On a scale of 1 to 10, these bluetooth headphones rock out pretty hard.
LG makes a lot of different devices, from Netbook computers to stove tops to televisions and blueray players. Today I’m reviewing one of their smaller gadgets, a pair of bluetooth stereo headphones. This is a pretty straightforward hardware review, not some kitchy byplay full of personal commentary on the state of our civilazation and the degradation of our social milieu. Mostly.
No, seriously, let’s cut straight to the chase. What’s the point of having bluetooth headphones? You don’t want wire draped all over your body, getting caught on chairs, keyboards, elbows, and the other myriad detritus of urban living. Ideally, you’d also like good stereo sound, decent bass, comfort, and a microphone so you can use them on your mobile handset or bluetooth-enabled PC with Skype. The HBS-250 delivered.
Comfort: The headphones are comfortable. Even though they have foam padding against the ear, my ears don’t get hot and sweaty. And since they’re not in-ear, there’s no gradual pain or discomfort from having something stuck in your ear all day. The behind the ear clips are easy to use and totally innocuous.
Sound: The sound is great. There’s an EQ button for switching between sound settings (more bass, live settings, etc.) They frankly sound very good.
Ease-of-use: Setup on the iPhone and the computer was excellent. Simple, straightforward and easy to do. Just turn on the “discovery” feature on the handset / computer, turn on the headphones, and then you get a “would you like to synch the HBS-250?” message. Done. Now, operating the headphones is slightly more challenging. The buttons are small and a little finicky – you have to get used to which ones are located where, and gently feel around. Also, and this is actually pretty lame, the skip /reverse track feature doesn’t work with my iPhone. The headphones are built with LG mobile handsets specifically in mind, but I think this is a pretty key feature, and I’d like to be able to skip tracks without having to go directly to the device. Volume seems to work fine though, as does pause / play. So that’s something at least. But the tricky buttons and failed skip issues are the weakest points for me.
Phone calls: I was happy to see that these headphones come with a microphone, making them perfectly usable as a hands-free calling headset. The sound quality is good. It’s isn’t great, but it’s good. I can hear the other person’s conversation perfectly. Folks on the other end of the call say I sound a little like I’m in a tunnel, but perfectly understandable. I did have one call (out of 3 test calls over a period of 2 days, in a variety settings) that was a total fail. Solly couldn’t hear me at all, and I had to switch to just the phone itself, where I was then totally undersatandable. Still, all bluetooth headsets I’ve used have occassional failed calls, so this wasn’t too distressing. Maybe I should be more finicky, but for the most part I think these are pretty good.
Still and all, I think the headphones / music part is the big win for these. I was bummed initially that they aren’t a little more “sports” oriented – I don’t think I’d want to use these to run with for instance. Sweaty foam bums me out. But, then again, I always exercise with a shuffle, and those don’t do bluetooth, so the point becomes pretty moot.
If I were forced to give the LG HBS-250 a numeric rating between 1 and 10, I’d cal it an 8. Usability issues notwithstanding, this is a good looking, effective gadget that delivers a lot of value. (Speaking of value, these aren’t super cheap at $80. But if you’re in the market for bluetooth headphones and you have the cash to spend, I’d pick some up.) Nicole Lee at CNET has an excellent review with additional specs and info.
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