereo Bluetooth is not going to be available on the first generation iPod Touch or iPhone.
iPhone 3.0 will be a free upgrade to iPhone users and is expected to be available in June this year. iPod Touch users will have to pay a small fee for the software, which I’m guessing will be around £15.
Read our iPhone 3.0 Beta Review here.
Loading ...
Tags: apple, Bluetooth, headset, iPhone, iphone 3.0, iPod, ipod touch, software, stereo bluetooth, touch,
2 Comments
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008
Our friends over at the Gadget Show on Channel 5 recently reviewed 20 of the most popular Bluetooth Headsets on the market. Suzi tested them all out, and then ranked them based on comfort, fit, style and most importantly, call quality.
After putting the headsets to the test, this is how they ranked:
1) Aliph Jawbone 2 – The clearest of the range with advanced noise cancellation.
2) Invisio G5 – The worlds smallest Bluetooth headset.
3) Celleden Micro – Compact and simple Bluetooth headset.
4) Jabra JX20 Pura – Made from Titanium.
5) Bluetrek Metal – Ultra Slim at just 4mm thick.
Check out the video on the Gadget Show website where you will also be able to read the full reviews.
Loading ...
Tags: aliph, Bluetooth, bluetrek metal, celleden micro, headset, invisio g5, Jabra, jawbone, jx10 pura, review, test, Video,
Comments Off
Friday, September 26th, 2008
When choosing a Bluetooth Headset, its easy to become overwhelmed by the vast range of headsets available. They all look the same, do the same basic job, so whats the difference and what should you be looking for when choosing a Bluetooth Headset?
Design:
Bluetooth Headsets come in a range of shapes and sizes. They range from the more conventional "over the ear" with a boom microphone, to small "in the ear" headsets that are barely visible. Each style has its advantages – In ear headsets can be more comfortable, especially for those who wear glasses, where as "over the ear" headsets can be a bit more secure, with less risk of them falling off. All headsets can be adjusted to be worn on either the left or right ear.
Weight:
The smaller the headset, the lighter it should be. If you’re going to be wearing your headset for long periods, a lighter headset will be more comfortable, but with less weight and smaller size, you may have to compromise on battery life. The weight of a Bluetooth Headset ranges from around 9g to over 20g.
Battery Life:
Battery times on headsets have improved significantly over the last few years. It’s not unusual to find headsets with upto 12 hours talktime and upto 300 hours standby time. If you’re going to be using your headset more for making regular calls, talktime will be more important to you. If you don’t really make that many calls, but need a headset for when you do get the occasional call, then opt for one with a longer standby time.
Music:
Bluetooth Headsets aren’t just for taking calls. Stereo Bluetooth Headsets allow you to listen to your music in stereo (if supported by your phone). They work in the same way as a normal Bluetooth Headset, and will automatically pause your music when a call comes in. Stereo Bluetooth Headsets aren’t recommended if you’re driving, but are ideal for using at the gym, or during sporting and leisure activities. Most Stereo Bluetooth Headsets have music controls on them, allowing you to control your music without having to touch your phone. In order to stream music to a Stereo Bluetooth Headset you will need to make sure your phone supports the A2DP profile. Read our Bluetooth Guide for more information.
Charging:
How your headset charges can be quite important. A lot of headsets charge using the same connector as mobile phones, so its normally a good idea to opt for a headset that’s made by the same manufacturer as your phone. By using the same charger as you use on your phone, you won’t have to purchase a second charger for in the car, and you will only have to carry one charger around with you when you travel. Some headsets also support USB charging, making it easy to charge using a USB cable connected to your laptop if you’re out and about.
Multipoint:
Multipoint is a relatively new technology in Bluetooth Headsets. Standard Bluetooth Headsets normally allow you to pair with 2 or more phones, but only one can be active at any one time. Multipoint Bluetooth Headsets allow you to connect and use two phones at the same time – ideal if you carry a work mobile and a personal mobile. With Multipoint, both phones are connected, and when a call comes in, the audio is transferred to the headset automatically. If a call comes in on your other phone, you can easily switch between calls, just by pressing a button on the headset.
For more information on Multipoint and how it works, check out our guide to Multipoint.
Call Alert:
There’s nothing worse than leaving your phone on silent in your bag or pocket, it’s very easy to miss calls, especially if you’re in the car. Some Bluetooth Headsets now have vibration alert, so when a call comes in the headset will vibrate gently on your ear to alert you. Some headsets now have a discreet LED light that flashes when you have an incoming call.
Voice Dial:
Most current handsets support voice dialling. Activating voice dialling with a Bluetooth Headset is a case of simply pressing a button and saying the persons name that you want to call. Depending on your phone and the headset, it is possible to answer, end and reject calls all through voice control. For the best compatibility for voice dialling we would recommend a Bluetooth Headset made by the same manufacturer as your handset.
Loading ...
Subscribe to feed
