Sony Ericsson HBH-610 Bluetooth headset review

Full Review

With the hands-free law for all drivers wanting to use a mobile phone in the UK coming up on its first anniversary, there is no better time to invest in a Bluetooth headset if you hoping to make that important call when out on the road.

Sony Ericsson thinks it has the answer with two new headsets. Sony Ericsson were the first company to use Bluetooth connectivity in mobile headsets and both the HBH-610 and the HBH-PV700 are Bluetooth2.0. Here we look at the HBH-610.

Using Digital Signal Processing, the HBH-610 is capable of some advanced sound balancing, bringing the a promise of excellent clarity to both caller and recipient.

The DSP monitors the volume on the headset and will automatically increase or decrease, should the background noise rise/fall, or the volume of the signal sent by the second party change.

This volume change is almost instant - taking less than a second per adjustment. The echo balancing is great, in car, the reverb and subliminal noise are dulled down, making for a far clearer signal.

In the office, the random shouting still comes through, but any regular background noise is detected and accounted for.

It's worth mentioning the office, as this is billed as a multi-purpose headset, for multiple environments. Ideal for wireless call handling, the device configures with compatible PCs, Voice over IP (VoIP) and PDAs as well as mobiles - including over 20 handsets from the Sony Ericsson range alone.

The colour is black and silver, but the covers are inter-changeable, should you wish to shell out for a colour more befitting you status, while the earpiece on the HBH-610 resembles a traditional in ear headphone, with a metal cover and removable foam cover.

The headset comes boxed with a mains charger and for those fearful of using it, a dangle strap.

Verdict

The HBH-610 pips the HBH-700 on the battery stakes with 6.5 hours talk time (as opposed to 5 hours for the latter) and has double the standby time; 300 hours as opposed to 150 again for the HBH-700.

Either way, that's long enough to satisfy even the most unfortunate commuter. The lightweight body is the key. While the ear band is adjustable, if the unit weighs too much, there is little one can do.

Thankfully, Sony Ericsson has the balance right here.

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