Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Wireless Stereo Headphone
Manufacturer: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Part number: HBH-IS800
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The solid-sounding Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Wireless Stereo Headphones are an excellent option for anyone looking for the very smallest Bluetooth headset money can buy to use with an A2DP-compatible music phone or MP3 player.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MobileCityOnline.com |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
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CNET editors' review
Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Wireless Stereo Headphone price range: $109.99
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 02/26/2009
The good: The Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 headphones are ultracompact and let you cut the cord from your A2DP-compatible music phone. The earbuds offer deep bass and generally solid sound quality, and the package includes a storage box.
The bad: The Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 headphones may not fit all users well, they're pricey, and the sound quality is not on par with wired models.
The bottom line: The solid-sounding Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Wireless Stereo Headphones are an excellent option for anyone looking for the very smallest Bluetooth headset money can buy to use with an A2DP-compatible music phone or MP3 player.
As an increasing number of mobile phones incorporate a music player into their features, more and more stereo Bluetooth headphones are unleashed onto the market. The audio quality offered is still not on par with wired models, but the headsets offer the advantage of cord-free listening. Still, size can be an issue for some: very few models offer an earbud-style design, and even then, there are often larger earpieces attached. Sony Ericsson addresses this issue with its HBH-IS800 Wireless Stereo Headphones, which are the tiniest wireless earphones we've ever come across. With an MSRP of $200, this set is far from the cheapest, but if you're after a cord-free pair in the most compact package, the HBH-IS800 is the best option.
Rarely are we in awe of a product's design, but the Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 headphones are nothing short of incredible. The company managed to cram all the technology required of a stereo Bluetooth headset--a receiver, a transmitter, and a battery--into two tiny earpieces, each measuring just an inch long and less than half an inch in diameter. The earbuds are attached by a single black cable, which incorporates a thin module containing a mic and call-answer button close to the left earpiece. The 'buds themselves offer a modicum of style, with silver accents and the green Sony Ericsson logo stamped into their ends.
Popping off the end cap of the right earpiece reveals a port for charging the HBH-IS800 headphones. Sony Ericsson includes a wall-wart power adapter for this task. The package also contains a circular box for storing the headphones, a shirt clip for managing any extra cable, and three sizes of silicone ear tips. However, there's no guarantee you'll get a good fit. Although they are small for wireless headphones, the HBH-IS800s are actually on the large side compared with typical earbuds, so some users may not be able to achieve a secure and comfortable fit. Another thing about size: the overall compactness of the unit doesn't allow for any playback or volume controls on the headset.
Surely, the most obvious draw of the HBH-IS800 Wireless Stereo Headphones is their ultracompact design, but you might also be pleased to learn that they deliver in the audio department, as well (presuming you can get a decent seal with the ear). The earphones offer tight, enveloping bass that generally does not overshadow the other sonic elements, though certain frantic rock and electronica tracks can sound messy. Mids are rich and warm, but get lost among other audio at times. High-end detail and clarity is good, but not quite as sparkly as what you would expect from a wired set in this price range. Still, you're mostly paying for the ultratiny form factor, and Sony Ericsson delivers here without sacrificing sound quality, which is on par with or better than most other stereo Bluetooth headphones.
User reviews
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Battery life is a drain!
by EBRRBE on March 16, 2009
Pros: Size and compatibility with cell phones is excellent.
Cons: The battery life is advertised at 3.5 to 4 hours of talk and listening time. I got on average 75 minutes of talk and listening time. The right ear bud (which is where the battery is) heats up and is not comfortable at all. Expensive and don't last.
Summary: Sound quality wasn't bad but it wasn't great. I'm sure that 2010 will produce similar ear buds for the wireless market, so I would wait if I ...
Summary: Sound quality wasn't bad but it wasn't great. I'm sure that 2010 will produce similar ear buds for the wireless market, so I would wait if I were interested in these ear buds. The IS800 are nice but offers only a taste of what most of us are waiting and wanting. Save your money and stick with your current set for now.
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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unlistenable (is that a word??)
by doctorvik on June 17, 2009
Pros: look nice, small form factor
Cons: sound horrible -which makes them useless in my book.
Summary: I am by no means an audiophile but I do usually use decent headphones (right now I am using atomic floyd ones for the iphone - awesome) - anyway with ...
Summary: I am by no means an audiophile but I do usually use decent headphones (right now I am using atomic floyd ones for the iphone - awesome) - anyway with iphone 3.0 I had high hopes that my previous experiences with be stereo bluetooth headphones would all be in the past and I could get a pair that actually sounded good - um yeah -- not so much - within the first two minutes of opening these up they were back in the box ready to go back to the store. I really wanted to like these but it's not there yet .
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good...Just for the Compactness...but doesn't fit ALL..
by Alex_Eathan on March 10, 2009
Pros: Franckly I was waiting to get this one for the last couple of months as the model was not available in store. Finally when I got it.. First look was so amazing especially the design of it..Hidden look design.
Cons: The cord length is too short. No multi channel. I can't use it with my iphone along with infinxx blue tooth adaptor. I can either listen to music through blue tooth or use it for phone. Both dont work together.. THe purpose of me buying this is lost
Summary: The sound quality is not at par with other blue tooth models of sony ericsson. I used before several blue tooths from Sony ericsson and this is one is the ...
Summary: The sound quality is not at par with other blue tooth models of sony ericsson. I used before several blue tooths from Sony ericsson and this is one is the worst of all. Lot of disturbances while active call. I'm totally dis-appointed with the product.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great product with major defect-Do Not Buy This!!
by beyondballistic on August 15, 2009
Pros: Love this product when it works at first. Unobtrusive, great sound, great battery life. Easy to pair.
Cons: Product has major manufacturing defect that appears after about a month of steady use. Becomes inoperative and manufacturer acknowledges this.
Summary: I bought my first IS800 at Fry's in January 09. Since then I've gone through 4 of them. The problem is always the same, after a month the ...
Summary: I bought my first IS800 at Fry's in January 09. Since then I've gone through 4 of them. The problem is always the same, after a month the headset ceases to function. The battery light is always green when charged but is totally nonfunctional once unplugged. Action button won?t light up white light or activate pairing or activate tones. Sony Ericsson customer service rep confirmed that the current model does have a manufacturing defect and since my 4th model is outside the manufacturers warranty for my original purchase I am sending it back to their corporate HQ in North Carolina for a model without the defect supposedly. This product should be recalled.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Really wanted to like but mine may have been faulty
by ghengismccann on March 24, 2009
Pros: The size and the package were great. Small form factor was very impressive. Liked the case.
Cons: Mine suffered from frequent sound drop outs. I live in Central London which is obviously an electromagnetic nightmare for bluetooth devices. These headphones didn't seem to cope. Also had a problem with fit as they're quite large in diameter.
Summary: I hope that the problem with sound drop outs was caused by a fault in my particular set. I chose not to have a replacement set because I wasn't ...
Summary: I hope that the problem with sound drop outs was caused by a fault in my particular set. I chose not to have a replacement set because I wasn't convinced that it was a faulty unit and may have been a general design fault. I didn't want to spend a lot of time sending another set back.
I'd be interested to hear if any other readers experience the same problem.
Happily, Play.com the retailer were very good and refunded my cash and postage without a quibble. A much better experience than I had with the execrable Carphone Warehouse which I'm still trying to get a refund from for a previous unsatisfactory bluetooth headset purchase.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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this headset doesn't live up to my (high) expectations
by puntareyes on March 6, 2009
Pros: no wires !! I had been waiting for this product, because I was fed up with seeing onlookers struggling to stiffle laughter on the metro as I struggled for long minutes to untangle the cord for my glasses from the headphone cord on my MP3 player !
Cons: I'm a serious music listener, and not familiar with bluetooth headsets, so was disappointed in the sound : not as clear and not nearly as loud as with wired headphones. The battery doesn't last nearly as long as the MP3's battery - annoying.
Summary: I agree with the CNET review that the fit to the ear is not good (altho there are 3 different size earbud rubber ends). The ear buds are small for ...
Summary: I agree with the CNET review that the fit to the ear is not good (altho there are 3 different size earbud rubber ends). The ear buds are small for bluetooth headsets I guess, but heavier than the normal buds I'm used to.
The difficulty in getting a good "seal" to the ear is probably the main cause of my disappointment in sound quality and volume.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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So happy with my purchase!
by rickmcclanahan on December 4, 2009
Pros: Extremely small and lightweight
Clear microphone - callers don't even know I'm on a headset
Battery life lasts around 5 hoursCons: Hasn't affected me so far but a volume control would be nice
I can live without it but a track skip would be niceSummary: Almost didn't buy these because of the negative reviews about not having a volume control but I also read one where someone said he was glad he didn't ...
Summary: Almost didn't buy these because of the negative reviews about not having a volume control but I also read one where someone said he was glad he didn't listen to the reviews and was happy. I took a chance because I use mine at the gym and the cord is constantly pulling on one of the earplugs and has become a nuisance. I did not want to wear the big hearing aid style headsets or one with a hard plastic connector due to laying on benches etc. These are a godsend! The volume is totally acceptable, not blaring at all. They fit my ears just fine after I put the biggest rubber pieces on and the battery lasted 5 hours the first time. I totally recommend these over any other for their svelt design and awesome clarity. The built in microphone allows me to take calls at the gym without switching anythign and I can't wait to use them in the car on trips. This headset is a must have, only sorry I didn't buy them sooner.
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Better than other reviews!
by KN71 on November 25, 2009
Pros: 1. Extremely compact & well-designed
2. Lightweight
3. Great soundCons: 1. Battery life
2. No playback control buttons, or volume control
3. PriceSummary: I was EXTREMELY skeptical w/ buying these as I read all the previous bad reviews. In any case, I took the plunge w/ every intention of returning it if any ...
Summary: I was EXTREMELY skeptical w/ buying these as I read all the previous bad reviews. In any case, I took the plunge w/ every intention of returning it if any of the previous concerns popped up.
Bottom line, I'm VERY VERY happy with these. First, linking this with my phone was not difficult at all. I have an unlocked LG Crystal. Second, directions told me to first charge it for 8 hrs, but after 1.5hrs of charging, the light was green so I was ready to go. Battery life lasted about 3 hours. I listened to music for about 2.5hrs and then watched Quantum of Solace on my phone w/ no problems, although the sound and pictures were off-sync by about .3 seconds; not really noticeable but I'm a stickler for those things. I left the phone on the table and walked off to a good twenty feet away and it cut out once, but came right back. I got a warning beep after two hours or so and it still kept going for another 25 min. Third, I did NOT experience the heat from the right side where the battery was located.
Sure the base could be better, but it was plenty good, as good as my OEM wired headphones. I tested out the set w/ a phonecall at home and it was pretty clear without any interference. I'll test it out at the office to see if that changes. I changed out the small size ear piece for the medium sized ones and it fits quite comfortably, even took to jumping around and they stayed in just fine. The design of the unit was also great. There's no thick bar hanging on top of your head or behind your neck so it's very comfortable to wear. My ears also feel fine after wearing them for three hours. I can't say the same for some of the other "inside the ear" headphones I've tried.
Next, I took a drive in my convertible on the local streets, with the top down, got up to about 60MPH and did not hear any outside wind so that was very nice. I'll test it out tomorrow on the fwy and see how it responds.
I'll use this for the next month to see if it dies like one of the other reviews noted. The unit does not have any control buttons on there except for the on/off button but I prefer to control the songs and volume from my phone anyways. Since this unit was so small in size, any buttons would just be too difficult to use. The carrying case is convenient but nothing to write home about, just cheap plastic and fake velvet. This unit was damn expensive, I paid $150, including taxes here in California, so if you can get a cheaper set online, get it. I'm definitely going to keep this unit. Great compact design, sounds great, not fantastic, but definitely great. All in all, I really love this unit!! -
Impressive!
by watzone69 on November 23, 2009
Pros: Size
Sound quality
Simple to use
Easy to pair (with my Hero)Cons: Carrying case is WAY overrated!
Summary: After much research I decided to shell out the extra $$ for these even though there were quite a few bad reviews. I'm glad I took the plunge! These things ...
Summary: After much research I decided to shell out the extra $$ for these even though there were quite a few bad reviews. I'm glad I took the plunge! These things have amazing sound for such a small package. Of course, it depends on the media quality and the player but my HTC Hero sounds great through these. I really like the size of these and how I can just pop them out if need be. I don't like the over the ear designs of a few other headsets out there so these were perfect for me.
What cracked me up was how the carrying case has received such glowing reviews. It's a piece of crap! Flimsy plastic and cheap fake-velvet lining aside, it requires you to take off the little clip (the one that hooks on to the behind-the-neck cord). I guess it's better than nothing, which is what you get with a lot of the other BT headphones out there.
I haven't run the battery down yet but I probably only use these about 2 or 3 hours a day so results may vary. I will probably buy a 2nd charger to keep at work just in case.
All in all, I am impressed! -
Smallest stereo BT headset in the world.
by shinklee on October 20, 2009
Pros: Very small, no loop in the back, excellent sound quality.
Cons: Short battery life, heavy ear pieces, no volume control (hence NOT iphone compatible).
Summary: The sound quality of this BT in ear headset is the best I have tried.
Far better then the Motorola S9-HD and even better then most of Son's other ...Summary: The sound quality of this BT in ear headset is the best I have tried.
Far better then the Motorola S9-HD and even better then most of Son's other BT stereo headsets. Good enough to listen to classical music and enjoy the nuances. Its even better then the $79 wired in ear headset sold by Apple (which isn't very good actually). The sounds are very realistic, good enough, that a nature CD fooled me into think I heard animal sounds and wood crackling when I was hiking with the music on.
I was really surprised at how good it sounded when I used the PSP Go as my MP3 player. Only problem was that the PSP's BT signal is sooooo weak I had to place the PSP in line of sight of the headset or else the signal would be interrupted. Even my arm or hand was enough to block the signal, but I am pretty sure thats the fault of the PSP and not this headset.
I didnt test the mic because Skype on the PSP wasn't working properly with any of my BT headsets. Skype really should be a background daemon on the PSP rather then a application that takes up the entire PSP when its running.
The ear piece was a little big for my ears, but manageable. I was able to jog for 30 minutes with it on and it didn't fall off.
The battery on its highest volume setting lasted 2.5 hours for me. Literally as I got home at the end of my day and just after I took off my jacket the unit shut off. About 15 minutes after the battery warning.
I imagine if I used the mic the battery would have been shorter.
The unit is NOT iphone compatible. Why? Because in Apple's often weird driver policies, they disabled the ability to control the volume on bluetooth headsets from the phone itself. So this unit not having a volume control on the headset itself, the volume defaults to a low setting, too low to use it for a phone conversation. Just above a whisper.
Summary:
Good -
1 - size, smallest stereo headset in the world.
2 - sound quality. Awesome base and very detailed mid and treble.
3 - no back loop that interferes with lying down or sitting.
Bad -
1 - not iphone compatible, due to its inability to control volume (always on low).
2 - low battery life. only about 2.5 hours listening to music at highest volume.
3 - highest volume is equal to only about mid volume on a wired headset. Hence, in a noisy area one can not hear the sound coming out of the headset.
4 - the weight and leverage of the earpiece and wire is less then well designed for jogging and other active sports.It could fall off easily unless properly secured and adjusted constantly. The Earpieces should have been made lighter. and not so long.
5 - NO USB charger ! It can only be charged off of a AC power supply. The plug is so proprietary, there is nothing else like it on the market. Its a low amp, 5 volt charger, hence it would have been easy to make it USB. Extra mobility except when its being charged !
6 - Volume is too, I couldn't hear the music when I used it in the gym and there was background music being played on the overhead speakers. A opened car window while driving i enough noise to drown out the headset. The maximum volume is just too low.
Conclusion:
I think I am gonna keep it, simply because its sooo small and the sound is excellent.
Its just a shame that Apple does not allow volume control of a BT headset from the phone itself. They'll probably make us by the next generation iphone just to get volume control. Sheesh, corporate America.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications
- Part number: HBH-IS800
- Description: Listen to music on your mobile phone and answer calls wirelessly with this lightweight Bluetooth stereo headset. Boasting a lightweight design fused with superior audio quality, this headset is ideal for wearing hours on end. A short cord lies almost hidden across the back of your neck to deliver high-quality audio to in-ear stereo headphones.
General
- Product Type Headset - Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
- Available Body Colors Black, silver
- Recommended Use Cellular phone
- Additional Features Voice dialing, Auto volume adjustment
Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphone - Binaural
- Headphones Form Factor In-ear ear-bud
- Connectivity Technology Wireless - Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
Microphone
- Type Built-in
Remote Control
- Type None
Wireless Link
- Transmission Range 33 ft
Power
- Battery Headset battery
Manufacturer info
- Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.sonyericsson.com/us/
