Sony Ericsson HBH-610a Bluetooth Headset (go back »)

    Bluetooth headsets are one of the greatest conveniences available for your mobile phone.  Not having to worry about tangling wires is a great thing.  There are several problems with most Bluetooth headsets, however.  The first complaint is the sound quality for the receiving party and another complaint is the sound quality on the sending party's side.  Probably the most common complaint though, is that most Bluetooth headsets are just not very attractive and tend to make you look like you've been partially assimilated by the Borg.

ony Ericsson is well-known for designing attractive mobile phones and accessories.  They have provided one of their flagship Bluetooth headsets, the HBH-610a, for us to review - and it carries the unique bonus of Bluetooth 2.0 for when you get a phone that is capable with this protocol.  Will this headset overcome some or all of the common Bluetooth headset complaints?  Read on to find out.

WHAT'S HOT
    The HBH-610a definitely packs an impressive list of features including:

• Digital echo cancellation and noise
• Automatic Volume Adjustment
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Auto pairing and redialing

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PRODUCT FEATURES:

he HBH-610a is very attractive for a Bluetooth headset.  It is sleek and solidly built.  On the front the only control is the silver main button and the microphone is located at on the front near the tip.  At the end of the headset is a loop where you can attach the included lanyard.

The top of the headset has the volume rocker.  Pushing forward reduces the volume while pushing towards the back increases the volume.

    So, how is the sound quality?  It is a bit above average for a Bluetooth headset.  On the receiving end, callers complained that my voice was too low and to compensate I had to speak pretty loudly.  On my end I found the volume to be too low as well, even on maximum.  The headset features automatic volume adjustment and I think that is partially to blame for both.

    One highlight of the headset is that it does an excellent job with echo cancellation, which is a common problem in Bluetooth headsets.  Also, the headset does a nice job at noise reduction with its' digital signal processor.  It is not as good at noise cancellation as the NxZen 5500 or the Plantronics Voyager 510 , which is what I am currently using.  The HBH-610a definitely looks much better than either of those headsets though.  There is also a bit more static in the background on your end of the call than those other 2 headsets.