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#1
Hey all, thanks for peeking! My criteria is:
Stereo BT headset or headphones (mic isn’t critical but slightly preferred)...
For no more than $150 USD (not inc. post), that’s sturdy enough for regular jogging.


Any thoughts on which you’d pick & why? Not interested in different suggestions at this late stage.
Also not interested in adapters like the BH-214 or MW600, I want everything built into the headset/phone.

I’m trying to decide between…

-BH-504 $105 AUD (Megabuy or Bidbox, both in Qld, may be able to collect)
There's one slightly better price, but that entails shipping from another state, not certain how good this'll be for jogging.

-MM 100 $154 AUD (Ordio in NSW, JB has in-stock, see if they can do same)
Cheapest price in Oz (believe me, I've searched baby) is about $205, I was able to get retailer to lower it to $154, w00t!

-BH-505 $69 AUD (Megabuy in Qld, only do mail-out, see if can collect)
Pretty cool all up, unfortunately there's just too much chatter about them breaking with excessive exercise/sweat
_________
Scratched:

-S10-HD $?? AUD
Still not ****ing available anywhere in Oz as far as I can see...
And most of M's supposed "official retailers" don't have any of their headsets, or only have models prior to the S9 etc.

-Backbeat 903+ $?? AUD
As best as I can tell not in Oz yet, & comparatively poor distribution anyway.
Many sources indicate that this (like the 505) is not terribly "ruggedised"...
I don't expect the newer S10 to be notably better or worse in other areas, but it's likely to be more ruggedized.

-BH-503
Older tech than BH-504/505, one e.g: uses BT 2.0, not BT 2.1 EDR...
All reviews/commentary are old, searching for comparisons reveals that the 505 is superior all-up & a natural successor.
But the 503 does have less reported issues with jogging etc...

-PX 210 BT (headphones)
Too pricey & I need a headset "yesterday", so I'm not going to order a cheaper one from overseas.
Even if I did, I doubt I'd find it for $150USD anywhere...
*update*
Ordio can do $220, $66 more than their offer for the MM 100, not bad, but MM 100 -as is- is already at my budget limit.
So conclusion remains the same....

Thanks again.

Last edited by jalyst; 2010-11-21 at 09:09.
 
electrolind's Avatar
Posts: 81 | Thanked: 50 times | Joined on Jun 2007 @ The Great White North
#2
I use LG HBS-250. Paid 30 US. Nice sound and they stay on when jogging.
 
Posts: 54 | Thanked: 8 times | Joined on Nov 2009
#3
Every Bluetooth Earpiece I have used while cycling has gotten wet from sweat (Normal sweat around the ears) and stopped working. After going through about 5 devices I gave up and use a Nokia WH-205. Can't beat it.

Hope this helps
 
Posts: 227 | Thanked: 51 times | Joined on Feb 2006
#4
I use the Jaybird Freedom's with my N900. Like them, pricey... Currently getting ready to send them back for some warranty work though. I had the s-9 and the S-9HD and the durability was crap but the functionality was OK.

The BH-505's get really crappy reviews on Amazon...

Would love the S-10HD's if they fixed the reliability.
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David Smoot
 
Posts: 12 | Thanked: 2 times | Joined on Oct 2009 @ Chicago, IL
#5
I'm on my third set of S9's. Had the S9, they were crappy. S9HD is ok... I put superglue on some of the seams (on the 'battery'/power compartment that go behind the head) as sweat got to them.... eventually puppy destroyed them due to my stupidity of leaving them out.
They're not super durable for working out, but I use them daily for it, and just try to be careful/wipe down and glue as noted, and they worked for over a year... which, for the money is worth it, considering I used them 6.5 days a week.

--- Takeaway is that I got a second set of s9hd because they seemed the best for the $65 US... I was curious about the jaybird though...

Last edited by sky4vip; 2010-11-11 at 18:01. Reason: add that I got a third set
 
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#6
Thanks everyone for your thoughts thus far.

So it's looking unlikely I'll find the MM 100 or PX 210 BT for $150 or less in Australia.
Apple Store US has the MM 100, but strangely Apple Store Australia doesn't.
It has the PX 210 BT, but it's waaaaay over $150....

MM 100 seems to come under $150 USD in other parts of the word...
And there may be one or two retailers that can ship (at a reasonable price) here.
Haven't yet found the PX 210 BT for $150 or less, if anyone knows plz lemme know!

I'm scratching 903+ as there seems to be a very weak (if any) retail channel presence here.
Only place I've found (using local engines) is a retailer based in Hong-Kong.
This is always a good sign that regional support is likely to be shite....
If anyone thinks it's a stand-out amongst the others lemme now why & I'll keep it in the list.

Thanks.

Last edited by jalyst; 2010-11-12 at 08:14.
 
Posts: 21 | Thanked: 63 times | Joined on Sep 2010 @ New Mexico, USA
#7
My wife and I recently bought a set of BT headphones for each other. She went with the Motorola S9-HD, and I got the Nokia BH-505.

She likes her S9's, although there's the issue with the rubber flap covering the miniUSB charging port staying closed - it likes to stay ajar, and no amount of fiddling with it will keep it closed. The head fit is okay, although with a bit of pinching around the temples. The different sized earbuds included are a PAIN to change out, and didn't make much of a difference in the fit or comfort - although the bigger ones did provide a bit more bass due to sealing more area around the ear canal (these are not "in-the-ear" style buds; they sit over top of the ear canal). Even though these are advertised as being sweat-resistant, we're not taking the chance of ruining them due to the USB flap hanging open, so she uses them for walking, not running. We also have problems with the signal dropping when she keeps her phone (HTC myTouch slide) in her front pocket - she uses an armband case now to keep the signal as line-of-sight as possible. I've read that Moto fixed both the USB flap and signal issues with the S10's - so, for jogging, it might be worth looking into.

As for the Nokia BH-505's... I bought them in spite of the terrible online reviews, and I love them! The main detractions in the reviews are fit and build quality. The 505's are not as "rubbery" as the Moto S9's; they flex, but are generally more stiff. Also, I have a more rounded head-shape, and the contour of the 505's match me perfectly. Most reviews state the earbuds slip out and off the ear during movement - I haven't experienced this at all, since they fit snug (but not too tight) around my ear and temples. Those of us with more slender heads might have the slippage problem, but I certainly don't. The sound quality is fantastic, and signal is amazing - no dropouts no matter where I stash the phone on my person. When it comes to sweat - there's where we have a problem. The bend of the band above the earbuds sits flush to your skin - making a raceway for sweat to drip in the controls on the earpiece, and into the microphone hole, and around back to the battery compartment where there are 2 (very slight) seams in the plastic. You could probably minimise the sweat issue with a headband, but it won't stop everything (especially if you perspire a lot during exercise - I certainly do). Nokia used the wording on the packaging "moisture resistant", not "sweat proof" - it'll be okay with a few raindrops, or a light misting, but not a torrent of sweat. The 505's include both in-ear and over-the-ear-canal earbuds; the in-ear buds are similar to the stock headphones included with the n900 and provide great isolation, and are very easy to change out if you don't like them.

As to the jalyst's question - I love the 505's, but can't recommend them for jogging due to the potential for sweat damage (great as an all around pair of headphones though!). The S9's will work for jogging, but better to go with the S10's when they're available down under.
 
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#8
Originally Posted by sky4vip View Post
I'm on my third set of S9's. Had the S9, they were crappy. S9HD is ok... I put superglue on some of the seams (on the 'battery'/power compartment that go behind the head) as sweat got to them.... eventually puppy destroyed them due to my stupidity of leaving them out.
They're not super durable for working out, but I use them daily for it, and just try to be careful/wipe down and glue as noted, and they worked for over a year... which, for the money is worth it, considering I used them 6.5 days a week.

--- Takeaway is that I got a second set of s9hd because they seemed the best for the $65 US... I was curious about the jaybird though...
Have you used the BH-505's alongside the S9-HD, which do you prefer?
Yes there's crappy reviews for the BH-505, but one can find a similar amt for the S9.
S10's fairly new but from what I've read, overall (despite some flaws) it's a slight improvement over the S9.
Too early for improved durability to be 100% certain yet.....

Originally Posted by jvanhou View Post
She likes her S9's, although there's the issue with the rubber flap covering the miniUSB charging port staying closed - it likes to stay ajar, and no amount of fiddling with it will keep it closed. The head fit is okay, although with a bit of pinching around the temples. The different sized earbuds included are a PAIN to change out, and didn't make much of a difference in the fit or comfort - although the bigger ones did provide a bit more bass due to sealing more area around the ear canal (these are not "in-the-ear" style buds; they sit over top of the ear canal). Even though these are advertised as being sweat-resistant, we're not taking the chance of ruining them due to the USB flap hanging open, so she uses them for walking, not running. We also have problems with the signal dropping when she keeps her phone (HTC myTouch slide) in her front pocket - she uses an armband case now to keep the signal as line-of-sight as possible. I've read that Moto fixed both the USB flap and signal issues with the S10's - so, for jogging, it might be worth looking into.
Thanks mate, this corresponds with everything I've read!
It sounds like "overall" the S10 is definitely a slight improvement.
Although it remains to be seen if it'll actually be more resilient in practice.
(not in the market long enough)

As for the Nokia BH-505's... I bought them in spite of the terrible online reviews, and I love them! The main detractions in the reviews are fit and build quality. The 505's are not as "rubbery" as the Moto S9's; they flex, but are generally more stiff. Also, I have a more rounded head-shape, and the contour of the 505's match me perfectly. Most reviews state the earbuds slip out and off the ear during movement - I haven't experienced this at all, since they fit snug (but not too tight) around my ear and temples. Those of us with more slender heads might have the slippage problem, but I certainly don't. The sound quality is fantastic, and signal is amazing - no dropouts no matter where I stash the phone on my person. When it comes to sweat - there's where we have a problem. The bend of the band above the earbuds sits flush to your skin - making a raceway for sweat to drip in the controls on the earpiece, and into the microphone hole, and around back to the battery compartment where there are 2 (very slight) seams in the plastic. You could probably minimise the sweat issue with a headband, but it won't stop everything (especially if you perspire a lot during exercise - I certainly do). Nokia used the wording on the packaging "moisture resistant", not "sweat proof" - it'll be okay with a few raindrops, or a light misting, but not a torrent of sweat. The 505's include both in-ear and over-the-ear-canal earbuds; the in-ear buds are similar to the stock headphones included with the n900 and provide great isolation, and are very easy to change out if you don't like them. As to the jalyst's question - I love the 505's, but can't recommend them for jogging due to the potential for sweat damage (great as an all around pair of headphones though!).
So you haven't actually tried giving them a heavy work-out on a regular basis?
Do you feel lucky... punk

Tis unfortunate if it's definitely no good for regular jogs (sheesh isn't that what this model is meant for?!)...
As it sounds like it's a better headset compared to the S9 (so long as my male head is thick enough)!
I wonder how it compares directly with the S10, might see if I can find some comparative reviews.

Thanks very much for imparting your experience in so much depth!

Last edited by jalyst; 2010-11-12 at 14:44.
 
Posts: 24 | Thanked: 7 times | Joined on May 2010
#9
ive been using klipsch image S4's for about 6 months .. they are great especially with the equalizer
 
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#10
Originally Posted by talonz View Post
ive been using klipsch image S4's for about 6 months .. they are great especially with the equalizer
Thanks but I already have corded IEMs and circumaurals....
Focus of this thread is decent quality (excellent not expected) BT stereo headset (or maybe headphone), that are $150 or less, and rugged/comfortable enough for regular jogs.

Think I'll got into some local stores and actually try the remaining 4 on my list (see OP).

Because the MM 100 and PX 210 BT will have to be bought overseas to get them down to $150 or less...
They'll have to be exceptional for me to consider one of them over the S10-HD or BH-504!

Ordering iTouch 4G in the meantime, any further advice/thoughts greatly appreciated.

Last edited by jalyst; 2010-11-12 at 14:42.
 
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