Talk-Time
My particular Bluetooth Headset is a WNI H1010. WNI advertise 4 days of standby and 3 hours of 'talk-time' depending on volume and range. In reality, I've found the actual talk-time to be considerably less than advertised (I'm generally getting about an hour of talk-time between charges).
Audio Quality/Clarity
Ok, the issue of call clarity is subjective and is influenced by a number of factors. As far as I know, all Bluetooth Headsets on the market today are 'mono' audio. In other words, they only have one speaker. This will likely change in the coming months as devices start to be released which conform to the Bluetooth 2.0 specification (improved data transmission). In the meantime though, we're stuck with mono audio however I've found this to be quite acceptable for VoIP applications. I'd liken the audio quality to that of a good cellular telephone conversation. However, move far enough away from the Bluetooth host and things start to deteriorate. You will not get the same audio quality as you would through a traditional stereo PC Headset. However unless you're listening to music through the Headset I haven't found this to be a major issue.
Bluetooth PC Headset Real World Range: 20 feet
Even though the Bluetooth specifications advertise a range of up to 30 feet, I've found with my Headset that beyond 20 feet from the host, the Bluetooth Headset becomes unreliable. The person to whom I'm talking starts to cut out intermittently and I'll only catch 5-6 words out of every 10 spoken. This is exacerbated by any physical objects in the way between the host and the Headset (e.g., walls, furniture, etc.). If I venture far enough from the host, the Headset will 'disconnect' and I'll have to 'reconnect' the Bluetooth Headset again via the PC. Note: this range will likely improve as more Bluetooth device manufacturers focus on developing hardware conforming to the Bluetooth 2.0 specification.
Additionally, I suspect that my USB Bluetooth Adapter may have significant influence on the range of my Headset. It's a small USB dongle (Thermaltake BT009X) which has a built-in antenna. Linksys manufacture a USB Bluetooth Adapter with a folding antenna which I suspect would have greater range than my USB Bluetooth Adapter / Bluetooth Headset combination.
Bluetooth PC Headset Advantages:
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Cordless freedom! Aaaaah, sweet cordless freedom......
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Bluetooth PC Headset Disadvantages:
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Occasionally 'disconnects' when seemingly within range of the host. Requires 'reconnection'
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annoying mic sound 'occasionally' - reconnecting the headset seems to alleviate this
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Annoying 'Beeps' when the battery is getting low (beeps can persist for 15 minutes before the battery eventually dies). This annoyance may be specific to my particular headset
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Sometimes, my USB Bluetooth Adapter fails to be recognised by Windows. The Bluetooth icon in the Windows taskbar will behave as though the device is functioning correctly (i.e., turns red when the USB Bluetooth Adapter is 'inactive' / turns white when the Bluetooth Adapter is active). However, when I go to 'connect' my headset to the host, I get the following error message: Error creating 'Headset' connection with device 'H1010'. This is very annoying as the problem mysteriously disappears and as yet, I haven't figured out why. I suspect that it has something to do with my particular USB Bluetooth Adapter (BT009X).
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Even though my Bluetooth Headset has a volume control, it doesn't work whilst using the headset with my PC.
Summary
Despite the annoyances, overall I'd have to say that I love using my Bluetooth Headset with my PC. The ability to get up and make a sandwich whilst maintaining a voice conversation with Friends and Relatives across the world is far better than being tied (literally!) to my PC by a headset cord. Granted, the audio quality is not as good as 'corded' PC Headsets and I'm still somewhat restricted as to how far I can venture from the Bluetooth Host (my PC), yet I wouldn't consider reverting back to the corded headset unless my Bluetooth Headset is out of commission (e.g., being charged). |
