Accessories: Nokia BH-505 Headset
I got to trial these alongside the Play 360, again, thanks to the PR Agency behind Nokia here in Australia. It isn’t the normal style of headset I’m used to. I really wanted to try it just because it had NFC. The pairing, as always with NFC is good, better than I expected. (Equally as fast as Play 360 though.)
I’ll start with the negatives, that way the post ends positively.
- Size: Unfortunately it is too big to fit my head and;
- Weight: The weight of it isn’t distributed too evenly. Where the battery and NFC is housed, weighs a lot more than the rest. Since it is big to begin with and sitting out from my head, the weight pulls it down and it is an uncomfortable fit.
- Design: The design is very interesting, and sadly, I think the “call-centre” style is a bit ugly. Luckily, Nokia has decided to go with the new over-ear “cup” style.
- Echo: Once or twice when I called some friends to test, they said they could hear themselves as an echo. But
The positives:
- Sound Quality: The audio that comes from the headset is good. Typical Nokia headset quality. Definitely something that won’t have you saying “speak louder” anytime soon. Only down side is like I said, the other call participant receives echo.
- Battery Life: Decent really, but never really used it enough to test its capabilities.
- Assorted Ear Buds: In the box, you get a few interchangeable silicon ear buds, so anyone should be able to find a comfortable fit.
- Controls: The headset has controls on both sides of the ear piece. On the right side there is a Play/Pause button as well as a track seek slider. On the left, there is a call button, used for both answering and closing calls. It has its own slider too.
- NFC: I really love this technology. Makes life so much simpler then activating BT, searching for devices, paring device etc. Simply Tap & Connect
As an overview I would give it a 3/5. The two point loss is due to the echo and also the weight and ugly (in my opinion) design. They are very practical though for people who have larger heads and tend to go jogging; No cables to interfere with you.
Sadly, I tried to record a video but there isn’t really much to show in a video.
Have you used this headset? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Michael
Category: Accessories
About the Author (Author Profile)
Hi! My name is Michael. Like the others, I'm also a Student, living here in Sydney. I have a real passion for the latest technology and I'm a real Nokia buff! My aim is to keep those of you, like myself, updated with the latest in what's going on in the Nokia World. Currently sporting an N8, N9, N950 and Lumia 800. Send tips to me on Twitter via @MFaroTusino or the site's page @MyNokiaBlog, or even simply drop me an email at MichaelMNB[at]hotmail.com.au or tips[at]mynokiablog.comSubscribe
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Me and over 100 other users (nokia.forum) get it dead by sweat while running. It’s not resistant as they say, wear it on the baseball cap and no contact to hairs -otherway it dies!
All those reports certainly put me off. It does seem like quite a limitation for a sports oriented headphone.
i’ve got it free as promotion selling for my N9, well i’ve never tried it since i used once before. Yes, it’s also too big on my head, but i like varying of earpieces
Compared to what was around in 2010 I thought this was really good. I still do. I’ve lost the buds though as they’re very annoying and they come off the moment you look at them the wrong way.
It is as you say, convenient for jogging – it was designed to be for active only – hence why you cannot sit and lie down with them because of the loop in the back. Prevents you from being a couch potato :p nah, I dislike that bit too, but I found it very secure, it doesn’t come off. As mentioned, some say it has some problem dealing with sweat. Maybe I’ve not sweat enough :S
Never had the echo problem you mentioned during calls.
There is another phenomenon where you can hear yourself during a call, but that’s because the mic cleverly fills in the surrounding sound so it feels more natural when you’re making a call (especially when something like in ears passively noise cancel). I hate the weird muffled sound when making calls through BH-905.
Back in 2010 we didn’t know this had NFC, nor did I have a NFC handset capable (apart from that random flippy Nokia there wasn’t one until the C7 right? Which then didn’t advertise that).
I would still use this headset if I had those earbuds. I guess I could just swap over any random earbuds :/
Oh, there should be a video in this one. http://mynokiablog.com/2010/05/13/review-nokia-bh-505-the-best-bluetooth-headset-evaaarr/
I had the flippy NFC phone. Was the 6131. Allowed you to use “Push to Talk”
I think Michael meant an echo on the other end..
“Once or twice when I *called some friends* to test, they said *they could hear themselves* as an echo.”
Okay, I really like this headset. I’ve bought it sometime ago just for my N8.
As you all know, the sound quality’s good. Too bad N8 doesn’t have NFC tho, otherwise it would be perfect.
Secondly, I really disagree with the echo comment, as i’ve made many calls with this baby and nobody has ever gave me the feedback that their voices are echoed back. Seriously. Even made calls while jogging.
Finally, the main purpose I’ve bought this headset is to go do outdoor sports with it. And guess what, i’ve found it pretty durable. No probs after serious running for many many many miles. The best part is, if there were dirt or any stains on it, just wipe it with a damp cloth and done! It also fits perfectly on my head (I admit that I have a rather big head tho).
I had mine with N8 – kind of a promotion
Still alive, but sometimes when listening to the music ocurs problems with transmition. I’ve tested this headphones with HTC Mozart – the same problem
Id like to see a review on the Nokia essence BH 610. (if not done in the past, sorry I tend to forget)
They don’t appear to be available yet at least not in the UK.
Gah… Those earbuds remind me of the X3′s stock headset. Had to ram the latter’s piece into the ear just to prevent it from falling out (and boy, it’s not comfortable). Threw it back into the box after using it for one day.
The quality of music is good, but on my N9 and Nokia 700 I frequently get jittery audio, don’t know if it because of the phone or headset. The audio through wired is smooth though. I took a couple of calls with this headset, People on the receiving complained about jittery audio. Tried resetting and repairing, it did not help. I observed the echo too. I give it 2/5. It just shows off NFC
If you are planning to use this product when you exercise then dont bother. The sweat will kill it in a day or two. I was bitterly dissapointed after spending the money for it to break after 2 jogs.
Stick with a BH 214 headset instead.
I do have these headphones and I have been using them for a few months now. I must admit that I’m totally sold by these headphones. They are amazing. I take them with me everywhere and use them all the time. Even while I’m writing these comment, I’m using them. It is extremely convenient and has definitely made my life a lot simple. I have had no issues of echo. I even use it with my laptop. For instance, I’m listening to music and if someone calls me on Skype, it automatically switches and uses the microphone. I love this feature. I can be standing far away from my laptop and the Skype call will be very good. The wide variety of ear buds will be good enough for a lot of people. We can always get more ear buds of different sizes from Amazon or eBay; they aren’t that expensive. On the plus side, these headphones are a real head turner. I get a lot of compliments on the design and people are asking me where did I get them from. One issue I have had with these are that whenever I keep them on for several hours (mostly more then 4 or 5 hours), my ears hurt a bit; so I remove them for around 30 minutes and then I put them back again. I’d personally give it a 4/5. They honestly are serving me really well.
Thanks a lot of this article Jay. It was very nice to see this headphone article here. Thanks again
Oh my I’m simply drooling over this. This looks so good and futuristic but it looks very simple at the same time.