|
Functionality/Style:
 The size and weight of the BT-03A wireless headset makes it very portable. There is a hard plastic carrying case that comes with the headset to keep it from getting damaged. The downside of being so light and small is the headset is somewhat fragile. While it can probably withstand being dropped occasionally, any constant physical stress would probably break it.
The ear pieces are hook style and we had no problems with excess pressure or poor comfort even after prolonged use. I personally had the headset hooked onto my ears for 6 hours straight and barely noticed them until they were removed. The only wire you will find on the headset is the one that connects both ear pieces. This wire is very non invasive and comfortably rests on the back of the neck or under the chin depending on your preference.
The control buttons for volume, play/pause, and track surfing are located on the right ear piece. While the buttons are straight forward, they are tough to navigate when wearing the wireless headset. Often times we would accidentally hit pause when trying to adjust volume.
Charging was straight forward and took 2 hours for a full charge. Both the 3.5mm dongle and BT-03A headset have a red LED indicator to let the user know it is charging. Once the LED turned off you are ready to go. Our primary gripe was the fact you would have to charge the dongle separately from the headset. If you are using Bluetooth capable devices, it’s not a problem, but if you don’t, you might want to look into getting a separate charger so you can avoid doubling your charge time.
Overall the ease of use is excellent. The manual included provides instructions in several different languages and are newbie friendly to those that may have never used a Bluetooth stereo headset before.
Sound Performance:
We tested the BT-03A wireless headset on several different devices. Each one had different audio output performance so we’ll go into detail for each one and how it handled the BT-03A headset.
 The first test was done using a Dell desktop pc without Bluetooth using the 3.5mm audio dongle. The sound was produced using generic onboard sound hardware that came with the computer. Surfing the latest free online music websites such as Slacker and Pandora, the sound quality was clear with no audible hiss that you sometimes get when connecting to online music sites. Highs were clear, drum beats tight, but the bass was obviously lacking, which we expected from the start with this type of headset.
The second test was done using a custom built computer that was Bluetooth compatible and sporting a Sound Blaster 5.1 Live sound card. We tested both CD’s and MP3’s using Windows Media Player and iTunes. They all provided decent sound quality with no discernable difference other then the typical hiss you usually hear in MP3’s recorded at low rates. Overall the sound quality was just as good as the pair of medium range wired headsets we typically use.
The third test was done using a Sony Viao, generic onboard sound drivers and 3.5mm audio dongle. Once again we tested a CD and some MP3’s through iTunes, but unfortunately there was a very audible hissing with both. We swapped out the BT-03A with our wired headset and could still hear the hiss so we chalked it up to poor sound drivers with the laptop.
The fourth test was done using an iPod nano. The sound actually seemed a little better then the standard wired headphones that came with the iPod, providing a decent volume level while keeping clear highs and acceptable lows considering the size of the headphones.
The fifth and final test was done using a Motorola Razr V3m phone with Bluetooth. Once again the BT-03A performed flawlessly and I was able to clearly hear the person on the other end of the line. We would not recommend this as a wireless phone solution though since there are better options which include a microphone.
Overall the sound quality is very clear even at high volume levels and competitive with wired headphones in the same range. Since these are hook style headphones, any environmental noise is going to seep through, but this problem will be prevalent with any headset that did not fully enclose the ear or have an ear bud style. Unfortunately the bass is lacking with this headset as expected, but that is the typical price you pay for a portable and compact wireless headset solution.
|
