Customer Reviews

Samsung Bluetooth Headset WEP870

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I purchased this headset mainly for its stereo bluetooth capability and the fact that it suspends off your neck as a lanyard. I have previously used Sony Ericsson HBH-DS980 and HBH-DS205, and both of them would drop connection like crazy during phone calls on my Iphone even though music playback was quite solid. I loved the way HBH-DS980 came as a lanyard. Here I will present my 3-week experience with the Samsung WEP870.

Form factor:
It is interesting that Samsung designed this headset to fit like a traditional over the ear monostereo headset but also allow you to attach it to a lanyard as a A2DP stereo headset. The mono headset on your ear and the lanyard both feel really comfortable. When plugged into the lanyard, the earphone does stick out a little, and overall the weight of the headset is heavier and bulkier than the Sony HBH-DS980. Another design shortcoming I have noticed is that the there is no microphone on the lanyard portion of the stereo headphone wires. However, most of the time the caller on the other side can hear me pretty well with the headset sitting down my chest.

A2DP audio:
The stereo bluetooth music playback is absolutely amazing. The music sounds like it's coming from a pair of wired headset. That is coming from having used 2 Sony headsets. There is no hiss or interference with music playback. The bass is tight but not overwhelming.

Bluetooth calling:
The connection dropping I had with the Sony headset isn't an issue with the WEP870. It will drop connection probably every 2 or 3 days, but not to the point which will prevent me from using them all the time. If you are listening to music, and a call comes in the phone will switch to the phone call automatically as with all stereo headsets. The caller on the other side sometime complain of my voice sounding distant when I wear the headset on a lanyard. This is to be expected. I have not wore this headset as a mono headset on my ear, so I cannot tell you what the quality is like. I assume it's really good since it does have noise cancelling building with 2 microphones.

Battery life: I am getting at least 3-4 days of standby time, and I really haven't tested the continuous music playback or phone call battery life.

Conclusion: I really like the WEP870, especially for the high quality stereo music playback. I am no a fan of wearing those mono headset on my ear and much prefer hiding the lanyard under my shirt.

First off, the sound quality is above average. Coming from a very basic Jabra BT headset that came free with my old phone, I can assure you, this product's clarity is above average. It's not the sleekest sexiest headset out there, it's kind of chunky and boxy, but it works well and charges quickly. The battery level indicator is nice touch. Add the headphones, and the sound is very very good. Not audiophile good, but great when paired with the convenience of listening to music without a direct wired connection to the player (in my case, a Motorola Droid). I leave my phone on my desk and wander about 35 feet before losing the signal, but this may be a function of the Droid itself rather than the headset. I will say, it is strange the way the BT headset has to hang around your neck lanyard-style when using headphones. There's really no good way to conceal it since, again, it's a boxy unit. It just hangs there looking odd.

The only performance issue I've noticed, and this might be endemic to all stereo-capable BT devices, is that when I pause music playback and switch around between apps, when I resume the music, the audio signal is trapped in a kind of stuttering feedback loop. The only cure is to turn off the BT headset, and then power it back up, then it's fine. It's like the signal needs to reset. I haven't experienced this when incoming calls pause the audio playback, so it's not a big deal.

I really do like this package, particularly because I can listen to talk radio in mono through the BT headset without headphones during boring meetings, and nobody is the wiser ;-). I am concerned about what happens in the future if/when the headphones give out because the connector is very specific to the BT headset, and is not something you're likely to find a replacement for at your local box store. I'm sure it's a special order part. So I'll be careful with these. If you're looking for a way to enjoy music wirelessly through your phone, and get a good BT headset at the same time, here you go, enjoy!

I purchased this Samsung Stereo Bluetooth headset WEP870 because I wanted a convenient way to have instant Stereo Bluetooth audio for my iPhone 3GS and answer calls, without always having to wear the Bluetooth headset in my ear(s). What's cool about this headset is that it doubles as a normal Bluetooth headset so; if you want to walk around with a "Borg" device sticking out of your ear to make and receive calls then, this can do that, too! Borg in the ear; that part is not for me.
The idea that you can wear your Stereo Bluetooth headset and have ready access to it is nice. The neck strap feature is awesome.
The design of the Bluetooth device with its own earpiece that can be used without stereo is nice for those that like that option.
The design of the Bluetooth device with its own earpiece sticking out, when connected to the stereo earbuds and neck strap is not a good idea. On the very first day that I wore the stereo headset, the Bluetooth earpiece lost its rubber ear form, never to be found again. Samsung does not include extra ear forms for the stereo earbuds or the Bluetooth ear piece. Getting this replaced is not an easy thing to do, contacting Samsung. They say you can order it from their website but I haven't found a way to do that, yet. Calling them with limited hours and getting them to figure out what you are talking about is another issue. Shouldn't they have a replacement part number that you could reference, in regard to the replacement ear forms? Losing one is not covered under the warranty.
The Bluetooth earpiece should have been designed to fold-in when connected to the stereo earbuds and neck strap; to avoid this type of issue. Bad design, there.
Another bad design: The placement of the dual microphones is on the Bluetooth headset piece, in awkward locations. When connected to the stereo earbuds, one of the microphones is completely covered by the stereo earbud/neck strap connector and not able to capture your voice as it is completely covered By the connector. The other microphone is in a far-downward location, by your stomach, when wearing the stereo earbuds. I have to physically hold the Bluetooth headset microphone very close to my mouth so people can hear me, clearly.
This Stereo Bluetooth headset should also come with a carry pouch or case, when not in use. You're on your own, there.
Generally, I like it for the price and the convenience of what it should do. It works well but it could work much better. But for the price, I am not really complaining because I don't use it all of the time. It works for me for price and time used. If I can find something much better then, I might consider a different stereo Bluetooth headset but have not found one at a very decent price with the neck strap and stereo earbuds so; this works for me.

I bought Samsung's WEP870 headset after misplacing my Plantronics Voyager 855 stereo headset. The Samsung WEP 870 does very well at stereo music playback, but the product is too awkwardly designed to simultaneously serve as a headset for telephone calls and stereo music playback.

The WEP 870 has an interesting design; it is comprised of a monaural headset that may be worn in-ear and used like a regular Bluetooth monaural headset; and stereo earpieces on a lanyard necklace that attach to the monaural headset. The monaural headset has an on/off switch, volume rockers, and the requisite push button along the side of the headset to answer calls, pause music, etc. The on/off switch makes it easy to discretely discern whether the WEP 870 is on, without emitting a night beacon typical of other headsets; and makes it easier to tell whether the headset is in sleep mode -- with other headsets, one may just as easily turn off the headset instead of waking it up. The micro-USB connection used to charge the headset and connect the stereo earpieces is on the front of the headset. This placement is awkward when attempting to charge the headset while in use; the cable gets in the way and pulls one's face downward. The monaural headset's microphone performance is uneven, but at least it doesn't pick up every noise in the background like the Plantronics Voyager 855 (whose sensitive microphone can pick up conversations and background noise in the next room). Like most other headsets without active noise cancellation, the WEP 870 it works best in isolated environments, like in a car, or in a reasonably quiet room with few other people. This is not a headset to use on the street or in a crowded room.

The WEP 870's stereo earpieces work very well for music playback. The WEP 870 headset seems to have richer sound reproduction and slightly deeper bass than the Plantronics Voyager 855. However, the lanyard necklace is inconvenient to wear and to use. The necklace itself catches easily to buttons on outerwear like coats, and tangles easily on scarves. Any such entanglements weigh the earpieces downward. Placing and receiving calls while the headset is in stereo mode is awkward. When the stereo earpieces are attached, the monaural headset piece hangs like a piece of jewelry off the necklace. One has to either visually locate or feel for the monaural headset to answer a call, and raise the microphone to mouth level when speaking to be clearly heard. I prefer the Plantronics 855's form factor -- a simple string that goes under the chin or discretely behind the neck. The Samsung WEP 870's stereo mode is missing two features that work really well on the Plantronics Voyager 855. The WEP 870 can't pause music playback when my Samsung smartphone is locked, and the WEP 870 won't play voicemail from e-mail (such as work e-mail or Google Voice) in stereo -- I have to use my phone itself to listen to such files.

I would recommend the Samsung WEP870 to those looking for a Bluetooth headset to primarily use for stereo playback, and who will use another headset with their telephone. The WEP870 is too awkward to simultaneously serve both voice and stereo playback functions.

Pros:
*cost- you can't get a better headset for the price
*value- the unit can convert to a mono earpiece or a pair of stereo headphones- it's like getting two products in one
*design- the only stereo bluetooth headset that doesn't make you look like a dork :) (see Motorola, Rocketfish, planttronics products)
I have mine paired to my motorola droid and it works great.
Cons:
sound quality is only slightly above average (8 out of 10?). Lots of bass by default.
This isn't a problem if you use an app that includes an equalizer such as MixZing (on the market) for Droid.
Overall:
I did a lot of research before settling on this product. Most competitors are $50-$100, and this product is a steal at $29.99 online, or even lower if you search hard enough.

This bluetooth is one of the best i've used. I've used many different ones working at a phone store, and testing lots out. This one is def. top 3, and by far the best for the money. Pretty comfortable fit, the headphones it comes with are really nice, and the stereo playback is perfect. Never have i heard a complaint about people on the line not being able to hear me, the noise cancellation is perfect. When the windows in my car are down, the person on the other line can never tell. Only downside, is that sometimes, very very rarely, the bluetooth is very quiet and i have to call the person back. The issue is very rare, and has only happened twice in the 3 months i've owned this headset. A++

This is a really great product. Super easy to use, love the bluetooth handsfree capability, the earplugs strap is great with a slide feature that keeps the left & right from becoming a tangled mess. The only downside would be the earplugs themselves don't stay in as well as I had hoped for. I'm planning to check and see if the rubber tips are interchangeable. The sound is great and super easy to use with my phone.

This works well. I have this paired with my HTC Droid Incredible, Macbook, PS3. For each of the devices the results are virtually identical.

With my phone in my pocket I push around a lawnmower while listening to music or podcasts. Volume cranked all the way up on both the phone and the device and the music/talking overpowers the lawnmower engine sound.. ..this is something that was unsatisfactory with my ipod shuffle.

pairing for all three devices was smooth as silk.

I drive to work at 65 mph with the window cracked (yes, imma smoker) the caller on the other end has never complained about wind noise or any sort of echo.

the longest i've worn the earpiece is a lil over 4 hours about 10 for the earphones and, while i knew it/they were there, i did not find it painful or really even uncomfortable.
I wear the earbuds all night at work (usually 10-12 hours,.. i plug it in to charge over my lunch break).

I use these at work for music, podcasts, and best of all watching videos. I keep working while my phone charges (a note here, if your phone uses a MICRO usb charger you gain a bonus phone charger..please dont confuse Micro and MINI...)

When i was contemplating buying this i read complaints about the earbuds only coming with one size. these are pretty standard rubbers, if it really matters to you. i've put ear candy rubbers on, body glove rubbers... i'm sure many others work too but those are what were lying around the house.. yes i went back to the ones it came with because they are the most comfortable of what i've got here.

they do in fact charge quickly about 2 hours from completely dead. with volume at max pumping thru the earbuds the charge easily hangs out for 6 hours.

for a guy like me the necklace/lanyard design is great, cause i probably would have lost it by now otherwise.
in a quiet environment callers can hear me fine with the headset in my shirt and my earbud in my ears. but naturally it works best with the earpiece in your ear (yes you can switch "modes" during a call without issue)

umm what else. oh yes, the bass has been excentional, much much much better than the ipod shuffle. the range is equally impressive, 60ft and 2 solid brick walls...

complaints aren't many. i do ,in fact, wish they could get a little louder as i work in a sometimes literally deafening environment (hey i'm going deaf anyways, right?) i dont have much else...

*UPDATE*

Well it's been close to a year of wearing this thing everyday and using it chronically through my 12 hour shifts of work and they've finally broken (sorta) The amazing lil battery is still going strong i can't discern any loss of staying power. The range seems a lil diminished (Marginal, if at all). The way they finally broke is the earphone necklace jobbie. For whatever reason one earphone quit. I suspect it is within the connection, within the actual plastic piece itself...

If i could add a star to the review for longevity i wouldn't hesitate. Now I'll just buy another set and have a spare battery/bluetooth for the earphones. :-)

P.S. check this guy outSamsung WEP870 Combo Bluetooth Headset with Music Streaming Adapters.. now there is no reason to be concerned about the earphones. yes yes, tell me i'm helpful!

The Samsung WEP870 is a no non-sense bluetooth headset that's simple to use, comfortable, and has a few added features that makes it a great value.

Functions / UI: On/Off switch is great so you know it's on or off. Volume up/down, call pick up/hang up. All buttons feel sturdy. Mini LCD read out shows battery life in a 3-bar battery icon. Bluetooth icon tells you that's it's paired. Phone headset icon tells you you're on a call.

Paired w/ Apple iPhone 3GS: very easy setup. Calls come in clear. People are able to hear me w/ only a few people saying "you sound a little distant". Able to do voice activation as well. I really liked the ability to use this headset as an audio earbud to listen to music as well. You can use the headset, or the included stereo earbuds attachment. iTunes pumpin music, call comes in, music fades - when i close the call, music comes back up.

Over ear loop can be reversed or detached - i find it quite comfortable for my ear. Stereo earbuds are comfortable as well as they're the in-ear gel kind.

Range: Still connected after +35ft away, through 4 walls, and high interference equipment around.

Would highly recommend to others.

I use this handset with samsung D980 cellphone and works perfect. Also i used this handset with my HTC 8925 and it works perfect.
This headset is ligth and small (It's my first), good signal reception and good battery life.
I'm happy with this product, and also with the low price. Very recommendable.