Customer Reviews

Motorola S9-HD Headset with D650 iPod Adapter (Gloss Black)

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

With the release of Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 I have found myself on the market for a pair of nice A2DP Bluetooth stereo headphones. I currently switch between a Jabra BT125 for wireless talk and Shure i2c-M earbuds for wired stereo music while walking/running.

With my iPhone 3G updated and finally able to support stereo BT streams, I found myself stuck with the choice of either the Motorola ROKR S9-HD wrap arounds or the JayBird 200i, which appear to be the two most widely distributed BT stereo setups available in my local big box marts. I wound up choosing the Motorolas, which I purchased from Target.

I chose poorly.

I will say, I am generally skeptical of tech product user reviews, and knowing the Motorola ROKR series BT stereo headphones (both the S9s and now these S9-HDs) have recieved so many mixed reviews across a number of different sites, I was left unconvinced either way, so went ahead and purchased them for myself to see if these were really as good, or as bad, as previous reviewers have made them out to be.

Unfortunately, the *bad* camp wins. I wound up returning my S9-HDs to Target the day after I purchased them, even in spite of some quite favorable first impressions.

I have owned a number of Motorola products over the past decade (Timeport and RAZR V3 cellphones chief among them -- in fact, prior to the iPhone I'd owned only Motorola brand cell phones for the previous eight years) and have a favorable overall impression of Motorola's products, build quality, and reliability. Because of this I purchased the S9-HDs with an open mind and presumed the headphones couldn't really be as poorly constructed and unreliable as other reviewers have written.

When I brought the S9-HDs back to my office after purchasing them on a lunch break, I cut into the package and immediately got the headset on the charger, because I was so eager to put them through their paces. After charging completed (~2 hours), I paired the headset to my iPhone 3G without any problems. At no point did I need the included D650 adapter, though I do own a fourth gen iPod that would have been a candidate for it, I wound up not keeping the headset long enough to even bother.

So, what's good?

- Weight/comfort. The headset weighs under an ounce, so is very light and rides off the neck and just over the ears. Some people complain that these 'pinch', though I had no such issues. I found I was able to wear them for about two hours listening to music at my desk and not be bothered by the ergonomics, fit, or weight.

- Sound quality. I thought the sound quality was excellent in both modes ('regular' stereo and 'SRS Wow'). There was some noise/static at higher volumes, so I would put these behind my Shures in clarity, but otherwise I wouldn't make an argument against these based on sound quality alone. In fact, through the first two hours of my purchase, I was extremely happy with the S9-HDs, though I hadn't left my desk.

Then what's bad?

- BT signal strength. The deal breaker for me would come about four hours later when I went for my evening 5K run. My opinion of the S9-HDs really couldn't have been higher until I discovered they were completely unusuable for the primary purpose for which I bought them: Cutting the wire to the earbuds when I'm running. As soon as my gait switched from a walk to even a light jog (~5-6 mph) the headset began bouncing up and down uncomfortably and the sound would intermittently cut out from the BT stream for seconds at a time. My experience left me with the impression that these headphones were 100% unworkable for any outdoor physical activity whatsoever, which confirmed the complaints of a number of other owners who wound up giving these only one or two stars.

- Fixed battery. The battery is not replaceable and not user accessible. The rated life of the battery is approx 400 charges, which you can expect to last between 5-6 hours for stereo music. Unless you intend to use these sparingly, they are for all practical purposes $100 2 to 3-year disposable headphones.

- Behind the head wrap-around design only works if you're sitting up/standing. Due to the design that has the band "float" just off the back of the neck, this headset is also unusable while laying down or sitting back in a high-backed chair, such as a recliner or executive office chair.

- Remote buttons on the S9-HD don't control the iPhone 3G's music player, because OS 3.0 does not offer AVRCP. There are six control buttons on the headset along the earpieces including volume up/down and next/previous track. These buttons do not control the iPhone 3G even with OS 3.0. The volume up/down buttons affect the headset independant of the iPhone's volume controls, and I also found that there was not a selection available to turn the volume down so low as to have complete silence. The lowest available volume selection was still loud enough that I had to completely remove the headphones in a pinch to hear somebody talking to me. The next/previous track buttons don't do anything. Track selection still requires handling the iPhone's touchscreen.

Last, I will point out that a number of complaints seem to center around the S9 and S9-HDs lack of waterproofing, which is a huge problem for active wear due to sweat entering the unit. As I did not own mine long enough to verify these claims because all the other faults were so deal breaking as to lead me to return these in less than 24 hours, my impression of the construction was the speaker units themselves did not appear to be sealed very well, nor did the rubberized portions of the volume/track controls on the outsides of the unit. Even the charger port cover showed little attention to fit and finish and was clearly not going to be suitable for moisture proofing. That said, I am inclined to agree with those suspicious of the long term durability of these for active use, presuming you're lucky enough to get any use out of them whatsoever in that capacity.

In the end, until something better comes along, I've taken the refund and will stick with my Shures. All things considered, I'm certain these would make an excellent wireless, stereo headset option for those who need such an item for casual indoor use, such as while cleaning, doing other chores, or sitting at a desk. However the short life-expectency, half-a-day charge lifetime, poor BT signal range, complete failure of the unit outdoors during active use, and overall poor finish makes these unworkable for any serious travel, all-day, or active-performance use.

The battery is non-replaceable. This thing WOULD be prefect if it wasn't for the battery. The sound quality is great (call + music), the construction seems great, and it had a lot of neat features. I have contacted Motorola directly and they confirmed that the battery is not meant to be replaced--not even Motorola does it. The battery has a claimed lifespan of about 400 charge cycles (don't remember the exact number) but that means that if you plan to use your headphones daily, as I did, this particular model will only last you about a year before it will no longer hold a decent charge, and, if you are very unlucky, just a little after your 1 year warranty is up.

After doing some research, I have come across quite a few S9 (predecessor to this model) users who are already experiencing this. So what does that mean to S9-HD owners? Well, you basically have yourself a DISPOSBABLE, $90 set of headphones. I attempted to find a way to replace the battery myself but I eventually gave up. The rubber cushion (the one that goes all the way across the unit) must be removed to access the internals but it seems to be glued down with super glue or something, making it difficult to remove without damaging it. Even if you were able to take it apart, you would have to identify and source the tiny lithium battery, which would also be a very difficult feat since Motorola does not sell them. Finally, the actual replacement would most likely require some amount of soldering, which would prevent the average person from taking on such a task.

If you can live with buying a disposable set of headphones, I would definitely get this model. It sounds amazing and works flawlessly. My only complaint other than the battery would be one that applies to all headphones that wrap around the back of your head--the band gets in the way when you want to put your head down, like when you are bench pressing at the gym or you want to use the headrest on the drive home from work. Of course, I knew that when I bought them. I have returned my S9-HD and will look for something with a longer lasting or replaceable battery.

S9-HD/D650 Bundle with ipod Adapt
I bought this for my wife to use with her new iPhone 3G after Apple still has failed to implement Music Streaming on Bluetooth. The headphones and the adapter have given outstanding performance and consistency from both a music playing and phone perspective. I just wish the transmitter could be as small as the Sony. The Sony transmitter is about 1.3 smaller! But the performance and consistency of the motorola make it a better value.

As in the previous review that had instructions on how to pair this motorola with the iPhone 3G, I would follow a bit different, slightly simpler and less invasive approach than deleting all your pairings.

1. charge your headsets for the recommended 2 hours before use (they'll last longer and you'll thank me!)

2. Turn your iPhone's Bluetooth OFF (Settings/General/Bluetooth/OFF/ON slider)

3. Plug in the D65 Adapter that came with the headset (answer NO to the iPhone's message declaring that you just plugged in an incompatible device)

4. Go to the iPod mode on your iPhone 3G (it should be in pause mode now)

5. Put the Headset into pairing mode by: (when the headset is off, press the power button for 7 seconds, you should get a steady blue light)

6. On the iPhone 3G press the PLAY button.

7. Both the adapter and headset will go through a series of blinking lights (they are pairing) when they are done (about 15 - 20 seconds) your music should start to play automatically in the headsets!

8. YOU CAN NOW GO BACK TO THE iPHONE's BLUE TOOTH SETTINGS AND TURN IT ** ON ** (refer to step 2)

You now have full control using the headset's PLAY/PAUSE/SKIP/VOLUME
buttons.

*** What's also cool, is if you recieve a phone call, the music will fade, you will hear the phone ring in your headset and you can now use the headset's ANSWER/DECLINE/VOLUME buttons to answer or ignore your calls! ***

My wife uses the headsets in the gym and a BlueAnt V9 Bluetooth headset the rest of the time. This is one reason step 8 is important as my wife seamlessly goes from gym, to car, and to office by simply plugging the moto adapter into the iPhone in the Gym and yanking it out and turning on her headset in the car, without touching her iPhone's buttons at all.

Enjoy!
-Sam

After some research I ended purchasing the Sam Sung SBH-500 and the Motorola S9-HD, so will be doing a comparison of the two.
True to the reviews I've heard, the Sam Sung had excellent music quality. The Motorola had comparable sound quality but not quite as good as the Sam Sung. The calling quality for the Sam Sung wasn't bad either, and the two people I called could hear me fine. For the Motorola, one of the two person said it sounded the same as the S.S. but the other person said it was harder to understand me. He said it sounded like I was on a distant speaker phone. The buttons for the S.S. were easy to use and locate, and the battery is great (11 hours of music play or 12 hours of talk). The buttons on the Motorola were easy to locate, but were a little harder to use, because of it's smaller size/style. The battery life for the Motorola was also only 6 hours. The biggest drawback for the Sam Sung (like others have complained) was that it was uncomfortable to wear, (and I don't even have a big head) though NOT unbearable. It felt like wearing a tight pair of glasses. The headphone was also odd looking when worn because it stuck out approximately 1.5 inches from your ears (that may not sound a lot, but does look rather funny). The thick padding was nice and soft, but made my ears warm and sometimes would even sweat (this is during colder weather, I'd hate to find out how they feel in 100 degree weather in the summertime). The Motorola was more comfortable to wear, and was barely visible when viewed from the front. Although I have never used them to exercise, I've heard you can even use them to jog. Both the Sam Sung and the Motorola would occasionally skip when I was walking outside, but the Motorola seemed to skip a little more.

Sam Sung SBH-500
Strengths
Great music quality
Good phone call quality
Great battery life
Easy to use/locate buttons
Good connectivity
Very Affordable

Weakness
Uncomfortable to wear
Bad Styling
May make your ears warm

Motorola S9-HD
Strengths
Very Good music quality
Great Styling
Comfortable

Weakness
Phone call quality so-so
Short battery life
More pricy then the Sam Sung

So to sum up which headphone set was better? Well that all depends on what you value more. The Sam Sung seemed to be a little better in most every functions then the Motorola, however the Motorola style was far superior and was more comfortable to wear. So if you value style and comfort I would recommend the Motorola, however if you value more quality sound (music and calls), and don't mind a little discomfort then I would recommend the Sam Sung.

When reading reviews for a product I tend to throw out the best and the worst reviews as some people are either too much of a fan or too critical. I tend to pay attention to the pros and cons from the middle crowd. I never thought I'd be someone to write such a bad review but here I am.

First let me say the sound quality is absolutely INCREDIBLE! It's the best sound I've had from a pair of headphones and still be comfortable in my ears because it's not shoved deep into my ear canal. Unfortunately, it won't stay in the proper place in my ears to keep the great quality. The back part, which "floats" above your neck is way too low for me. You just cannot look up. If you do just a bit, the back part will press against the back of your neck and pop the ear buds out of your ear. I was sitting at a chinese fast food place trying to eat while wearing these. Every time I leaned in for a bite, they'd spread out of my ears making the sound quality horrible. Remember buds like these need to have a great seal in your ears to give great sound.

If you wear glasses, forget it. I don't wear glasses so I didn't think about that until I decided to go for a jog wearing these AND sunglasses. Oops! Two objects fighting for space behind my ears? I don't think so.

Then there's all the complaints on here about the sound cutting out. They're all right. I was hoping they were just being too critical. I guess I should have listened to their warnings. As some others have said I too have tried putting my iPod Touch in my front shirt pocket, pants pocket or even carry it in my hand holding it up near my head. This thing STILL cuts out at least 6 times a minute for a quick one second silent pause each time. If I reach up and hit a volume button, it will stutter for about 12 times sound on and off until it finally comes back steady... until the next cut-out. This is just ridiculous and it makes this device a complete annoyance.

Finally, I'm shocked by the rechargeable battery. Once I got these things home and started reading the manual, I was amazed to read the book state this product is good for 400 charges. That's it? Really? That makes this a very expensive, disposable headset... that doesn't stay in my ears if I look up, difficult to wear with glasses and cuts in and out all the time. Crazy!

The S9 has the same problem as it's predecesor. If you sweat on it it dies. Over time, the moisture gets in and the buttons stop responding and the volumn will spontaneously lower itself to nothing. If you're not gong to exercise then I guess this would be a good headset for you.

I am now on my 5th pair. If it was not for great motorola tech support I would have gone elsewhere. I am a compulsive runner. Unfortunately, sweating causes them to malfunction. Sound quality is awesome. They tried to correct the sweating problem which was a huge issue with the s9 but not there yet. Once the side buttons go, you can no longer control the volume and you end up with a barely audible set after a while. If you buy these for simple activities, they are great. If you sweat a lot, buyer beware.

Sound quality, weight, and comfort are great. I have not found a bluetooth stereo headset as good as this one, and I have been through at least five different models.

I've purchased and exchanged four pair of these headphones since December 2008. They work very well for running and working out for 1 to 2 months and then the buttons short out from the sweat. I thought that Motorola had fixed the shorting problems with this 2nd generation HD model, but unfortunately not. They are supposed to be water resistant and for active workouts, but that hasn't been the case for me. I've had no problems with pairing with cell phones and a 1st gen Ipod touch, they just don't work well if they get a little damp from sweat.

The headset work but saps the power of the IPOD. After 20 minutes of using my Motorola headset with my fully charged IPOD it the IPOD runs out of power and has to be recharged. I need more time than that when working out. I wouldn't recommend the headset for that reason.