treocentral.com >> Products & Reviews >> Accessories >> Sony Ericsson HBH-660/662 Headset

treocentral.com >> Products & Reviews >> Accessories
Sony Ericsson HBH-660/662 Headset


Mon Sep 19, 2005 - 3:04 PM EDT - By James Hromadka

Overview

As Bluetooth headsets evolve, more features are added. The latest craze is Caller ID on the headset. The Sony Ericsson HBH-660 and 662 headsets follow the craze. But how useful can a tiny LCD screen be on something you keep on your ear most of the time anyway? A lot more than you would think.

The HBH-660 and 662 headsets are identical except for their looks and the 662 has Bluetooth 1.2 (which the Treo does not support). The HBH-660 uses silver accents, while the HBH-662 uses black accents which I think gives it a sleeker look. Both weight the same and have the same usability. For this remainder of this review, I'll refer to them only as the HBH-660.

Pairing

The HBH-660 will go into pairing mode the first time it is turned on. You can also put it in pairing mode by holding both volume buttons for 5 seconds. The LCD provides you with a visual indicator throughout the process, letting you know when it is searching, when it is pairing, and when it is complete.

Features

The HBH-660 headset is small and lightweight. I was concerned that the LCD would add weight, but the headset is only one gram heavier than the HBH-600,another headset from Sony Ericsson. Unlike that headset, the volume buttons on the HBH-660 are on both on the top of the boom when wearing it on the right ear. The earloop swivels so you can easily switch ears. An audible tone sounds when adjusting the volume, and it also lets you know when you have reached the max/min levels.

The back of the HBH-660 is where the power cable or lanyard plugs in. It uses a standard Sony/Ericsson adapter that must be lifted up when unplugging. I recommend charging it for 8 hours before first use.

Usability

During normal operation, the LCD displays the Bluetooth logo and a battery meter, which is its most useful feature. You no longer have to play Russian roulette and hope that your headset has enough battery life—just look at the HBH-660's screen. There are no annoying blinking lights; the LCD comes on when a call first comes in and goes off once answered, so you won't annoy anyone in a dark theater with the headset—of course talking on the phone in a theater is another story.

Speaking of talking on the phone, the HBH-660 is a real joy. The HBH-660 automatically connects to the Treo when making/receiving calls, and I had no trouble hearing other people while on the phone. The only time I ever heard static was when I got too far away from the Treo. I regularly spoke to family and friends and had very few complaints; turning up the volume seemed to fix most problems.

When a call comes in, the phone number of the person is displayed and slowly scrolls across the LCD display. While the Treo would only display the phone number, using the HBH-660 with a K700 phone displays the name of the address book entry. Since I don't keep up with anybody's phone numbers anymore, the Caller ID function isn't as useful on the Treo as it is on a phone with better Bluetooth capabilities.

The HBH-660 is very light yet is very secure. I was able to wear it constantly throughout the course of a day and could turn my head fast without worrying about the headset falling off. Battery life is rated at 5/150 hrs, but since you have a visual indicator of when you're low, there's no excuse for getting caught with a dead battery.

Next Page: Conclusion >>

User Opinions

	75%		25%
Read Opinions (8)

Product Info

Details

>	Name Sony Ericsson HBH-660/662 Headset
>	Company Sony Ericsson
>	Standby time 150 hrs
>	Talk time 5 hrs
>	Weight 0.8 oz. / 23 g.
>	Test Unit Unlocked Treo 650 on T-Mobile
>	Fact Sheet & User Opinions

Availability

>	Available

Pricing

>	$84.95

Sponsored Links

Sony Ericsson HBH-660/662 Headset from
TreoCentral (HBH-662)

Sony Ericsson HBH-660/662 Headset from
TreoCentral (HBH-660)

References
Actions

>	Print this page
>

Copyright 1999-2016 TreoCentral. All rights reserved : Terms of Use : Privacy Policy

TREO and TreoCentral are trademarks or registered trademarks of palm, Inc. in the United States and other countries;
the TreoCentral mark and domain name are used under license from palm, Inc.
The views expressed on this website are solely those of the proprietor, or
contributors to the site, and do not necessarily reflect the views of palm, Inc.
Read Merciful by Casey Adolfsson