Motorola Bluetooth H710 Headset

I recently have tried a variety of headsets, including the Plantronics 510 the Jawbone, and the Motorola H700 and H710, all to replace my trusty, old, cheap and very durable (so durable I gave up waiting for it to break, so that I could find something with better sound quality) Motorola H300.

Among all these, I decided to keep the Motorola H710. It is _nearly_ perfect in all aspects, the only minor drawback compared to its predecessor, the H700, is that it has a micro-USB charging connector rather than a mini-USB one (I have tons of mini-USB peripherals, including my cell phone, camera, etc…)

The Jawbone CAN be a good and comfortable fit, if the anatomy of your ear agrees with it. I was lucky that way, it was actually the most comfortable headset I have used. Even for me, though, it was not “instant love”, it took a bit of training to learn how to put it on correctly in a hurry (i.e. when receiving an incoming call). The ear loops (4 different ones included in the package) are very stiff, and I can see how they would easily break after a while. The sound quality was excellent while in my car driving – even across a noisy concrete bridge there would be no way for the other party to tell. Also, incoming sound quality was great – the volume adjusts based on background noise, and the ear plugs are rubberized and block most other noise. It is also a good-looking headset; it matched my phone (a black Nokia N95 8GB) quite well. My main two issues with it were the charging connector (a proprietary one, and only a USB charging cable was included; also not that easy to plug/unplug), and the fact that the power-on time (from off to connected) was a bit too long (timing it, I got anywhere from 9 to 13 seconds..). I prefer to keep my headset turned off when not in use (battery life, connection-time issues.. etc.)

The Plantronics was also great with respect to sound quality; I would say though that it did not quite beat the Jawbone while driving in a car.. (I did not try either one while walking outside in wind though). I did not quite like the large size though (my pockets are full enough already with my cell phone, keys, wallet…), and as someone mentioned, it would seem that it could easily wear out after prolonged pocket-use… Finally, I did not like the proprietary charging connector. (Give me standard mini-USB please; or else micro-USB will work too).

See larger image Motorola Bluetooth H710 Headset [Retail Packaging] (Wireless Phone Accessory) List Price: $99.95 USD New From: $99.88 In Stock Used from: $29.99 In Stock

The Motorola H700 and H710 were for me the answer to nearly every grievance I have with bluetooth headsets. You unfold the microphone boom to power it on (and automatically answer any incoming call); fold it back to power off. Simple, elegant. No confusion about whether or not the headset is already powered on or off when an incoming call arrives (I.e. no “Do I need to hold the power button down for a while to power it on, or a simple tap to just answer?” quandries). The power-on-and-connect is also one of the fastest I have seen on any headset (about the same as my old H300, and way faster than either the Jawbone or the 510). Sound quality is exceptional in either – though maybe more so with the H710 (better noise reduction, and, like the Jawbone, it adjusts your ear volume automatically to accommodate for background noise). Since you would normally keep these turned off, as opposed to leaving them on standby, a single charge will normally last you for weeks and weeks (depending on usage of course). Another plus is that they use industry standard charging connectors (mini-USB and micro-USB, respectively), so you can easily share wall/car/computer chargers with other peripherals. Finally, they are an easy fit – no one should have issues getting them on in a hurry (though for me, I actually preferred the “firm” fit of the Jawbone…).

My only issue with the H700 (and this has been fixed in the H710) is an extremely short range; if I left my phone in my pocked while talking on the headset, I would hear some subtle crackling; take the phone out and hold it in my hand and it was OK. While OK for “car use”, I ended up returning it and getting the H710 mainly for this reason.

Good Luck in your own quest for perfection.

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