FINAL COLUMN

‘toothing Never Felt So Good: Philips SHB6100

One of my favorite things to do during my commute is to shut off contact with the rest of the world by listening to music on my iPod.  About two weeks ago, my favorite Sony headphones (MDR-AS30G) finally crapped out on me.  I decided to browse for new wired headphones with built-in controls, something like these new ones Griffin is putting together.  But then I came to a realization, as if I hadn’t noticed it already, that I hate wires.  I hate all kinds of wires, maybe except for monkeys on a wire.

So I remembered that I did a post on that Bluetooth donglemajig for the iPod.  It was time to up the stakes and live on the edge via the power of bluetooth.  Why am I not using those Insignia NS-BTHDP headphones I got?  Well, the one thing I hate about most bluetooth headphones can be best described here.  Most of all, you’re just asking to get laughed at, or your ass kicked, with the word “Insignia” blinking constantly at the person sitting next to you on the bus.  Luckily I scoped out a Philips SHB6100.

There are two drawbacks to theses headphones, the first of which has to do with it’s wireless range.  About twenty feet from my iPod, the signal will start breaking up.  The actual the effective range stated in the manual is about thirty-three feet; shitty compared to the Insignia, which has a reach of about forty feet.  Regardless if you’re leaving your player in one spot while cleaning your house or carrying it on you while outdoors, range is still a significant factor in picking out wireless devices.

The second drawback to these headphones is its use of a proprietary cable to charge the device.  I haven’t figured out how much it’ll cost to replace the charging cable, but I wish it used the standard these days:  micro-USB.

Connecting the Philips to two devices simultaneously was not a problem.  I’ve tested it with my iPod and my iPhone and it works perfectly.  However, it’s much easier to connect the headphones to the iPhone first.  Music will pause when making calls (incoming or outgoing), and will continue when you hang up.  One of the best features is the discreet green LED indicator, so there’s no annoying bright blue flash blinding your fellow commuters when the subway goes under a tunnel.

I’m in no way an audiophile.  My standards for sound quality is pretty much like the average listener.  If it sounds good enough, it’s good enough.  After testing out the Philips, I realize that it performs significantly better than the Insignia.  The earpieces are soft and thin, which makes these bad boys pretty damn comfortbale.  The Philips may help if you wear (sun)glasses and always find it painful to wear headsets.

It’ll set you back about $44.

Tags: a2dp, bluetooth, headphones, insignia, iPhone, ipod, ipod classic, philips

The Bluez, Pt. 2: Audio

As previously mentioned, I’ve connect a set of bluetooth headphones to my computer.  Specifically, they’re Insignia NS-BTHDP.  Note that Insignia is a private label of Best Buy, much like Costco’s Kirkland Signature or Target’s Archer Farms.  These will set you back about $50.  If you’ve been doing your research on bluetooth headphones, you’ll know that you can’t expect a world of performance at this price.

Linux:

• Works on Banshee and Rhythmbox using the instructions from the FOSSwire article in Part 1.

Mobile Devices:

• Despite this article being about bluetooth headphones, this device can actually serve as a headset.  So you can hook it up to your phone, listen to music, and make calls without ever having to switch anything around…right?  I gave it a try with my Blackberry Pearl have found that music does not connect through the headphones, but calls can be made; possibly due to the fact that it’s not a walkman phone.
• I tested it on a second phone:  Sony Ericsson W580i.  Not only did it play music through the headphones, placing/receiving a calls worked without a problem.

Video Game Consoles:

• Connecting the headphones to the Playstation 3 was easy.  As for the chat quality…well, as soon as the PS3 becomes a multiplayer gaming platform that can live up to the Xbox 360, I’ll let you know.  My contact list on the PS3 consists of two people who seldom sign on.  It’s too bad my 360 doesn’t support bluetooth.
• Ah…and the Nintendo Wii.  There isn’t any official news pertaining to any bluetooth headset support.  In fact, there isn’t even a voice chat feature built in to that little box.  For die hard Wii fans who want to hear their opponents scream during Super Smash Brothers Wii will have to talk on cellphones while gaming, or settle for the WiiSpeak.

Digital Audio Players (DAPs):

• The Sony A820 was designed for bluetooth headphones.  In fact, it’s the easiest device to sync with.  The player itself has a dedicated button to activate bluetooth mode.  If you’ve already synced a headset to it, you’ll never need to do it again.  Just turn that bitch on.
• I have an iPod Classic.  I hate my iPod Classic.  It’s slow as hell, and the Cover Flow system needs a lot of work.  C’mon, Steve.  The iPhone isn’t the only thing that needs work.  Anyway, I picked up a Sony bluetooth adapter for it.  You wouldn’t believe the fuckin packaging.  Nonetheless it works just as well.  The connection is solid, and the sound quality might even be better than my standard wired headphones.

Click image for ubervision.

Click image for ubervision.

Bottom Line:  Syncing bluetooth devices can sometimes be a pain.  For some devices, it’ll take a few tries to sync the headphones.  But once it does, it works.

Tags: a2dp, banshee, blackberry pearl, bluetooth, inisignia, iPhone, ipod, ipod classic, ns-bthdp, playstation 3, ps3, rhythmbox, sony ericsson w580i