Stereo Bluetooth Headset Comparison Review for Treo 650
By Allgamer
Motorola HT820 vs. Bluetake I-Phono BT420(EX / RX) vs. Logitech Wireless Headphones (iPod / HP IPAQ / MP3)
and Jabra A210 vs. Bluetake I-Phono BT430(TX) vs. Logitech Wireless Headphones
Introduction
The headsets reviewed in this article work out of the box normally for audio on phone conversations. However, they require a compatible Bluetooth dongle or Softick Audio Gateway (SAG) software for music, movie audio, and game and system sounds.
SAG software has some limitations. It only enables music, movie audio, and some game sounds to play through stereo Bluetooth headsets. Most game sounds, and all system and ring tone sounds are sent to your Treo 650’s external speaker. Also, you may notice that your Treo 650 becomes sluggish at times using SAG, and that some videos or demanding games will not play properly or lock up your system entirely. Future SAG versions are expected to solve these issues.
For full sound support and for better performance in the meantime, Bluetooth dongles are the way to go, especially for videos and graphic intensive games. It’s not ideal to have to carry an additional item with you. But carrying a dongle beats playing music via the built in Treo 650 speaker. It’s nice getting full audio functionality from your Treo 650 through stereo headsets.
If you are considering taking a Bluetooth dongle along with you, you should be aware of a few issues:
a) Compatibility
b) Features
c) Aesthetics
Regarding compatibility and features, the BT420 headset + BT430 dongle are a fairly perfect combination. You receive good audio quality for music, videos, games and etc. But you lose the ability to talk back. This is solvable by adding a Seidio 2 in 1 adapter (the microphone).
If you combine the Jabra A210 dongle with any headset like the HT820, you will gain the ability to talk back and answer/hang up the call from the headset without the addition of the Seidio 2 in 1 adapter, but you will receive very poor audio quality.
As to aesthetics, clearly not all models are built equally. There is a tradeoff with audio quality and features. For example, the HT820 and the Logitech models are as “normal” looking as possible for full size headset styles. But they both have some audio feature drawbacks. When the HBH-DS970 is released, it may be a better choice for looks, but you’ll lose on base sound due the type of ear bud design employed. If you don’t mind looking like an alien, then the BT420 series will give you better sound quality.
In the end, there’s no perfect Bluetooth stereo headset. It’s up to you to decide which one suits your needs. To help you make a decision, the table below contains a comparison of the most popular models.
Comparison Tables
If the table isn’t properly displayed on your screen please view this table in a dedicated popup window.
| Bluetooth Stereo Headsets |
Motorola HT820 |
Logitech Wireless Headphones (iPod/HP IPAQ/MP3) |
Bluetake I-Phono (BT420EX/ BT420RX) |
Bluetake I-Phono mini BT450RX
|
Plantronics Pulsar 590A (coming soon) |
Jabra BT620s (coming soon) |
Sony HBH-DS970 (coming soon) |
| Recommended | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| MSRP | US $120 | US $130 | US $150 | US $120 | US $250 | ||
Technical Specification |
|||||||
| A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HSP (Headset Profile) |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| HFP (Hands-Free Profile) |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| AVRCP (Audio Video Remote Control Profile) |
Yes (but not compatible with Treo650) | Yes (device specific, iPod/IPAQ) | Yes (but not compatible with Treo650) | Yes (but not compatible with Treo650) | Yes | ||
| Multi device Auto-switching |
Yes (works properly with most devices) |
No | Yes (might or might not work, depending on the device) |
Yes (might or might not work, depending on the device) |
Yes | Yes | |
| Pairing Multiple Devices |
Yes (Max 2 - 3?) | Yes? (in reality No) | Yes (Max 5) | Yes (Max 2) | Yes | ||
| Approximate Continuous Play |
12 h | 8 h | 7 h | 6 h | 10 h | 14 h | |
| Size | 165mm x 165mm x 63.5mm | Smaller than BT420 | 100 x 88 x 77 mm | 44 x 37 x 20 mm | L 5 7/8 �? x W 5 1/2�? x D 2 3/8�? | Tampon size | |
| Weight | 100 g | Lighter BT420 | 98 g | 44 g | 99 g | 27 g | |
| Portability | Fixed size, not bendable, complicated to fit into any medium size pocket |
Fixed size, it can squeeze into a medium size jacket pocket |
Foldable in 3 sections, easy to fit into small/medium size jacket pockets |
Foldable anywhere | Foldable | Fixed size | Fits anywhere |
| Approximate Radio Range |
10m (up to 5m when paired with Treo650, but more than 10m when paired with Jabra A210 dongle) |
10m (it is actually less) | 5m to 10m (up to 5m in reality, with any device) |
3m to 10m | 10m | ||
| Susceptible to Interference |
99.9% reliable |
Yes | Yes | Possible | |||
| Ear Cushion type |
Synthetic Leather | Regular sponge | Regular sponge | Regular sponge | Regular sponge | Regular sponge | |
Sound Quality |
Good | Passable | Great! | ||||
| Voice Calls |
Good | OK | Good | ||||
| Music Playback |
Good | OK | Excellent! | ||||
| -Treble | Too much | OK | Good | ||||
| -Base | Good | OK | Very Good! | ||||
| -Comments | -Crystal clear, -Too clear in my opinion, you can hear all the hissing sound on poor MP3 files -It has a good Base, but volume must be set to medium to high -Downside is the drilling high pitch Treble, same problem as ear buds, at levels that is good for the Base, the Treble will hurt your ears. |
Sound is very flat |
-Loud and clear
-Balanced sound |
||||
Accessories |
|||||||
| Included | -Manual -Wall charger |
-Manual -Wall charger |
-Manual -Wall charger |
-Manual -Wall charger |
-Manual -Wall charger |
-Manual -Wall charger |
-Manual -Wall charger |
| Unique/Bonus |
-Very Nice Quality Travel Pouch |
-3.5mm Bluetooth dongle adapter |
-Changeable Color Faceplates |
-3.5mm Bluetooth Stereo Transmitter (combo box only) -Travel Case |
-3.5mm Bluetooth dongle adapter -In-Flight Cable -USB Charger -Travel Case |
-Jabra A320s Bluetooth stereo |
-Neck strap |
Treo650 Compatibility |
|||||||
Overall compatibility |
Good | It varies from version to version of Logitech headsets |
Good | ||||
Bluetooth Buttons Functionality |
Great! | OK | Good (needs some getting used to) |
||||
Bluetooth Paring Properly |
OK, but Stable after first try | Very hard | Easy, but requires several tries to get it working Stable |
||||
# actual Rings before heatsets Rings |
2 or 3 (beep-chirps) | unreliable (toouuds) | 1 or 2 (rings) | ||||
Treo Software version required |
1.20 (GSM) / Unknown (CDMA) | ||||||
Colors Available |
Black | White / Black | Black / White (can change color) | Black / Charcoal / White | Black | Black | Black / Orange / Silver / Gray |
Other |
|||||||
| Affordable | Yes | No, Expensive for its poor quality and reliability |
Yes, Pricey but way worth it | OK, rather Pricey | No, Too Expensive | Yes, Expensive but worth it | |
| Design Similarity |
-Over the ear -Studio style, similar to Sony wired headsets |
-Over the ear
-Cheap design, similar to the ones that come with any low end cd player |
-Over the ear -Sporty style, seems to be aimed more at athletes than your usual folks |
-Over the ear, without the headband |
-Over the head |
-Over the ear | -Ear bud |
| Fragile Factor |
It is "OK" it can break apart if not handled with care, but is not as Fragile as the ones from Logitech. |
Very Fragile!, it breaks unbelievably easy, I've gone through a few exchanges in a matter of days within a week. |
Very sturdy, it's Foldable design prevents it from breaking apart in the headband area. |
Fragile design, needs extra care with the wires |
Sturdy | ||
| WOW Factor |
MP3/CD/iPod users will find it Cool, sometimes with the "wow cool!" (long awe effect) face. |
MP3/CD/iPod will find it OK | MP3/CD/iPod will find it Neat, sometimes will say "cool" (short) |
MP3/CD/iPod will find it…"same old, same old" until they take a closer look |
|||
| Weirdo Factor |
Regular folks might look at you, trying to figure out where are the wires |
Regular folks will most likely |
Regular folks will most likely look at you with an odd face |
Regular folks will most likely think…"another iPod user" |
| Bluetooth Dongles | Jabra A210 |
Bluetake I-Phono (BT430/TX) |
Logitech Wireless Headphones |
| Recommended | No | Yes | No |
| MSRP | US $60 | Included with the Headset combo package |
Included with the Headset |
Technical Specification |
|||
| A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pairing Multiple Devices |
No | No | No |
Can Pair with Other Headsets |
Yes | No (Proprietary only to Bluetake devices) |
No (Proprietary only to Logitech devices) |
| Approximate Continuous Play |
8 h | 7 h | 8 hr |
| Audio-source Stereo-out Jack |
2.5 mm | 3.5 mm | 3.5 mm |
| Size | 48 x 37 x 8 mm | 51 x 52 x 15 mm | Very Big! |
| Approximate Radio Range |
10m (it's actually more than 10m) |
5m to 10m (up to 5m in reality) | 10m (it is actually less) |
| Susceptible to Interference |
No | Yes | No |
Two way communication |
Yes | No | No |
Sound Quality |
Horrible! | Great! | Passable |
| Voice Calls |
Good | Good | Good |
| Music Playback |
Mono (or very bad stereo, sounds like an old radio with bad reception) |
Stereo (loud and clear) | Stereo (good) |
Accessories |
|||
| Included | -Manual -Wall charger -Velcro to attach behind the audio device |
-Manual -Wall charger -Velcro to attach behind the audio device |
-Manual -Wall charger |
| Unique/Bonus | -BELT Holster, wall charger -PAIRING Stick |
-Straps to attach behind the audio device -USB Charger |
-3.5mm extension cold |
Treo650 Compatibility |
|||
Extra item required to Talk back in phone conversation |
Not needed | Requires 2.5mm to 3.5mm, Seidio 2 in 1 adapter |
Requires 2.5mm to 3.5mm, Seidio 2 in 1 adapter |
| Bluetooth Hang up/Answer call functionality |
Compatible | Not Possible | Not Possible |
Fits in the same case as Treo |
It can squeeze into most Soft Cases, and maybe some Hard Cases depending on space |
It can fit into some Soft Cases, with Hard Cases it needs to be attached outside |
It will NOT fit anywhere. |
| Bulky package when combined with Treo |
No | Yes | Extremely! |
Other |
|||
| Fragile Factor |
The wires are very susceptible to break off internally after a few bends |
Very sturdy | Sturdy |
Conclusion
In my personal opinion:
- Best Sound Quality combo, I’ll go for the Bluetake I-Phono BT420 series.
- Best Sound without a Bluetooth dongle adapter, the Bluetake I-Phono BT420 series.
- Ease of Use and Good Sound without a Bluetooth dongle adapter, the Moto HT820.
- Max feature set to fully use my Treo650, I’ll go for the Moto HT820 and Jabra A210 combo
- Best Look, there is only one obvious choice Sony HBH-DS97
- Best Look and Max feature set, Sony HBH-DS97 and Jabra A210 combo
Filed under: Accessory reviews
Loading ...
Finally, a comprehensive review of the stereo Bluetooth headsets. Thank you MTDN.
I bit the bullet a couple weeks ago and got the Moto HT820. Combined with SAG, they sound AMAZING (when it works). It takes a bit of frustration to get it working each time. Outside, it can cut out easily. Though, I am still glad I purchased it. I can’t wait for the update to SAG, which should make it all perform better.
The cut out problem is not in the bluetooth headsets but the SAG software.
SAG will pause every time you click on something, or an alarm comes up or anything that happens in the Treo it will cause SAG to momentary pause until the action is completed.
Wonderful & helpful review. But (important) portions of the table are blocked by the mytreo.net sidebar, both on Mozilla & IE. Please work with the editors to either remove the sidebar or move it out of the way.
The MOTO ht820 are awsome. I am very impressed with these headphones and they look normal. Starting songs can be a pain at times but over all this product is great.
SAG takes the cake though. without them none of this would be possible.
Thank you, very good review!
Will there be a time when a firmware upgrade to the Treo 650 will allow full Bluetooth stereo and phone conversation without dongles and compatibility problems?
Right now any of the available choices does not seem to be very appealing!
Thanks again
I am still a bit confused. will the HT820 work with my treo 650 out-of-the-box? The phone functionality works but I can’t make it work to listen to stereo music from my treo 650.Can anybody give me instructions on how to do it, please.
Edwin
I purchased the Bluetake 450rx, the Bluetake 420rx and the Motorola HT820. I sent back the Bluetakes after listening to the Motorola. The sound of the Motorola is much better. Also, the Bluetakes felt very loose on my head making it feel like they could fall off easily. LOVE THE HT820s
OK, I guess I’ll have to admit that I rode the short bus to school, cause I’m still not 100% clear…to use the HT820’s in fully function mode with the 650 (answer calls while listening to music), I’ll need the Jabra A210? Also, where is the mic for the HT820?
Sorry to be such a doofus…
I bought the HT820’s and was very disappointed. The call quality was great. The music on the other had was very high on the treble and no way to adjust it (unless you use the eq with Pocket tunes, but even then not very good).
The device was easy to set up, just install the SAG software (http://www.softick.com/bluetooth-audio/) read the FAQ, and your good to go.
The headphones were very awkward to wear and I could not wear them for longer than 10 minutes at a time.
In response to some questions above:
The HT820’s will not play stereo music out of the box, you need to install SAG or a similar application.
No, you should not need the Jabra A210, once the devices are paired up (SAG also needs to be installed and running…) you should be able to answer calls with the touch screen or I think…one of the buttons on the side of the headphones.
The mic on the HT820 is hidden on the right ear phone if my memory serves….. Look for a small ‘pin hole’. The sales man couldn’t even show me where it was… I found it when I got home.
I am about to buy the Plantronics
Pulsar 590A, has anyone tried those yet?
I would like to buy one of them but I dont know which one.
Can i use them for STEREO multiplayer computer games WITH MICROPHONE?
or when I use mic it works only mono mode?
thx
I just got the HT280, but i think the sudi kinda sucks, the volume isn’t that lound in my opinion, any ideas?? tried everything, also this came with a dongle for BT? mine didn’t so i used the generice one i had, and it allowed it to pair, but when playing music on pc, i still hear it through lqptop speakers too. any help would be gret!!!!!!
Thanks,
Faslane