There are many components that go into making a bluetooth stereo headset, but probably the most important of those (for audiophiles at least) is the headphones.

Audio quality

If you are buying a headset, then you will no doubt take a lot of factors into consideration (e.g. price, comfort, quality and features), but for many people, the most important factor is the audio quality. How good do the headphones actually sound?

It’s an important factor. You would think that the more you pay, the better audio quality you will get. But that’s not necessarily the case. You might be paying through the nose for a load of “bells and whistles” that you don’t actually want on the headset, ending up with a pair of headphones that sound rubbish but cost a bomb!

The latest bluetooth protocol

This doesn’t have to be the case. You may be under the misapprehension that because the audio is being delivered across the bluetooth protocol, the quality will suffer. Let me state categorically here and now that this is not the case! The latest bluetooth specification (3.0, introduced in April 2009) added the AMP 802.11 protocol for high-speed transport, which enables CD-quality audio to be delivered at distances up to 30 feet (or even 60 feet under certain conditions!)

Because of this, some high-end bluetooth models sound just as good as wired headphones costing a similar amount.

Fiddly controls?

This is not always the case however. Too many bluetooth models compromise on sound quality because they need all the other paraphernalia that comes along with the requirement to let the user make and receive calls via the headset.

Of course, these are necessary accoutrement if the headset is to be used with a phone, but it can be annoying to discover that all the money you have spent on your headset has gone to pay for little fiddly controls rather than audio quality!

Comfort

Another factor to take into consideration is the comfort of the headphones. If you are listening to music for long periods, you will want to ensure that the headphones are comfortable and don’t make your ears hurt! Again, you will probably need to pay a higher price for a headset that feels good and light on your head than one that feels like it’s got you in a headlock!

Cell Phone Computing

Want to Extend Your Lifespan?

I’m in the market of getting a new laptop, and I’ve been building one with Dell because they are having a good deal. But I’m wondering should I put in bluetooth capability? All I have right now is a cell phone that uses it, and I haven’t used anything else with bluetooth yet. Is bluetooth going to be something extremely important in the near future (3-4 years), that I should just fork the money over for it?

Cellphone PC

Want to Extend Your Lifespan?