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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > iPhone, iPad & iPod > Stereo Bluetooth headset woes

Stereo Bluetooth headset woes
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dpicardi
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Jun 24, 2009, 12:20 PM
 
Anyone having success on their iPhone using a stereo Bluetooth headset to listen to music? My moto s9-HD works just fine as a phone headset. The sound is crystal clear. But when I try to listen to my iPod it is a disaster. It clips in and out and has a very consistent drum beat of clicking. I imagine the CIA could use it in place of water boarding because within 30 seconds it will drive you crazy and do anything to make the noise stop.

Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

I have a new 3Gs with 3.0 software installed.

Thanks!
     
dpicardi  (op)
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Jun 28, 2009, 03:03 PM
 
...
     
ghporter
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Jun 28, 2009, 03:25 PM
 
I don't have a stereo headset yet. Just graduated, looking for a job, the iPhone was all my "discretionary spending" for quite a while.

With that said, I'm looking at a Plantronics unit, one of the Explorer series. They have a very strong reputation for great audio. But then, so does Motorola. I can't help but think that there's a setting or something that's causing your problem.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
d0ubled0wn
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Jun 28, 2009, 09:03 PM
 
I have a Plantronics Voyager 855 on order. I'll report back once I've tried it out.

edit:
The headset works flawlessly with iPhone 3gs. It's just slightly lacking in bass response. I'm curious about the battery time on these things.
( Last edited by d0ubled0wn; Jul 3, 2009 at 11:25 AM. Reason: Update)
     
dpicardi  (op)
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Jul 7, 2009, 11:27 AM
 
Thanks. Look forward to hearing what you both find out.

Thanks for replying.
     
dpicardi  (op)
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Jul 7, 2009, 11:33 AM
 
Well what do you know.

Tried it again this morning and it works flawlessly.

I have no idea why. But the sound quality is excellent and it is working without a hitch.
     
ghporter
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Jul 7, 2009, 04:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by d0ubled0wn View Post
I have a Plantronics Voyager 855 on order. I'll report back once I've tried it out.

edit:
The headset works flawlessly with iPhone 3gs. It's just slightly lacking in bass response. I'm curious about the battery time on these things.
I just got mine in yesterday, also an 855. I love it. It's light, it does stereo really well, and as you say, the only thing lacking is bass. The pairing went almost too easily-it paired before I finished reading the instructions.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
amazing
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Jul 20, 2009, 12:00 AM
 
How does the plantronics 855 do with wind while you're walking, or driving with the windows open? (finger hovering over the amazon button...)
     
ghporter
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Jul 20, 2009, 09:42 AM
 
The 855's earpieces are in-ear. They fit well (it comes with a bunch of different sizes) and muffle extraneous noise quite well. I haven't driven with the windows open (at about 100ºF every day, air conditioning is life support!) but the earpiece has handled lots of road noise and other sounds quite well. And both sides use the same earpieces so both sides get really good noise blockage.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
amazing
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Jul 20, 2009, 10:08 AM
 
thanks, Glenn!
     
ghporter
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Jul 20, 2009, 03:03 PM
 
Note that if you use the wrong size earpiece cover you may lose important outside sounds-and if it's because you use one that's too large, your ear may hurt too. Play with the set of covers once you get it to see which ones fit best.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
DigitalEl
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Jul 26, 2009, 08:36 PM
 
I've been using the Samsung SBH500's for about three weeks and I rank them among the most satisfying tech purchases I've made in a long time.



- They paired quickly and easily with zero effort, save for entering "0000" as the PIN.
- Incoming sound for phone calls is great.
- Outgoing sound for phone calls is less great, but usable.
- I've not once run down the battery, but have only used it about 3 hours at a time max. It recharges quickly.
- Range is fantastic. I set my iPhone on my car roof in the garage and was able to do yardwork with no problem.

One thing to remember is that they're not gonna sound as great as a wired headset for music. They're great for mobility, but they'll leave you wanting when it comes to bass. The only downsides are that they fit snugly on my big head and can get uncomfortable after extended use. Of course, YMMV. For outgoing sound, they're very sensitive to wind noise and they do not (as far as I can tell) utilize any noise-cancellation technology. And they're unwieldy to store. I wish they had some sort of hard case in which to stash them when not in use.

I got these for < $40 on clearance at a Best Buy brick & mortar (remember those?). They're +/- $70 on Amazon and on the Best Buy website.
Jalen's dad. Carrie's husband.  partisan. Bleu blanc et rouge.
     
Randman
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Jul 27, 2009, 12:42 AM
 
I have a set of Plantronics and it works fine. There is a bug when using BT sets with GPS apps such as Nike+ that 3.1 will fix.

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