CNET Editor's rating: 8.0 out of 10
Reviewed by
Kent German
Review date: 03/15/07
The good: The Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones feature an attractive design, user-friendly controls, and solid sound quality.
The bad: The Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones' earbuds have a tendency to pinch if not set correctly.
The bottom line: The Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones offer a worthy choice for wireless cell phone sound.
One of the better cell phone developments in the past year has been the proliferation of stereo Bluetooth. While previously it seemed that handset manufacturers were consciously avoiding the feature, a simultaneous push for music phones has, thankfully, made stereo Bluetooth a reality. And as the number of supported phones increases, manufacturers have started to introduce stereo Bluetooth headphones as well. One of Moto's latest entries in the space is the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones. Made with the sports enthusiast in mind, these headphones feature a sleek, space-age design that wraps behind your head. For both calls and music, the sound quality was decent--and the fit was relatively comfortable. Priced in the $100 range, they're not exactly cheap, but they won't break the bank either.
Motorola emphasizes the word "active" when mentioning the S9, and by looking at the S9's design, it's clear why. Sleek and aerodynamic, the S9 weighs less then an ounce, which makes it one of the lightest stereo headphones we've seen. It also employs a simple, behind-the-head design that isn't clunky and doesn't look too conspicuous when worn. The rearmost portion of the headset, which holds the power button and charger jack, is the largest part of the S9 at almost an inch wide, but the ends connecting the earbuds taper to a slim diameter of .25 inch. We tested the red-and-blue version, but it also comes in a more subtle gray-and-black model as well. The S9 is water- and sweat-resistant, so you won't have to worry about wearing it during a hard workout.
Thanks to the practical design, we had no trouble slipping the headset on and off. Though the area with the power control and the charger jack is made of hard plastic, the ends are made of a rubberized material that bends easily. The ear hooks slipped easily on and off for us, but users with larger noggins may want to try the S9 before buying. On the whole, the fit is comfortable and the light weight made it barely noticeable, even for longer-wearing periods. The fit was quite secure as well. But the 0.5-inch earbuds did have a tendency to pinch if not positioned just-so. Indeed, it took us a few minutes of fiddling with the earbuds until they slipped comfortably into the ear. On the upside, the ear tips are made a flexible rubber and you get a choice of three sizes.
The controls on the headset were easy to understand and to use. As we mentioned previously, the power control is located on the bottom of the rear end of the headset, just next to the mini-USB charger port. It can be hard to locate when you're wearing the headset, but we can't imagine you'd be turning it on and off excessively. The charger jack is protected by a rubber flap, although the fit wasn't very secure. A small indicator LED sits between the power button and the charger port.
Moto smartly separated the phone and music controls on the S9. A Talk button and the volume control sits just near the left earbud. The former is easy to find and has a soft, tactile feel; the volume control is touch-sensitive and barely needs to be pressed. We haven't seen touch controls in very many headsets, but it's a feature we love on the S9. At times, they could be a bit too sensitive, but overall it was a very user-friendly experience. A music Play button sits near the right earbud and is also touch-sensitive.
We tested the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones with the Motorola Razr V3xx. The pairing process took only a few seconds and the connection remained strong. Also, we were able to reconnect instantly after turning both devices off for a short period. Overall sound quality was quite good for all kinds of audio. We could hear callers plainly and there was plenty of volume, even in windy or noisy environments. Callers reported few problems on their ends and we had no trouble being understood by voice-automated calling systems. Our only complaint was that voices on our side sounded harsh and almost robotic at times. However, the effect wasn't constant, so we don't consider it a deal-breaker. Other calling features include voice dialing, call reject, and last-number redial.
Sound from the music player was better than the call sound. We loved the stereo experience and we were impressed by the volume range. Keep in mind that the sound wasn't the sharpest we've heard, but it's more than adequate for most uses. Conveniently, the music automatically pauses when you receive a call, and then resumes after you hang up. We also tested the headphones with streaming video clips and enjoyed solid audio quality. The S9 has a promised battery life of six hours on a single charge.
7 out of 10 - Very good Cool Design, but room for improvement
I've been using the S9 headsets (bought 2 pairs, one for the gym, one for around the house) for ...
I've been using the S9 headsets (bought 2 pairs, one for the gym, one for around the house) for a couple of weeks now. I love the sleek, lightweight design. They're also comfortable. However, I do have a couple of suggestions for Motorola to improve this product:
1. Phone calls are only heard in the left ear. I'm used to stereo phone calls (my Motorola HT820's have stereo phone sound). The main place I use this headset is at the gym, where background noise makes hearing phone calls thru one ear a challenge. Motorola, why didn't you make the phone sound stereo???
2. Battery Life could be better. I will fully charge my S9, then take it to the gym for about an hour or so of music listening, then turn it off and put it in my gymbag for listening the next time I workout (a day or two later). 50% of the time, the battery is completely dead, after only having been on for 60-90 minutes! This isn't good. To be fair, with continuous listening (ie. not turning it off and waiting a day or two), the battery seems to last a few hours. Motorola, another thing to improve!
3. Volume - I wish it would adjust slightly louder, again at the gym (with background noise), I would like to turn up my music a little louder.
Other than these 3 weak points, I'd have to say that these are the best Stereo Bluetooth Headsets I've tested so far! Motorola, I hope you're listening, make a great product even better!
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by JeffSanDiego (see profile) -
June 7, 2007
8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 out of 10 - Abysmal Never should have been released to the public.
This headset should never have been released to the public. First and foremost, it has this annoying loud beeping sound ...
This headset should never have been released to the public. First and foremost, it has this annoying loud beeping sound anytime you press a button. So, let's say you're listening to music and the favorite part of the song comes on. You press the volume up button. The music cuts out and it beeps in your ear. Press the volume button again, the music cuts out and it beep again. Ugh! I called Motorola technical support and they said there's no way to turn off this 'feature'.
Also, the controls are awkward. First, the buttons don't have a good tactile feel to them, so there's no easy way to tell which button your pressing. Second, the buttons are too sensitive. If you slide your fingers over the buttons to find the button you're looking for, it registers it presses. And you get more annoying beeps.
4 out of 10 - Mediocre Good as a headphone but a abysmal as a handsfree.
The S9 has a pretty good design both in terms of sturdiness, visual appeal and ergonomics. The only downside is ...
The S9 has a pretty good design both in terms of sturdiness, visual appeal and ergonomics. The only downside is that you cannot use it while lying down/leaning facing upwards. I usually have to lean sideways while relaxing or lying down. I use a handfree while driving and that too inside a helmet. The placement of controls is not easy for reach when used within a helmet. I use a hands-free a lot for my official conference calls where I might have be part of calls while traveling especially on sub-urban trains or while driving a motorcycle. Here the mute button is really useful so that I can mute/un-mute for participating/answering. But given that the mic is really really poor and picks up so much of background noise, the person on the other end is really being nice to you if he does'nt disconnect or voice his discomfort.
The S9, although not great, is a good pair of head phones with good enough audio quality for listening to music. Although this is marred to a great extent by the range it provides, which is abysmal. Whether it is music or a phone call, the audio drops are pretty high while on the move. I'm surprised that the original reviewer gives it a score or 8/10 and list only pinching as a problem. The pinching problem goes away once you get used to it for a week or 2. But functional problems like these are here to stay. If not for there the S9 would've been the best headset given the light weight and battery time for the same. The battery life although nothing great to rant about is just about enough for a full-time hand-free user like me. All in all a mediocre headset.
I also own a Nokia BH-501 which has amazing audio and mic pickup quality but is very flimsy in design and lacks music controls and a mute button.
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by veeraragavan.n (see profile) -
January 8, 2008
Let me start off by saying I have done ...
If your looking for bluetooth stereo headphones, look no further...seriously!
Let me start off by saying I have done a lot of research on these bluetooth stereo headphones. I have a LG chocolate and I have been looking for these to replace my mp3 player and to use something more convenient when working out.
After doing a lot of research, I decided to buy these b/c i thought they looked the most subtle and seemed to look very cool when ur wearing them. Most of the other stereo bluetooth headphones are gigantic and make you look like a nerd. Research told me that most the of the stereo bluetooth headphones are still poor quality when listening to music but I wanted one anyway.
I bought the s9 for $74.99. I wasnt expecting much, but I found out that this thing is great! Everytime I use it, I can't stop smiling b/c its so cool!
Some people were complaining about the comfort. I have a normal size head and it fits perfectly! I can't feel any of the wraparound piece, it just feels like I'm wearing regular earbuds.
The sound is fantastic! I can't hear any difference between these and my best pair of headphones...seriously! tremendous bass sound, everything is crystal clear.
a problem with most bluetooth stereo headphones is the loudness factor, they don't get loud enough. You won't have a problem with that when using these. I have these set to volume 4/10 and its perfect loudness. When set to 10/10, you can listen to the song clearly w/out even having it in ur ears.
The buttons are great. They are very easy to use. Don't listen to the other guy that said the volume control is screwed up. It does make a very subtle beep but the music doesnt pause. The beep is actually good b/c you know when u lowered or raised the volume.
the only con I can come up with is when your talking to someone with these, you are talking through a small speakerphone b/c there aren't any pieces close to your mouth (if there was, it would look pretty lame). It will pick up background noise that the other person you are talking to can hear. I normally bought these for listening to music though, not calling people. Other than that I can't think of any other cons.
I really don't know why this isn't scored higher. Maybe it just works well w/ the LG chocolate or something...it's great b/c the color matches perfectly with it too. This is one of the best decisions I've ever made in buying electronics. I'm so happy with it. Buy it! you won't regret it.
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by cabel417 (see profile) -
July 12, 2007
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Best investment for anyone who worksout!
I bought these the day they came out, and have used them everyday in my workouts. I can't possibly ...
I bought these the day they came out, and have used them everyday in my workouts. I can't possibly imagine going back to wired headphones! This item is so great for anyone who exercises on a regular basis, as lifting heavy weights with wires around you can be a pain. These work great with my Samsung Upstage as I throw it in my gym bag and put in the corner of the weight room and can lift with no interruption. Motorola may make apple change it's mind about adding bluetooth it is "perfect...ha ha ha" iPod!
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by NSReyes (see profile) -
May 2, 2007
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
3 out of 10 - Poor Great idea; bad execution
Great sound quality and great idea overall. But a great idea isn't worthwhile if it won't work. Mine ...
Great sound quality and great idea overall. But a great idea isn't worthwhile if it won't work. Mine paired quickly with my Blackberry 8820, but would only work once. Then the phone part worked, but no music. Thank goodness I bought it at the AT&T for a prompt and no-hassle return. The clerk told me they'd had lots of returns.
The Bluetooth power quality seems very poor - while running, I had to hold the phone nearly up to my ear to get consistent sound.
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by Scott55 (see profile) -
November 15, 2007
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Good considering...
I like it alot. I do agree with some that the talking function should be in both ears. But hey! ...
I like it alot. I do agree with some that the talking function should be in both ears. But hey! They are for music not talking.
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by alan.w.williford (see profile) -
August 11, 2007
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
4 out of 10 - Mediocre Has Range and Drop-out Issues
I returned this puppy back to Amazon.com. There was just too much drop out with my Ibiza Rhapsody. I ...
I returned this puppy back to Amazon.com. There was just too much drop out with my Ibiza Rhapsody. I couldn't even put the Ibiza in my pants pocket and go outside without it becoming too painful to try to listen to music. So much for jogging and working out while wearing them.
I like the controls and form factor. They fit very well. Too bad they have Bluetooth range and movement issues.
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by stevec5375 (see profile) -
June 20, 2008
2 out of 10 - Terrible Profound dissapointment
While one can argue that my head may be somewhat larger, the fact that the headset doesn't do its ...
While one can argue that my head may be somewhat larger, the fact that the headset doesn't do its primary function--maintaining the bluetooth connection-- is a turn off. I took this headset for a jog and held my Treo in my right hand while listening to MP3s. You'll quickly notice that holding your MP3 player in your right hand (even if you do that on the chest level) won't get you a consistent bluetooth connection. It interrupts every other second and reconnects every other second. Holding the MP3 player in your left hand is a little better.... but why with majority of people on Earth being right-handed did Motorola do this? BTW, forget about putting your device in your pants pocket-- you'll get the same annoying interruptions constantly. I just bought this thing yesterday, and I see my options as follows: a. Duct-tape my MP3 player to the Motorola S9 headset to ensure uninterrupted transmission b. Return this piece of junk and purchase another brand (I owned a Motorola bluetooth headset before and also was disappointed).
4 out of 10 - Mediocre Good Product Gone Bad!
Have owned two units, neither lasted 30 days. Someone at Motorola forgot people like to listen to music while they ...
Have owned two units, neither lasted 30 days. Someone at Motorola forgot people like to listen to music while they sweat at the gym. After a few cardio work outs the internal volume controls and song advance buttons were fried. My guess is that perspiration is getting into the unit somehow. Its a shame becasue the headset is great when it works. Can't afford to buy a new headset every month.
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by zetlmyr (see profile) -
January 28, 2008
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