Review: Sony Ericsson HBH-DS220 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Posted by: Ragart on Aug 31 2008

Before we jump into this review, let’s try and set aside all the problems we might have with Bluetooth and its software implementations. Forget the fact that the iPhone doesn’t really support it well, or that it can drain your battery like a leech on blood pudding. Let’s think about how limited a lot of the hardware is. You’ve got your Plantronics 590A or your Etymotic ety8’s, but both these solutions lock you into a certain kind of form factor. They’re earbuds that you can’t change, or they’re big headphones that can be cumbersome to tuck away when not in use.

Now that the problem is set out before us, let’s talk about a solution (spelled HBH-DS220, in this case). Sony Ericsson’s little headset promises you flawless stereo Bluetooth sound without compromising the ability choose your own headphones. Hit the jump for more!

Design

The great thing about this adapter is that it’s so compact. It slips easily into a pocket, or is light enough to be clipped to your lapel or shirt. I wouldn’t recommend hanging the headset freely, as this would likely stress the earphone cable (whichever ones you use) to the point of breakage over time.

Everything about the build quality feels great. The finish doesn’t attract fingerprints, and the device feels solid throughout – right down to the clip.

You can see the three hardware buttons on the headset: power, play/pause, and the call/answer button up front (shown more clearly in the next pic). The play/pause button can be pressed once to control playback, or held down to adjust the headset’s volume. Holding the button down will cycle the volume level from lowest to loudest and the volume is set when you release it. If you hold down for too long or you might blast your ears out, so  I suggest keeping your earphones farther from your ears until you get used to how fast the volume increases.

Just above the answer button you can see the small screen showing batt life and a power icon indicating the headset is on. The screen isn’t backlit, so it can be a difficult seeing it when you’re outdoors.

Above the screen is the 3.5mm jack and the microphone. If you’re going to keep this thing clipped to your lapel you’ll want to find some way to tie your long earphones, or find short ones (like the Sony ones included) so that you don’t have too much wire around your neck. The Sony earbuds sound quite good and do a decent job of isolating the music and keeping the outside world away. They were also comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time thanks to the soft rubbery buds.

The headset’s microphone was quite clear and my test callers said they couldn’t tell it apart from my iPhone’s microphone (which is decent enough, I think). Sony also included an extra “auto volume adjustment” feature for when you enter louder areas, although I can’t attest to it actually enhancing my experience. I just didn’t notice it. That means it either happened so seamlessly that I never heard the change…or it didn’t work. I’ll stay positive on this one

The bottom of the headset is taken up by the a charger port. The headset comes with a charger, but you can also juice it up using any modern Sony Ericsson phone charger (I used my old k750’s). Once filled, the battery typically lasts for 4-5 hours of music or last for more than a day on standby. The headset will chime when it’s about to run out of battery.

Setting it up

A full charge takes about 2-2.5 hours to complete (after the initial 8-10 hour charge for new devices). Pairing is as easy as holding the power button while the headset is off. Hold it for about 10 seconds and the screen will start to flash with a sync icon. That’s it. Once paired, the headset should auto-pair with your phone or Bluetooth adapter. Unfortunately, this headset doesn’t support simultaneous multiple pairings, so you can’t pair this with an iPhone and a set of Bluetooth speakers at once. It’s one or the other

Paired with the Nokia 6300

I didn’t have too much time with this phone, but I tried to cover the basics as best as I could. You can press the answer button to receive calls or hold it down to activate voice dialling (couldn’t figure out how to customize voice dial though =_=). Music playback was decent and the play/pause key worked, but sound was very tinny (this is Nokia’s fault  – the headset sounds great with the iPhone and on WM). The phone’s volume controls could control the headset.

Paired with Windows Mobile

My test device on WM was my HTC TyTN on Windows Mobile 6. Pairing was painless and the device would auto-pair whenever I turned Bluetooth back on (I just had to press “play” on the headset). The pause/play key worked right off the bat with WMP10 and Pocket Player 3.7 without any lag. Music paused during calls and resumed when they ended. I could easily adjust the volume inside of WM and have the volume change on the headset. Unfortunately I did experience a fair mount of skipping when listening to music, even in the same room as the TyTN. The skips didn’t last long, but they popped up every 3-5 minutes. On the other hand, sound quality was excellent, so it’s up to you to find out how much you want that wireless music experience.

I didn’t have Voice Command to test out voice dialling, but a double click of the answer key functions as re-dial.

Paired with the iPhone

The HBH-DS220 paired just fine with the iPhone’s native Bluetooth capabilities, and I was able to answer calls and double-tap to re-dial. The iPhone’s Bluetooth volume could control the headset’s volume.

For music playback I used the Brando INFINXX Adapter. Unfortunately, the adapter isn’t an official accessory so there were some downsides to the wireless experience. Volume controls on the iPhone weren’t recognized, so I had to adjust the volume using the headset’s own settings (by holding the play button). However, music streaming from the iPhone sounded flawless and skipped very rarely compared to the Nokia and Windows Mobile pairings.

Conclusion

I think Sony has really hit the nail on the head here. You get fantastic Bluetooth sound, playback controls, and the ability to choose your own headphones – all in a great, small package that lasts at least four hours on one charge. I do hope that future versions can support a more substantial battery (six hours, let’s say), but I really had a blast reviewing this headset. The 3.5mm jack was used to beam my music to my headset, my home stereo, and to even to my portable speakers. I think that’s what wireless music solutions should be: flexible! Sony Ericsson’s HBH-DS220 is one of two products that’s re-kindled my hope for Bluetooth and wireless music, and I’d really encourage anyone looking for a more flexible Bluetooth stereo solution to pick up a set.

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More Info - here

Price: About $80-100 USD

Availability: Expansys USA, TimTechs

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