Customer Reviews

Sony Wireless Bluetooth Transmitter and Headphones for Ipod

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've tried countless stereo (A2DP profile) Bluetooth headsets and this one stands out from all the others for several reasons. Other than being a tiny bit flimsy feeling, this headset takes the prize for just working, virtually all of the time, for the common use cases for a wireless headset: 1) Listening to music/podcasts throughout the house/office 2) taking and making calls seamlessly and untethered, and 3) as a PC/Mac headset and headphone (and yes, it works great with Skype).

Here's how the DR-BT22IK/B breaks down:

PROS:

- The included iPod/iPhone dongle to add A2DP (stereo Bluetooth profile) to the Apple device requires no battery or charging, it actually draws enough power from the device itself through the dock connection. And it does NOT increase the rate of power drain noticeably. Just one less device to charge, an incredible feature by itself. And it's tiny, the smallest A2DP transmitter I've seen.
- Works just fine with the iPhone 3G, though you'll get a message that it wasn't designed to work with it. But it does with no problems.
- Sound quality and loudness is excellent for a wireless headset. Surprisingly, the bass sounds the best I've heard on a Bluetooth headset. Trebles have the typical limitation of these headsets and sounds slightly muddy, as it does on all the others. Lesson: The tremendous potential convenience of Bluetooth is still a trade-off on sound quality.
- Can pair with up to 8 devices at a time and comes pre-paired with the A2DP dongle. Had no trouble with pairing with my iPhone as a headset (not a headphone, which requires the dongle) or my Mac.
- The working distance between the headset and device is about the best I've seen. I can put 3 walls in between myself and the iPhone and music streams fine as long as I stay within the recommended 30 feet.
- Best feature: When a call comes in on the iPhone, the music fades out automatically and a quick tap of the multi-function button on the headset switches to the Bluetooth transmitter in the phone. The call can then be conducted seamlessly through the headset. Music starts right back up on the dongle as soon as the call is over. This is priceless in terms of ease of use and convenience and shows the real promise of Bluetooth technology; you can just jump in and out of calls all day while listening to an iPod or Pandora on the iPhone with total ease.
- Controls are easy to access and are laid out nicely. They all have a nice, solid tactile feedback.
- The comfort is extremely good, can be worn for long periods of time without issue.
- Listening/talk time is very good at 11 hours, which is longer than an entire work day. I've not run out of power yet when I needed it.

CONS:

- The headset feels flimsy because of its fold-up design. However, the looseness of the hinges actually means its very comfortable and malleable on the head.
- Really needs a hard-case to protect it. Putting this in your pocket risks breaking the hinges.
- Switching to PC mode makes it hard to back to iPhone mode without repairing (which is a 5 second process).

Note: This bundle is different than the regular DR-BT22 product. Make sure you buy the DR-BT22IK/B to get the matching iPod/iPhone dongle, the pairing is what really makes the headphone shine.

It's a shame the previous reviewer gave these 1 star because I got a lot more than I expected from these headphones. In fact it's safe to say that these headphones restored my faith in Sony products. I had previously sworn off anything Sony after the whole rootkit debacle but I saw these on sale at the ATT store so I figured I'd give em a try.

The bass, midrange and high's completely exceeded my expectations. I don't know how Sony engineers managed to pack so much into a small pair of headphones but they did a good job. Initially I had some difficulty getting them properly seated on my ears. I found that you need to angle the headband slightly forward to get the best sound in both ears. This is probably because the top doesn't lock in place. I was able to link these up with my cell phone and pc (via bluetooth dongle). I'm pleasantly surprised at the microphone quality as there is no extendable boom. When paired with my cell phone these headphones allow me to switch from music to an incoming call and right back where I left off. I can't say much about the battery yet however I certainly got more battery life than the last guy. If you're looking for a pair of bluetooth headphones with good range for a reasonable price look no further. I highly recommend this product.

The headphone is pretty good for the money. The sound quality is very good. It is easy to use and very comfy to wear. It pairs with my W350 cell phone without any problem. The buttons are soft to press. It can be folded to put away. The biggest problem is that the join in the middle where you fold it in half can grab a bunch of your hairs. If you are not careful, it can pull a bunch of your hairs out. It is very painful. After it has pulled a bunch of mine painfully out, I warped the middle with some scotch tape. I strongly suggest that you do the same, so your hairs won't stuck in the gap in the middle and got pull out. I can't fold it anymore but it is much better than having my hairs got pull out.

The headphone can really pull hairs out. So, 5 stars it is.

I purchased the Sony Wireless Bluetooth Transmitter and Headphone for Ipod after searching for some time for a pair of wireless headphones that would meet my limited criteria. I wanted a headphone set that sounded decent (I didn't need top sound), was reasonably priced, and worked well at the gym.

I found my answer in these headphones. I had read that they would possibly cause a greater drain on my ipod battery but since I don't use my ipod other than when at the gym, that was not a problem. I have not found them to create any issues with battery drain that would be out of the normal for something like this. The battery on the headphones seems to last a reasonable amount of time before needing a re-charge.

The sound is certainly sufficient for me. I can increase the volume enough that it helps drown out background noise without blowing out my eardrums. The headset stays on firmly most of the time, with the exception of bending forward at which time they'll occasionally fall off. No problem. I've learned to just push them back a bit further on top of my head so that they stay on when lifting weights.

The spring in the center of them, which allows for them to collapse, does seem a bit flimsy but has not created a problem up to this point other than to once in awhile pull a few hairs. Again, a simple adjustment on my head takes care of that. Folding them up is easy; I'm loving not having a cord to deal with that gets tangled or catches on the weight machines as I walk by them! The headset is comfortable on my head and I like the over the head style vs ear buds or the kind that clip over your ear lobe.

The transmission of music has never been delayed or interrupted while working out. The adjustments on the headset work well with my Ipod and I'm able to adjust volume and move through my playlist with ease.

I've also paired them with my laptop. I use Windows VISTA and, as most users may agree, the Bluetooth capabilities on VISTA are, at best, somewhat dis-functional at times. It has taken a bit of playing with settings to get them to work properly but that is a VISTA issue, not a headset issue. Once set up, they work well but do tend to loose the settings when they are disconnected from VISTA. I have the same issues with my Bluetooth travel mouse so it's not a Sony issue.

I have not used them with my cell phone as I don't need them for that purpose so I have no comments about voice quality using these.

Using them for the purposes I was intending, they work great and I'm very pleased with my purchase. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a good sounding headset for the gym or computer use. They aren't Bose, but then they don't cost as much as Bose either!

I was very disappointed when I experienced a lag between the video on my iPod and the sound coming out of the headphones. The audio was delayed by a small amount, making it unwatchable. I was already slightly upset by the tinny sound quality of my music on these headphones, but this was the icing on the cake.

If you can get past these issues, it does have some nice, convenient features. The transition of the headphones to a bluetooth headset is seamless. And you can do all music and phone controls by pushing buttons on the side of the headphones. No need to take out your iPod to pause or switch songs.

Clearly, though, the complaints outweigh the benefits, and I don't recommend this to anyone who watches videos on the iPod.

I originally bought the Motorola bluetooth headphones here on Amazon. I didn't like the sport style with the headband across the back of the head - made it hard to workout becasue the headband kept pushing on the headrest of all the workout machines.

So, I gave those to my wife and bought me these Sony over the top of the head, head phones. I use them primarily with my 32GB Ipod Touch.

I gotta say I like these better.

Pros:
1. Traditional over the head design.
2. Very easy to sync with Sony transmitter.
3. Good sound.
4. Comfortable to wear around the house or while workingout.
5. Foldable for easy and compact storage.

Cons:
1. Needs a hard case to insure they don't break while traveling.


Overall, great headphones to be paired with your Ipod or computer.

The headphones worked as advertised, but they didn't feel like they gripped my head very tightly, so I ended up sending them back and getting the Motorola Rokr S9. Be aware that BT headphones may not have all the control functions you might want (advance to next track, etc.).
By the way, if you're buying these to use with a music player, check to see if your player has bluetooth built in (as the iPhone/iPod Touch does) - you don't need an external transmitter if it does.

After two pairs of iMuffs broke, I bought these in hopes of finding something of better quality. So far, these headphones have proven to be just that.

Because they were a gift, I didn't spend extensive time with them. But in showing the recipient how to use them, I noted decent construction (at least by today's admittedly low standards) and good transmission quality.

The main problem I noted was the tiny controls. While you won't be using the controls that much, they're excessively small and possibly a problem for older users.

I've had a history of buying somewhat pricey headphones and having the cords get caught on door handles and tree branches, but that's not going to happen with these!

Yes, these Sony bluetooth headphones let me thumb my nose at fate. There's no way I'm breaking the cord on these!

Sound quality is on par with the $60 Sennheiser PX 100 I used to buy. Lows come through just fine, and highs come through clearly. The Sony Bluetooth headphones are only slightly bulkier than those Sennheisers, too, but they fit my head solidly and I actually think they're more comfortable.

The Bluetooth transmitter that's included fits in my 5th generation iPod's docking connector snugly. It doesn't snap in, but I've only had it knocked loose once in a month & a half. I actually get more range out of this dinky little adapter than I do from the Bluetooth transmitter inside my laptop, and I can leave my iPod on my desk while wandering anywhere in the office.

These headphones can be paired to other Bluetooth transmitters, such as a laptop or cell phone, and the process is painless. I'd suggest keeping the directions handy, though, as there's no display and everything is communicated to you through a blue LED and a purple LED. The built-in microphone sounds great -- better than the wired one on a headset I own. And, yes, these headphones will pair with your cell phone as well.

Battery life is great; my iPod poops out before these do, so I get at least 8 hours of life out of them. I charge them every night, and only had the battery die on me twice, both times after working overtime. Again, hang on to those instructions, as they show how to replace the battery when it wears out from all the charging.

After having the cords & plugs break on three $60 pairs of headphones in a year, I figured I'd take a gamble on these Sony Bluetooth headphones, and got a better product than I was expecting.

I purchased this Bluetooth wireless headset basically because it was lightweight and rather cheap. The sound quality is good to very good. Highs can be shrill at times, depending on the music source. Bass is not bad for this size headset. Comes with a wireless adapter that works perfect with my iPod Touch.

You need to experiment with the placement of this headset on your head. The wrong placement will actually affect the sound quality.

What I liked the most was quite unexpected. I tried to pair the headset with my Verizon cell phone (LG enV2) but the sound came out in mono, the same as a previous sony headset I had purchased, returned and reviewed.

Well, I was listening to music on the iPod in one room when my Verizon phone rang from another room - In my ear. I pressed the talk button, the headset turned off my iPod and actiavted the phone. The sound through the headset was excellent. When the call ended, I clicked the button again, and within 3 seconds the music began playing right where it had left off. Now I would expect this from an integrated phone/music player -- but this was two different units. Wow! I was impressed with that feature.

Placement of controls are very easy to learn: Volume Up/down, Next/last song, Pause/play, and switch between phone/music. All controls are on the right ear piece. After a couple of tries, you will never miss a function.

They charge in 3 hours through the supplied cable. Finally, because of the lightweight, they feel rather flimsy. However, they are really rather rugged and so far (after 2 months) I am happy with them.