Samsung SBH500

Stereo Bluetooth headsets are becoming more and more popular, and Samsung isn't one to be left out in the cold. The SBH500 is an around-the-neck headset, with nicely padded earpieces and several convenient features. How well does the Samsung SBH500 stand up to constant music and loud backgrounds? We put the SBH500 through the gauntlet to see how it handles.

The Samsung SBH500 is clad in matte black plastic and comes with a proprietary AC wall charger. The earpads are not interchangeable, though there's also no need for them to be. Both are covered in a luxurious thick pad, similar to that of high-end full-can headphones.

The right hand earpiece is where you'll find all the controls, with the dead center offering the end/send button, and the LED notification light forming a thin ring around it. To the left and right of this main button are the forward and back buttons, respectively. Above the end/send button is a play/pause button, so that all controls are within easy reach. The volume rocker is also located on the right side, just above the play/pause button, but on the side of the headset.

The left earpiece does not offer any controls at all, but along the bottom edge is where you'll find the handy physical on/off switch, right next to a charging port with a convenient slide cover, to keep dust and debris out. The headband of the headset is made from a slightly bendable, rubbery plastic material.

Weighing in at 74g (2.6oz), the Samsung SBH500 isn't exactly featherweight.

The LED notification light, which forms a thin circle around the end/send button, periodically flashes blue while the headset is on or in use. When you first turn the SBH500 on, you'll see the light flash blue, red, and then purple twice, and will then turn a solid blue, to show that it's in 'pairing' mode. To re-enter pairing mode later, simply press and hold the end/send key while turning the headset on.

When the headset is successfully paired with your phone or computer, simply press the end/send key to answer a call, and press the same button to end the call. The Samsung SBH500 can also activate voice dialing, if your phone supports it, by pressing and holding the end/send key for a few seconds. Depending on your cell phone, you can also quickly press the end/send key once or twice to redial the last number you called, as well.

The Samsung SBH500 can also be connected to two devices at once, such as a Bluetooth-enabled computer for music, and your cell phone, for calling. Once you have paired the headset with your music player of choice, simply press the end/send key once to connect to your previously-paired cell phone.

When connected to a compatible device, you can press the play/pause button on the SBH500 to activate the music player, and then press the button once more to begin playing music. The rewind button can be pressed once to skip to the previous track, or held to rewind through the currently playing track. In a similar fashion, the forward button can be pressed once to skip to the next track and held to fast-forward through the track. These music playback buttons worked fully when paired to both my Bluetooth-equipped computer using Winamp, as well as with my Nokia N95-3.

Samsung states that the SBH500 will play music continuously for 11 hours, or provide 12 hours of continuous talk time. Unfortunately, the SBH500 also takes nearly 3 full hours to charge according to Samsung.

The Samsung SBH500's audio quality is excellent. When you listen to music, the sound is robust and very solid. The sound reproduced is true, and does not come out tinny or muted at all. The thick cushions serve to keep most background noise out, and also keep your music in, so that listening to loud music while seated next to someone isn't distracting to them.

With music-enabled cell phones quickly becoming a standard, it's good to see quality stereo Bluetooth headsets coming to market, as well. The Samsung SBH500 is well-designed and offers a very long battery life. Though the call quality is not excellent, the music quality certainly is