Motorola H500 Bluetooth headset (Nickel)
Manufacturer: Motorola Part number: H500
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- While the size isn't to our liking, the Motorola H500's streamlined and ergonomic design makes it an appealing Bluetooth headset. With decent sound quality to boot, the Motorola H500 makes for a satisfactory product.
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CNET editors' review
Motorola H500 Bluetooth headset (Nickel) price range: $16.99 - $34.95
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Edited by: Kent German
- Reviewed on: 02/28/2006
The good: The Motorola H500 has a sleek, streamlined design and an ergonomic ear hook, and it feels comfortable against the ear. It also comes with four different color options.
The bad: The Motorola H500 is a bit bulky for our tastes, and the volume buttons are small.
The bottom line: While the size isn't to our liking, the Motorola H500's streamlined and ergonomic design makes it an appealing Bluetooth headset. With decent sound quality to boot, the Motorola H500 makes for a satisfactory product.
A welcome improvement upon the Motorola H500 is its new ergonomic ear hook, complete with a rubberized back housing designed to fit around the ear. The ear hook is adjustable for additional comfort and can be worn on either ear. As for the earpiece, it's more like a speaker that just rests against the ear. This makes it a lot easier to put on and take off, unlike with headsets that have in-ear buds.
The Motorola H500's controls are another departure from the HS820's, as they are noticeably smaller and take up less room. The multifunction button is in the middle of the headset, while the volume controls are on either side. As named, the multifunction button turns the headset on and off, as well as answers and ends calls, and when it's held down, it doubles as a pairing button. All buttons are easy enough to press, though they're a little too flush to the surface for our tastes, and the volume controls may be too small for larger fingers. On the top of the H500 is the charger port, while the Motorola logo on its surface doubles as a light indicator.
We tested the Motorola H500 with the Nokia 7380 and the Samsung SGH-D357 and were able to pair the devices with the headset without a problem. Phone calls sounded loud and clear, although sound quality suffered in noisier environments. Aside from letting you answer, end, and reject calls, the Motorola H500 supports voice dialing, three-way calling, last-number redialing, call waiting, and putting a call on hold or on mute. However, a note on voice dialing: We had to speak rather loudly for the phone to recognize the numbers.
The Motorola H500 comes with a standard Motorola charger, though if you have an existing Motorola cell phone, you can just use the one charger to juice both your phone and the H500. The Motorola H500 has a rated talk time of 8 hours and a standby time of five days.
User reviews
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Traded it for a Plantronics 640
by irajay26 on April 15, 2006
Pros: Good sound on user's end of calls
Cons: Muffled sound and static on receiving end; uncomfortable ear hook; doesn't connect & disconnect easily - even with Motorola phone
Summary: Bought the H500 because it was recommended (and discounted) by Verizon when I upgraded to the Motorola E815 phone. Found that most of the people on the receiving end of ...
Summary: Bought the H500 because it was recommended (and discounted) by Verizon when I upgraded to the Motorola E815 phone. Found that most of the people on the receiving end of calls complained about muffled voice quality and/or static. Didn't seem to matter whether the phone was close to or further away from the headset. Verified this by having someone call me using the headset & sure enough, it was true. Also found it difficult to connect & disconnect the device from the phone. Sometimes, the only thing that worked was rebooting the phone. Tried the Plantronics 640 based on CNET user reviews. After a week of pretty heavy use, I have found the 640 to be a much better headset on all counts.
13 out of 15 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Horrible outgoing sound quality
by j5ryall on January 19, 2006
Pros: comfort, incoming sound quality; good functions for reasonable price
Cons: terrible outgoing sound quality, cannot recommend
Summary: I bought this headset b/c I have a Motorola E815 cell phone. The functionality is quite good--the controls are easy to use, and it has everything you need. However, ...
Summary: I bought this headset b/c I have a Motorola E815 cell phone. The functionality is quite good--the controls are easy to use, and it has everything you need. However, the outgoing sound quality is so poor that I had to get a different headset (I am trying the Plantronics in-ear one). I tested it out in various environments (by calling people and also leaving myself voicemails at work), including sitting in my office with the door shut with no external noise, and get too much static to continue using. I drive in the car a lot and use the headset several hours per day, and this is not acceptable. Spend the extra money and get a better headset.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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So far so good...
by LouCap on January 18, 2006
Pros: Easy to use, pairs with no problem
Cons: Could be a bit louder
Summary: I just got two of these headsets today, one for my Treo 650 and another for my wife's Razor. It works well with both, but it there are certain ...
Summary: I just got two of these headsets today, one for my Treo 650 and another for my wife's Razor. It works well with both, but it there are certain features it will do with the Razor and not with the Treo. This is probably because the Razor is also a motorola product and the Treo is a hybrid PDA/phone. Regardless, the H500 worked just fine with my treo right out of the box. The sound can be a bit low on my end on some calls, but I'm not so sure that's not the caler's phone more than the BT headset. It's very light, fits very well and has a decent signal allowing me to walk several feet away from my phone before I hear static. Outdoors wind noise might be a problem, but I use mine primatilr while driving.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Should have gotten one years ago
by snidely9447 on December 25, 2005
Pros: Volume is loud and clear
Cons: Need to be careful if you switch ear hook.
Summary: My partner and I have had BT phones for nearly 4 years - SEr520m. Finally bought 2 of these a month ago.
Incoming is clear. I have read reviews of ...Summary: My partner and I have had BT phones for nearly 4 years - SEr520m. Finally bought 2 of these a month ago.
Incoming is clear. I have read reviews of other headsets complaining about lack of volume. My hearing ain't what it used to was and there are times when i think i should lower the volume! People i'm talking to have often don't realize i'm on a headset. I can talk to partner using her H500 and our conversation is virtually the same as simply talking phone to phone.
I didn't give it a 10 because while you are able to the switch ear hook to use on the laft ear (default is right ear), it is easy to break the plastic part that connects the ear hook to the body of the set. I did. I called Moto and even offered to simply buy the ear hook (probably a $1 item. They said they don't sell parts, BUT, gave me an RA number to return the whole unit for a new one. (Hook is holding onto set for now.)
Problem is i am addicted. I am a heavy user (2000 min./mo. - mostly day time) and wear this all day long. You don't notice it any more than you do your glasses.
Pd. $52 on sale at RS for these.Updated
Since my first review I bought another H500 to pair w. my back-up phone. Still put on 2000+ minutes/mo. on my 5+ y.o. R520m. and about 300 a month on various phones used w. my Cingular SIM. The 2nd H500 cost $32 on Ebay.
Complaint: Partner's H500 stopped holding a charge for more than a couple hours after about 15 months. A few other reviews here mentioned their battery died after a year. Ordered one off Ebay for $22. It didn't work (volume too low, couldn't voice dial etc.).
Since the reviews here vary wildly, I wonder if Motorola has quality control problems.
I can live with a $25 headset dying after a year. If I paid full list, I would not be happy. Do any headsets have replaceable batteries or are they like my electric toothbrush that has to be thrown out.?3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Works great in lab like conditions
by JayMonster on January 14, 2007
Pros: Comfortable and easy to use
Cons: Has far too many not quite ready features
Summary: The design slick, the comfort on the ear was tolerable, the button placements fantastic. Everything looked right about this headset. Unfortunately, the experience was less than stellar when I actually ...
Summary: The design slick, the comfort on the ear was tolerable, the button placements fantastic. Everything looked right about this headset. Unfortunately, the experience was less than stellar when I actually tried to use it.
The function button does not seem to work at times, failing to answer calls on more than one occasion.
While the incoming volume is fine when you are in a quiet environment, using it outside, in a car with the windows down, or anything where noise is present will give you a less than satisfactory experience.
The headset also does not sit snugly on my ear, and it is OK when I am at a standstill, but moving about forced me to hold the earpiece to my ear to hear the previously mentioned unsatisfactory volume.
Finally the outgoing microphone was also weak, and indoors I found myself needing to be far louder than normal, outside I had to just about scream for the person on the other end to hear me clearly.
If they could fix the flaws, it could be good, as is, it is not worth even the new lower prices.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Nice style...poor outgoing sound quality
by gicathy4u on March 15, 2006
Pros: stylish, light, good incoming sound quality
Cons: Poor outgoing sound quality...static,echo
Summary: Overall the H500 is a good product. I bought one for myself and one for my boyfriend. I like the look of it and how light it is. The incoming ...
Summary: Overall the H500 is a good product. I bought one for myself and one for my boyfriend. I like the look of it and how light it is. The incoming sound is good, but the outgoing is very poor. There is a lot of static and a really bad echo. And sometimes other wireless conversations can be heard by the person on the line.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Works Great... Sounds Terrible
by soflags on January 10, 2007
Pros: Easy set up and use, good quality recieve audio
Cons: Terrible transmit audio
Summary: Unfortunately, this unit is unacceptable when it comes to being heard. Everything else, including incoming sound quality is fine, but no matter who I call the result is the same, ...
Summary: Unfortunately, this unit is unacceptable when it comes to being heard. Everything else, including incoming sound quality is fine, but no matter who I call the result is the same, the audio is low and has significant interference. My cellular phone is a LG PM-325, I am now looking for a replacement, very disappointed.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Horrendous Echo - this thing is completely useless
by imaniguana on January 2, 2007
Pros: Looks good
Cons: Echo renders this product useless
Summary: As others have noted, people you are talking to will hear a very distracting echo that's the result of the earpiece feeding back into the mic. If you turn ...
Summary: As others have noted, people you are talking to will hear a very distracting echo that's the result of the earpiece feeding back into the mic. If you turn the volume down to try to eliminate the feedback/echo, then you can't hear the other party.. . . The other problem I had was that my callers complained of poor sound quality. The several days I used it, it also dropped calls. . . Using this thing was an exercise in frustation. Great product for finding something to do with empty landfills though.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Sadness....
by Aaya74 on December 30, 2006
Pros: Sleek design, clear sounding, light
Cons: Receiving person can't hear you, a lot of static
Summary: So this was my first bluetooth headset. I was so excited to set it up and start using it and when I did, I was severly disappointed.
Pros: Others say ...Summary: So this was my first bluetooth headset. I was so excited to set it up and start using it and when I did, I was severly disappointed.
Pros: Others say that the design isn't all that great, but it fit my ear perfectly. Loved the buttons, really easy to press and it is really light!
Cons:I decided to call up my girlfriend to test it out, and to my surprise, she could not understand a word I said. I tried calling other people to see if it was the headset, and sure enough, the people could not hear me at all. There was also a lot of static when I'd have my phone in my pocket, or even too close to the headset.All of this happened in the privacy of my own , quiet and peaceful room.
Overall: If you are looking for frustration , this is the headset for you. I don't recommend this for anyone looking to have clear conversations.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not the greatest item.
by jerr54 on December 28, 2006
Pros: Size and sleek
Cons: Loose around the ears, disconnects line, poor sound quality
Summary: The Motorola H500 was a mistake to purchase. I sought a good deal, but in return I've gotten lots of fustration. When I attempted to connect the bluetooth to ...
Summary: The Motorola H500 was a mistake to purchase. I sought a good deal, but in return I've gotten lots of fustration. When I attempted to connect the bluetooth to my cell phone, I had no luck. I brought back the item the Verizon store and the sales associate got it connected after spending 30 minutes. At first, the bluetooth fitted around my ear perfectly, but after 2 weeks of using it, now the bluetooth is loose. There have been several times that the bluetooth disconnected automatically from the phone and while I was in a conversation. There are also times when the sound quality was bad (static sounds), eventhough the phone was 2 feet away from the bluetooth. And for some reason, there are times that I hear a ringing sound that bugs the hell out of me because it will go off when I'm not taling and while I'm talking, which then I have to turn off the bluetooth and turn it back on. Overall, do not purchase this item. Not only you will get fustrated, but you get disconnected and potential lose clients as I did.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Motorola
- Part number: H500
- Description: Streamlined and sophisticated, the Motorola Bluetooth Headset H500 provides wireless connectivity and convenience. Combining an ergonomic design and versatile ear hook, this sleek headset can be worn on either ear. Created to be ultra comfortable, the Motorola H500 is so easy to wear that you'll forget you even have it on! But don't be fooled by its good looks - this petite powerhouse provides impressive battery power to boot and an omni-directional microphone to clearly pick up your voice. A perfect companion for a variety of Bluetooth compatible 1.2- and 1.1-enabled mobile phones, the Motorola H500 is a must-have accessory for communicating in style. Offering improved comfort and sound quality over its predecessor, the Motorola H500 provides a sleek, ergonomic design that fits to your ear, allowing for comfortable wear over extended periods and providing an enhanced seal for outstanding audio performance. Style and comfort are only part of this package - the headset boasts up to 8 hours of talk time or 130 hours of standby time from a single charge, giving you plenty of juice for all of your wireless connections! Whether you are managing the office or party planning on-the-go, the Motorola H500 is perfect for multi-tasking with flair. Equipped with a multifunction button it's easy to place, receive or end calls - all from one button! Conversations will occur sans interruptions, as the vivid blue LED light provides a visual cue to others - or if blue is not your color; you have the option of turning off the LED light. Don't be tied down by wires. The Motorola H500 works with you to help you communicate on the go - connecting with devices up to 30 feet away. Or give your mobile a rest and connect with your Bluetooth-enabled PC for hands-free Voice over IP (VoIP) use.
General
- Product Type Headset - Bluetooth
- Recommended Use Cellular phone
Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphone - Monaural
- Headphones Form Factor Over-the-ear
- Headphones Technology Dynamic
- Connectivity Technology Wireless - Bluetooth
- Sound Output Mode Mono
Microphone
- Type Built-in
Remote Control
- Type None
Wireless Link
- Transmission Range 30 ft
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Bluetooth
Power
- Battery Headset battery - Rechargeable
Manufacturer info
- Motorola
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Motorola products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://commerce.motorola.com/consumer
- Address:
600 N. Highway 45, Suite AS342, Libertyville, IL 60048 - Phone: 847/576-5000
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