New Bluetooth stereo headphone comparisons!

[Menneisyys]

At HowardForums, Fire Dragan 418 has posted (http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=1025471) some comparative information on the currently available Bluetooth stereo headphones. Make sure you visit the thread.

Unfortunately, due to the limitations of the forum engine (there's no HTML table support), the results are a bit hard to read. I, therefore, took the liberty to convert the results to HTML so that they're far more readable:

THE CHART IS HERE – CLICK THE LINK!!!! (http://www.winmobiletech.com/sekalaiset/HowardForumsA2DPChart1022.html)

My remarks: I don’t think the Plantronics Pulsar 590A has bad Bluetooth range at all. On the contrary: in general, in our flat, I can listen to the room next to the room my Dell Axim x51v is located at (I’ve found the x51v to have the best range; my other, flawless, high-quality and compatible A2DP-capable PDA’s (PL720, hx4700) have slightly – but not much!! – less range). That is, the – in my opinion! – relatively bad range according to the chart shouldn’t be a showstopper.

As far as the Hi-Fi sound quality of the 590A is concerned, in the meantime, not very good highs aside (which, to a certain degree, can easily be cured by using equalization), I started to love my 590A a lot. It’s a really nice BT headphone – I certainly recommend it, despite the (comparatively) high price. I only wish the Bluetooth light could be entirely switched off – it’s really distracting and annoying in darkness.

Recommended links

You have skipping or other problems with your stereo Bluetooth headphones? Read this! (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=1350&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1)

Bluetooth remote control (AVRCP) compatible media players (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=1307&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1)

Mobileburn.com and PDAMania Publish Great Bluetooth Stereo Headset Roundups (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=1301&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1)

A2DP Headset Review Thread (http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1012057) - not many posts yet, but worth checking out

And, in general, the Bluetooth category (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&cat=53) on the Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine's Expert Blog. Make sure you check it out!

UPDATE (10/23/2006): discussions of this article / more info: PPCT (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=420984); AximSite (http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=140215).

[haesslich]

It's probably not the Freepulse, since those use Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, and are not AVCRP or A2DP capable from what I can tell - they completely lack controls, and they come with a BT 2.0 transmitter that fits into a 3.5mm jack. It's probably the first-gen "cracking headband" Logitech Wireless Headphones for MP3 (http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_amr.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2909&p_created=1125602794&p_sid=sYWKJLki&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9NTImcF9wcm9kcz04NDQsODA3JnBfY2F0cz0mcF9wdj0yLjgwNyZwX2N2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfcGFnZT0x&p_li=&p_topview=1) which are no longer listed on the product page. The FreePulse (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/CA/EN,CRID=2412,CONTENTID=12492) have a metal headband to prevent cracking and better sound quality, at the expense of the A2DP and AVRCP profiles.

The one they're missing here is the HT820s from Motorola, which DO let you turn off the BT light - I did it myself as I found it distracting. Range is good up to about 30-35 feet with brick walls in the way before sound either skips too much or cuts out entirely (I accidentally left an Axim in my room when heading out, didn't realize it until the sound stopped after I'd walked out and some distance away) with good sound quality up until the end).

The high range and bass is a little weak, but that can be tweaked.

[Menneisyys]

Thanks for the comment; I've changed the Logitech name.

The HT820 has indeed good range! It seems it's indeed much better than that of the 590A.

[haesslich]

Thanks for the comment; I've changed the Logitech name.

The HT820 has indeed good range! It seems it's indeed much better than that of the 590A.

The key here is that it wasn't line of sight - there were at least two brick walls in the way before skipping got bad (25-30 feet) and then it cut out another step or two after that... by which time I had to walk partway down the block, go back inside, and then get the Axim. In apartment, there's a bit more skipping if I put one wall with electronic wiring between me and it, but it's not bad, and that's past 20 feet, in one informal test using 320Kbps MP3s transmitted with PocketPlayer.

[Menneisyys]

Thanks for the comment; I've changed the Logitech name.

The HT820 has indeed good range! It seems it's indeed much better than that of the 590A.

The key here is that it wasn't line of sight - there were at least two brick walls in the way before skipping got bad (25-30 feet) and then it cut out another step or two after that... by which time I had to walk partway down the block, go back inside, and then get the Axim. In apartment, there's a bit more skipping if I put one wall with electronic wiring between me and it, but it's not bad, and that's past 20 feet, in one informal test using 320Kbps MP3s transmitted with PocketPlayer.

BTW, what did you use to transfer stuff to the device? A Class I BT unit, or, "traditional" Class II PDA's?

[haesslich]

Thanks for the comment; I've changed the Logitech name.

The HT820 has indeed good range! It seems it's indeed much better than that of the 590A.

The key here is that it wasn't line of sight - there were at least two brick walls in the way before skipping got bad (25-30 feet) and then it cut out another step or two after that... by which time I had to walk partway down the block, go back inside, and then get the Axim. In apartment, there's a bit more skipping if I put one wall with electronic wiring between me and it, but it's not bad, and that's past 20 feet, in one informal test using 320Kbps MP3s transmitted with PocketPlayer.

BTW, what did you use to transfer stuff to the device? A Class I BT unit, or, "traditional" Class II PDA's?

As I said... the Axim, which is Class II. I don't use BT with my PC, which means I'm unable to fully test the maximum range using a powerful transmitter (that would make the only limitation that of the headset's radio unit)

[Menneisyys]

Article updated

[haesslich]

http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_amr.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2684&p_created=1121712857&p_sid=rLwZRQki&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=2909&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PWRmbHQmcF9ncmlkc29ydD0mcF9yb3dfY250PTUyJnBfcHJvZHM9ODQ0LDgwNyZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9Mi44MDcmcF9jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1

This link is probably better for your article as it's the FAQ page for those headphones, including the battery life question (8 hours claimed).

[Menneisyys]

thx :)