Gear 4 Bluphones
The Bluphones from Gear 4 are a very light and stylish set of headphones with a built in microphone, allowing them to double as a hands free headset.
From: Gear 4
Price: £49.99
Reviewer: Jon Lee
With nearly every portable electronic device seemingly having Bluetooth built in, it seems rather old fashioned to be still using wires to connect them together. The Bluphones from Gear 4 are a very light and stylish set of headphones with a built in microphone, allowing them to double as a hands free headset.
The setup is very simple. After charging for approximately three hours from a USB port, the Bluphones are ready to be paired with a PC or mobile phone, as with an ordinary headset. The only consideration when using the Bluphones for listening to music is to make sure the Bluetooth adaptor connected to the PC, or the mobile phone supports the advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP), otherwise it can only function as a headset.
Sound quality is particularly good when used as headphones, with only a little hiss when listening to quiet audio, although this is common to most Bluetooth audio devices. After using as a headset, people on the other end of a call reported the voice quality as a little muffled, but easily clear enough to understand.
The Bluphones perform very well as a VOIP headset, and work particularly well with Skype. The only setting that needs to be changed in Skype is to select Bluetooth audio, and they’re ready to go.
Then there’s the battery life. As described in the user manual, the Bluphones work for approximately five hours on a single charge when used as headphones. When used as a headset, the life is approximately two and a half to three hours. Although not mentioned in the manual, the Bluphones appear to be class 2 Bluetooth with a 10 metre range.
I found the comfort of the Bluphones to be the quality that put them head and shoulders above other wireless headsets. At 26 grams, it is very light and comfortable to wear, even after hours of continuous use. I have often found ear buds difficult to use, as this reviewer’s ears tend not to hold them securely, but the attached headband, which wraps around the back of the head, holds the earpieces firmly in place.
All of the headphone controls are located on the earpieces, and after memorizing their locations are easy to use. Volume controls are located on the left side, the up/down and a multifunction button is located on the right. The multifunction control serves to turn the Bluphones on and off and put them into pairing mode when held down for 3 seconds. When being used as a headset, the multifunction button is used to answer, reject, and hang up calls.
The Bluphones are a very useful addition to any Bluetooth equipment, combining a stylish design with good sound quality and excellent comfort. They may be more expensive than a single earpiece headset, but as the Bluphones serve as two devices in one, they make good value.