Nokia BH-200 Bluetooth Headset Review

Nokia BH200 is the manufacturer’s small and ‘budget’ Bluetooth headset – featuring basic resources in a compromising design for a reasonable price, which will attract people who do not want spend a fortune on an accessory for their mobile.

The set includes:

• Charger
• User guide
• The headset themselves
  

The only feature (apart from the rechargeable battery) that BH200 can boast of is the supported Bluetooth version - 2.0

BH200 is neither one of the small nor one of the big headsets – it is medium-sized and a considerable part is taken up by the ‘clip’ that attaches it to the ear. Like the one of the top Nokia model, this clip is bi-aural and can be used on either ear without any change, holding it on both sides. We find this to be decently convenient and approve of it.


The headset is made of shiny black plastic, which, unfortunately, can get dirty rather easily. A very long but narrow Call/multifunction button is located on the front panel – its finding and pressing are effortless, but at doing so one presses the ear in an unpleasant way. On one side is the sound-control ‘wheel’ – a truly faultless system, which contributes to the easy finding and pressing of buttons, without the dislikable moments inherent to rocker keys.. On the other side there are the on/off button and the charging socket.



Service information on BH200 is secured by a small LED light, flashing green and red. Located on the inside, it remains unnoticeable. To save on price, the ear-hook is made of flexible plastic without rubber lining and the earpiece itself also lacks a soft part to rest upon/press against your face.

Functionality:

Like the rest of the Nokia headsets, BH200 has no pairing mode – you simply switch it on and it will be discovered and connected to unless there is already a telephone within its coverage. Then you have to search for it in the mobile’s menu and enter the 0000 identification code. As a whole this saves time, but in case there are several telephones in use simultaneously, serious problems may arise – you will need to first find which telephone it has connected to in order to disconnect, and only after doing so - try to get in touch with another. As usual, it can be paired with several (in our case 8) devices, but connected to one only.

In accordance with the established standard, different ways to press the multifunctional button perform different functions. In standby, a swift double pressing will turn on the voice commands, while holding will dial the last dialed number. At an incoming call pressing it will answer, while a swift double pressing – reject it. Volume is controlled thru the ‘wheel’ on one of the sides, but if pressed on the middle, it will mute the microphone.

Performance:

The earset’s microphone performance is quite low – its sensitivity is insufficient and the sound – not very good, a bit unclear. You hear at a volume slightly below average, but comparatively clear. At times a cracking sound is heard into the earpiece. As a whole, we estimate that usage in a noisy environment would be rather difficult, especially for the lack of a noise-filtering system, or DSP.

Comfort:

One needs to get used to the peculiarities of the double ear-hook in order to start hanging it by one hand and without excessive trouble. Unfortunately, sometimes it tends to stand sideways, which means pulling it off and then fixing it once again. Despite the lack of softening parts, the headphone is not inconvenient. Its weight is well distributed, so it will not feel heavy during a short conversation or even for more than an hour on your ear.
*One must bear in mind that an incorrect placing can make the earpiece pinch the ear unpleasantly.

In our opinion the headset looks a bit ‘cyborg-like’ and resembles a toy. Despite the unit’s comparatively small size, the flat microphone surrounded by grey plastic makes the BH200 slightly laughable while worn on the ear. In case you are looking for high-tech appearance, perhaps the choice should be different.

Conclusion:

In life one gets what one pays for; the same with Nokia BH200 – belonging to the class of ‘budget’ models it has a low performance with regard to sound quality and simply mediocre look. However, it is quite convenient to use and comfortably worn.