Robin
Premium
- 16,799
- United Kingdom
Here are also some closeup pictures I took of the headset and the box…
Sony Ericsson HBH-PV702 Bluetooth Headset
What Is It? - Sony Ericssons new mid range bluetooth headset.
What Did It Cost You? - I got it abroad but in the UK the price will range from 20-25 pounds.
How Long Have You Owned It? - A couple of weeks.
Introduction
Essentially I was looking for a reasonable headset to use with my PS3 but also wanted it for use with my K750i mobile. I wanted to keep it all Sony because I tend to like their level of quality & style and everything matching up but with the headset market being huge I was open to any brand. Originally the Warhawk package appealed to me with the Jabra 125 included but in the end I didn’t really want the game enough to warrant the purchase.
After considering offerings from Motorola, Jabra, Plantronics and afew others I saw PV702, I loved the simple styling and its short and blocky rather than long and tapered shape. The specs seemed good, it was in the right price range and it was Sony which was my favourable choice so I went for it and I must say I am very pleased with my purchase. After using it for afew weeks with both my mobile and the PS3 I have complied a list of its pros and cons.
Pros >>>
Nice Style and Design
In my opinion the style fits in with the whole Sony Ericsson look and Sony in general, this kind of semi minimalistic angular look coupled with a techy edge. Its quite young fresh and sporty. The button layout and use of soft and hard materials is well thought out. Goes with the PS3 style.
The whole unit is plastic with the main shell coloured dark grey, there is then the main front casing which is a removable cover so that the colour of the headset can be changed from black to white (I only have the black cover but some packs come with both). I think more cover colours and schemes are planned. The orb logo sits inline with the button and it completes the classy look.
If you look closely the cover is dotted in a mesh pattern with the recessed areas gloss black and the rest matt. This is the nice subtle styling that I was talking about but people probably wont notice unless the get really up close!
The hook sits on a ball and it has a kind of rubber washer so that you just pull it off to switch it to left ear use. Note the volume buttons will then be on the bottom not the top edge.
Control Layout Well Thought Out
The answer and reject button is centrally located on the side which is the best place for answering calls, it has a raised line so your finger can find it, beside that is the status LED which has a frosted white casing and flashes green slowly when on standby and fast when in use. There is red light for charging. The top edge of the headset has the volume buttons which you rock between your two fingers to adjust the volume in call.
Comfortable To Wear
Once on it fits really nicely (may vary between people). The hook is quite soft and flexible plus you can wear it on both ears. The lightness helps make it feel like its not there and the whole body sits slightly away from the surface of your face so your not always bumping into it! You also don’t see a huge object out the corner of your eye like some headsets which could be distracting.
The back of the headset (obviously) has the tubular area which rests in your ear (but does not really ‘plug in’ like headphones) and the ear hook which is multicoloured, the light grey being soft neoprene to be comfortable and the darker being plastic.
Good Performance and Weight
Talk time is a long at 8 hours and standby is a whopping 200 hours! Charging only takes about 25 mins. Its quite surprising as it feels like it doesn’t even have a battery at only 14 grams.
I haven’t actually tested the validity of these figures (they are written on the box) but it has lasted a very long time between charges and charging does take around that length of time. Sony seem quite accurate with their figures on most items.
Sound Quality and Range is Reasonable
Sound quality is as good as a mono audio headset in ths price range can be, its mostly dictated by the range and reception of the device that’s sending it. Using it with the PS3 the sound was simply brilliant and with the K750i it was a notch worse but seriously on the whole you can hear everything clearly as long as you keep within the 10 metre range mark (I think abit closer is better). The volume was loud enough for me and it can go really loud. There was no crackling or static. The microphone is sensitive and people heard me fine online.
Cons >>>
Confusing Setup (LED and Sound Sequences)
The minimalistic look means that you have to press different buttons for different amounts of time in different combinations to do all the various settings up and functions. To confirm these the led with do different flashing sequences and also beeps will confirm stuff in your ear which is abit silly as its usually off your head when setting it up. Basically its not always clear what its trying to tell you but once setup it seems fine to just end and start call. Often you wont know how long it enough to hold something down or whether you are correctly pressing to buttons. You keep putting the headset in your ear to hear beeps to know you have done stuff right. The beeps can also be quite soft.
Putting It On
Im sure this is a problem with most headsets that arnt just press in ones without hooks, basically you have to put the hook on then side the headset up to your ear. Abit of adjusting will make it fit snug but you really wont be able to do this with one hand.
Lightness Makes It Tinny
Eventhough the build quality is good the plastic sounds abit tinny and thin (as a result of being super light). It is most noticeable when you press the answer button and the click echos down you ear canal. But if its light I’ll let this slip. Funnily enough you don’t get echoes or any vibration from the speaker, just pressing the buttons.
Location and Exposure of Charge Port
I don’t think I would advice using this in damp conditions or when its raining even slightly because the charging hole is located on an exposed side of the unit (left of the logo) which puts it at risk of short circuit if a water droplet falls down the side. Its not covered by any rubber flap so just the copper is exposed but im no expert on electrics. It would have been good to have some cover on it.
Conclusion
All in all it’s a great middle of the road headset that I would definitely recommend for use with the PS3 as it matches both its style and hardware quality, its like they were made for each other. It looks great in a subtle way and is backed up by good performance figures. The only niggles about it is the setup and messages it trys to give you and putting it on is abit tricky but atleast these arnt major hardware design failings, many probably wont have any such problems. The PV702 sets a good standard and its a lovely piece of kit.
Overall Rating – 9/10
This was my first review, I hope it wasn’t over the top I just wanted to give people abit more info on the little things that other reviews wont tell you. I tend to be really interested in the style of products so ive gone into more detail on that. I hope this has been useful, Please let me know what you thought either in the thread or by using the red tick.
Thanks,
Robin
