Good Little Number,
14 March 2004
I purchased this bluetooth headset because I dont feel comfortable wearing the all in one over your ear type. A benefit of having a clip on unit is the ability to look at who is calling and also access the call list from the phone. I found setting the headset up very simple I do use it with a T610 though so it should have been fairly simple, I have read reviews that say there are problems with volume of the unit I personally find the volume no worse than the wired hands free I used to use. One problem that I have found and not worked out how to fix yet is that the volume on the phone gets turned down to it's lowest setting after a call has been made using the bluetooth headset.
All in all not a bad piece of kit.
Reviewed by: Amazon.co.uk Reviewer
Better headset than others used but still short on talk time,
25 February 2004
The headset as described is very neat and practical. The earpiece fits well and the unit can be clipped onto clothing or worn round the neck.
It works well with the Nokia 6310i, but only shows the incoming number and not the name of the caller, however it does show the name on the recent call list. I too thought that the headset volume was faulty when first trying to use it but after really pushing the headset jack into the unit it works well, in fact I have it on the lowest level constantly as that is still v loud!!
I have tried the HBH-65 and the Nokia HDW-2 previously and both dropped calls or had interference issues, but this one, up to now, has been good.
However yet again (I use over 2000 minutes a month) the talk time is poor - It states that it has 3 hours and as yet I have only managed to get a full hour from the unit. Whilst it defeats the point, it is easy to plug the unit into the charger whilst using it, as it is not hanging off your ear like other headsets.
Overall a good unit with reasonably useful features (if you are within ten metres why not look at the phone screen as opposed to the tiny scrolling unit?!) but still lacks any real talk time.
Reviewed by: Amazon.co.uk Reviewer
One of the best Bluetooth Headsets,
07 February 2004
I already owned a Plantronics M3000 headset for my T610, but after an hours wear it was uncomfortable on my ear. I was also fed up with looking like one of the cast of Star-Trek so the HBH-200 seemed a sensible choice.
The unit looks great. Some people would ask 'Why have Bluetooth when you still have a wire hanging from your ear?' Simple, the wire is short, so is not dangling all over the place and getting in the way. Also, the earpiece is very comfortable when worn for long periods.
Setting up the headset is easy, although not helped by the terrible instruction leaflet. Once set up you can answer and hang up calls,voice dial, get caller ID, can view the recent call list and even call these no's from the headset. You can also change the ring-signal and ring volume of the main unit, but when it is silent it still rings in the earpiece.
My main concern before buying the unit was the earpiece volume. When I first used the HBH-200, the earpiece was really quiet, and having read previous reviews I was concerned. Then I realised that you have to really push the headset-jack into the unit so it 'clicks' in place. Then the volume was almost deafening, and I now have it set on it's lowest level which is more than adaquate.
In all, I am very pleased with the HBH-200, and it's pretty good value
Reviewed by: Amazon.co.uk Reviewer
Good headset, well thought out and practicle to use,
27 December 2003
The unit is small,neat and light in weight. What's more you don't look conspicous with a length of plastic protuding from your ear.
This headset is comfortable to wear and works well. The buttons are small but are well spaced so that you would have to be very ham fisted to press two at once. In fact once I was used to the headset my hand went straight to the buttons without difficulty.
The other review mentions problems with the volume of the headset. Having read that I set mine to full straight away and this was far too loud. In fact a setting half way between off and full on is ample, and as I work in an airport the ambient noise level can be very high at times. I have had no problems hearing and being heard.
This is a well thought out design, easy to use comfortable to wear and performs well. My phone (a Sony Ericsson Z600) has voice control and with the click of one button on the headset and a spoken name that person can be called. Click another button to end the call, simple easy and not distracting. The display can show the call list from the phone and by scrolling to the name required and clicking a button the person is called.
The one fault I can find was with the instructions, which can best be described as basic. However a little aptitude and you will soon understand what the buttons do.
The headset gives the impression of being designed by someone who users it. It is a well thought out piece of equipment, which works very well. I am very pleased with it and it is far better than any other handsfree headset I have used.
Reviewed by: Amazon.co.uk Reviewer
Good idea ... but note the compatibility problems with P800s,
14 November 2003
First the positives.
The form factor is great. To people walking past in the office, it looks like a normal wired earpiece, and so it doesn’t attract any strange looks.
The earpiece fits (my ear) snugly and securely, the mic hangs below, and the control unit clips to your shirt or hangs on a supplied lanyard—much like the recommended HBR-20 stereo FM radio headset. It's nicely weighted, and doesn't pull out of your ear in strong winds.
The volume of the handsfree ringtone can be adjusted to discretely buzz from the control unit. Very useful, as you'll silence your phone, but forget to silence your handsfree in meetings!
Unfortunately, there are many bad points. With my P800 phone, I was very disappointed with the HBH-200.
The sound levels are too low. At maximum volume I could barely hear a call in the car. I don’t hold much hope for hearing much in on a train or noisy room.
I find the tiny buttons fiddly and hard to find when not actually looking for them. (Not helped by the button under the mic not working on this one.)
I checked with Sony Ericsson support this morning (11 Nov), and they confirm that R2F is the latest firmware upgrade for the P800. Since the P800 only supports the headset Bluetooth profile (and not the more feature rich handsfree profile), the advanced facilities offered on the HBH-200 aren’t available to me.
Alongside a P800, this means that the nice LCD display on the control unit is pretty much useless. I’d be better off with the simpler (and older) HBH-20 headset. The call list functions fail (so no ringing dialled/answered/missed calls from the handsfree.)
The call answer/hangup button underneath the microphone does not work in my handsfree—although the instruction leaflet suggests that it should work for all phones. I suspect that it’s broken on my unit. This means that I have to use the control unit even to answer and end calls. Not ideal.
In summary ...
If you have a P800 (or P900), then think very carefully before buying one of these headsets—you will not get all the benefit you have paid for.
If you work in a noisy environment, or ring into a lot of audio conferences while travelling, buy a louder headset.
It definitely works fully with other Sony Ericsson phones, eg, T68i.
It’s a great concept, but poorly implemented. And a pity that the P800’s weren’t equipped with as good Bluetooth support as other non-Symbian-based Sony Ericsson phones.
I sent mine back for a refund.
Reviewed by: Amazon.co.uk Reviewer