Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)My ipod nano's wired headphones annoy me when I exercise, so I wanted to find a wireless alternative. I was a little hesitant about buying these headphones and the ipod adaptor because of some negative reviews, but after using them I was happy to find that I have had no problems. In fact, these work great. The headphones fit comfortably in my ear and are easy to take on and off. The sound quality is better than my ipod headphones and is actually quite good. The touch sensitive controls for volume etc. take a little getting used to, but with a little practice they are easy to operate.I am a runner and have used these headphones both on the treadmill in the gym as well as outdoors, including very windy days. I have not experienced any loss of signal once the bluetooth connection has been established--and I have run literally hundreds of miles with this headset. It is a real pleasure to listen to my ipod without wires dangling all over me.
Please note that the bluetooth connection between the headphones and the ipod does not take place instantly. Turn the headphones on and wait for the solid blue light to come on that indicates that the headphones are in bluetooth mode. Then (1) turn on the ipod, (2) insert the adaptor (Note: inserting the adaptor before turning on the ipod did not permit a bluetooth connection to be established), (3) select the first song, and (4) hit the play button on the ipod. There is usually a delay of 10-40 seconds before the headphones make a bluetooth connection with the ipod. Not a big deal. I just restart the song from the beginning.
Making a bluetooth connection with my Samsung u-740 cell phone was a snap, and answering calls on the headphones was easy. I had no problem with sound quality.
Before purchasing these headphones and adaptor, you should keep some things in mind.
First, in order to insert the adaptor into the opening on the bottom of the ipod, either your ipod must be out of the case or you need a case that will give access. I use the latest Contour clear case, which does not permit a completely snug fit(due to two small plastic tabs around the earphone hole; you can remove these if you want), but snug enough so that a bluetooth connection can be established and the adaptor is in tight enough so that I don't worry about it falling out, and in fact it hasn't happened even when I run over rough terrain in the park. I bought an armband intended for the ipod shuffle, and use the belt clip on my Contour case to clip my ipod and inserted adaptor to the armband when I run. Everything is nice and secure.
Second, if you wear glasses, it works best to put the headphones on first and the glasses on second. The glasses won't fit quite as snugly as they normally do, but for exercise it will be fine. I found that if I put my sunglasses on first, the headphones did not fit as snugly in my ears, with a resulting loss in sound. The same thing applies if you wear a headband or bandana--put the headphones on first.
Third, since the headphones are curved in the back, if you wear anything with a collar that sticks up in the back, the collar will push against the headphones, which will come slightly out of their position in your ears. So wearing the headphones with a ski jacket won't work very well. With a thinner collar, you will occasionally have to reposition the headphones as the collar pushes against them. Also, if you wear a ski hat to run, you will not be able to pull it down over your ears.
Fourth, because of the back of the neck design, you will not be able to use these headphones comfortably to lay on your back (like on a blanket at the beach, a couch in your den, a chaise lounge by the pool) or to sit in a reclining position with your head back (like in a car or airplane).
Fifth, because the bluetooth adaptor goes into the socket that is used for charging, there is no way to use the adaptor and charge your ipod at the same time, as you can do using earbuds. Therefore for a long car or plane ride you are better off using your earbuds or some other headset.
So don't throw away your ipod earbuds or over-the-ear headsets, but do enjoy this unit in those situations where the limitations I described above don't matter.
All in all I am very satisfied with this product. If you are looking for a wireless solution, albeit not a perfect one, this is it.Update Nov. 10, 2008: I have now been using this product for one year and have been very satisfied with its performance. However, I am now on my third pair.
Shortly before Labor Day, the battery did not seem to be holding a charge, and I got a replacement set of headphones. I see from other reviews that other people have also had some battery issues, though I have no idea how widespread that is.
I started going to a new gym this fall, and it tends to very humid where the treadmills are. A couple of nights ago I was drenched in sweat and so were the headphones. The volume control stopped working (it was stuck on the highest volume) and there was static coming out of one of the earbuds. Fortunately it was not too late to get another free replacement from the store where I purchased them.
I note that all electronic items can be "zapped" by moisture unless they are specifically designed to be water resistant. It appears that these headphones are not. It never was an issue for me until I started running indoors at my new gym. Now that I know about the problem, I will just wipe them periodically before the sweat really builds up.
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Motorola Bluetooth Active Headphones S9 - Headset ( behind-the-neck ) - wireless - Bluetooth
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