I have been looking for a decent Bluetooth stereo headset for awhile now. A few things that always swayed me away from making a purchase was the bulkiness of the headset and most importantly, the price. Most of the stereo headsets available in the market were in the “$80 and above” price range. I was not ready to shell out that kind of money because I was more than happy to have a wire hanging from my ears to torso. I was never a proponent of Bluetooth technology because the bandwidth offered was not a lot. But Bluetooth 2.0 has made significant advances in the right direction with 3 times faster data transfer, lower power consumption and more.
When I saw Motorola S9 stereo headset for $40 on buy.com, I knew it would be a good purchase. The price was affordable and they looked nice and sleek. I showed the picture to one of my friends and his first thought was that they look uncomfortable. They were anything but uncomfortable. They were not a snug fit as they were kinda hanging behind my neck but there was no pain wearing them for long periods of time. The pairing was a breeze with my smart phone (Sprint’s HTC Touch) as well my laptop using a Targus Bluetooth adapter.
The call quality was also very good both inside the apartment as well as outside. I noticed that people found it hard to hear me when I was outside and I had to speak up a little. The call quality deteriorated considerably during windy conditions but that was expected anyway.
The range was also very good inside the house. I usually leave my phone on the table in my living room and moved around the house without losing the connection to my cellphone. It was a different issue outside the house though. Sometimes, I had to hold the phone in my hand instead of putting it in my pants pocket as the music would start breaking. This only happened during the early days and I haven’t really noticed this happening recently. Maybe its not a real issue, we will see.
The touch sensitive buttons on the side are also really neat. I have heard people complaining in their reviews that sweat activates them during a workout. I haven’t had that trouble really. I was not using my stereo headset at the gym, so I can’t comment on that. They respond very well and I have no complaints.
Overall, I think Motorola S9 is a great purchase for $40. I am sure the prices will reduce further as Motorola is introducing Motorola S9 HD into the market. If you are someone who loves to take your music on the go, this is for you. It has great sound quality, long battery life, comfortable fit and great looks. Buy it. I assure you, you will not regret it.
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