» Sony DRBT50 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Sony DRBT50 Stereo Bluetooth Headset Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Great convenience over ultimate sound quality
Comment: I own quite a few sets of headphones and earphones including quite a few other Sony products (like the similarly styled MDR-D66). This is my first pair of "cordless" headphones/earphones though. I will be mostly comparing the DR-BT50 to these other products.

Audio Quality:
I haven't used any other bluetooth or even cordless headphones or earphones before so I can't comment on how this pair stacks up. The sound quality seems very dependent on the A2DP source. My Blackberry Bold, Dell D610 notebook (Toshiba BT stack) and Jabra A120s audio transmitter all sound noticeably different. Overall though, sound quality is pretty decent considering the audio needs to be recompressed for transmission over BT. The sound is more muddy and compressed compared to some of my better gear like the Etymotic ER6i IEMs, Sony MDR-D66 and Sony MDR-CD770. Bass is quite good and tight though. Treble seems kind of lacking though. Overall I would say the sound quality is decent but not great.

Comfort:
I would say the DR-BT50 is one of the more comfy headphones I've ever used. The padded "leather" earcups and headband do a good job and the fit is quite nice with the adjustable headband. The set is quite light so they don't feel tiring to keep on your head even for long hours.

Design:
I think they look quite stylish and the blue and purple (Sony calls it red in the user manual though) LEDs add to the high-tech look and also provide quite a lot of status information as well. The foldable design makes them quite compact for transport/stowage. You won't realise how freeing wireless headphones are until you try them. :) One note though is that the DR-BT50 uses it's own special charger and that can be quite troublesome if you intend to use them in more than one place. Mini-usb charging would have been great.

Features:
The pairing and connecting all work painlessly and quickly. Battery life is excellent as well, lasting far longer than your listening habits would be within a typical day. The built in controls for controlling playback and volume work as long as your paired device supports the AVRCP BT profile (it works seamlessly with my Blackberry Bold). The built in handsfree though leaves much to be desired. I suspect the mic is way too far away from one's mouth to adequately pick up one's voice without sounding like you're trying to talk to someone across a large empty room. It's basically useless and included as some sort of marketing feature or something.

Value:
My Sony MDR-D66 headphones which are very similar to the DR-BT50 cost me (back then) about US$30 less than what I paid for the DR-BT50 so I think the DR-BT50 is well worth it.

If you value convenience over sound quality and have compatible BT gear, I'd say the DR-BT50 is your best bet. They by no means sound bad but for the same amount of money you could get wired headphones/earphones that would sound much better. There is something very liberating about not having to worry about wires though.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Headset
Comment: If only you could get it to work around corners and walls. Then it would be a fantastic product rather than a great one.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Sweetness
Comment: I got these headphones to play guitar hero without scaring my neighors, but ended up using them with my whole entertainment center. I hooked it up to my Blackberry, and my Iphone. Great sound, deep bass. If you like hip-hop, or electronica you will love these. I also got the Sony HWSBTA2W - Bluetooth wireless audio transmitter to connect it throught my stero and can watch movies in my bed, play my 360, or just listen to music and fold clothes. Great buy, couldn't be happier. Also great battery life. I charged it for an hour it didn't need to be recharged for another 10 days.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Works as earmuffs too.
Comment: Audio, comfort, and look I give it five stars.

I'm an avid movie/TV watcher. There IS an audio delay. Watching shows like "The Office" where there is heavy dialogue it can be annoying.

I would estimate the delay is about a 1/4 of second. You won't notice it when watching documentaries or History channel shows that cut away. Any other sound effect, the delay doesn't seem to noticeable.

I use this in connection with my 2g ipod nano , Dell XPS 1530 laptop (with Sony Transmitter), and Palm Centro.

At home where my room is quiet, the phone function is nice. I can be listening to music on my dell, but answer the phone via my centro if a call were to come thru.

I work late at night, this headset is great for keeping my ears warm. And I don't need to take em off if I walk to the kitchen.

I also use them when going to the laundromat. So nice to be wireless.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Sony Bluetooth headset - Excellent Sound
Comment: They sound great, but the ppower level is low. in noisy environments you cannot completely hear them.

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