Customer Reviews

Sony DRBT140Q Bluetooth Wireless Stereo Headset (Silver)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I love these headphones. The AVRDP controls are great for whatever media player you're using (iTunes, Windows Media Player, WinAmp, Media Monkey, VLC, and so on). The only wire is a tiny cord connecting the two clip-ons. They stay firmly on the ear, and do not cause wear and tear on your ears after only a few hours use. I research practically all the Bluetooth headphones out there, and these are by far the best.

The built in microphone also works great, and I've used these as my mobile headset far more often. You just can't go wrong with these.

If you are wondering, as I was, whether these phones will work as wireless music headphones with an iPod Touch 2G with the 3.0 update, the answer is a definite "yes". I tried to find the answer to this question in various online forums, but finally gave up and just bought a pair. After charging them up fully with the included AC adapter, I found the pairing process to be very simple and was listening to music without wires within two minutes. This liberating experience is similar to the first time I used a cordless telephone long ago -- I can walk around a room and the music plays without interruption. If you venture too far away from the iPod, the music begins to cut out.

The control functions (other than play/pause) do not seem to work, at least with my iPod. Too bad, as this would have been a very useful feature that the Sony folks thoughtfully included in the design.

So far, I have not found an obvious way to get the phones to automatically connect when I power them and the iPod up for normal use. The iPod sees the phones, but I have to go into "Settings/general/bluetooth" on the iPod and touch the "DR-BT140Q" button to connect them. This is somewhat inconvenient, but there may be a better way I haven't found yet and it's not a big deal in any case.

I've been reading books on my Touch using the Kindle reader app, and this is now more pleasant to do while listening to music wirelessly because I can hold the iPod more comfortably without the headphone plug and wire dangling off the end and getting in the way all the time.

I'm surprised that such a cool feature has been rather under-emphasized so far in Apple's promotional efforts -- their website barely mentions it in the features section of the 3.0 update. This was one of the reasons I paid for the update, so I'm very pleased these phones paired so quickly and easily.

As for the performance of the phones themselves, they have a decent sound quality -- I can't hear any difference between them and wired phones with respect to noise level. I have found that the bass does not seem to come through quite as well as I'd like, probably because of the way the earpieces rest so lightly on my ears (I can increase the bass response by pressing both earpieces closer to my ears). I've compensated a bit by experimenting with the iPod's EQ settings, and this has been a reasonable trade-off. On the other hand, the way they rest so lightly on my ears makes them comfortable to wear and makes it easier to hear nearby sounds like the telephone ringing. This makes them very suitable for use in my office.

By the way, Sony's website indicates the internal battery in these phones can be recharged via USB, but I can tell you that this does not appear to be true. In fact, the AC adapter that comes with the phones I received can only be used on 120-volt outlets, which is a bit of an annoyance for people who, like me, travel overseas from time to time. Although I've not tested it yet, the built-in microphone should be a great way to use Skype, which saved me a huge bundle of money on a recent trip to Asia.

For the money, these phones are a great value, and I recommend them without hesitation for anyone who wants to hear good sounds from their second generation iPod Touch (you just need to pay the $10 for the 3.0 update) without getting tangled up with wires. Very cool indeed, and a great price here on Amazon.

I bought these to use with my iPhone 3GS, mainly for listening to music when I don't want a cord getting in the way (e.g. when mowing the lawn). The sound quality is pretty good, although a bit too trebly. I was able to get them to sound quite a bit better by using the iPhone's Treble Reducer EQ setting, although they're still a little short on bass, which is understandable based on the size of the drivers. The sound is still good enough that I can enjoyably listen for a long time, and I'm usually pretty picky about such things.

The range is nothing short of amazing. I can leave my phone in the kitchen and walk two rooms away into the bedroom before the music starts to drop out, and even then it was just twice in the minute or so I tested it.

The microphone seems pretty good, but I've only tried it in the relative silence of my house. I have no idea how it would do at blocking ambient noise. I don't plan to make that many calls using this headset, so it's not that critical to me.

All the controls work with my iPhone except the next and previous buttons. However, they worked when I paired the headset with my MacBook Pro, so the issue is apparently with the phone and not with the headset.

The only real issue I've had other than the next/previous buttons not working is when I complete a call, the music cuts in and out when it resumes until I stop it for several seconds and then restart it. I suspect this is also an issue with the phone, so I won't reflect it in my rating.

Overall, I would highly recommend this headset. I can't imagine a better bang for the buck.

Update: I have discovered that the mesh sleeving on the wire tends to separate and the wire protrudes through it and then kinks. I ended up cutting off the mesh sleeving because I know all that kinking wouldn't bode well for the longevity of the wire. I'm willing to live with a plain black wire instead of the mesh look, so I still recommend them.

I bought this Sony DR-BT140Q bluetooth stereo headset to replace a Sony DR-BT30Q headset which I have had for a couple years. I mostly liked the former headset, but it was starting to get intermittent drop outs and also unreliable battery life. The replacement is very satisfactory.

Here are some differences between the DR-BT140Q (the "new" headset) and the DR-BT30Q (my "old" headset):

* The new headset has a sturdier cord connecting the two earpieces than the old headset had. Also the new cord is NOT retractable, which for me is a good thing, because the retracto-mechanism on the old device did not work very well. The DR-BT140Q has a cord grabber thing so you can effectively shorten the length of the cord if you want to.

* The new headset is visibly smaller; maybe in the two years since the old one was manufactured Sony figured out how to miniaturize some components.

* The charge receptacle on the new headset is on the earpiece opposite from the earpiece where the controls are located (controls are on the right, charging receptacle is on the left). Maybe removing the battery from the right side enabled it to be smaller, and now it occupies former dead space in the left side.

* The main power (and multi-function) button is smaller on the new headset. I like that, and find that I don't press it accidentally. The other controls (volume and track) are larger on the new headset, and I like that as well (but I don't use the track control because it doesn't appear to work with my audio device, a Nokia E71x smart-phone.

* As mentioned below, the new headset has an effective battery meter.

Here is what I was looking for in a headset:

1. Sufficient volume so that I can hear (I do have a hearing loss and wear hearing aids, so I need some gain!)

This criterion was met, no problem. Its volume is great. It is the ONLY headset I have owned which allows me to ramp up the volume too high! I think some of them set lower maximum volumes to "protect" younger listeners, who would tend to play them too loud. I wear hearing aids, except when I'm working out, and when I'm not wearing the hearing aids I need some volume gain. This headset provides the gain, no problem.

2. No ear buds (because I wear hearing aids, and there's no place for an ear bud to go)

This criterion was met. The ear pieces definitely do NOT extend into the ear. I get some feedback in my hearing aid when wearing the head set, but that will happen whenever you position an object right over your ear. This can be minimized through little adjustments in the position of the headset over the ear.

Finding wireless headsets without ear buds is VERY difficult! Some are out there (notably the Jabra Halo and the Nokia BH-503, both of which I bought from Amazon and returned), but I think this is the best one.

3. Compatibility with my Nokia E71x telephone.

This criterion was met sufficiently. I had no problem pairing the DR-BT140Q with my phone, and it re-pairs automatically whenever I turn the headset on, and stays paired without dropping out.

I have not been able to control the audio player on my Nokia phone using the controls on the headset; if that's important to you and you have a similar phone, be aware. It is not important to me, though. I can answer calls from the headset (and trigger phone voice commands), so that's cool, and I change tracks or fast-forward the audio using controls on the phone itself.

4. Great sound while listening to audio books

This criterion was met. The sound was great while listening to audio books. I didn't actually use it to listen to music, but that probably would have been OK too.

5. Great sound while communicating on the telephone.

I had excellent communication while using the headset for telephone conversations. I used it in comparatively quiet environments (not in the car or outside), so I can't reflect on how well the phone does in a noisy place.

6. Comfort while wearing the headset for long periods of time

I found this headset to be very comfortable for an hour or so, then I become aware of it and have to remove it. So I don't use it on standby for phone conversations. It is a little awkward to put on quickly. Also it's not really appropriate in the car, because one should have one ear free to listen for environmental things like sirens, and you can't really wear this headset with just one ear connected.

7. Ability to use it while exercising

I do a 40 minute workout each day, and wear it during the workout. The headset stays in place, no problem. I sweat profusely, and the headset gets moist. I don't know what the long-term affect of this moisture will be, but I've owned the headset for about four weeks and so far no problem. I don't wear my hearing aids during exercise, and the Sony put out enough sound for me to hear the audio book I was listening to.

8. Ability to use it while charging the battery.

You can't use this headset while charging the battery. HOWEVER, there is a way to gauge the relative battery strength, so you can know when it's a good time to plug in the charger. With the power on, you briefly press the power button and let go. Then the LED light will blink red a few times: Three blinks means full charge, two blinks means partial charge, one blink means low charge. As far as I'm concerned, one blink means plug in the charger!

I received my DR-BT140Q on or about 6/11/10, and charged it right away. I let the battery go all the way to empty, and that did not happen until 7/1/10. I used it 40 minutes a day for my work outs, plus up to a couple hours on some other days (I wear them while working in the yard or baking bread, for example).

I have been very happy with this product and would recommend it to others.

I pretty much listen to music from my Samsung i760 all day while working. The cord from corded headphones tends to interfere with movement. This is my second pair of bluetooth stereo headphone. These Sony DRBT140Q headphones are far superior to the Logitec Freepulse headphones I was using. The DRBT140Q are much more comfortable and have a great battery life. I believe my phone battery will run out of juice before these Sony headphones. My only disappointment is that they do not have a USB charging port, but require yet another proprietary 3VDC power wart.

Pros - Great battery, very good sound quality for music, phone sound quality is good, very comfortable on the ears.

Cons - the charging connection is not USB as described on Sony's website

[...]

Overall these were not what I was hoping for and didn't work out as well for me as other products of its kind have. While the headphones definitely did what they were supposed to do, and in general I am a big fan of over the ear phones, these just ended up feeling awkward to me and didn't work well at all.

These headphones will do what you want them to do, but just be aware before you buy them that they are each a lot thicker than you might expect them to be and will take some getting used to having them on your ears. As you can read in other reviews many people have and enjoy them completely, but for me the size and awkwardness was not something I could overcome. I wish they had pictures of the width of the head phones on the website so you could see it before you buy.

If you can get used to them being on your ears, the sound quality and all the basic functionality works fine. I should point out for iPhone users that they have not implemented the bluetooth functionality all that well on the iPhone. The push to talk button does a "redial" instead of bringing up the voice calling like you would expect, and next and forward buttons are not supported by the iPhone. That is not an issue with the headphones though as I have tried 3 different headphones and all have the same problem with the iPhone that just doesn't have this functionality working as well as they should.

Anyway, hope this helps you make your decision, I ended up going with the Mororola S9 which was a little cheaper and despite my preference of over the ear phones worked out better for me.

Being the kind of person who analyzes every detail of my purchases with high standards -- especially electronics -- and having worked at a major electronics and computer maker based out of Cupertino, I feel as though I have a fair and honest review of this headset.

Key features in my (first) choice of a Bluetooth stereo headset:
-Must be pocketable (i.e. no stiff headband or large form factor).
-Must have integrated playback controls, volume controls, call controls.
-Must have better-than-average sound quality for music.
-Must have good mic pickup/voice-to-noise pickup ratio for calls.
-Must have better-than-average battery life.
-Must be comfortable for longer than a few hours wearing.

After trying this headset for a few hours with an iPhone 3GS with music ripped from a CD at Apple Lossless quality, I have found that this headset meets or exceeds all of my requirements for a Bluetooth stereo headset. Among all the headsets I thoroughly analyzed down to the buttons, this headset seemed to be the only Bluetooth stereo headset that has covered all the bases in form factor, quality, price, battery life, and feel or "wearability."

While my view of Sony is a bit skewed in that I feel as though they make too wide a range of top-quality to entry-level products, this headset is well thought out and a great choice for the average user looking for a great price (just $62 for *headphones+headset*, compared to $100+ for some *headset-only* Bluetooth devices) -- you won't be disappointed with this product. To be fair, I (only) have two complaints:

1) The wire connecting the two earpieces together is a bit stiff, however it can be easily tucked behind the head.
2) Sony (for some absolutely unbelievable reason) did not decide to use the mini-USB standard for charging. This will hamper your ability to charge the headphones via USB on airplanes, with computers, and will give you a headache if you forget/lose your charger, a problem I have yet to run into.

**********PLEASE KEEP IN MIND: The current iPhone software version 3.1.2 does NOT support track changing via Bluetooth or direct-on-device volume adjustment for ANY Bluetooth Stereo device. You can adjust the volume on the stereo headset, however, you will not have the ability to adjust volume from the phone directly. Support for these features can be added to the iPhone via a future software update.

These headphones are great. They work perfectly with my iPod Touch updated to 3.0 and they work great with my iMac! I can leave the Touch on one floor of the house and go onto another and still listen to what I am playing. Sound is crisp and clear. Highly recommend!

I bought these headphones with the specific purpose of using them when I work out at the gym. I guess if you have no intention of ever sweating while wearing them, these headphones would be okay. I bought my first pair and they died within a couple of weeks. I returned them to Amazon for a replacement, no problem. The second pair managed to last 38 days, which happens to be 8 days longer than Amazon's merchandise return window. So now I am stuck with an $80 piece of garbage. Don't get me wrong, they sounded great and the controls were very easy to use........when they were working. They were a bit bulky hanging on your ears, but I was willing to accept that to eliminate the wires. This is the first item made by Sony that I have ever been disappointed with. Usually, I buy Sony because it's a no-brainer. Their stuff is always good quality and well made. Not this time! My advice is to do some research and check around. If you are looking for something to excercise with, stay far away from these things!

I started looking for bluetooth headphones about 6-9 months ago. I wanted something I could use at work on my WIndows laptop, at home on my mac desktop and on the go with my phone. Being able to receive calls would be a plus. I narrowed it down to about 4 or 5 and the Sony DR-BT140Q was in that final 5.

Comfort:
I already have a wired pair of Sony headphones with the same over the ear style so I knew I wouldn't mind that. The headphones do get a bit uncomfortable after a few hours due to my ear shape/size, but it's really not that bad. It actually forces me to take a break.

Price:
The price I paid at the time was $61.99 so it wasn't over my budget. I think for what they do they are a good deal.

Functionality:
I was able to sync these up to my Windows 7 laptop with ease. After changing the default audio output device to the headphones I was in business and free to walk away from my laptop without turning off my music. I had the exact same ease of use on my Mac Mini. I even tested the distance by going from my basement to the third floor of my split level home; no delays or loss of quality. As for my phone, I was able to pair these to my HTC Droid Eris just like any other headset and I was listening to music and making and receiving calls with ease. I did some test calls with my friends and they said the headset sounded clear with no echo or delay.

Construction:
I think the overall construction is solid. The connecting cable to keep them together needs to be broken in a bit, but it's nice to have so you can quick take off your headphones and keep them around your neck as opposed to having to put down individual headphones. The buttons are solid and responsive.

Sound Quality:
For music the headphones broadcast wonderfully. Audiophiles may have some gripes, but for everyday listening I think they are great. I tested this with Rock, Classical and Electronica; all sounded excellent. As stated above call quality is excellent.

Battery Life:
The manual says 12 hours of playback/talk. My experience has been 11-12 hours. So their estimate seems accurate.

Cons:
My only gripe is that you have to use a Sony AC Adapter to charge them. A micro or mini USB port would have made these unstoppable. It is kind of a pain if your AC Adapter is at home and the headphones run out of juice at work because you forgot to charge them. I guess you could always get another adapter though. I also wish Sony would let me output my PS3 audio to the headphones, but thats not a gripe about the headphones. PS3 limitation.

Overall:
I think these are solid bluetooth headphones with a high level of versatility. The price is good and the quality is better. If you are looking for a quality set of Bluetooth headphones to use on your computer or mobile device look no further. Enjoy.