A2DP fans, a cool new article has just been published! - JASJAR, XDA Exec, MDA Pro Accessories

Guys / gals, I’ve just posted a really cool comparison & roundup of three stereo BT headphones: the Nokia HS-12W the Plantronics Pulsar 590 and the Plantronics Pulsar 260 to http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1161097 . Make sure you don’t miss it if you’d like to choose a stereo Bluetooth headphones model or just would like to know more about A2DP – it’s a MUST for all A2DP fans!

Menneisyys said:
Guys / gals, I’ve just posted a really cool comparison & roundup of three stereo BT headphones: the Nokia HS-12W the Plantronics Pulsar 590 and the Plantronics Pulsar 260 to http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1161097 . Make sure you don’t miss it if you’d like to choose a stereo Bluetooth headphones model or just would like to know more about A2DP – it’s a MUST for all A2DP fans!
Click to expand...
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Excellent article. A2DP fans will indeed be delighted.

Menneisyys said:
Guys / gals, I’ve just posted a really cool comparison & roundup of three stereo BT headphones: the Nokia HS-12W the Plantronics Pulsar 590 and the Plantronics Pulsar 260 to http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1161097 . Make sure you don’t miss it if you’d like to choose a stereo Bluetooth headphones model or just would like to know more about A2DP – it’s a MUST for all A2DP fans!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great article, thanks

Several new Plantronics Pulsar 260 reviews published
It was over a month ago that I’ve published an all-in-one comparative review & compatibility report (available HERE) on three A2DP (stereo Bluetooth) headphones. Now that the headphones have also arrived at the U.S. too (at last, something we Europeans got way earlier than you Americans ), a lot of reviews have surfaced on well-known headset / headphones manufacturer Plantronics’ new Pulsar 260 also featured in the above-linked roundup.
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Unfortunately, as has been emphasized numerous times by me and a LOT of other mostly XDA-Developers and HowardForums users (I really recommend following the BT & A2DP-related posts in these two forums, there are some very knowledgeable people there; for example, Fire Dragan in the latter forum), the current state and implementations of the A2DP standard are far from perfect and interoperability is REALLY reduced. This means on paper A2DP-capable headphones are not guaranteed to co-work with any A2DP sources. An example of this, in addition to the major sound quality problems with the MS BT stack, is the constant reconnection problems (resulting in annoying beeps and pauses) with the Nokia 5300. And, of course, the sound quality issues...
This also means you WILL want to read my review & comparison. Believe me, no matter what some people state, these headphones deliver REALLY BAD sound quality when used together with the Microsoft Bluetooth stack coming with almost all current Windows Mobile-based devices (except for the Acer models, the HP iPAQ’s (including the hw6915) and the Fujitsu-Siemens T830). I’ve also elaborated on these issues in this PPCT thread – it’s REALLY worth giving a read to see why I state they are incompatible with the stack. You’ve been warned – don’t come telling me you’ve shelled out $50…$100 for a really bad-sounding pair of BT headphones because I haven’t warned you
OK, the new reviews, packed with photos:
The Gadgeteer review
GearDiary review
Digital Trends review
CTIA 2007 Blog post; related PPCT thread
BTW, upon the European release of the 260, Plantronics still didn’t have the promised and, in the leaflet accompanying the headphones, referenced online documentation. Now it’s out and available here.

I have VERY good new for most WM6 users: make sure you read http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1296053

Related

[Q] 3.5mm Stereo A2DP Bluetooth Headset Handsfree MP3

Hi There,
It's very first time I would like to buy and use bluetooth headset. I would prefer the BCK-08 Bluetooth Stereo Headset, please see features below:
* Listen to your music and take calls without wires
* 3.5mm audio jack for Customized Earphone
* Remote control feature with Adjustable volume
* Buzzer function lets you know when a call is coming through
* Up to 10 hours of talk time AND 200 hours of standby time
* Standard: Bluetooth V2.0 class 2
* Supports Bluetooth headset, handsfree, A2DP and AVRCP profiles
* Controls various calling features with the push of a button
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Anybody is using it please give me some comments about the battery life, quality of sound and remote control. Is it compatible with O2 Atom Life?
Any comment is highly appreciate.
Thanks in advanced.
Blutooth with 3.5 Jack
hi, where did you find this, Iif I can find one I will test it for you. How much does it cost?
yasamin said:
hi, where did you find this, Iif I can find one I will test it for you. How much does it cost?
Click to expand...
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You can find it everywhere on ebay. Actually, you can access this ebay link for more information http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI...loc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget.
Because I am in Australia so I use Australian ebay. I think can find it on your localized ebay site. Is costs around 21 USD excluding shipping cost.
I have just tried mine out. The exact model you list, the BK 08.
It sounds good. I have only tested for a few minutes, but it paired up instantly and just worked. I have tried incoming calls, and it switches over to the call correctly and back to the music. The buttons work as expected, controlling calling and music playback.
I walked away from the phone to check the range, and I experienced a skip or two beyond 5m distance, but when in normal range of the phone, it's flawless.
More about the quality. I have reasonably good ears, having owned etymotic ER4s before now and consider myself a minor audiophile. From a limited listen, I have no complaints about the quality of the stream.
I was expecting to hear encoding artifacts as the material listened to was MP3, and afaik, the a2dp device will encode for transmission using the SBC codec. No obvious negative effects were detected with my admittedly average Technics headphones. If anything, the audio loses a little definition and punch. Not the same as a wired connection, but easily good enough for me.
I have enabled the a2dp registry tweak in the Kaiser tweak tool.
I bought from an ebay user called phone_base, paid £18 including postage, and received the item after about 18 days.
Very happy, and pleasantly suprised.
It wasn't so great on the train on the way home. I heard some little pops and there were more skips, so I did some more tweaks:
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=7715
It is much better now.
Also, I realised there was no easy way to turn on/off the bluetooth stereo output, so I installed this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=338263&highlight=a2dp
The only other problem is that Mort player doesn't support avrcp so I can't pause it with the headset. I might have a go at this later:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=274730&highlight=mortplayer+avrcp

bluetooth speaker recommendations

i've been searching for a decent home solution for bluetooth/smartphone integration into a pretty simple hifi/multimedia setup (media pc feeding 5.1 speakers & tv through s-video).
there seems to be an abundance of low-end portable speaker solutions and the beautiful zikmu from parrot/s+arck which are around a grand (uk £1,000). ouch!
does anyone know of a bluetooth receiver with a 3.5mm jack-out or similar standard audio connects to supply a domestic amp/speaker system through aux-in?
the belkin bluetooth music receiver (just found) appears to fit the bill ... has anyone any experience with this topic? thoughts welcome - especially product recommendations & those to avoid!
thanks & apologies for not posting links to specific products but i'm not allowed as a noob
I have a Jawbone Jambox at work (I sell them actually, but we have one open for display).
I tried it today and it's amazing! A bit costly, but worth every cent. Great sound quality, great design (a given with Jawbone), and has a 3.5mm jack (though I think it's an input, not an output).
Some links for reference:
Official Site
Jambox Review
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yes, i'm aware of the jambox but it looks rather small physically but all reviews state how powerful it is ... so, it'll need a demo before parting with the cash. i haven't seen a single poor review, which says something in itself i guess? & yes, the jack soclet is for non-bluetooth input.
gascomm said:
yes, i'm aware of the jambox but it looks rather small physically but all reviews state how powerful it is ... so, it'll need a demo before parting with the cash. i haven't seen a single poor review, which says something in itself i guess? & yes, the jack soclet is for non-bluetooth input.
Click to expand...
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Try it, you'll be amazed.
I was looking at the Jambox when I was researching BT speakers for myself... it was in my top 3 choices... but it was just so expensive. I ended up getting a Creative D100, which from the research I did, seemed to be the best for their price. They're a lot cheaper than the Jambox.
I have to say, I was amazed by how nice they sounded for their size. They aren't as portable as the jambox, but I'm happy with them.
They take AA batteries instead of a built-in lithium battery, which I prefer for a speaker that I hope will last several years, as lithium batteries start dying after 300 or so charges, and with AA batteries, it's easy to replace when they die.
It also can run off AC power, and has an aux in port to use with devices that don't have bluetooth.
Overall, I am very happy with the D100.
thx all, zarathustrax's suggestion does look a good affordable-portable solution but i'm primarily looking for a bluetooth feed into an existing hi-fi setup along the lines of the Belkin receiver mentioned initially.
You can always get one of those bluetooth "clips" that has a regular stereo audio-jack for speakers or headphones. It would do the same thing as the belkin receiver, but you can also use it for a handsfree headset for your phone and use it with stereo headphones. I've been looking at this one for a while... it has good reviews, and has a screen that shows caller id and song info (I think), and you can call people back directly from it without getting your phone out or control your music.... http://www.amazon.com/Sonorix-Bluet...phones/dp/B000V1UGZ2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
It's about the same price as the Belkin receiver and you can use it for a lot more.
That's my only suggestion for a receiver, but I've never used it, but it has a lot of good reviews on amazon. I'm not sure how it would compare to the Belkin receiver, but you can use it for a lot more.
I have the Sony Ericsson MBS200 and I'm pretty happy with out. It has lineout if you prefer to output it to a bigger more powerful speaker. It's also pretty cheap and sounds really good. And it runs in recharchable battery.

Bluetooth pendant: Suggestions

I'm looking to purchase a bluetooth pendant with particular features:
Play, Pause, Fwd/Rwd, Vol +/- & Call answer
Another plus would be one that has illuminated controls & the option to use a lanyard or clip.
I looked over the Jabra Street2:
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Which has all those features listed but after reading & watching some video reviews a majority of users state that the built in microphone has poor quality. The users on the other end can barely hear you.
Can anyone here recommend one that has all those features listed but with good mic quality?
I'm interested in peoples experiences too.. I've been looking to get the Sony Ericsson MW600
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DQ1DCM/
I actually did look into that one as well & even though it doesn't have some of the features I'd like it seems to do its job. I also read reviews from Amazon users who purchased the device & 30 out of 145 who did buy it complained about the device freezing. Still it got an average of 4 out of 5 stars.
I do have one concern though: Do these BT devices allow you to control streaming music apps or just the stock player? I downloaded a nifty streaming app called Dood's Music Streamer & was wondering if it would recognize commands from any BT device.
id10terror said:
I'm interested in peoples experiences too.. I've been looking to get the Sony Ericsson MW600
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DQ1DCM/
Click to expand...
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The mic seems fine on the MW600s, I have had no complaints. It even seems to hear me fine when covered by a layer of clothing.
The MW600 is pretty tiny, however, and doesn't have the option of being worn as a pendant, so just be aware. That said, it has Play, Pause, SkipFwd/SkipBack, A Volume Slider (probably the most complained-about setup, since it's touchy and can be tough to use) & Call answer functionality... just know that the buttons are very small and all arranged around a tiny little barrel-like shape about the size of a AAA battery.
I love mine, especially that it has an FM radio also. I use it constantly to control Voice Command (which brings the phone out of sleep if you don't have a pattern/number lock set) which works very well.
EL TEJANO said:
I actually did look into that one as well & even though it doesn't have some of the features I'd like it seems to do its job. I also read reviews from Amazon users who purchased the device & 30 out of 145 who did buy it complained about the device freezing. Still it got an average of 4 out of 5 stars.
I do have one concern though: Do these BT devices allow you to control streaming music apps or just the stock player? I downloaded a nifty streaming app called Dood's Music Streamer & was wondering if it would recognize commands from any BT device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you can use these (the MW600 at least) to control Google Music, Pandora, etc in addition to the stock music player (whatever is last active is what will be controlled). I haven't tested Dood's Music Streamer, so I'm not sure about that one, but if it doesn't work it's likely a problem with the software, not the bluetooth unit.
Got the Jabra unit pictured several years ago. Still have it, audio quality is acceptable but can attest to the poor mic quality.

Recommend a good bluetooth headset, please?

Hi everybody. I realize this isn't GN specific, but that's the phone I have, so I hope it's OK to post in this forum. I'm looking for a recommendation for a good bluetooth headset. I'm going to be using it to listen to music and podcasts mostly, but will need to take calls from time to time. So, features I'd prefer:
Stereo
"Athletic" design that will stay in while I'm working out or mowing the lawn
Decent noise cancellation so I can use it in my kind-of-noisy car
Preferred price: not more than $70 or $80 (though I'm not afraid to spend more for high quality stuff)
And of course it needs to work with my Galaxy Nexus. Anybody have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
Oh, if it's important, I'm currently running Liquid Vicious Toro v4 Jelly Bean.
Ummm
Motorola s9hd or s10hd
I've also heard good stuff about the LG halo (can't remember the name)
Free bump for you
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I have the BlueAnt Q2 and is one of the best I've tried (tried a few).
Update: Sorry, your looking for a stereo A2DP headset for music listening.
Why don't you do some research before you dump your wishlist on XDA. You can find a lot of reviews and tests on google.com.
xuanbao said:
Why don't you do some research before you dump your wishlist on XDA. You can find a lot of reviews and tests on google.com.
Click to expand...
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Most useful post of the day. Thanks a bunch for that.
I've heard good things about the Jaybird Freedom Headphones.
This is what I use and, IMO, it is perfect for both sports/office environment: LG Tone - HBS-700 Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset
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It is rather stylish, lasts several days of normal use on one charge, comes with both call and volume/track controls, good sound fidelity (not premium but not garbage either - perfect for any background music) and best of all, it tackles behind the shirt collar, so I leave it on all day in the office and it is unnoticeable. It is so light that I keep dropping it on the floor every evening when changing the shirt as I completely forget it is there. Extended Bluetooth range is another plus - I regularly walk with these headphones around the house and it keeps the signal for a good 10-12 yards if unobstructed. Because there is not pressure points on ear inserts, it is good for most active exercises I do (walking, jogging on the treadmill, kayaking). I can not guarantee that it would stay in extreme situations where a lot of shoulder/neck movement is expected.
Call sound fidelity and mic are OK, I've had better in-ear bluetooth headsets but it works in most situations. For example, mic works great in car with very clear sound on the other side, but outside in windy or very noisy environment it picks too much interference comparing to the best headsets. Plus I can register it with two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. At work I have it active with my work Blackberry (don't ask) and my personal Android. So I can listen to Google Music on Android and still pick the call coming to my work cell.
xuanbao said:
Why don't you do some research before you dump your wishlist on XDA. You can find a lot of reviews and tests on google.com.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I feel like a jerk for asking for thoughts and opinions on an internet forum filled with people who might have actual experience with a product I'm thinking of purchasing. Thanks for straightening me out!
And thanks to everybody who has given me a product suggestion. They're much appreciated. One of the links lead me to the Plantronics Backbeat Go. Anybody have an personal experience with it?
If you want something that will stay in your ear and block out sound get a custom mold done once you pick a headset:
http://www.averysound.com/
I own the backbeat go and the backbeat 903+. The Go takes some time to get used to the fit, but the sound quality is great and background noise is nonexistent. Also very hard to notice and doesn't interfere with anything on your face/neck (ie glasses or necklace PR whatever) like the 903+. However the 903+ is a much more stable fit due to the over the ear.
Either way, great stereo bluetooths for an active lifestyle. One is slimmer and lighter, the other will guarantee a permanent fit until you physically remove it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Review of iHave NFC/BT4.0 phone headset w/lots of pics!!!

This is a review of iHave NFC BT4.0 headset. http://www.tvc-mall.com/details/IHA...r-iPhone-iPad-Samsung-Sony-HTC-Etc.-BLUE-506/
Every time I think these single on-ear headsets are the thing of the past, I ran into more people on the street or in the cars using it. That is why I continue reviewing these wireless bluetooth headset and constantly look for something new and innovative. Typically, they all have a similar functionality, only with different design looks. But some do stand out by offering the latest low power BT4.0 or support of A2DP and HFP profiles to stream your audio from the phone. More expensive models from brand names go into other features but those will cost you over $100. While I was researching for the next review, I came across this new Chinese brand, iHave, which is currently being sold on www.tvc-mall.com as one of their official distributors. When I started to read the spec, I thought to myself that it's almost too good to be true, so obviously I requested a review sample to test it myself so I can share my review with you. Here is what I found.
This iHave headset arrived in a very professional package with a nice clear display presentation, though I wasn't able to read anything on the back since it was in Chinese. Luckily, they included a set of detailed instructions in English, although the operation is very intuitive so you don't even need instructions. In addition to headset, the accessories included 3 sets of eartips including 2 with stabilizer, behind the ear hook, and a magnetic charger. Though there is no direct micro-usb connection to headset, to keep a design slim, the included magnetic charger is something you will find only in high end expensive headset. For whose who use this type of headset, you probably aware that plugging/unplugging of micro-usb connector puts a lot of wear'n'tear on the headset. Here, it's a zero effort to bring it close for an attachment and plugging full usb connector into your wall charger or computer. It fully charges in less than an hour, provides almost 4hr of talk time, and about 5 days of standby time.
Now, about the headset design. It's very thin and lightweight, with an elegant surface texture. It definitely doesn't look or feel cheap, though made out of plastic. Conveniently located at the corner of back edge, there is a multifunction button, wide enough for easy location. At the bottom edge you have a physical on/off switch which is a great option to eliminate any second guessing if you headset is on or off. At the top edge, you have volume up/down rocker which also supports playback control. YES, you can skip next/prev track when streaming the music by holding down volume buttons, while multifunction button works as play/pause. I hardly seen any other headsets of the same type which offer full A2DP1.2 and HFP1.6 support including playback control.
And if that wasn't enough, this headset also support NFC for a fast pair up with your phone. All I had to do is to place it near my Note 2, and it recognized and paired to phone and media audio within seconds without me even lifting a finger. The operation was very robust and worked even with my phone case on. You can pair it up with up to 8 bluetooth devices, and it even supports pair up with 2 devices at the same time. Though I tested the calling in relatively noise free environment (everything sounded crystal clear), it supports CVC6.0 dual mic noise cancellation.
Overall, I was very impressed with a design and a performance of this wireless headset. Pretty much it included every piece of available technology from magnetic charging clip, to NFC and BT4.0 support with the latest A2DP1.2/HFP1.6 protocols, full playback controls when streaming audio media from your phone, and universal compatibility with any bluetooth enabled devices. It also looked really cool. The best part? It only cost $27.89. At that price and with all these features, instead of calling it iHave they should rename it to iMustHave This one definitely gets my recommendation!
Here are the pictures.
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