Customer Reviews

LG Tone (HBS-700) Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset - Retail Packaging - Black/Orange

5 star:		(421)
4 star:		(117)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Two of these products with slightly different names, so I'm duplicating the review for ease of finding.

Mid-term update added at the bottom.

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The Praise (Stuff that's good)...
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- Exceptionally comfortable; it's easy to forget it's there
- Decent sound quality for both stereo media and phone calls
- Buttons are all easy to find by touch
- Long battery life
- Very nice feature set
- Extremely easy to seat in the ears
- Haptic call alert

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The Raze (Stuff that's bad)...
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- It's easy to forget it's there
- May not work as comfortably for some people with loose, long hair
- Bass highly dependent on the seating of the bud in your ear
- Multi-connection mode connects one profile to each device only

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The Haze (Stuff to consider)...
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- As with all stereo Bluetooth media, the device's implementation of the Bluetooth stack affects the results
- Relatively noise-cancelling, so be careful in sound-critical environments
- Sealed ear bud design... This is not for everybody

I've got experience with the Motorola S9-HD, so this is not my first BT Stereo headset. I will say that this is my best experience with one however. The first thing to address is that this headset takes a week or so to get used to. People without long hair will have an advantage putting it on and taking it off of course, but it takes a bit to become a pro at how to use and place the ear buds. It's also important to note that people with long hair that is let down may have problems if they habitually brush their hair back past their neck. The wires from the neck band to the ear buds will catch with your hair.

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Hardware
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The headset is a torc-style neck band with a pod on either end of a rubber-sleeved memory-alloy neckband. The neckband may feel flimsy, but the memory alloy is strong and takes use without problem. Ear bud wires exit the outside of the pod near the top, back where your ears would be. The ear buds clip into moderate-strength magnetic cups when not in use. Sliding clips hold onto the band and the ear bud wires to allow for length adjustment.

The left pod is slightly heavier and bears the phone "Call Control" button (Including an indicator light ring), microphone, volume buttons, power switch, and Micro USB charging port, which is covered securely by a sealing cover when not in use. The extra weight of this pod tends to cause the headset to hang slightly lower on this side during use. Interestingly, this seems to improve voice pickup quality.

The right pod has the AVRCP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile) control buttons, with pause/play and track controls. This is Advanced AVRCP, so depending on device capability the controls can be very thorough.

The switch for the power button means that the headset does not turn itself off when it's idle for too long, which can be a definite benefit for the average person who doesn't get or make a phone call every hour. Despite this always-on state, the battery life is phenomenal.

The buttons on the unit are easy to feel and big enough that it's almost impossible to fat-finger them. Basic button functions are easy enough to remember that it shouldn't take more than a few uses at most to become very familiar with them.

The headset overall is very comfortable. After 15 minutes or so, it's easy to forget you're wearing it, especially when you have it in "Standby" (ear buds parked in their cups). This can be a great thing, but can also be a bane if you forget they're there when their non-presence would be a better thing. Examples of this include scratching the back of your neck, taking a shower, or swinging a bag strap over your shoulder.

Despite assumptions to the contrary, after thorough testing by several friends and associates (many of whom were loathe to give the headset back to me), I can officially say:

This headset works JUST FINE while jogging or exercising. The only person who was able to have any problem had to do five cartwheels to get the headset to fall loose. I have found it to be more comfortable overall and more stable in fact than the behind-the-head style headsets (Like the S9), and the neck-torc with short wires works much better in general than long-wired clips or neck hangers.

Unlike many headsets that have a specific radio-shadow issue depending on the device positioning, I have not found any problems with this one. My S9-HD hates it when my phone is in my front pants pocket, for example, because the Bluetooth antenna is in the back. This headset is happy and uninterrupted regardless of where the device is. The reception quality is actually quite impressive, uninterrupted even across 20 feet and through three walls from an HTC Evo 3D transmitting Stereo music.

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Music
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I join others in saying that I'm no audiophile, but the stereo sound quality on this headset is very good. It's important to consider that it uses closed ear buds. If you are not already comfortable with ear buds, especially ones that block your ear very thoroughly, this may not be for you. The headset comes with two different sizes of bud cups to fit different sized ear canals, and they are both very squishy, so should work in most ears.

The headset has two basic EQ modes, Normal and Bass. A good, tight fit is absolutely critical to achieve any semblance of bass response, but when placed correctly the bass is definitely decent and the Bass EQ mode enhances this nicely for people who enjoy a good low frequency response in their music.

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Calls
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Sound quality on calls is impressive both receiving and sending. The microphone is located on the end of the left pod, just below your chin normally. Unfortunately, it does point out, so wind noise can be more prominent than with some headsets, but very few headsets deal with wind gracefully.

The ring signal is a standard base-tone set, however the headset has haptic feedback for incoming calls in the form of vibration. Even in loud environments, this vibe alert on your neck will get your attention with ease even if the ear buds are not in your ear.

Separation of the power function from the Call control button allows for easier use of call controls. There are more call controls than most people memorize easily, including transferring the call to the handset and handling call waiting.

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Considerations
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One review claims that it's easy to hear past the ear buds. When they are in the ear canal properly, this is definitely not true. When off in the ear, they are sufficient to muffle conversational speech. When on, even loud sounds are drowned out easily. It's up to the user to be aware of their surroundings and I strongly encourage the use of only the LEFT ear bud for phone calls while in the car. (The microphone is on the left and if the right ear bud is in use and the left one is docked, it creates a tunnel sound.) Obviously user safety is important in environments where hearing is a good idea.

Multi-connect functionality is different compared to some headsets, and due to the lack of clarity in the manual, I am loathe to test because it doesn't indicate whether it is an ongoing status. When multi-connecting, it will specifically connect one device as the telephony connection, and one device as the stereo connection. I honestly can't remember which, but I have previously used a stereo headset that allowed two devices to be connected and use either profile they liked. In that case, I was able to connect to the phone and the computer, listen to music on the computer, and receive a headset call from either the phone or from the VoIP phone system. In this case, when listening to music on the computer, calls must come from the phone, and no music can come from the phone when it is connected A2DP to the computer.

General to -all- stereo Bluetooth headsets: The device's Bluetooth capability is the complete determinant on capabilities and performance. On some devices and even some -apps- on some devices, the use of Bluetooth will cause the audio to differ substantially in quality and often in sync from wired headphones. The sync on some devices will mean that trying to view a video with the Bluetooth headset is night onto impossible as the sound is way off from the video. This is dependent on the DEVICE and its firmware, not the headphones, so know your device before getting stereo Bluetooth headphones for video viewing or any media use. One important device example: Most iPhones will pipe all audio through the headset, including alerts and system sounds. Changing the audio output/source is necessary to put alarms and alerts back though the phone when any headset is connected.

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Summary
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Overall this is an extremely nice headset and will work well for most people in most cases. The specialty cases and caveats are mentioned above. Several guesses that people have taken in other reviews were directly researched to address. For the price, these are a Must Get for anybody who wants wireless freedom.

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Medium Term Update
Jan 11, 2012
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This review was originally written in September 2011 after I had the headset for about two months. To help people decide on the longer-term aspects of the headset, this update is an evaluation of how it is doing so far.

The conditions:
Worn daily on weekdays for a minimum of 12 hours a day. Often squished by the collar of a leather jacket, abused by a cat who thinks I shouldn't wear it, removed with one hand, and occasionally caught on things when I don't pay attention. Snowed on, blown by the wind, and rained on a few times and subjected to outside temperatures ranging from 98F to -2F (37C to -19C). In use for a minimum of 40 minutes of calls a day and an average of three hours of music a day, up to six hours of music.

Cosmetic (Appearance, wear on surfaces and materials, etc):
---> Pristine
Structural (Non-electrical attachments, structural stability, etc):
---> Perfect
Base Electrical (Wire connections and condition, button operation, light function, battery):
---> Perfect
Complex Electrical (Radio, processing chips, output, 'intelligence', etc):
---> Perfect

Normally I'd expect to have some wear and tear on the headset. There have been a number of accidents that it should not have survived through. With the excellent price value, I love the headset but replacing it with a new one would not be a wallet breaker, so I admit I haven't been as kind to it as I should be.

Casing is secure and unblemished on contact surfaces. Wires are supple, well-attached and secure, including electrical operation. The neck band, despite it's frail feel, has withstood more abuse than the average person would give it. Batteries continue to charge quickly and last well. Sound quality remains superb.

Medium-term verdict: Five Stars maintained.
It's survived better than a champ. With all it's been through, it still looks and operates as well as day one. I've not been this astounded by such quality construction in decades.

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Update to the update: One commenter has alerted that they had wiring problems after a short time. I can see this as being possible, since the wires are exposed, and just like a bruise on your leg that you are unsure how you got, a yank on the wire could be easily forgotten. While I do know that mine has undergone some accidental abuse that made me worry for it, I can also say that it's easy to put the wires under strain that isn't as obvious at the time. Heavy jackets, long hair, car seatbelts, backpacks, messenger bags, etc, all have a chance of catching on the cable. Pets may also find the wires chewy and delicious. I can only give my experience with it, but please do feel free to comment or start a Discussion using the Discussion feature on the product page to let people know about your experiences.
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As always, I will update this review if and as new information becomes available and I will attempt to accurately answer any questions from my standpoint as a user of this device. Please feel free to let Amazon and I know whether this was helpful to you or not, since it helps me improve my reviews.

The LG HBS-700 is the third Bluetooth stereo headset that I have used (see my reviews of the Motorola S10-HD and Jabra CLIPPER). As in my other reviews I will focus on the music experience as I use my Motorola T305 for hands free calling. After pairing this unit with my Droid X, I evaluated it for sound quality, ease of use, and comfort.

Sound Quality: I don't have the strictest standards for music listening, but I haven't had many better listening experiences that I have with the 700. After changing out the earbuds for the larger set to get a good fit, I was ready to go. I can't emphasize enough the importance of getting a good seal between your ear and the earbud for sound quality. I have had this wrong on other earbuds in the past, and the difference in sound quality is night and day. For clarity of playback the only thing that I have gotten better sound from is my Creative Zen X-Fi with the EP-830 earbuds. While the 700 doesn't produce booming base, it is rare that earbuds do. By comparison I think that the 700 has better sound than either the Motorola or Jabra units that I have used.

Ease of Use: This is an area where I think LG has really scored. The 700 has a dedicated on/off switch, and each of its controls does exactly one thing. There are dedicated buttons for play/pause, skip, and reverse for controlling your music player. In addition there are dedicated volume and call buttons too. Once you learn which side the controls are on, it is very easy to control the 700 without being able to see the controls.

Comfort: If you have used earbuds with no issues in the past, you should have every reason to expect the 700 to be of similar comfort. I have listened for an hour and a half without giving any thought to the headset I was using. The unit itself rests like a necklace around your neck. The only potential issue I could see is that people with long hair may find that it gets tangled in the unit. If you are concerned about this, I would recommend checking out this unit in person. As of this writing you can do so at a Sprint store.

The one caution I would issue would be around active use. I don't think the unit is designed to hold up to bouncing around, and it also does seem to be sweat resistant either. I would recommend the Jabra Clipper for active use. However I use the 700 while sitting at my desk at work. It does fine with normal walking around and light activity. I would just refrain from using it during exercise.

Overall: The LG HBS-700 is a very strong offering. It hits the mark on sound quality, ease of use, and comfort. The only downside I see to it is that it was not designed for using during exercise. Otherwise I think that you will be happy with this unit.

Since there are a few in depth reviews floating around, I'll just highlight some of the things that struck me after use:


Good:
· The style of the headphones themselves is very ingenious, and stay in place no matter what I am doing. They take a few minutes to adjust to the feeling of having them around your neck, but soon after you forget they are there.

· No problems syncing with my Droid X

· They will pause/skip ahead/answer calls with no problem

· The volume button is well placed, with a feel that's easy to find by touch

· Ear buds are fairly comfortable

· Sound quality is pretty good with music. They are a little flat sounding, but using an equalizer app brought them back to life. For the price, I was pleased.


The Bad:
· Poor construction quality

· Sound quality on phone calls is horrible. Did you ever talk with someone through a long tube or pipe when you were a kid? That's how other people sound when on phone calls. There's no static, and it's clear, but I had to keep reminding myself the caller was not trapped in a well. If you plan on talking on the phone a lot, please take note of this. (That said, I never had any complaints on their end, as far as my speaking sound quality)

· Call answer and play/pause buttons are small and VERY easy to trigger with your chin if you are moving your head around a lot. While working on my car and around the house I was constantly hitting them on accident. (Adding a lock would fix this)

· The magnets on the ends to hold the buds in place when not in use are a joke. I was constantly having them hang down the inside of my shirt when not in use. This needs a major redesign. Be careful if you put them in a bag with anything that my catch on them.

· I knew these were not noise isolating or cancelling, but I still expected them to be a little better than they are, as other regular ear buds I have had were much better in that regard.



Summary: For less than $50, these could be quite a value. They are a very unique headset, and for someone who is mostly going to use them for music, they may be what you are looking for.

So, why only 1 star? While I was happy with these while they worked, I cannot recommend them due to my experience with their service and the sub-par build quality.

After only about 6 weeks of use, they fell apart. The ear buds are made as a two-piece shell that surrounds the speaker and wired connections. Well, they fell apart at the production seam. I could have probably glued them together myself, but I wasn't about to do that with a practically new device. So I contacted LG and sent them immediately in for service (which was a hassle in itself to get an RMA #, since neither their repair website nor phone support has this model # listed)

After almost 4 weeks in their hands without word on status, I contacted them for an update. After multiple transfers between associates who could not get me an update, I was finally connected with a supervisor who informed me that the headphones (and parts) were on backorder. She said that while they could not give me an official ETA, she admitted it could be months until this is resolved. I requested a direct refund since they could not honor their warranty in a timely manner. I was told that she would discuss it with a manager, and would call me back.

After 5 days I never received a call back, so I called again myself. After another inordinate amount of time on hold between individuals, I was told by a supervisor named Maya that they would not offer me a refund. My choices were to either accept a lesser-quality (and less expensive), regular headphone style Bluetooth set as replacement, or to wait for the others to come back into stock, with no end in sight.

Sorry LG, but this is not acceptable. If I wanted a large, old-school style headset I would have ordered a better set from a different manufacturer. I could easily order a replacement set of 700's from a 3rd party vendor if you gave me a refund. I understand that you are not required to do so, but you ARE expected to give your customers timely warranty support, which you have failed to do. As such, you will never get another dollar of mine, for any product in the future.

After literally years of searching for a bluetooth stereo headset I've finally found a pair that I didn't immediately hate. In fact I like these headphones a lot. I've been using the HBS-700s for the past few days switching back and forth between my pc and my phone for listening to music on my work commute and at night when I'm laying in bed watching movies or catching up on teevee shows. Hearing the ADR and Foley audio from my favorite shows with new ears has been an interesting listening experience to say the least. The wireless range on these headphones is also surprising. I've walked around the house listening to music from my computer while making something to eat or doing dishes in the kitchen at the other end of the house (some 30+ feet away with walls that make even wi-fi difficult). The battery life seems great so far. I haven't had them power off on me yet and charging them while I'm in the shower seems to be good enough to last through several hours of music and movies. I could probably charge them every other day and still not run out of juice. The playback controls are easily accessible and after a couple hours of use they were already burned into my muscle memory. I am a bit worried that eventually the earbud wires might become damaged or become detached from the neckband, but I'm guessing that with care they won't be damaged for quite some time. One thing to note is that I have yet to use them for making or receiving phone calls so I have no idea how the call quality is. I'm not sure why exactly, but I prefer to actually hold a phone to my ear when I'm talking rather than taking the schizophrenic route and making it appear like I'm talking to myself.

While I was researching this product I found it exceptionally difficult to find photos of the headphones actually being worn by people. There isn't even a brief mention of these uniquely affordable and comfortable to wear headphones anywhere on the LG site. Sure there was the overtly sexual photo of the girl with the exaggerated cleavage shot to look at (after a ton of searching) and there is that guy reviewing them on youtube who never once even so much as takes them out of the package, but there isn't a single photo of a person wearing this headset in any kind of typical fashion ANYWHERE that I could find. I find this quite sad as it was one of the issues that might have kept me from making the purchase. Luckily I had a phat (like the kids say) gift card to burn and thought the risk might be worth the cost of return shipping. It was and I have no intention of returning these.

The things I was the most concerned about before purchase were 1) the design of the neckband itself, 2) the overall size and weight of the device, and 3) the sound quality and fit of the earbuds.

1) The neckband is very light weight and made of fairly good quality materials. I don't by any means think these headphones would stand up to a lot of abuse, but for day to day wear they should last a good while. The band itself is made of a flexible rubber material similar to the earbud wires, but much thicker. It sits comfortably around the base of the neck and aside from the plastic hardware bits at the ends, I wouldn't even think about them being on. I don't know if I would wear them jogging or while working out as they would probably jostle around on my collarbone awkwardly and I'm not sure how well they might stand up to some sweat, but that's not a huge concern for me really.

2) The size and weight of the device are deceptive from the product shots. They are much thinner and lighter than I was initially expecting. From the variety of bluetooth headphones I've seen in the past, they are usually exceedingly bulky and uncomfortable to wear. The HBS-700's are light weight and only slightly larger than I would like. Don't get me wrong these things are no bigger or heavier than a standard slim wired headset, but who wants to wear headphones around their neck all day? The only headphones that come close to these in terms of size and features are the Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 or Sony DRBT100CX, and those are awkwardly designed and more expensive.

3) The sound quality and fit of the earbuds again exceeded my expectations. After my ears adjusted to the initial shock of a change in headphones, I have to say that these are some of the best sounding headphones I've ever owned and a thousand times better than any other bluetooth headphones I've experienced. I'm guessing that the audiophiles out there will probably find some way to poopoo the sound quality of the HBS-700s, but to the average user the sound will surprise you. The standard earbuds fit really, really well and help to block out external noise. There were another set of replacement ear buds in the package, but I haven't tried them out, but I think they might be slightly larger than the ones that the headphones shipped with. What's more, the innovative magnetic earbud holders are really quite neat and they elegantly keep the earbuds tucked neatly away when not in use.

Pros:
+ price
+ size and weight
+ sound quality
+ bluetooth earbuds (!)
+ battery life
+ easy to use controls

Cons:
- they weren't available years ago
- no useful product photos or video reviews
- the next generation of these will probably be even thinner and lighter
- the earbud wires could be attached more elegantly (nit picking)

Overall:
If you're interested in a set of bluetooth stereo heaphones you will not go wrong with this pair. If you're in the market just stop looking and buy these now. Don't wait. Just do it. For cereal.

I bought these to block out the yakkers on the train, and they work well to that end.

Listening to music on them is enjoyable, though the bass is somewhat anemic. They won't rupture your eardrums, but they still get plenty loud, and they block a fair amount of ambient noise, even when powered off, making them double as the world's most expensive ear plugs. Talking on the phone is a joy and a pleasure. Even while standing on a subway platform with a zillion people talking and trains arriving I can still carry on a conversation. Though I must confess that it scared the crap out of me the first time I got a phone call and the left-hand end of the neck piece started vibrating against my collar bone.

The construction is light-weight but robust. Other reviewers who complain about this product being flimsy should perhaps consider a set of pilot headphones. This is a tiny, delicate electronic device. If you treat it as such you'll do fine. If you Frisbee it around or stuff it into your backpack, I expect it'll get busted. The one-size-fits-all ear pieces are a trifle too snug in my ears, and so I wish that they had come with replacements in a range of sizes, like some other in-ear phones available.

Battery life is perfectly acceptable. I charge them overnight, then use them on the two-hour commute, leave them on but idle most of the day, then use them again for the commute home and I've never had them fart out on me.

The dual pairing is a bit fiddly, but after a lot of trial and error I successfully connected this headset to both a Motorola Xoom and an HTC EVO 4G. The trick is to to set each device to use only one function: set the phone to only use the phone function, then set the tablet/mp3 player to use only the media audio function and it works like magic.

Now for the bad news.

They're a bit funny-looking, hanging around your neck, and the wires stick out of your ears at a very comical angle, unlike traditional ear buds. I admit that I felt self-conscious the first time I wore them in public. I soon noticed that a lot of people were looking curiously in my direction, more so that would normally be the case (I'm something of a curious-looking fellow, so I'm accustomed to it), and I thought, well, I'm stylish now with my wireless horse collar headphone thingy! Then it occurred to me that I have a BRIGHT BLUE BLINKING LIGHT ON MY NECK!!! VISIBLE FROM ORBIT!!!

So, if you can stomach it, wear these proudly as a badge of your extreme geekery, enjoy the good-quality sound, more than adequate battery life and excellent noise isolation. And smile when the people stare. :D

What I liked:
- Light
- Good quality sound (music and in-call)
- Vibrating alert for calls
- Conveniently holds earbuds magnetically when not in use
- Good battery life
- Comfortable (necklace causes little to no discomfort)
- Well-designed, easily learned controls (On/Off switch is a physical toggle that you slide one way for "On" and the other way for "Off")
- Nicely priced

What I didn't like:
- Not completely wireless (earbuds are attached to necklace through wires)
- No presented storage options (worried that it could get damaged easily as the necklace band has quite a bit of flex in it and the earbud wires could be damaged)

Overall, these are a great set of bluetooth headphones for the money. They replaced a pair of Rocketfish bt headphones and these LGs are better in nearly every way. Sound is nice (not tinny and no overpowering bass), battery life is long (used for 3 days for about 10-14 hours in total and they're still not dead), and I can say that they're much more comfortable than the set I was previously using (they feel just like regular headphones, except with a neckband - which is actually more useful than annoying [I originally thought that I would hate it] as it has a built-in, magnetic earbud holder for when you need don't feel like listening to music, but want to keep the headphones on you for later).

Would gladly recommend this set to a friend.

Of the last couple of Bluetooth headsets I've owned and used, this is the best yet. Pairs easily and quickly with my iPhone 4. Produces a clear, quality sound stream within a reasonable distance from the phone and is VERY comfortable to wear. Putting all the electronics in a neckless design is GENIUS and keeps the weight off your ears and head and totally elimiinates the Star Wars Lobot appearance of the other units (and the associated weird stares). Using magnets to dock the earbuds at the ends of the neckless part is brilliant too, keeping tangling to an absolute minimum.

Controls are easy to use once you're familiar with where they are around your neck - left side is phone activation and volume/effects controls, right is player start/pause and next/previous/FF/Rev. Battery charge seems to last about 5 to 6 hours. I haven't had anyone complain about the microphone quality yet but, because it's down around your neck, collars or other clothing may get in the way and cause distortion.

Sound quality is very acceptable. Crisp highs and clear mid tones, with an acceptable bass response if you're not playing booming rock or rap. There are about three or four "equalizer" effects that can boost the bass a little or give you a more spatial sound quality, but to my ears they're very subtile changes to the "normal" setting.

If there are durability issues*(see edit), I'll revise this post at that time, but so far, for the price, these are the hands-down winner of any of the Bluetooth stereo headsets I've seen or used out there. I don't think you'll be dissapointed.

****[UPDATE]****
After several months of constant daily use, the left channel wires have apparently frayed at the point they enter the neckband, causing the channel to quit. However, up to this point they have performed awesomely! 6 to 8 hours of run time with only 2 hours maximum charge. Very comfortable with intuitive controls you become very accustomed to. There are so many great things about this headset that I'm loathed to part with them for repairs. I may break down and buy another set.

This headset is the best BT device I've ever owned. Love them. They're awesome for when you hit the gym. I haven't had any issues with them falling off. Only time I've had issues is with crunches but then I just turn them around to the front of my neck. Audio is fantastic for both listening to music/videos and for phone calls. Just be wary when using in th car, you won't hear anything else but the music or call. The ear buds pretty much kill any ambient/background sound.

I would no doubt recommend these to anyone that has an active lifestyle and/or just wants a great pair of headsets for your phone/multimedia device.

Other uses: PS3, Laptop, Tablet
Battery Life: With moderate to heavy usage, I've been averaging around 2 full days. Can't ask for much more.

I purchased this LG HBS 700 Headset after much searching and trying others,Jabra, Motorola. This set is so easy to use, It pairs with my Iphone 4 perfectly, no Issues what so ever. The comfort of the small ear buds, are one of the best I have tried. It just hangs around your neck, the controls are so easy to operate and find when you have a call coming in. Skipping songs, turning up or down the volume, using voice dial, etc. With Iphone4's setting under Ipod, where you can change the different sound settings, this makes the sound of the music just like a wired set of headbuds. This is a very sweet headset.
The issue of battery life has not been a problem. Have had in play for 6 hours straight hours, and standby for at least 4 more and had plenty left. The only drawback I can see with this set is that it may not be quite sweat proof enough for heavy workouts, have worn it while on tread mill, with no problem, I just wipe it off when I get through using, but LG could make it more water resistant, Like the Philips headsets, even if they had to charge more for it.If LG would do this one thing they may have the best on the market. It is well worth the Price, I have paid more for other headsets that in no-way, can compare to this LG HBS 700. I do not believe you can do better for the price than what this headset brings to the table, even those headsets costing much more.

Despite 60 other reviews on this at the time I write, I realized that it would be a good idea to put some assumptions made in other reviews to solid test.

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The Praise (Stuff that's good)...
=================================
- Exceptionally comfortable; it's easy to forget it's there
- Decent sound quality for both stereo media and phone calls
- Buttons are all easy to find by touch
- Long battery life
- Very nice feature set
- Extremely easy to seat in the ears
- Haptic call alert

=================================
The Raze (Stuff that's bad)...
=================================
- It's easy to forget it's there
- May not work as well for people with loose, long hair
- Bass highly dependent on seating
- Multi-connection mode disables stereo audio mode and is for phone calls only

=================================
The Haze (Stuff to consider)...
=================================
- As with all stereo Bluetooth media, the device's implementation of the Bluetooth stack affects the results
- Relatively noise-cancelling, so be careful in sound-critical environments
- Sealed ear bud design... This is not for everybody

I've got experience with the Motorola S9-HD, so this is not my first BT Stereo headset. I will say that this is my best experience with one however. The first thing to address is that this headset takes a week or so to get used to. People without long hair will have an advantage putting it on and taking it off of course, but it takes a bit to become a pro at how to use and place the ear buds. It's also important to note that people with long hair that is let down may have problems if they habitually brush their hair back past their neck. The wires from the neck band to the ear buds will catch with your hair.

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Hardware
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The headset is a torc-style neck band with a pod on either end of a rubber-sleeved memory-alloy neckband. The neckband may feel flimsy, but the memory alloy is strong and takes use without problem. Ear bud wires exit the outside of the pod near the top, back where your ears would be. The ear buds clip into moderate-strength magnetic cups when not in use. Sliding clips hold onto the band and the ear bud wires to allow for length adjustment.

The left pod is slightly heavier and bears the phone "Call Control" button (Including an indicator light ring), microphone, volume buttons, power switch, and Micro USB charging port, which is covered securely by a sealing cover when not in use. The extra weight of this pod tends to cause the headset to hang slightly lower on this side during use. Interestingly, this seems to improve voice pickup quality.

The right pod has the AVRCP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile) control buttons, with pause/play and track controls. This is Advanced AVRCP, so depending on device capability the controls can be very thorough.

The switch for the power button means that the headset does not turn itself off when it's idle for too long, which can be a definite benefit for the average person who doesn't get or make a phone call every hour. Despite this always-on state, the battery life is phenomenal.

The buttons on the unit are easy to feel and big enough that it's almost impossible to fat-finger them. Basic button functions are easy enough to remember that it shouldn't take more than a few uses at most to become very familiar with them.

The headset overall is very comfortable. After 15 minutes or so, it's easy to forget you're wearing it, especially when you have it in "Standby" (ear buds parked in their cups). This can be a great thing, but can also be a bane if you forget they're there when their non-presence would be a better thing. Examples of this include scratching the back of your neck, taking a shower, or swinging a bag strap over your shoulder.

Despite assumptions to the contrary, after thorough testing by several friends and associates (many of whom were loathe to give the headset back to me), I can officially say:

This headset works JUST FINE while jogging or exercising. The only person who was able to have any problem had to do five cartwheels to get the headset to fall loose. I have found it to be more comfortable overall and more stable in fact than the behind-the-head style headsets (Like the S9), and the neck-torc with short wires works much better in general than long-wired clips or neck hangers.

Unlike many headsets that have a specific radio-shadow issue depending on the device positioning, I have not found any problems with this one. My S9-HD hates it when my phone is in my front pants pocket, for example, because the Bluetooth antenna is in the back. This headset is happy and uninterrupted regardless of where the device is. The reception quality is actually quite impressive, uninterrupted even across 20 feet and through three walls from an HTC Evo 3D transmitting Stereo music.


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Music
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I join others in saying that I'm no audiophile, but the stereo sound quality on this headset is very good. It's important to consider that it uses closed ear buds. If you are not already comfortable with ear buds, especially ones that block your ear very thoroughly, this may not be for you. The headset comes with two different sizes of bud cups to fit different sized ear canals, and they are both very squishy, so should work in most ears.

The headset has two basic EQ modes, Normal and Bass. A good, tight fit is absolutely critical to achieve any semblance of bass response, but when placed correctly the bass is definitely decent and the Bass EQ mode enhances this nicely for people who enjoy a good low frequency response in their music.


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Calls
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Sound quality on calls is impressive both receiving and sending. The microphone is located on the end of the left pod, just below your chin normally. Unfortunately, it does point out, so wind noise can be more prominent than with some headsets, but very few headsets deal with wind gracefully.

The ring signal is a standard base-tone set, however the headset has haptic feedback for incoming calls in the form of vibration. Even in loud environments, this vibe alert on your neck will get your attention with ease even if the ear buds are not in your ear.

Separation of the power function from the Call control button allows for easier use of call controls. There are more call controls than most people memorize easily, including transferring the call to the handset and handling call waiting.

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Considerations
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One review claims that it's easy to hear past the ear buds. When they are in the ear canal properly, this is definitely not true. When off in the ear, they are sufficient to muffle conversational speech. When on, even loud sounds are drowned out easily. It's up to the user to be aware of their surroundings and I strongly encourage the use of only the LEFT ear bud for phone calls while in the car. (The microphone is on the left and if the right ear bud is in use and the left one is docked, it creates a tunnel sound.) Obviously user safety is important in environments where hearing is a good idea.

Multi-connect functionality is limited compared to most Stereo headsets. Some people like to sync to their phone for calls and their music device or computer for stereo music. Unfortunately this headset will -only- work for calls when multi-connected. Stereo audio is completely disabled in that case.

General to -all- stereo Bluetooth headsets: The device's Bluetooth capability is the complete determinant on capabilities and performance. On some devices and even some -apps- on some devices, the use of Bluetooth will cause the audio to differ substantially in quality and often in sync from wired headphones. The sync on some devices will mean that trying to view a video with the Bluetooth headset is night onto impossible as the sound is way off from the video. This is dependent on the DEVICE and its firmware, not the headphones, so know your device before getting stereo Bluetooth headphones for video viewing or any media use.

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Summary
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Overall this is an extremely nice headset and will work well for most people in most cases. The specialty cases and caveats are mentioned above. Several guesses that people have taken in other reviews were directly researched to address. For the price, these are a Must Get for anybody who wants wireless freedom.



As always, I will update this review if and as new information becomes available and I will attempt to accurately answer any questions from my standpoint as a user of this device. Please feel free to let Amazon and I know whether this was helpful to you or not, since it helps me improve my reviews.