Versatile as a headphone and headset

These are the 3rd bluetooth headphones I've tried - and will be keeping these. I'll tell you why.

They don't make me look like Princess Leia. Have you seen the bluetooth headphones that cover the ears?

These are in-ear earbuds that do not have noticable blinking blue lights on your ears. The receiver does blink, but that's tucked away or clipped on the shirt.

USE

I use the headphones primarily with my HTC Touch WM6 Phone. The device actually works as two: bluetooth headphones and headset. While listening to music or a movie, an incoming call can be answered by clicking the main button on the unit and switched back to the multimedia mode by doing the same.

Works with Windows Media, Phone, Divx mobile movie player, and tcmp/beta player.

It can pair up to 8 devices. I've paired the unit with my laptop (vista and xp) as a bluetooth headphone and headset. Pairing is very easy, but will depend on the device. Sony packs a detailed manual that will help with most devices.

I've also paired it to my PS3 as a bluetooth headset. Currently, the Sony PS3 doesn't support bluetooth headphones.

So how does it work when paired with multiple devices? Just turn the unit on and connect to it with the desired device. How easy this is depends on the software on the device, but it's simple for Windows Mobile 6.0 devices and Windows XP/Vista native drivers. It's a matter of selecting the headphone/headset from the software menu and then clicking "connect".

QUALITY

The sound quality is very good. The earbuds are essentially sony's closed-ear type ( MDR-EX51 ).

It's sometimes hard to tell it's wireless. The difference is some white noise that's usually only noticable when there's no music.

The headphones also block out ambient noise which really help in noisy environments (e.g. subway).

As a headset, the receiving voice can sound a bit odd. That's because most headsets are open-air type. These are close-type and thus block some of your own voice from your ear. Most of my callers say my voice is very clear; thanks to the built-in microphone on the receiver.

COMFORT

Sony includes 3 sets of rubber earbuds for different ear sizes. I find them very confortable. Being the closed-type, you really need to jam these in your ears to get the best quality sound.

BATTERY

Sony includes a base which the headphones receiver simply drops in to recharge. A full charge takes about 2-3 hours and lasts 8-10 hours of listening time. It would have been nicer if sony used a standard mini-usb plug to charge the unit.

CONTROL

The unit has a multi-control button and separate buttons for volume up and down. The multi-control buttons is used for pairing, turning the unit on/off, and switching from headphone to headset and vice-versa. It lacks any media controlling buttons.

NEGATIVES?

I'm not sure if these are fully "wireless". There is still a wire that connects the receiver to the earbuds. Though it is more convenient, since the device doesn't have to physically connected to the headphones.

Also, I think it wouldn't have been too difficult for Sony to have made the earphones detachable; thus allowing the use of any earphones.

The unit doesn't have any media controls such as play, pause, skip, reverse, etc. This isn't a big deal to me as I usually like the visuals on the device itself to adjust what's being played.