Insignia Bluetooth Wireless Behind-the-Head Headphones (black)
Manufacturer: Insignia Part number: NS-BTHDP
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- While the Insignia wireless Bluetooth headphones may not excel in the design and performance departments, they offer a reasonable deal at this price point.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PaylessMerchandise.com | Not yet rated | | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 11/07/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Insignia Bluetooth Wireless Behind-the-Head Headphones (black) price range: $34.99
- Reviewed by: David Carnoy
- Edited by: John P. Falcone
- Reviewed on: 05/01/2008
The good: Wireless stereo Bluetooth headphones offer compatibility with a variety of cell phones, MP3 players, and computers that offer Bluetooth connectivity; comfortable, wraparound design; built-in battery recharges via standard USB; built-in mic allows you to use the headphones as a wireless headset with your cell phone.
The bad: Buttons are a little stiff; nonadjustable headband.
The bottom line: While the Insignia wireless Bluetooth headphones may not excel in the design and performance departments, they offer a reasonable deal at this price point.
With Bluetooth finally becoming the de facto standard for wireless audio, it seems as if nearly every manufacturer is releasing some sort of Bluetooth-compatible speaker system or headphones. Add Best Buy's Insignia brand to the latter list. The product is officially known as the "Insignia Bluetooth Wireless Behind-the-Head Headphones," and comes in two nearly identical versions: The $70 NS-BTHDST includes a USB Bluetooth dongle (for using as a PC headset), and the $50 NS-BTHDP omits it from the package. The Insignia headphones don't do much to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack, but they're fairly affordable and offer reasonable sound and comfort quality.
One of the more common forms these types of headphones take is an around-the-back-of-the neck design. This Insignia goes with padded earpieces that completely cover your ears and make you look pretty dorky. You can't fine-tune the fit (the neckband is a fixed length and nonadjustable), but they do fit pretty snuggly and securely.
The headphones' rechargeable battery, which gives you about 10 hours of usage, is housed in the right earpiece. You juice up the battery with a standard mini-USB cable. The right earpiece also houses buttons that control volume and the track up/down functions. A single button on the same earpiece activates the headphones and puts them into pairing mode. That same button is also used to answer and end calls--yes, these headphones also double as a headset for your Bluetooth cell phone--shut off the headphones' power, and toggle play and pause when listening to music. One small gripe we had was that the buttons were a little stiff and just not all that tactile.
As far Bluetooth compatibility goes, these headphones boast Bluetooth 2.0 with the A2DP profile. We didn't have any trouble pairing them with any device that claimed to be stereo Bluetooth-enabled. (Older Bluetooth 1.0 and 1.1 phones should still be able to use the Insignia as monaural phone headsets, but only A2DP-enabled devices will stream higher quality stereo audio.)
When we first used the Insignias as a Bluetooth headset paired with the Sprint Mogul, we didn't think the call quality when receiving calls was quite up to snuff--callers complained that our voice sounded pretty canned and they couldn't hear us all that well. The typical feedback we got was, "You sound like you're on a headset." However, when we switched to an iPhone, things improved dramatically--our voice sounded noticeably better to callers, and the worst thing we noticed was a bit of a hiss (a common side effect heard on most Bluetooth headsets). Given the Mogul's finicky Bluetooth implementation, we think the initial problems we encountered were a result of the phone, not the Insignia headset.
Things went more smoothly when using the Insignia as stereo headphones for music and movie soundtracks that we streamed from a Samsung YP-P2 media player and a Nokia N95. We won't go so far to say that the sound was rich and refined, but the headphones have enough bass and detail to make you feel OK about listening to them for extended periods. That's more or less a compliment, considering you do lose something when your compressed digital music gets further compressed when transmitted via Bluetooth.
All in all, we liked the NS-BTHDP/NS-BTHDST headphones. Their design isn't anything to rave about, but they fit fine and sounded decent enough. We've seen this genre of Bluetooth headphones discounted occasionally for less, but Insignia is considered more of a budget brand, so at around $50 ($70, if you need the Bluetooth adapter for your PC), these do tend to fall toward the cheaper end of the spectrum. We expect Bluetooth headphones to come down further in price with time, but at the moment anyway, these Insignia headphones are pretty well priced for what they offer.
User reviews
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Has quirks, but good value; perfect for Skype
by dougvdotcom on August 6, 2009
Pros: Low price; good audio quality; great for Skype; auto-off charging prevents battery wear; comes with Bluetooth USB dongle, which can power any number of additional BT devices
Cons: Volume is hard to control; range wanting; not adjustable; Windows Vista issues; phones needed reset after 8 months
Summary: First, for those complaining about the headphones dying / not taking a charge: You need to reset the headphones.
To do so, plug the headphones into a USB mini-B power source (...Summary: First, for those complaining about the headphones dying / not taking a charge: You need to reset the headphones.
To do so, plug the headphones into a USB mini-B power source (either the included charger or a USB mini-B cable that's connected to your PC).
Next, hold down both volume buttons for 15 seconds. Then, unplug the headphones from the power supply and press the on / answer / play button. The headphones should now work.
I had to reset my headphones this way after about 8 months of daily use.
Overall, I am pleased with these headphones, considering they deliver sound quality similar to wired headphones in the same price range and include a microphone with good pickup.
These phones integrate seamlessly with Skype 4.1. I have used the phones on Skype for up to two hours without the battery dying.
It is quirky with Windows Vista. For whatever reason, my copy of Vista Ultimate SP2 insists on having two icons for these headphones under the Sound control panel, one of which never goes away.
This makes it difficult to manage sound settings automatically; I sometimes need to use the Sound control panel to change speaker and mic settings when switching from the headsets to my desktop speakers. It's a mild annoyance and may be specific to me, but it's worth mentioning, especially since everything short of a system reinstall has failed to fix the problem.
However, Windows' support for BT has always been lacking, even in Vista; hopefully, this is rectified in Windows 7.
As others have said, it takes some jockeying to get these phones comfortably over your ears, especially if you have a bigger head. The volume controls can be hard to operate, too, and the answer / play / off button being all the same thing can become a bit of a nightmare, if you don't either just tap it (hold / pause / answer) or hold it down for 7+ seconds (off).
So sure, it has some annoyances. That's to be expected of an off-brand peripheral. Overall, these headphones are well worth the money.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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As happened to rpoffen was great while it lasted.
by LukeBorn on March 31, 2009
Pros: Inexpensive, good stereo sound, I found it worked better with the Targus BT adapter I just got than with my stock Asus laptop BT.
Cons: not so good sound when used with microphone, microphone only worked with my Targus BT adapter and not with the stock BT adapter that came with my asus laptop.
Summary: It really was pretty straight forward to use but 90 days into ownership it now won't turn on or charge... the red light briefly comes on then off again ...
Summary: It really was pretty straight forward to use but 90 days into ownership it now won't turn on or charge... the red light briefly comes on then off again when trying to charge it. The geek in me decided to open it up and try to "fix" it, I detached the battery cable, from the left ear, then soldered it back it then worked for a day... however I'm not sure how to charge it when it dies, the red light still doesn't go on to charge. But doesn't it figure after about a day of use it dies again... I repeat the process again and it works. I can't find any answers to this problem but this is at least a start.
If this product lasted longer I would be a huge fan but this is a big negative... $50 should last longer than 3 months.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not bad, but the buttons do not work well with iphone
by MaddAgGer2002 on September 10, 2009
Pros: The price for what you get. I caught them on sale for 29$ at best buy. 59$ otherwise, and still an ok bargain.
Cons: i couldnt get it to work for phone calls on the iphone,and if you try to hold the button in to turn it off, it sometimes dials a random number on your phone. they fit a little too snug and causes heat to build up around the ears.
Summary: setup was a breeze, the head sits on your ears and behind your head, so they dont slide around as much as the ones that go on top of your ...
Summary: setup was a breeze, the head sits on your ears and behind your head, so they dont slide around as much as the ones that go on top of your head, but you arent really able to lay your head down comfortably without worry about breaking them.
the durablitly seems to be good. they are kind of gaudy and make you look like a dork as mentioned in the article, but they have a little base, so its worth it. and people always ask were i got them, so even though its not very stylish to wear them, they are not so ugly as to be embarrased to wear them.i even jog with these.
i wish they would have gone in a bit more detail about the iphone, because other then playing music, the buttons on my iphone 3gs do not function accept for the volume. if you try to answer the phone, it wont work. correct me if i am wrong there, or explain to me what i am doing wrong. if your phone rings and u switch over to the iphone for talking, you have to reset the bluetooth connection in order to resume audio.
i like the headset over all. id give it 3 out of 5, i only bought them for music, so they serve there purpose there. their not BOSE, but i have had crappier one. -
My first Bluetooth and I am very happy with them.
by kautique on August 24, 2009
Pros: Comfortable and great sound. Clear quality for cell phone and nice sound for music.
Cons: small buttons on side hard to press.
Summary: I am happy I purchased this product. I was nervous to get a bluetooth devise and Ithink this one is just my speed.
Summary: I am happy I purchased this product. I was nervous to get a bluetooth devise and Ithink this one is just my speed.
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Good budget headphones.
by Groover_1971 on August 20, 2009
Pros: They sound better than my earbuds. Easy to pair up with my phone. The controls on the headset are handy although sometimes hard to push. The headset is very light weight, specially for one that has a battery that lasts 10 hours. Range of 20-30 feet.
Cons: There is no adjustment for fit. The buttons are sometimes hard to push. Call quality is not very good at all with my Samsung Ace so I wouldn't use these as a real headset but as headphones they are fine.
Summary: I probably wouldn't have paid the full price for these headphones. I bought them slightly damaged for a low price. The were easily repaired so I think I got ...
Summary: I probably wouldn't have paid the full price for these headphones. I bought them slightly damaged for a low price. The were easily repaired so I think I got a great deal. It would be really nice if they were adjustable and foldable. Finding a place to store them can be a pain at times.
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Good Value for the Money!
by reddogfive on August 19, 2009
Pros: like wireless stereo sound
Work outside wired headphones and bud style aren't for me
Mic is ok and I mostly listen to podcasts with them where sound quality isn't essential.These do the trick and though they do look "dorkey" I'm fine with that...Cons: Diid have to reset them after 5 months of daily wear
tip from dougvdotcom fixed problem
Broke the plastic that holds the foam over earpiece
Replaced with larger foam cover so different... Also they aren't adjustable which adds to the dorkey look...Summary: I got them for under 20.00 bucks (refurbished) and they have performed very well for me. Would I pay full retail. probably not because of the dorkey look and ...
Summary: I got them for under 20.00 bucks (refurbished) and they have performed very well for me. Would I pay full retail. probably not because of the dorkey look and the lack of adjustment but if you can get
Just wanted to add if you can get em refurbished under 20 bucks (like on Ebay Best Buy listing) buy em!
Updated on Aug 19, 2009
ArrrOOooo! -
Suitable for everyday use
by m4rks on June 15, 2009
Pros: I like it's small size and possibility to work with two gadgets simultaneouisly
Cons: hmmm, may be the absense of possibility to set up it's lenght
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Worked great until they died
by rpoffen on February 5, 2009
Pros: Inexpensive, good sound. Works as headset with BT enabled phones for conference calls
Cons: Not adjustable
Summary: I had no problem using them at first, worked fine with a Rocket USB adapter in my computer to listen to music. Also worked great with the Sony Apple BT ...
Summary: I had no problem using them at first, worked fine with a Rocket USB adapter in my computer to listen to music. Also worked great with the Sony Apple BT adapter to listen to my iPod wirelessly. I even found them very useful with my BT enabled phone for conference calls (since it includes a mic).
Unfortunately that all came crashing down when it just up and died. It won't turn on, won't charge, nada.
Time to take them back to the store. -
Horrible Product
by babarsac on June 11, 2008
Pros: None...Wate of $
Cons: Never Worked
Summary: I tried two separate pairs of this product on my laptop using the integrated bluetooth and the adapter included. I could never connect the headphones at all even with the ...
Summary: I tried two separate pairs of this product on my laptop using the integrated bluetooth and the adapter included. I could never connect the headphones at all even with the help from tech support at West Wuy. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT.
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Great, except they are not adjustable
by damerkman on May 22, 2008
Pros: Price and Functionality
Cons: Head band don't fit properly
Summary: These barely fit my big head.
They work but they are not to comfortable
Otherwise they are great.Summary: These barely fit my big head.
They work but they are not to comfortable
Otherwise they are great.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Insignia
- Part number: NS-BTHDP
- Description: Enjoy all your favorite songs from your Bluetooth-enabled MP3 player, cell phone or PC with these Bluetooth-compatible headphones that feature a behind-the-head design for a comfortable fit.
General
- Product Type Headphones - Bluetooth
- Width 6.5 in
- Depth 5.2 in
- Height 2.1 in
- Weight 2.8 oz
- Color Black
- Additional Features Volume control
Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
- Headphones Form Factor Over-the-ear
- Connectivity Technology Wireless - Bluetooth
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
- In-Cord Volume Control Yes
Remote Control
- Type None
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories USB Bluetooth adapter, Wall charger
- Compliant Standards CE, BQB, FCC, RoHS
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
- Battery 1 x Headphone battery - Rechargeable Lithium Polymer - Rechargeable - Lithium polymer
- Standby Time 200 hour(s)
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year
Product series
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Insignia Bluetooth Wireless Headphones with USB Bluetooth adapter
Manufacturer: Insignia
Specs: Microphone Built-in, Headset, Over-the-ear, 2.8 oz, Stereo, Volume control, 1 year Limited warranty Parts and labor
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Insignia Bluetooth Wireless Behind-the-Head Headphones (black)
Manufacturer: Insignia
Specs: Headphones, Over-the-ear, Black, 2.8 oz, Stereo, Volume control, 1 year Limited warranty Parts and labor
Manufacturer info
- Insignia
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Insignia products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.insignia-products.com/
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