Customer Reviews

Sony Ericsson HBHDS980 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Small flaws tarnish this great product. I used this with a SE Z750 debranded and loaded with updated firmware from SE.

Edit: I just discovered that my SE Z750 charger (wall or car charger), charges this BT device! YAY! I only need ONE charger with me when I travel. Other posts elsewhere show that this is the same for other SE phone models, you can use the same SE charger with the device!

First point. Sony doesn't consider this device to be a BT Handsfree (even if they included the profile) they consider this unit 'music wireless speakers' or 'wireless stereo.'

Bluetooth profiles are:
Headset
Handsfree
Audio Streaming
Audio Remote Controller
Audio Remote Control
Target

Background:
Well, I've always hated those Borg-like (or Uhuru-ish) ear clips for Bluetooth. They scream-- I'm so important that I must be connected all the time... Another problem with them is that it's very hard to tell WHO it is on the other end. And why would you want to put a RF device in your ear (not that I'm saying its harmful, but...). And then you have to pull them out to listen in Stereo to your music or podcast or if you have the service, the audio stream of your cell's TV/Video cast.

Sony has come very close to solving these issues with the HBH-DS980. This Bluetooth stereo device will allow you listen to a music/sound source while keeping you connected to your phone for calls. It could be the same device or it could be a different device. As I write this I'm listening to iTunes on my laptop (networked iTunes library) and connected to my cell phone.

The unit has a lightweight forefinger length control unit that hangs off of a neck string, so that you can pop the ear buds out and still wear the device, ear buds dangling. The length of the ear bud's cords can be adjusted so you won't have big loops of wire hanging. The entire thing could be tucked into a shirt pocket as you wear it, if you don't want it dangling and people will assume you have some sort of mini-player in your pocket. There is a 'safety release' in the connectors that hold the ear bud wires if someone (small child?) pulls on the unit.

The extra feature that makes this better than some other units is that the display is full featured and goes beyond just a few icons to twenty pictograms plus text for caller id and music track information. Normally invisible the display on an incoming call it lights up with the caller id information. So now, you can accept/reject the call if you wish. Either press the 'call button' on the microphone bulge that hangs closer to your jaw line and the unit will pickup the call, and blank out the music automatically. Reject the call by holding the button down. A mellow beep or the phone's ringtone can announce the call and a beep tells you that the rejection went through. You can interrupt the music to make a call also by pressing the Call button.

The OLED on the unit will also display the ID information of the track you're listening to - provided your Bluetooth sending device supports that information which is NOT available as just a stereo headset. It must support the more advanced headset profile A2DP or Audio Gateway. Along with a volume graph (different settings for music and cell phones allowed), time, battery power, the devices that you are sync'd to, and were sync'd to in the past. However, the OLED is not bright enough for direct sunlight - small flaw.

The 980 is also a remote control device. It has a dedicated Menu button that allows you to view the `Contacts List', `Call List' and `Device List' (and back up a level when using these lists). Using the rocker volume bar allows you to highlight these items and the Play/Stop button is also the 'Select' in this function. This works fine when your phone is the primary device. Sometimes the unit when connected to the laptop (in my case) disconnects from the phone. The call/contact list icons show, but as the phone is not primary there is nothing to display. Holding down the on/off button or the Call/Talk button will resync you to the primary device (more later). But you may not realize that you are disconnected. Another small flaw. The manual says that you can easily transfer any call in progress on your phone to the headset by `pressing the Call button' which may be a SE phone feature.

Besides the manual method to either retrieve a recent call or dial one from your contact list (contact list is divided into alphabet; select a letter and scroll through listings with multiple numbers listed for each contact as they scroll by and can be selected with the Play/Stop button); you can also use voice dialing if your phone supports it. (Voice dialing on your phone will NOT negate the need to use the call button. Some phones support 'Call Control' by saying 'answer' or 'busy' and never have to move your hands. Magic Word (turn on the phone's voice command) and Voice Call Control however, doesn't appear to work with the unit, as it will not leave the microphone open all the time as it's a battery drainer. In my configuration, I could only press the Call button and then my phone would beep (in my ear) for the voice number that I recorded for each number. The OLED shows a dialog balloon pictograph as it waits for the voice command. This could be a problem for some but, magic word is a battery drainer for your phone. It would be highly recommended that you use the device to RECORD the voice commands for better matching.

The Device List will also to allow you to connect to the additional devices. Select the previously paired device from the list and press the Play/Stop button and the `reconnecting Bluetooth' display will show. Adding a new device requires that the 980 be turned off, and then holding the on button until the `search for devices' pictogram shows. The unit supports auto-pairing, and if you're connecting device doesn't-- the pair code is the expected `0000'. Reconnecting or adding a device paired previously is done by the list and pressing the Play button until a reconnect icon appears. A problem exists where your phone and the unit will not always agree on what is connected all the time. Your phone might say it's not, and the unit may say that it is. Selecting a device that the 980 already thinks is connected won't show the `reconnecting' display. Either turning the unit on and off will resync the primary device or pressing the call button will resync, but you'll have to reselect the secondary devices.

The unit can handle 'call waiting' by using the Call button as a flash button.

Headphones
Three different sized sets of silicon buds are supplied to give a good fit, you should be able to wash with soap and water. I found the headphones clear and bright sounding. 192bps media sounded very very good playing from my phone.

As an audio control:

I mentioned before that it can hold an independent volume setting for music vs. voice calls. The unit has independent Play/Stop, volume +/- rocker, Menu buttons and a skip/back slider. When connected to my SE phone; the Play buttons will startup or the media player at the last song in your playlist. You can scroll through the current playlist but you can not change playlists.

Also, the data for the music id on the unit is dependent on the software being used on the player and the Bluetooth profile being used. Right now, I don't have a Bluetooth profile beyond 'Headset (aka earphones and mic)' and stereo headset on the Bluetooth on my PC. So I am not seeing music information on the 980's display. The PC's `Audio Gateway' profile which `should' be valid is not working on the 980 and won't recognize it as a service beyond just headphones (but the Next/Previous buttons do work). My phone has a more sophisticated profile and it shows the data. I can however, go to the next/previous item in the current playlists on both my phone and iTunes.

Additional features:
Unit makes beeping noise and will (on my phone's display anyway) show `Battery Low on Headset" message. Really low battery will just shut the unit down; I got an hour of music playing after the first low battery message.

I think the proprietary charger connection is a plus. There is no question that the unit is correctly connected and the prong snaps into the units body. OLED lights up with animated charge pictogram.

Additional flaw: time display is 24hr there doesn't seem to be way to change it. My phone is set to 12hr AM/PM.

It would have been a big plus to be able to use your own headsets but then the mic would have to be in the unit, and that would have to be near your head.

Replacement silicon buds are 3 sets for $5 at some online sellers. Plus $5 shipping.

I hope that there is a firmware upgrade for this unit, the small flaws can add up to be annoyances for some, and it should all be `correctable' SE might update the firmware, they do for their phones.

Edit: I spoke with SE about some issues with the device, they don't expect to have a firmware update. One issue not mentioned is that the unit's display goes 'nuts' once in a while, and looks like static. Functionality is still there, you don't have a readable display. A full reset will correct this, it's described in the manual, shut off, hold call and menu buttons down together, and turn on, device will reset and correct it.

Also, you can setup your bluetooth profile in the phone to auto-answer calls without pressing the call/mic button.

My SE phone switches profiles when it detects that the 980 is in range automatically and transfers audio to the phone.

Pros:
-Stereo sound is great when connected to compatible bluetooth-enabled devices.
-Can be used as either cell. phone headset or stereo headphone.
-Good battery life, could be better though...
Cons:
-DC connector is not the standard mini-USB, Sony intentionally uses some weird connector here, so you better not lose your wall charger, or else...$$$. I wish I had known about this... Be warned!
-High price compare to others.

So far i have been able to pair it with my Fujitsu P1610 (excellent sound), USB BT dongles from MSI StarKey 2.0 (great stereo sound) and Anycom USB-250 (so so sound). Clearly, sound quality is dictated by what you connected to, the Sony HBH-DS980 only streams what coming out from your devices. I would give it 4 1/2 stars if it had had a std. mini USB connector.

Personally, i would not by it again just because of that #@&*& connector.

I'd been eagerly anticipating the day Apple added stereo bluetooth support
(A2DP) on the iPhone. As soon as I had iPhone OS 3.0 on my 3G, I tried out
the stereo bluetooth support with the S980.

I should note that this model does work with iPhone OS 3.0, but there are a
couple annoying limitations:

1) iPhone does not support the AVRCP profile.
- This means that you can power-on, connect, control the volume, and listen
to music.
- The limitation is that you _cannot_ skip tracks or scan through a track
using the S980. You must use the iPhone touchscreen interface to do this.

2) You may need to delete and redo the pairing for a clean signal.
- I listened to music for a couple of hours without problem. When I went to
lunch, I hit the play/pause button on the S980 before leaving it at my desk
and heading out of the building with my iPhone. When I returned and resumed
listening by hitting the play/pause button on the S980, I noticed periodic
dropouts in the sound that do not exist in the source MP3.
- After I removed the S980 from the pairing list and added it back in, the
dropouts went away.

As far as those complaining about the sound quality, come on...this is a
pair of earbuds. What were you expecting? If you want audiophile quality
sound, don't use earbuds, esp. not the passive noise cancellation type with
the rubber tips like these.

For music quality, these are passable. A bit muddy across the spectrum and
light on the bass...all within normal earbud parameters.

For phone quality, these were a bit on the suboptimal side. A bit of static
and sounded like the caller was in a tunnel or in the bathroom. Still, we
could converse and understand each other.

As with most Sony equipment, I don't expect it to last more than a couple
years with regular use. The control buttons feel a bit on the cheap side.
The wires have extra strain relief at the connection points (wire to earbud,
wire to control unit), but my experience with Sony is that these won't stand
up to heavy abuse. The only Sony item I've ever had last more than 2 years
with regular use is my Dream Machine clock radio (10+ years).

So, 3 stars. Does the job, but not stellar. Better than the alternative
Altec Lansing Backbeat 906's with their funky ear clips and 4 levels of
volume control.

This lil gem is great if your in it for the wow factor. If you are a smart consumer you'll do your research tho. The sound was second to none, i have tryed plantronics, and jabra stereo headsets this sony was clearly better as far as the sound quality. Because its a Sony the form factor is top notch, but because its a Sony they pull the ol' Sony style connector(Sony always throws in some proprietery technology, makes for less of a value overall).Not only cant you switch out the phones for another pair, you have to charge it using
the ac adapter it comes with instead of the usual mini usb connectors which are sold everywhere.
All things considered if you can buy it for cheap on Amazon it may be worth the money for you. The mirrored screen is amazing, crisp, bright little window just the right size to handle caller i.d.,song # and title,and various animations.
The number one selling point for me was the ability to see my contacts through the mirrored lil screen, still a feature i havent seen anywhere else.
Kool product, hard choice.

Used with a Treo 700p and Sony VAIO laptop with built in bluetooth.
Pairing is straight forward. When used with multiple devices you select the desired device from a menu on the headset.
Very comfortable to ware. The unit hangs from your neck via a lightweight cord, from which the wires to the earbuds sprout. The cord length is somewhat adjustable. It comes with three sizes of earbuds. I have small ear canals, and the small buds work well. they stay put when I'm on the elliptical trainer or working with free weights or machines. Depending on your ears, it may not be secure enough for more active endeavors. Comfort vs. security trade-off is about right for me. Unlike the behind the neck styles, these are good for snoozing on the couch or bed.
Small & inconspicuous it can be worn in public without looking like a refugee from another planet.
Range with the Palm is poor. It pretty much has to be on you, or next to you. Range with the laptop is good. I can be in the next room.
Sound quality is fair to good. About what I expected for the price & size. Occasional dropouts, not enough to disrupt casual listening. Ambient noise attenuation is fair. You won't have to turn it up to damaging levels to drown out Jerry Springer on the TV next to your treadmill.
Controls are small, but easy to use for my small fingers. Controls A2DP compliant device well. Display is somewhat small for 50YO eyes. Younger folks should have no problems.
Overall, the best I've used. Sound not quite as good as the Pulsar or Moto, but good enough, and far more comfortable and versatile.

This is a great concept, and everything is good about it compared to a wired headset, except two things.

First, there is a very little bit of static or fizzing sound in the background of listening to music with it from my Smartphone. And second, much less important to most except those like me, it doesn't capture the ultra-low frequency bass sounds that I like to hear. It has very good low bass and overall range from highs to lows. Understand the difference between low range bass and ultra-low range bass.

I don't know if the slight hissing sound was due to the Smartphone or the speakers of the headset, but otherwise it's excellent.

I purchased the DS980 headset about three months ago to use with my T-Mobile Dash cell phone so that I could listen to MP3 files and easily answer incoming phone calls. These headphones will let you know you have a call and then pause the MP3 while you answer the call... All very easy to do. Battery life for is good and the controls are easy to use. Pendant design swings around when leaning over and sometimes gets in the way and cords are a little long.

[Addition: I paired this up with my Mac. Good news and bad new.

Sadly, the sound quality was poor when i listened to my music (and no you cannot control (fast forward/rewind/stop the song you're listening to via this headset).

Good news is that the mic on this headset worked just fine with Skype.

Note when using this with your Mac: Go to System Preferences, then Sound, and finally the output tab. Select this headset as the output device otherwise, you won't hear anything.

Finally, the instructions for this device are written concisely, and clearly.

Finally, finally, thanks to those feel this is a helpful review.]

Seeing as how these devices are relatively new, I think it's a pretty successful end product.

The sounds is very good (still better than a lot of wired headphones you could buy for $50). Though i've noticed where it doesn't match the quality of my Sony MDR-CD580 headphones (the best i've ever listened through), I'm quite happy with the sound.

Usability is not an issue. It's easy to use. You can look at your address book, and navigate to the number you want. You can do the same for your "calls" list. You can change the volume, move to the next, or previous tracks, and check the time. I'd've liked to go to my list of songs that way i could pack my phone in my bag or something.

i like the way the earpieces don't snag because the plastic (or whatever) wire doesn't wrap around your neck. It's pretty cool how they make the length of the wires per piece adjustable.

I would've prefered the option to use my own headphones (which is available on other headsets from Sony-Ericsson). The get tired of having those things in my ears.

Wear and tear. I've had this at least 2 months and one of the wires is splitting open, and I've got tape holding together the casing for the mic/answering button.

Other than that, it's a good product. you'll be happy with it.

For notebook usage, it is perfect, as frequent traveller point of view which may ease a lot on very limited space and movement on coach/flight, it would be much more comfortable with wireless.

My main intension of getting this device is daily use on my SE W880i & SE W890i. Everything meet my expectation except one tiny limitation I would like to high light. in fact it is not the problem from DS980, it is just a feature that wasn't Bluetooth headset are made for.

If you are a regular radio listener and your phone support radio, then I am sure you listen to the radio from your mobile phone very often. If you do, then you might need to reconsider this fact before you buying this device. Mobile phone uses the wired headset as the antena to receive radio signal. Which Bluetooth Headset are not designed to receive radio signal. In another word, when you want to listen to the radio on your mobile phone, you still need your regular wired headset.

I listen to radio often, therefore the bluetooth headset does not help. I still need the wired headset. because of this, I can't eliminate my wired headset totally. I don't think i want to carry two headsets, it would be just add more trouble compared with just one wired headset. For now, I just stay with my default wired headset.

Hopefully some newer phones can receive radio signal without the wired headset as antena (or some BT headset can receive radio signal, unlikely), then I will reconsider getting one of these BT headsets.

This is the first BT headset that I bought. I bought this mainly to pair with my SE K800i for compatibility purposes. So far, I love the sound. It lacks a bit of bass and also the battery life could be better for sure. If you have a SE cellphone, the charger works for your phone as well (just an FYI) I think some people might not know that. This is a plus for me mainly because I wouldn't have to carry 2 charges if/when i'm traveling. The other pins are for music/functionality (radio) stuff for your wired headset.

Pro:
Light
Stylish
Can call out
Scroll through contacts and call
Receive call
listen to music
charger works with my SE cellphone as well
BT connectivity is quite good. I have yet to hear static or buzzing unless I am somewhat out of range. I work in a place where everyone uses cellphone and I have a few wireless devices at home and they do not seem to be interfering which is great :)

Cons:
3-4 hr battery life
lack of bass (depending on your liking)
USD $100
Can't use your own headphones (HBH-DS 220 can do that but has less functionality)