RIM BlackBerry Wireless Headset HS-300 Review

Introduction and Design:

Time isn't an abundant commodity that most business-oriented individuals have a lot of on their hands, as they are constantly on the go and require something that will keep up with their rigorous daily tasks. RIM surely knows the ins and outs of this specific demographic as they intend to see this specific user base take a liking for their BlackBerry Bluetooth Wireless Headset HS-300. Compact in nature, it establishes itself as a versatile headset that won't sacrifice time by offering 2 hours of talk by simply charging it for 15 minutes. Packaged with the headset are 4 ear gels, 1 ear hook, microUSB cord, wall charger, and the user guide.



Compared to other headsets, the HS-300 is extremely compact and light with its minimalistic design, but it doesn't necessarily radiate a fresh approach. Instead, its all plastic construction is accented with some areas covered with a soft touch coating – which aids in making it look dirt-free. Still, its overall design lacks any compelling intricacies that would make it jump out from an initial glance.



Unfortunately, the worrisome notion of it coming off by accident comes into mind as the included ear gels lack a reasonable snug fit. Rather, it feels as though that it's just barely there which in turn allows it to stay in the ear for an extended amount of time without being too irritating. However, the ear hook easily remedies the issue as it clips on to make all worries disappear. Not as obtrusive looking in the ear, it can discretely blend in without making it seem too obvious you're wearing a Bluetooth headset; especially if you happen to have long hair.

Residing on the area where the BlackBerry logo is found is the call control button which is used for a variety of functions. Additionally, turning on/off the headset can be accomplished by simply moving the power switch to the correct position. Finally, the microphone is located at the end of the boom while the microUSB port is found on the opposite side.

Performance:

Despite providing automatic volume control, it still would've been nice to offer manual controls to instantly modify the setting. It's not that much of a problem in quiet environments, but its does become somewhat of a problem when conditions abruptly change.

Voices through the headset have a distinctive crackly and dispersed tone to them which makes it rather difficult to comprehend.

Conversely, our callers aren't too pleased by the headset's output seeing that they said that our voice sounds mute in tone on their end. Moreover, the microphone seemingly picks up everything, such as the tapping of a pen, which reduces the clarity for our callers to understand. Even worse, noisy environments place a detrimental amount of stress since every single sound is heard by our callers – which undoubtedly muddies the whole conversation.


If it weren't for its rapid charge time, the HS-300 wouldn't be a conducive headset for those who require long periods of continuous usage. With a full charge, we managed to get a talk time of 3.75 hours before dying – which is below the manufacturer's rating of 4 hours. Regardless, it's not going to take too much time to get it back to a sufficient level.

Conclusion:

Beauty isn't something on the list with the HS-300 seeing that it is a basic option that isn't particularly a polarizing figure in terms of design. Its all plastic construction and below average quality are very well justifiable since it sports a price tag of $49.99. Aside from its peppy nature in getting an acceptable battery level, there is very little that this Bluetooth headset has to offer in terms of features. Granted that some might be entranced by its inexpensive cost, they'll be sorely disappointed to find it insufficient in terms of being a communication device to place and receive phone calls.