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Apple Bluetooth headset...came, saw, bought, returned.

mcdj

mcdj

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jul 10, 2007
8,972
4,225
NYC
It's a shame really because the headset, the dock and the travel cable are beyond slick.

The sound is decent, but certainly not earth shattering, AND it only sounds good if you keep the phone on the same side of your body as the headset. Put the headset in your left ear and the phone in your right pocket and welcome to Static Town.

More importantly, the fit is horrible, for my ears anyway. If the standard ear buds don't fit your ears, don't even bother buying this...the fit is identically bad. With 30 seconds of putting it in my ear, I fiddled with the fit 10 times, and caught it in my hand twice as it fell out while walking.

If you're looking for a nice tiny BT headset that fits great and sounds as mediocre as the rest of the headsets on the market (except maybe for the Jawbone, which I have not/will not try due to its size), try the Samsung WEP 410...it's as small if not smaller than the Apple, equally light, and has a silicone tipped earbud a la Sennheiser CX300s.

Samsung_Headset.jpg
 
thanks.

I am going to try the appletooth first and check out the sound quality.

the set you posted seems nice with some good reviews and look good.

I do hope the apple works for me though. Dual charging is a BIG thing to me. my old bluetooth would always come loose from the charger only to wake up the next morning to a dead tooth. :(
 
mcdj said:
...and caught it in my hand twice as it fell out while walking.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the review.

I currently have a tiny Nokia, which has an ear bud similar to the Apple buds -- which I hate. It feels like it's going to fall out of my ear, but when I get it set right, it doesn't. The main thing I don't like about the tiny Nokia is the controls. I find them very hard to operate without yanking the thing out of my ear. BTW, the Nokia comes with a primitive metal ear hook (sort of like an unfolded paperclip) that you can stick through the device, and around your ear, for added security.)

I may still try the Apple ear thing. The main appeal of it to me is the single charging station and cable for both the phone and the headset. I deal with so many different charging devices at home, office, and when I travel. It seems like it would be so much simpler having one charging device for these two related devices. I'll poke around at the Apple Store and decide.
 
The Appletooth fits perfectly in my ear and it sounds pretty damn good.

But then again the iPod earbuds fit me with no issues

and I have had no issues with static no matter which side my iPhone is on. I keep the headset in my left ear and the ipphone in my right pocket 90% of the time. Zero issues so far, just thought I would post a positive reiview
 
I must have odd-shaped ears...I can't get the default buds to stay in for more than a minute or two.

That's why I am holding off on the Appletooth, so comments like those above are a big help in my decision.

For my nano and video ipod, I ended up buying the Sennheiser MX75 Sport.

31966554-2-300-overview-1.gif


Everything else falls out.
 
Those look like something from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. :p

I ordered my Apple Bluetooth Headset. Should work fine for me, the earbuds work great for me so.. yeah. :)
 
The General said:
Those look like something from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. :p

I ordered my Apple Bluetooth Headset. Should work fine for me, the earbuds work great for me so.. yeah. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah I didn't buy them for looks...

You turn em 90 degrees from how it sits in your ear, twist it back and in..the top disc "hooks" under the ridge in your ear and those suckers do not move..the cord is really nice too...but the green..yeck...but they stay in my ears when I bike or run.
 
Man, that sucks to hear. Thanks for your opinion. The headphones with iPods (and the slightly different ones with the iPhones) are very painful and large for my ear canal where they go (though I have large ears--make sense of that!!).. bleh. I was so excited by the easy pairing (and battery status icon on the iPhone display!!), the cool dock, the MagSafe, and the diminuitive size...

I guess I'm back to getting the Aliph Jawbone. It's a cooler concept anyway and I'm sure better quality, even if only marginally. Plus it's pritty in red (IMHO).

Thanks again!
 
I must be one of those people with deformed ears, because the stock Apple ear buds are just plain murder on my ears. I can wear them for a few minutes but they start to hurt and I have to constantly fiddle with them. On the other hand, the more expensive ear buds with the silicon tips are awesome and feel great. I wish Apple would make a bluetooth headset with those type tips. I guess I won't be buying the current model.

I have a Motorola H700 headset which works okay but hangs on the outside of my ear and is prone to static and picks up too much ambient noise.

Anyone know of an in-ear noise canceling headset?
 
vinny2cubes said:
...the more expensive ear buds with the silicon tips are awesome and feel great. I wish Apple would make a bluetooth headset with those type tips.
Click to expand...
I agree. They could easily make it like the good buds, where there's a post and you can use the ear-interface of your choice. One of the choices could be a hard, round thing with fur on it, for those who like the stock Apple buds. ;)

For headphones, I currently use the Shure E500 -- usually with the soft gray tips. They fit very well, and they go in and out easily. If I want a secure fit, no outside noise, and great bass, I put on the white ribbed tips. Those are hard to get seated properly, though. I have to bend my ear over and push them down the ear canal. Those tips are the greatest when I fly, though!
 
The General said:
Maybe the OP is of the ... large variety. ;)
Click to expand...
Not of the large variety really...but about 200lbs, with some love handles. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if body type had something to do with BT transmission quality. I have a friend with a similar build and he can't do the left ear/right pocket thing without static either.
 
mcdj said:
Not of the large variety really...but about 200lbs, with some love handles. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if body type had something to do with BT transmission quality. I have a friend with a similar build and he can't do the left ear/right pocket thing without static either.
Click to expand...

I am about the same build maybe a little bigger and like I said I have no issues with the left ear/right pocket thing.

BT should have a much longer range than the distance from your ear to your pocket, unless you are REALLY REALLY tall.

I would unpair and re-pair the headset and see if that helps. If not I would see about exchanging the headset.
 
I'm having trouble find a BT headset that doesn't have static with the iPhone when it's in my pocket. It seems the BT transmitter on the iPhone is weaker than past Motorola phones I've owned. I know the range is supposed to be 10 meters but I'm getting less than 1 meter with the ultra small headsets I've tried (Plantronics 655 and some other really small one). I'm sticking with my classic Jabra BT250. It's huge by today's standards and I hate the proprietary charger but it always provides good quality with any phone.
 
mcdj said:
More importantly, the fit is horrible, for my ears anyway. If the standard ear buds don't fit your ears, don't even bother buying this...the fit is identically bad.

Samsung_Headset.jpg
Click to expand...

Which means you knew it wouldn't fit you before you even bought it... wish I had the money to throw around like that. :rolleyes:
 
GTiPhone said:
Which means you knew it wouldn't fit you before you even bought it... wish I had the money to throw around like that. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Not really. Well, maybe I suspected so. :)

I was *hoping* the earpiece was slightly different than the stock earbuds. The only way to know for sure was to try it and the only way to try it was to buy it.
 
mcdj said:
Not really. Well, maybe I suspected so. :)

I was *hoping* the earpiece was slightly different than the stock earbuds. The only way to know for sure was to try it and the only way to try it was to buy it.
Click to expand...
Out of curiosity, did they hit you with a 10% restocking fee when you returned it?

It doesn't seem possible to know for sure if it will fit, without buying one. The Apple Stores near me don't seem to have them on display, and really, who wants to jam something in their ear after (possibly) hundreds of other people have?
 
debating

I just bought them and while I LOVE the look and size, the sound quality is supposedly "about the same" as when I use the iPhone (though better than the default headphone/mic combo and better than speakerphone). It feels odd at first like they're going to fall out, but it stays quite securely in place and after a few minutes, you'll forget you're even wearing it.

The one thing is I'm having a lot of static, but this is in my basement with my head in between the headset and the phone, the phone sitting in the dock right next to 3 computers with bluetooth active and an AirPort Express, so it could be all the interference. I'll try it for a couple days and let you know how it is in the real world. It was perfectly clear and good when I was using it in the car.

Hope this helps. Still debating whether I really NEED a BT headset or not in the first place :) I like it as an iPhone accessory, though.
 
I just got mine today and it sounded fine while driving but now that I am home the sound is terrible. I have a older Logitech bluetooth and it holds a signal all over my townhome but the apple has a less than 10ft range. Maybe it is my airport extreme or macbook bluetooth causing issues but seems strange since the Logitech is not affected. I have tried unpairing the Apple bluetooth and it made no difference. So sad...

By the way the fit is fine for me once I used the foam earpiece cover.
 
I posted on one of the other boards, but just to chime in, mine is going back tomorrow. Would have done it today, but didn't bring the box with me.

Its so very cool, but sucks so much at the same time..
 
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