11-01-2006, 04:00 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 18
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Sony Ericsson Mobile Bluetooth Headset HBH-IV835
Product Category: Bluetooth Headset
Manufacturer: Sony Ericsson Mobile
Where to Buy: Sony Ericsson Web Store
Price: $119.95 USD
System Requirements: A Bluetooth-enabled mobile device supporting the Hands-Free (HFP) and Headset (HSP) profiles.
Pros:
Extremely small design; Comfortable with glasses or sunglasses; Good range;Good audio quality;Simple to operate.
Cons:
BT Headset power users may miss certain features.
Summary:
This Sony headset immediately caught my eye due to its clean and simple style. Unlike headsets that make the wearer look like an urban Borg, this style is unobtrusive and elegant. The only downside might be the lack of extra features that headset power-users have come to expect.
Read on for the full review!
What's in the Box?
The Sony Ericsson Mobile Bluetooth Headset HBH-IV835 box includes:the headsetan AC chargera neck strapthree rubber ear piecesa Multi-lingual user guide
Figure 1: In addition to the HBH-IV835 Bluetooth Headset, the box includes an AC power adapter, three rubber ear pieces and a multi-lingual user guide.
First Impressions, Design and Specifications
The first thing that struck me about the headset was its elegant appearance. There's no display, no overabundance of buttons, and no ear-hook. Instead there is a simple 45� angled piece which measures 2.43" long by 0.45" wide and weighs just 0.3 ounces. The headset's body is composed of matte black plastic with a glossier black plastic panel on the front. A thin line of chrome dresses up an otherwise somber exterior, and there is a flash of green from the Sony Ericsson logo. Although quite compact and light, the headset feels solid and does not creak when flexed. There is only one user operable button on the front panel, which is the long silver call handling button.
Figure 2: The headset's body is composed of black plastic with one long silver call handling button on the front.
The base of the headset has the charging connector and power button. The charging connector does not have a rubber cover, so there is a possibility that dust might get inside the port. While charging an LED above the front panel's Sony logo will glow red. Once charging is complete, the LED will glow green.
Figure 3: The charging connector and Power button.
The back side of the headset holds the microphone and the earpiece. That's all there is to the device; it is clean, straightforward, and most of all - simple to operate.
Figure 4: The microphone is at the end of the headset.
According to the Sony site, "With digital echo and noise cancellation, fast automatic volume adjustment, auto pairing and Bluetooth 2.0 for a more secure connection, the HBH-IV835 provides the best possible sound quality for both you and the person you are talking to."
I'll talk about how it did shortly...
Using the Headset
In order to use the headset, it will first need to paired with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. Pressing and holding the Power button for five to eight seconds activates the pairing function. It is imperative that the mobile phone have the Bluetooth function turned on so that it can be discovered by other Bluetooth devices.
Figure 5: The "Found Devices" screen on my Samsung A900 mobile phone.
Once the headset has been "found" by the mobile phone, pairing will occur. When prompted the typical pass code of "0000" will need to be entered to complete the pairing, at which time the headset will now function in tandem with the phone.
Figure 6: The headset is now a "Trusted Device" and is ready to be used.
If pairing with a Windows Mobile 5 device, please refer to the excellent set of instructions Darius Wey prepared in a past review.
There are three rubber ear pieces included to ensure that a comfortable and secure fit is made. When properly and firmly fitted, the headset will sit securely in the user's ear canal opening. Because there are no parts that go over the ear, this headset is perfect for wearing with prescription glasses or sunglasses. Although there is no additional method to secure the headset, I felt fairly confident with the seal between my ear and the rubber earpiece even while walking quickly. The included neck strap can be used when not making calls if the user does not want to wear the headset.
Making a call is done by pressing the long silver call handling button on the headset's front. This will activate the voice command that responds with a peppy, "Say a command!" Replying with the name of a contact as it is stored in the phone will result in the confirmation question, "Did you say 'Call ___?" requiring a yes or no response. Answering "Yes" will get the reply "Connecting", and then the number will be dialed. Terminating a call is done by once again pressing the button.
Incoming calls are answered by tapping the call handling button, and they are terminated by tapping it again. A call can be rejected by pressing and holding the call handling button for two seconds. The headset will perform voice commands such as "dial, redial, answer, and reject" as long as they are supported by the mobile phone.
One of the more interesting features of the headset is the automatic volume adjustment; the headset is able to tell when the earpiece's volume needs to be raised or lowered - there are no controls to manually adjust this function, and I never missed them.
Performance
The headset's range is fairly typical to other Bluetooth headsets I've tried; it's listed as 33 feet, and I found 30 feet to be about the limit that it could go from the mobile phone before the disconnecting trill was heard. Call quality was always best when the phone was within 10 feet of the headset, but it was still passable up to about 25 feet. Distances much further than that resulted in static and patchy quality.
Calls that I made and received on the headset were exceptionally clear. When asked, people I talked to would say that my voice was crystal clear; they were not even aware that I was speaking from a headset. The only time I noticed any interference was when I was standing outside in the wind, and it was all on my side. The personal I was talking to said I was still crystal clear, so go figure...
Battery life is rated for a maximum standby time of 160 hours with a maximum talk time of 3.5 hours. I have had the headset for a little over a week, and have only charged it once. Battery status can be checked by pressing the power button. A resulting solid green LED followed by three flashes means that the battery is full, two flashes means the battery is half full, and a single flash means that the battery is nearly empty.
Conclusions
Power users that have come to expect a serious set of bells and whistles might be tempted to dismiss the simplicity of the HBH-IV835, but I feel that would be a mistake. This headset does exactly what I need - it made and received clear calls with a minimum of fuss. I must confess that I actually like it better than the Bluespoon AX2 which until now had been my favorite.
Judie Hughes, who spent six years earning a reputation as a respected gadget reviewer from The Gadgeteer, has joined the Pocket PC Thoughts review team. Her newest project, Gear Diary, continues her exploration of the gadget world, with blog entries and reviews of all things geeky.
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11-01-2006, 04:59 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,305
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I happen to like the urban borg look tvm. :lol:
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11-01-2006, 05:10 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 18
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Perhaps it suits your face better than mine. :lol:
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11-01-2006, 05:12 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,305
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Ouch! Good one! :lol:
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11-01-2006, 05:15 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Nice review Judie - great to see your work published here. :mrgreen:
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11-01-2006, 05:40 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 267
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How does this compare to the Plantronics 600 series? I have the Plantronics 640, but the 645 and the new 655 both have DSP and are Bluetooth 2.0. They are all also about the same weight as the Sony Ericsson, but a quarter inch shorter. I'd be interested in a performance comparison, since I've been thinking of upgrading my 640 to the 645 or 655.
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11-01-2006, 05:45 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 7
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Quote:
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Making a call is done by pressing the long silver call handling button on the headset's front. This will activate the voice command that responds with a peppy, "Say a command!" Replying with the name of a contact as it is stored in the phone will result in the confirmation question, "Did you say 'Call ___?" requiring a yes or no response. Answering "Yes" will get the reply "Connecting", and then the number will be dialed.
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Is this to say that one doesn't need Microsoft voice command on the device?
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11-01-2006, 06:01 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 18
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@jgrnt1 - If I can get my hands on the 645 or 655 I'll be happy to do a comparison.
@jrsfau - Ha, in a perfect world perhaps. Sorry, that was while using the headset on the Samsung A900. The exact routine gone through will depend upon the device in question.
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11-01-2006, 06:05 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 459
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I've had one of these for several weeks now, as a replacement for several Bluespoon AX units which had a really nasty (and common across the AX and AX2 range) habit of frying their batteries and then frying themselves. I like it a lot and I can back Judie's comments as to call clarity.
I'm guessing that Judie's 'phone device has some sort of voice software built-in, though it doesn't sound like MS VoiceCommand. I use VC with my Hermes and, with the VC through BT hack it works pretty well. I find it best to use a pretty innocuous command (like "what time is it") when I first connect the headset after a soft reset of my Hermes, because that first time VC over BT is not reliable (not the headset's fault). After that, it works like a dream.
My major con with this headset is the earpiece: I can't find which of the buds is best for me. I'm currently using the largest, and with some careful wiggling of it (following a hit given in Jason's recent '2 inch view' article about ultimate ears headphones, which have similar buds), I can mostly get a reasonable fit. However, it still needs refitting every 30 to 60 minutes, and it can come loose without you noticing - I have nearly lost it on several occasions. I'm considering getting some of the ultimate ears foam buds since they apparently fit this headset nicely.
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11-01-2006, 09:22 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 8
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Ok, I just bought it based on your review Judie, and it looks cool... lol
I have the latest Motorola, but it never felt good on my ear, hear's to hoping this will be a better fit! 
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Linear Mode
