After using the Nokia BH-501 Stereo Bluetooth Headset for a couple days, I'm glad to say that I'm extremely happy with this product. About 5 months ago I signed up for a program set up by Symbian to be a S60 Ambassador for California. Basically they wanted the ambassadors to show off their Nokia & Symbian products with friends and family, and maybe even strangers. We then would write each situation down and tell Symbian our tales. At the end of the program, they tallied up the amount of stories that each ambassador told and gave out prizes to the first and second place leaders. I was lucky enough to be a second place winner, so they sent me this awesome stereo bluetooth headset. This review will be talking about the Nokia headset mostly, but I will also be comparing it to my Motorola HT-820 which I previously used.

I'm going to first start off with the specs:

Nokia BH 501 Stereo Bluetooth Headset Specifications
Weight - 2.4 ounces
Type - Behind the neck, foldable
Buttons - On/Off, Answer/End, Volume, Voice Dialing
Charger - Same as Nokia phones
Bluetooth Profiles - Headset Profile (HSP), Hands Free Profile (HFP), Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
Transmission Length - 30ft
Run Time - Approx. 11 hours
Standby Time - 150 hours

As you can see this heaset is no joke. The specs are on par with most bluetooth headsets.

Sound Quality
When I first fired up these puppies I was pretty let down by the sound quality. It sounded weak with no bass. But then I read the instruction booklet and realized that you need to fully charge the headset before you first start using them. DUH! Thats what I get for getting too hasty. Once I got them fully charged, I was very pleased with the sound of the music. It's not the greatest, but it definitely competes with wired headphones. You get a full, rich sound with good treble and mids. The bass is a little lacking though, but this may be partly because of the weak bass that the Nokia N95 puts out. Actually I have to be honest and say that the Motorola stereo bluetooth headset I have gives you better bass. As far as volume goes, these headphones are plenty loud for me. I wear them while I'm working in the office at my day job and my co-workers have to pretty much yell to get my attention, which I enjoy since they spend all day annoying me. The call quality is also very good. The caller comes in crystal clear, and I haven't had any problems with people hearing me, even with speaking in a low voice which I have to do at work. The caller doesn't even realize I'm using a bluetooth headset. Overall I'd give the sound quality a rating of 8/10.


Build Quality & The Comfort Factor
I realized that the build quality and comfort is extremely important when decided which bluetooth headset to purchase. The Nokia BH-501's are extremely comfortable. I actually have a pretty good sized head, and they still don't get uncomfortable after hours of use. I always have a hard time with behind the head style headphones because I feel like they are squeezing my head. Surprisingly these don't squeeze my head, yet they manage to stay on without feeling loose. Each earphone has a soft material so that it feels good against your ears. The construction of the band that connects each headphone is made of a rubbery flexible material, very good I think instead of having something more that I've seen on so many headsets. The outside of the earphones are made of plastic, and kind of cheap feeling. I think they could have done a better job of using a harder plastic. But you never know. Maybe this is they best Nokia could've done while keeping the headset light and compact. Speaking of light, damn these are light! Weighing in at just 64 grams, this makes a huge difference when it comes to comfort. My Motorola's weigh 100 grams. No wonder why I was constantly getting headaches and sore ears. The Nokia BH-501's are also foldable, making them easier to throw in your jacket pocket or a backpack. I used these babies for about 3 hours straight today and didn't get any discomfort. Maybe it's because I'm so used to wearing the Motorola bricks on my ears.

Buttons & Functions
This is an area where the headset comes out a loser. You have three buttons. Volume up, volume down, and the power/answer button. I'm so used to have a play/pause button, as well as previous and next track. I was bummed out to find that those features didn't come on this headset. The buttons are slightly hard to push and aren't positioned too well. The volume buttons are spaced far apart, I'd rather have them closer together. If you press the answer button when your not on a call or someone isn't called, you get the voice dialing feature that's built into your S60 headset, and it actually works really good. I though for sure the headset would have a hard time picking up what I'm trying to say, but it doesn't. This just proves how good the microphone is.


Overall this headset does a very good job. The sound and build quality is very good. It's lacking in the buttons and functions area, but I can learn to live with that. I also tested these out with video and movies on my Nokia N95 and it works flawlessly. Pretty much any sound you would normally get through your phones speakers comes through the headphones. I decided that I'm going to keep these and sell the Motorolas. The comfort is what puts it over the top for me. I can see myself using these way more often, instead of just when I'm desperate for music and willing to sacrifice sore ears. And thanks again Symbian for giving me the chance to win this awesome product. If anyone has any questions or would like to share their experience with this product leave a comment.

Today I tested how well the Nokia N95 works with my Motorola HT820 Stereo Bluetooth Headset. I got a great deal on this headset about 4 months ago, bought it off this guy for about $20 bucks mint condition. You can search ebay and buy one new for about $30 bucks now, since the price of these headphones have dropped significantly. I've been using them with my Nokia N73 and the sound quality has been good enough for me and comparable to a wired headset. I'm not going to write up a review about the Motorola HT820's, but before you read further I can tell you that they work perfectly with the Nokia N95.

Pairing & Connecting The Stereo Bluetooth Headset To The Nokia N95

When it comes to pairing a bluetooth headset with a phone, most companies have their own method. This is the first thing you have to when using the stereo bluetooth with your N95, and it's only needed once. On the headset, I have to hold down the button on the left earpiece for 5 seconds. This puts it in pairing mode. Then I tell the N95 to search for a new device. After about 6 seconds the N95 will find the bluetooth headset. You tell it to connect and it will then ask you for a passcode. On most headsets it is just "0000". When you type this it the phone and stereo bluetooth will be paired. The N95 than asks for authorization to connect automatically whenever the headset is on and in range of the Nokia N95. Of course I pushed yes, it's just so convenient. Once your done pairing the two, they will be connected. You can now start listening to music and making calls. But before I did, I wanted to make sure that the two devices would automatically pair on their own, because I found this feature buggy on my Nokia N73. So I turned off the stereo headset, which disconnects the devices. Now I switched it back on and BINGO, they connected perfectly and automatically. I didn't have to do anything except leave my phone's bluetooth on.

Switching Between Music, Calls, & Other Tasks With Stereo Bluetooth

One of the great things about Nokia smart phones is their ability to multi-task. Going from calling people, revieving calls, listening to music, browsing the web, to checking your email,is all flawless even over a stereo bluetooth headset on the N95.

The Motorola HT820's has the following buttons and functions: last call, answer, reject, play, pause, volume, & next/previous tracks. The Nokia N95 handles calls over bluetooth just like it would normally. When I have music playing and a call comes in, the music fades out and the phone rings through the headset. I just push the answer button, and I can hear the caller perfectly. When the call is over the music fades back and and resumes in the last spot I was listening. If I want to make a call, I just pick up my phone and dial or go through my contacts and push send. The music fades out and my call is placed. I can also call the last person I dialed by pushing the button on the left headphone of the headset. Skipping, pausing, and playing music tracks is flawless using the buttons on the headset. Same goes for the volume buttons.

Nokia N95 Sound Quality With The Motorola HT820 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

As far as music goes, the quality has a lot to do with your settings in your music player and the type and quality of the file your listening to. I normally keep my EQ set to "Rock", and keep stereo widening and loudness set to "on" when listening through a headset. This will give you a more rich sound and deeper bass. I really can't tell the difference between listening to music through wired headphones or these headphones. The sound comes in crisp and clear, with no clipping or anything. I've seen some people complain about the sound dropping out for a few seconds, but I haven't had that problem even up to 20 feet. Once I'm about 25 feed from my phone, the music starts clipping and dropping out slightly, and once you hit 30 feed you'll lose the connection. This may be different with a different stereo bluetooth model.

Call quality is something that I think can be improved upon. The other voice comes in a little hollow and low, even when I turn it up all the way. I'm sure this has more to do with the Motorola headset than the N95. I can still hear the caller clearly, and I've had absolutely no complaints from the callers about hearing me. Often times they think it sounds better than normal.

Watching Videos & Movies With Stereo Bluetooth & The Nokia N95

Personally, I prefer using CorePlayer over the built in Real Player to watch movies on the N95. I tested both with stereo bluetooth, and I have to say they are both perfect. The movies come in with 2-channel stereo sound and sound loud and clear. The large screen on the Nokia N95 paired with a good stereo bluetooth headset makes watching movies a joy. I haven't had a better experience with watching movies on a cell phone.

Conclusion

This Motorola HT820 stereo bluetooth headset is the only one I've used with an Nseries device, and I have found that it pairs perfectly with the Nokia N95. I also tested the popular Nokia Internet Radio Application over stereo bluetooth and of course works perfectly and sounds crystal clear. Let me know if you have something you'd like me to test out. I'm also looking for a smaller, lighter stereo bluetooth headset to go along with my Nokia N73 so if anyone has any ideas or experiences, please leave a comment. I'm pretty interested in trying out the stereo bluetooth ear buds that I've seen. They look much more comfortable. Overall I'm very happy with my experience with stereo bluetooth & the Nokia N95.