TECH REVIEW - Bluetooth Headset
Sony Ericsson HBH-35
The first Bluetooth headset I got to use, and subsequently the longest serving Bluetooth headset I have had, the Sony Ericsson HBH-35 headset is an excellent Bluetooth headset with a long battery life, and good audio quality in outdoor conditions. Given the Sony Ericsson Bluetooth headsets that came after it, with their range of design flaws, it makes me wonder why they bothered, when they had already produced such a good headset.
INCLUDED ACCESSORIES
The Sony Ericsson HBH-35 is supplied with a Sony Ericsson mains adaptor for charging, and a manual.
TEST EQUIPMENT
For the purpose of this review, the HBH-35 headset was paired to a Sony Ericsson P800 mobile phone and a Sony Ericsson T610 mobile phone.
USEABILITY
In principle, the Sony Ericsson HBH-65 headset should be very straightforward to use, one main control button to switch it on and off, and small volume buttons on the top and bottom of the main boom. Althogh the earpiece is made of a hard plastic, it is actually quite comfortable, and certainly stays fixed on the ear.
Although it is one of the larger Bluetooth headsets, the Sony Ericsson HBH-35 is not that obtrusive. The flashing LED that operates when the headset is on, is not that distracting, and it is generally a nicely designed headset.
Like the majority of Bluetooth headsets, this headset can be fitted on either the left ear or the right ear.
BATTERY LIFE
The HBH-35 headset has an excellent battery life, both in terms of talk time and standby time.
BATTERY CHARGING CABLE
The one thing that irked about the Sony Ericsson HBH-35 headset is it's use of the Sony Ericsson phone charging connector, the epitomy of bad design. Two charger connectors broke over time when used to charge the headset, so of course, one has to buy a new charger each time. Not a good way to inspire customer loyalty.
AUDIO QUALITY - MOBILE PHONE
The audio quality of the HBH-35 was very good. For the headset user, the quality was clear, even outdoors. For the person on the other end. Nobody ever complained about the quality, other than in windy conditions, and that, realistically is to be expected.
BLUETOOTH PAIRING
The HBH-35 headset paired without a hitch. It does exactly what it is supposed to, and exhibited no flaws with the pairing process.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
| Model Name | HBH-35 |
|---|---|
| Model Number | HBH-35 |
| Manufacturer | Sony Ericsson |
| Type | Bluetooth headset |
| Bluetooth Version (headset) | V1.1 |
| Talk Time | 5 hours |
| Standby Time | 125 hours |
| Battery Type | NiMH |
| Battery Charge Type | Charged via standard Sony Ericsson mains adaptor |
PROS
- Long battery life
- Comfortable to wear
- Nice design
- Good audio quality
CONS
- Custom charging connector
CONCLUSIONS
Excellent headset, long battery life, comfortable for long periods of wearing, works well. The only down point is Sony Ericsson felt the need to produce newer models of Bluetooth headset, when they already had one that was so good.
| Sound Quality: |
3/5 |
| Battery Life: |
4/5 |
| Bluetooth Connectivity: |
4/5 |
| Ergonomics: |
4/5 |
| Build Quality: |
4/5 |
| Overall: |
3.8/5 |
