Customer Reviews

Sony DR-BT30Q Stereo Bluetooth Headset

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

These headphones are OK, but for one of the most expensive bluetooth headphones out there I just expected more. And I found more in less expensive, sleaker looking, competing headphones. The Sony's won't strike you as bad if they are your first go at bluetooth A2DP headphones. But once you've tried others, the Sony's faults become apparent.

They are clunky, overly ostentatious, and hard to put on quckly and properly. They really can't be used when lying down because they start to hang off your ear, and they can't be used when running or exercising becuase they bounce all over the place. On the other hand they have the best battery life I have seen thus far and sound quality is decent (but far from best).

I've tried 3 other bluetooh headphones (the Logitech Wireless FreePulse, the Bluespoon Nextlink headphones, and the gorgeous Samsungh SBH-170, the Motorola and Jabra offerings looked entirely too big). So far only the Logitech and the Samsung have impressed me. The Logitech has by far the best
quality and can easily recieve streams with extremely high bluetooth
bitrates (that means little to no tell-tale bluetooth clipping sounds
as well as extremely high fidelity sound). It however was uncomfortable when worn for long periods of time, could not fold up into a more compact shape, and had no phone call support (no built in mic). The Samsung didn't have the sound quality of the Logitech, but it had EVERYTHING else
and so it won out for me at least.

Diehard Sony fans, may want to wait for the DR-BT21G for over the ear headphones in a better form factor, or go for one of the bluetooth chorded in ear solutions that Sony offers.

First of all, I originally purchased this headset because I wanted a bluetooth headset that could do both Hands-Free protocol for using my cell phone, and also the Stereo Bluetooth protocol for all other audio functions on my Windows Mobile 5 cell phone. People who have used a Windows Mobile 5 cell phone with a bluetooth hands-free device have noticed that the only audio function that is transmitted to the headset are phone calls, while functions such as music playing and GPS navigation audio continue to play from the cell phone's speaker.

For a cell phone to send ALL the audio to the bluetooth headset, the cell phone must have the newest updates to Windows Mobile 5 with A2DP functionality, and the headset must be capable of the "Stereo Bluetooth" protocol.

As a stereo headset, this device works fairly well. Sound quality was good, but not great. I understand that you are probably not going to get the same audio quality through a Bluetooth headset as you are going to get from a wired connection, but it still functioned well enough.

As a Hands-Free device for a cell phone, there are a couple of very positive features. First of all, this headset is amplified. People that have a difficult time hearing through a regular Bluetooth Hands-Free device will find the higher volume levels available from this device to be very appealing. The hidden microphone was of good quality and people that I was talking to were able to hear me clearly.

The headset also has a novel way of connecting the left and right speakers, using a retractable wire instead of a solid support like many stereo headsets.

Unfortunately, this headset was not terribly comfortable for me to wear for an extended period of time. It was also not easy to quickly put on, particularly if you intend to just use the device for a cell phone hands-free device. Finally, the user looks incredibly goofy with these two large growths sticking out of the side of his/her head.

I tried to modify my headset to just be a mono unit by disconnecting the wire from the left speaker. My goal was to turn this into just a mono headset like every other hands-free device. When I did so, the audio quality became extremely bad, making it unusable.

The concept is good, and I would like to see a device that can use both protocols for Windows Mobile 5. Unfortunately this device didn't do what I needed it to do, and I have since moved on to something else.

I really liked the design of this bluetooth set. I looked all over for it. I wanted a stereo headset that I could remove or drop one earpiece so that it wouldn't look like a stereo headset (for use at work.) I planned to listen to books on tape during boring meetings. :) But this headset was very uncomfortable after just a few hours and didn't transmit my voice well -- people complained that I was too loud and hollow sounding. Probably because the mike is on the ear piece, no boom. Anyway, I wish it could have worked better. No problem with returning it for a refund.

This particular Bluetooth headset did not work very well with my LG Fusic. Whenever I would turn my head, the signal would constantly cut out. I placed the phone in my pants pocket, around my arm, and even a foot in front of my face. Maybe it would synch better with a different phone. The retractable cord did work well though. The headset is also a very convenient travel size. They secured themselves around my ear pretty well and I did not feel they were too big.

Great product. The wireless is very useful and all the buttons are on one ear for easy access. The only thing that I think could improve is the sound leaks out from the headset. I know that can't be helped with this style of earphones but with technology these days. They can make anything. Super product overall!

this headset is one of the coolest looking around. with the retractable cord (the left ear button), you never have to worry about space/storage concerns or broken band parts. the pairing/setup is super fast and the controls are so conveniently placed and almost intuitive -- if you're right handed. the phone sounds are clear. pushing the right ear button once activates the cell phone's voice-command menu, and holding the right ear button down automatically redials the last call you made.

they're relatively comfortable to wear. the clips flip away smoothly and at a slight angle to accommodate ear lobes of all shapes and sizes. only problem is they're a bit on the heavy side for not having any other support. i don't think i would be able to run in these, but i am going to test them on a bicycle as one of the ear pieces has an "auto wind" notation on it. if you have really firm cartilage in the upper part of your ear, i think these will be just fine.

my current cell phone doesn't support a2dp, so i can't listen to my 1gb of music currently stored on my phone's memory card. thus, i can't attest to its musical sound quality. be sure that your phone supports this when purchasing a bluetooth stereo headset. i'm waiting for my new blackberry 8100 to arrive, so i'll update my review of the headphones once i can test it with that.

I recently purchased the SONY DR-BT30Q Stereo Bluetooth Headset for use with iPhone and a bluetooth dongle/adapter. The headset worked immediately and flawlessly. The connection is easy. Those who want to use with iPhone/iPOD, turn on the headset and then turn on the device after inserting the bluetooth dongle. The headset charges well and the charge lasted over several hours of intermittent use. The headset is extremely light and no headband or straps-a simple retractable thread connects the two halves.
Positive features are, a) very light weight, b) no wire, band, or connecting metal/plastic, c) ease of connection, d) easy controls (Volume) and e) appealing design (although it is shiny!).
So far, no negative features.

I just received this product in the mail and I have to say, they are great! I bought this intending on using it with my Samsung YP-P2 MP3 Player and it works like a charm. I also tested this headphone with my cell phone and it's really 50/50 depending on where you carry your phone. But in the end if you intend on using these heavily for cellphones then I suggest you to look elsewhere. If your intending on using it for MP3 players I say look no further! Sound is not outstanding but it isn't awful either. I say the sound is pretty much equal to just about any off the shelf headphones under $40 that sony or any other manufacturer makes. I have nothing else to say than this is a great product and it's def the way to go if your looking say bye bye to wired earbuds or headphones.

The product is bulk, and you need to have a strong ear cartilage to hold it. It hurts your ear if kept for long hours. The wireless range is not that good; I would say may be 20 to 25 meters. Major defect is when using a telephone, people complaint they do hear you clear. Before buying this product I went through the reviews, and I override the consumer reviews for which I am paying the cost. I request you to go through the consumer reviews. All the drawbacks mentioned in the consumer review about this product is true. I would only give this product a three star. It also priced very high.

This stereo Bluetooth headset is a perfect addition to a A2DP enabled phone (I have a MOTO RIZR). A single charge usually gets me through an entire week of heavy usage.

The A2DP protocol digitally compresses the audio stream before sending it to the headset, so if you use 128Kbps CBR MP3/AAC (e.g. iTunes), you will notice reduced audio quality. However, a high bitrate VBR MP3 plays beautifully.

I love this product so much, I refuse to buy an iPhone, because Apple refuses to support A2DP (probably because it makes their crappy low bitrate music sound terrible).