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Posts: 166 | Thanked: 74 times | Joined on May 2010
#26
I bought an i.Tech Clip Radio stereo bluetooth headset about 6 years ago that are still awesome. The are very versatile and obviously very durable.

Some of the features it has that some other stereo bluetooth headphones may not:
- You can use any standard earphones: I have a few with very short cords that work great, but I prefer the ones that came with my old n86--it seems to have better noise isolation.
- Has multi-point functionality: I pair the "headphone" profile to my work computer when I'm at work with the "headset" profile left paired with the n900. I listen to music streamed from my computer (and get all the dings and such indicating new emails and/or messages) for most of the day, but when I get a call on the n900, it seamlessly switches over to allow to to answer the call on the headset.
- It has a built-in FM radio: Now and then, I'll get tired of streaming Pandora from my computer and just want to listen to mp3s on my n900. Though I can shutdown the "headphone" connection from my computer and connect to it via the n900, it's a little cumbersome to switch back and forth. With the FM radio, I just hit a button on the headset and the FM widget on my n900, and I'm getting music in seconds. Again, it's smart enough to switch over to the "headset" functionality when a call comes in. Though this method doesn't integrate the media buttons on the headset for playback control, it does prevent any possibility of accidentally spilling music out because I walk too far away from my desk or during transfers back to music after a call ends.

Cons:
- This 6 year old device uses a custom charger: I'd much rather than a device that uses a standard mini usb connection.
- You cannot use it while it's recharging: Though it seems to be able to go 2 full days between charges, it would be nice to be able to charge it while using it when I know it's low.
- The particular "Clip Radio" version of the headset I bought so long ago is discontinued now. I already have digital copy of the manual at home, but apparently even that isn't available on the i.Tech support site anymore.

The good news is that they've come out with a bunch of new models:
- ClipMusic 802: A more fully featured version of the "Clip Radio" that ups the FM presets from 4 on the older model to 8 now, and it also uses a standard usb charger!
- MusicClip 803: Ups the ClipMusic 802 by also adding a internal 2GB mp3 player and a mini LCD display but also at the cost of having to use a non-standard charger.
- MusicBand 807: Minimizes wires more with an over and in the ear design with just a wire around the back, but you lose the ability to use your own earphones. This version seems to lack both the FM radio and built-in mp3 player functionality, but instead boasts enhanced sound and mic functionality. It's not perfectly clear, but I believe this one also uses a standard usb charger.

Here's the manufacturer's website if you want to read more about them: http://itechdynamic.com/Stereo/category/view/2

Other choices I have heard various good and bad things about but don't have any personal experience in using are:
- The Sony sticks (I believe someone mentioned one earlier)
- Jabra "Dog Tag": Looks pretty awesome and can be worn around the neck as opposed to clipped on you somewhere. Also allows you to turn it on while it's charging (doubling fairly well as a remote media control device apparently).
- Plantronics BackBeat 903+: Note the plus as it's the newest model that came out fairly recently (Nov '10, I think). One of my co-workers has this and swears by it. I haven't tried them, but from what I hear from him, though these have an in-the-ear design, they don't provide as much noise isolation as standard in-the-ear headphones. They do provide a bass-boost option and well and dual-mics for supposedly better mic noise cancellation. I was thinking about getting these, but mixed reviews on the multi-point functionality bundled with the a lessened ability to block out noise turned me off. There was also some talk about the female voice giving status updates getting annoying during long periods of silence. However, they are pretty cheap right now too (almost 40% off on Amazon).