Insignia Bluetooth Wireless Headphones with USB Bluetooth adapter
Manufacturer: Insignia Part number: NS-BTHDST
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 11/07/2009 |
| PaylessMerchandise.com | Not yet rated | | as of 11/07/2009 | |
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CNET editors' review
Insignia Bluetooth Wireless Headphones with USB Bluetooth adapter price range: $19.99 - $54.99
- 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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Fantastic. Don't even consider the Motorola S9.
by fredeferg on January 7, 2008
Pros: Great fit for my big head. Excellent sound quality. Paired with my lenovo laptop and Blackberry Pearl 8130 with no effort.
Cons: None so far.
Summary: This is half the price and twice the quality of the Motorola S9.
Summary: This is half the price and twice the quality of the Motorola S9.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Value for money
by dittiman on January 7, 2008
Pros: Price, sound quality, range
Cons: ease of use, documentation, buttons
Summary: I got these from best buy on Sunday for 49.99 plus tax, since they were on sale and the reviews at other forums were decent.
The sound quality is ...Summary: I got these from best buy on Sunday for 49.99 plus tax, since they were on sale and the reviews at other forums were decent.
The sound quality is surprisingly good. These are my first pair of stereo bluetooth headphones so I'm comparing the sound to the wired headset I have with my cell phone.
I have a Sony Ericsson w580i, pairing was reasonably straightforward, I used them in the gym for about 2 hours yesterday and they were reasonably comfortable, and then I wore them for an hour or two at home.
The headphones have decent padding.
I was able to pair them with my laptop also, which was kinda cool.
The sound cuts out once in a while if you're too far away, but overall I was impressed with the range. My laptop was in my room and they worked fine in the kitchen two rooms, 3 walls, and about 20~25 feet away.
Haven't used it much on the phone but I did make a few calls and they seemed to work fine . I'd say they're adequate for voice calls. I left a voicemail and checked the quality after the recording and it seemed ok.
The buttons however are not really well designed. Which is fine by me, I primarily use them as wireless headphones, they give me the freedom to walk around without lugging around ten different devices, especially when I work out, all I need now is my cell phone and a bottle of water.
[will try and add more[as if this wasn't enough] as I find out more]
The battery life seems fine so far, this is day two and I have yet to charge it, used it for over 6 hours so far....
by the way, I wear glasses, they were fine with them, I just thought some people would want to know about that...Updated
After using this a little longer, i have to up my original rating to 8.5 maybe 9...
Why not a perfect 10?
well the buttons are pretty much unusable!
but the sound quality is just awesome, as is the range, I actually went to the break room with them on, about 25 feet with security doors and walls in between, the volume falls a little but still impressive !!!
Oh and the comfort....
Just waiting for my 4gig M2 card for my cell phone
Updated
died on me after 6 months
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Better than some of the higher end devices
by MobiusMOAB on May 30, 2009
Pros: Better than average sound
No Problems PairingCons: Plastic around the ear a bit "thick"
Summary: Just started to use this item, but am surprised by the sound quality. BT devices usually are not known for sound clarity. Have used plantronics Voyager series before and this ...
Summary: Just started to use this item, but am surprised by the sound quality. BT devices usually are not known for sound clarity. Have used plantronics Voyager series before and this has been more comfortable, although the plastic around the ear may get painful during extended periods of listening. Have the model without the BT USB interface. Enjoying it so far.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Works great with Pilot MP3 players
by electron2002 on March 4, 2008
Pros: Sound Quality, light weight
Cons: Behind the head type band doesn't work well with my head
Summary: "I got these along with a Pilot series 4Gig mp3 player. I am very pleased with the sound quality from the headphones via bluetooth and their weight.
On the down ...Summary: "I got these along with a Pilot series 4Gig mp3 player. I am very pleased with the sound quality from the headphones via bluetooth and their weight.
On the down side the behind the head style band they feature does not work well with my large head. If you don't have a big head, you won't have a problem."1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I'm very happy overall!
by jetaime on February 14, 2008
Pros: passed my family motto; simplex dificilis faciendum(from the simple, making the difficult) I was able to connect it to both my pc and my phone! And I can be inept at times. half the price of others
Cons: a bit of hiss on calls, acceptable in my eyes. Could be more streamlined, but the battery life is worth the size.
Summary: I looked at several, these were the cheapest,I would buy them again right now!
Summary: I looked at several, these were the cheapest,I would buy them again right now!
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Enjoy it while it lasts!
by XxBoRNxxSliPpyxX on October 10, 2008
Pros: Lightweight, comfortable, decent sound, economical, and simple!
Cons: It stops working after a certain amount of time.
Summary: While it lasted for me, it worked fine! Easy to use and great for the price. I could easily pair it with my pilot mp3 player and with my cell ...
Summary: While it lasted for me, it worked fine! Easy to use and great for the price. I could easily pair it with my pilot mp3 player and with my cell phone. The only and major drawback is that it stops working at some point. I have bought 2 of these headsets and each one has done the same thing. Even fully charged, they just cease to turn on. I recommend putting up a few more dollars and getting something that will last.
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Good if you have a small head
by damerkman on May 22, 2008
Pros: Price and Functionality
Cons: Non adjustable headstrap
Summary: Great but they don't fit my big head.
Summary: Great but they don't fit my big head.
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cheap Bluetooth devices here
by onthesource on December 12, 2008
Pros: retail Bluetooth devices at wholesale prices at onthesource.com
Cons: retail Bluetooth devices at wholesale prices at onthesource.com
Summary: retail Bluetooth devices at wholesale prices at onthesource.com
retail Bluetooth devices at wholesale prices at onthesource.com
http://www.onthesource.com/bluetooth-devices/
Updated on Dec 12, 2008
http://www....Summary: retail Bluetooth devices at wholesale prices at onthesource.com
retail Bluetooth devices at wholesale prices at onthesource.com
http://www.onthesource.com/bluetooth-devices/
Updated on Dec 12, 2008
http://www.onthesource.com/bluetooth-devices/0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Bluetooth Adapters
by winstoncai on June 19, 2008
Pros: chinawholesale
Cons: chinawholesale
Summary: There are Serial Bluetooth Adapters bring wireless Bluetooth technology to your RS-232 serial equipment, allowing you to eliminate messy cables. With a range of up to 330 ft (100 meters), ...
Summary: There are Serial Bluetooth Adapters bring wireless Bluetooth technology to your RS-232 serial equipment, allowing you to eliminate messy cables. With a range of up to 330 ft (100 meters), you can communicate with serial devices beyond the reach of conventional cables. Simply plug the wireless adapter into your serial equipment and transfer data to and from Bluetooth-enabled devices.
With no software required, the Serial Bluetooth Adapter is a true plug-n-play solution. All you need to do is plug in the serial adapter to serial RS-232 equipment with a DB-9 connection and enjoy the freedom of wireless Bluetooth technology. In addition, the unit features external DIP switches allowing you to easily configure the baud rate with the simple flip of a switch. It is also fully compliant with Bluetooth 1.1 specifications and supports authentication and encryption.Hurry to get bluetooth adapters from Sourcinggate.com
http://www.sourcinggate.com/Bluetooth-Bluetooth-Adapter/c11_18/index.html0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Insignia
- Part number: NS-BTHDST
- Description: Experience crystal-clear PC audio, talk hands-free on your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or listen to wireless streaming audio from your Bluetooth-enabled MP3 player with this versatile Bluetooth headset.
General
- Product Type Headset - Bluetooth
- Width 6.5 in
- Depth 5.2 in
- Height 2.1 in
- Weight 2.8 oz
- Recommended Use PC multimedia, Cellular phone, Digital player
- 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
Microphone
- Type Built-in
- Connectivity Technology Wireless - Bluetooth
Remote Control
- Type None
Wireless Link
- Transmission Range 33 ft
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Bluetooth adapter
- Compliant Standards CE, BQB, FCC, RoHS
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
- Battery 1 x Headset battery - Rechargeable Lithium Polymer - Rechargeable - Lithium polymer
- Included Qty 1
- Capacity 500 mAh
- 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/
