Sony DRBT21G/B Stereo Bluetooth® Headset | List Price: $99.99
Discount Price: $97.19
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Brand: Sony
Binding: Electronics
Features: - Wireless neck-band style
- Remote control on the earpiece
- Subtle built-in microphone
- Rechargeable function
- A2DP profile to transmit stereo sound
Perfect headset to listen to music from your PC [Posted on 2008-04-09]
Wow. Just received these and paired them up with my PC (Windows Vista) to listen to my PC Audio through these headsets.
Installation was fairly straigthforward. Once your PC finds the Bluetooth device, it installs drivers automatically (Windows Vista) through Windows Update and will stream your PC Audio to these.
They did not work right away but once the driver was installed and I re-paired them up with the PC, they worked.
Pretty good as compared to others I have, Jabra BT620S & Logitech Freepulse [Posted on 2008-04-20]
I just got these after my Logitech Freepulses just went out on me. I think they are still under warranty, so I will get them fixed but I need something in the interim and my Jabra's are too bulky for working out (for me at least).
My impressions of the Sony's are from the last couple of hours, since I just got them, but I did compare them side by side with the Jabra's and the Logitech, although, it is difficult to compare the sound quality with the Logitech since only one side is workiong at the moment.
Overall impression of the Sony's are good, not great, but better than most. Truth is that each of them have their pros and cons and I have not found any that are all around perfect. It really depends on how you plan on mostly using them. I wanted them for working out first, while listening to spoken word audio, books on tape, podcasts, etc.. So, for me, first importance was comfort and size, then sound quality and features.
I have not found either the Jabra's or the Sony's (just made a call with them), to be very good as cell phone headset. I spent so much time looking for a decent bluetooth cell phone headset, that I doubt one of these multi-tasking headsets are able to as good of a job as my Jawbone, with it's noise cancelling feature.
Anyway, I figure I would write a short review on all my bluetooth headsets, since most people may be wondering which ones to get.
* Sony BT210 - comfort is fairly good, although, the hard plastic is pressing down against my ear and I think that may wear into uncomfortableness after prolonged periods (some padding or cushion may fix that though), they are also small enough to look decent on my head, not too obtrusive, sound quality is above average although, the bass is low, which can be altered with an EQ setting on your mp3, that does make a difference, but still not great, but respectible, I really like the portability, they fold up nice and compact, I also really like the controls and their placement, I can easily control my ipod from these, which is a huge plus when I am on the treadmill or have my ipod tucked away in my pocket, etc.. These also have a nice small ipod adaptor. The adaptor uses the ipod's power which may drain the ipod power prematurely though. These headphones are probably best for travel, since they fold compactly. I got these with the ipod adpator in the case, for $149 + tax from Frys electronics. SO, they aren't cheap, but also not the most expensive.
* Jabra BT620S - fairly comfortable, they are soft and cushy but feel a little heavier than the others, although the plastic that goes around the ear is not cutting into my ear like the Sonys, I could wear these for extended periods with little discomfort, but for my little head, they tend to look like little earmuffs or make me look like an alien, and do not seem to be flattering to my thin face So, I don't wear them in public much :), these sound the best at of my 3, deeper bass and more full sounding, I use these when I am listening to music at a static location typically, they aren't as portable as the others, being bulkier and larger, the controls are good, just takes a little getting used, like which earpiece controls volume and which play, pause and skip, etc. The adaptor for my ipod is larger then the Sony's, but it also has it's own rechargable battery, which, I would imagine, doesn't drain the ipod as quickly as the Sonys. Overall, I'd say these were best for listening while being static or walking, too heavy for gym exercise, IMO. These run about $129, I think, although I am not sure if that was with an adaptor.
* Logitech Freepulse - These are probably the better all around headphones, the most comfortable, with gel rings that sit above your ears to support the ear pieces, these felt the most comfortable and work well when I am at the gym on the treadmill, etc., the headband is more rigid than the others, which I think, tends to distribute the weight better and not cause them to be uncomfortable for long periods, they are small enough to not look funny on my ears, their sound is pretty good, not as good as the Jabra's, but possibly comparable to the Sonys with a little better bass response. These aren't as portable as the Sonys but smaller than the Jabras. They lack the full controls of the others, since the adaptor has a 2.5mm plug, and connects to the top of the ipod, not the bottom. But, this is also a plus, since I can plug it in to multiple other devices, like a tv, computer 2.5mm jack from the sound card, etc, thus, it makes it more versatile and the adaptor is included in the package for a reasonable price. This headset is also the least expensive, about $99, including the adaptor. These also require the adaptor battery to be recharged, so it does not drain the ipod.
These are the pair I use most often, although, I am going to start using the Sonys and see if they stay comfortable for prolonged periods. I hope they do, I really like the controls and portability. Overall, I think the Logitechs are the most versatile for most situations.
Anyway, hope that helps.
Update 4/30/2008
Ok, I have now had these headphones for a little over a week and have used them a few times at the gym. I was right about the comfort, they are okay for a while, but then they start sliding down toward my ears, causing a little edging into my ears. It is isn't terrible, but a little annoying, I do have to readjust them upwards ocasionally. I am going to find some type of cushioning to put there and that should help that problem. The sound is okay, although, they don't drown out the ambient sound of the gym as much as I would like, but, you can turn the volume up to compensate somewhat. Anyway, overall, I still agree with my first impressions, they do the job nicely, the ipod controls are great, the portability is perfect, and the sound and quality are above average. Oh, and the bluetooth reception appeared to work better than my other headphones, which is another plus.
A giant in the land of midgets [Posted on 2008-05-07]
If you're like me, you've just about given up trying to find a reliable bluetooth headset and transmitter. Look no further. I bought this unit with the matching transmitter ("Sony Bluetooth Wirleless Transmitter for iPod (Black)"), and have been enjoying clear, reliable music ever since. This headset has a volume adjustment that actually works -- the upper volume range is amazing. The track-changing controls are also snappy (just flick to change). The unit pairs quite well with its own transmitter.
Bluetooth is not great for deep sounds, so the bottom range is just okay. But the overall sound is better than any competing products.
One recommendation that I am surprised no one has considered: an on-off switch that, once flipped on, automatically pairs without having to hold buttons down. All bluettoth headsets are guilty of this gaffe.
Nice sounding, long lasting, good fit [Posted on 2008-05-14]
I bought these primarily to listen to music off my computer and for running while listening to music off my A2DP/AVCRP compatible phone. In both cases they worked so well, I went ahead and sprung for the sony bluetooth iPod adapter.
Pairing was as simple as it gets with bluetooth; hopefully near field communications will make this flashing LED system obsolete in the future. Regardless, the headphones paired with my mac, cellphone, and the sony bluetooth adapter without issue, and seems to remember each of those whenever I turn them back on together; that is to say, you don't have to keep re-pairing. Especially neat is that I can sit at my desk listening to music on my computer (in full stereo A2DP w/AVCRP controls for the music) while at the same time being connected to my phone; if someone calls, the music pauses and I can answer the phone and talk, then return to listening to music seamlessly!! Pretty neat to be able to stay connected to multiple sources that way. And it is super convenient to have the controls on the headset itself; I worked out the other day with my iPod on the floor and could skip tracks and adjust volume without getting it out of the bag.
The sound is nice with good bass and fair clarity, about the same as the wired street style headphones; that being said, you'll still get better sound from high quality wired headphones (at a similar price point, I recommend a nice pair of Sennheisers, the Bose triport, or for in ear, the ultimate ears 5 if you can get away with noise isolation). I have not noticed much in the way of background hiss unless I am listening at barely audible volume levels or to a 'noisy' .mp3. I can't speak to the microphone quality, I've used it a few times with no complaints but primarily I'm a music man.
The fit has its pros and cons. On the one hand, it stays put fairly well and is comfortable enough if you take the time to position the headphones properly. However, I don't see why adding a little bit of silicone loop (like the wired street style) would have been such a tough thing to do. If they had done so, these would have received a full five stars from me.
Overall, I would recommend these headphones as they outperform every competing set I've come across; there are more expensive, better sounding bluetooth headsets (notably the big ones from Sony) but they compromise the portability, light weight and exercise friendly design of these. I haven't had any problems with audio dropout or durability, they work for exercise and stationary listening, they have good sound with plenty of bass and definition, and they easily last for ten hours of stereo music listening. If they had only slapped some silicon on there, these would be perfect!!
superb headset at this pricepoint [Posted on 2008-05-28]
Just got these to pair with an LG enV and my laptop using a bluetooth USB dongle, and I'm more than happy with the results.
Audio is very clear, good bass response, good dynamic range, I'd have to say they're even better than similar over-the-ear wired headphones by Sony I've used in the past.
My only complaint is the 'folding' mechanism - they don't fold flat, so they might be likely to break if you stuff them in a full bag. It would've been a better idea to make them adustable instead of folding - they're far too large for my girlfriend's head, though they fit my (rather large) head very well. Been wearing them for about 6 hours straight with little discomfort.
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