Sennheiser VMX100 - posh bluetooth ?
Thursday, November 08, 2007
When I got my iPhone it was not via the normal channels. Because I needed to test accessories with it before the UK launch I had to import one. To say I love it is an understatement, so when looking for a suitable bluetooth headset it had to be something special. For some reason the Apple headset did not appeal to me, and the regular slew of Motorola offerings were dull to say the least. Then Sennheiser sent me their gorgeous VMX100 bluetooth headset. Whilst waiting for the delivery man to knock on my door, I read up on the specifications and looked at images just oozing quality. Then the baby arrived, so the story begins...The VMX100 is beautifully presented, you often hear me talking about how awesome it is to unbox Apple products, well this is a very similar experience. It is available in black or titanium colour finishes. The titanium version that I was sent looks really cool. Upon opening the box and removing the headset, you are presented with tiny boxes containing the included accessories. These being the USB charger cable (so you can charge on your Mac or PC) and the main plug, which accepts the same USB cable for charging. The included Quick Start guide shows you how to turn on the headset and pair it with your mobile phone. So simple, that I was up and running in under one minute.
The headset is a one piece design, with an answer/end call button, a rocker switch for volume, but no on/off switch. This is the really cool part, to turn on and off, you simply swing the microphone out, fit the headset to your ear and voila, you are in action. The swing out mechanism is really smooth and also moves on the other axis to allow it to fit comfortably on your ear. Nothing actually pokes into your ear canal, so no rubber sleeves to contend with, and I must say this was a welcome change and very comfortable in use.
Where the VMX100 justifies its price tag is with the dual microphone technology, that claims to give crystal clear sound. Well, once connected to my iPhone, I must admit that the clarity on the calls I made was nothing short of superb. On the receiving end, the earpiece was very clear indeed, and when at the other end of the call, the microphone delivered impeccably with no distortion or hiss at all. Full credit to Sennheiser on this one, I was very impressed.
Claims of 100 hours of standby and 5 hours of talk time were also pretty much spot on. I would go so far as to say that the standby time is considerably greater, whereas the talk time for myself was around the 4 to 4.5 hours mark. The only area where I felt let down was the reception range. Although nothing is quoted on the manufacturer website, other headsets I have tested have managed up to 10 meters before audio started breaking up. The VMX100 struggled to get anywhere near this. At around 3 meters there was slight break up in audio, and if I went beyond 5 meters or added a wall into the equation, it was not a nice experience. This is not a deal breaker though, as most of the time your mobile phone would be in your pocket or on the dashboard in the car, so never more than a couple of meters away.
Would I spend my hard earned cash on the Sennheiser VMX100?
If it were my money, then yes, the VMX100 is very good at what it does. The design and comfort are pretty much spot on. The audio clarity is excellent and in day-to-day use I had no real problems with it. If you want something that stands out from the crowd, the VMX100 is a good choice. If your budget is tight, there are plenty of other bluetooth headsets on the market. They might not be as good, but they do the same job, so unless you are going to call Mariah and ask her to sing to you, then you could save some of that hard earned cash.
Product: Sennheiser VMX100 Bluetooth Headset
Price: £80.00 headset only : £100 black headset, car power lead, hard case.
Amazon: £79.89
Supplied by: Sennheiser UK
Contact: info@sennheiser.co.uk
Labels: Apple iPhone, Review
4 Comments:
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At 9:01 pm,
said...
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I agree fully with the review. Having now used the headset for a month, I have found it to be nicest bluetooth headset yet. Its comfortable with nice sound quality. It comes with a case but in fairness, you'll probably never use it. A neat touch is how it switches off when you fold the headset thus saving power. I bought mine for a bit cheaper than that suggest at £65 from here:
http://www.cordless-phones.uk.com/headsets/sennheiser/sennheiser-vmx-100-black
I would recommend it - bit pricey but so far so good. -
At 8:19 pm,
said...
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Fair points - its a nice headset. Wouldnt pay the rrp though.
Best price was on amazon - £55:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-VMX-100-BLACK-3-IN-1/dp/B000WZ8WKS
i think its sold by the same company, liGo. -
At 3:42 pm,
said...
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I always like something nice for me and I did try the SENNSEISER as my 1st ever Bluetooth headset for the reason that it seems to be a nice product of a prestige company. The communication with the Phone was effortless, feels nice over the ear, learn how to use the hand less features of my Phone, easy learn in just couple of days,… but the quality of the sound is creepy for a $99 heatset. It should be “CLEAR” as manufacturer described. I will return this after a few days of use and I will try another. If problem repeats I will try some other brand or something less expensive.
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At 10:35 pm,
said...
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I have had my unit for over 2 months now and just purchased a second for another fellow (tow truck operater). I only have one complaint, you wonder why people are looking at you funny. I find it is so comfortable that I forget it is on my ear and it probably looks a bit weird to be wearing one to some.
One feature not noted is what the dual speakers do. The electronics pick up ambient noise and therefore know which is the inside and which is the outside ear. It then automatically adjusts the volume of the inside speaker so you can still hear it when things get loud. If you try to talk too loud with it, it thinks you are just noise and will actually degrade your voice to the listener. One of my vehicles is an ex military 4x4 diesel and people hear me fine at highway speeds and I hear them fine too.
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Dave
Dave has been in the graphic design industry for 14 years. Long time reviewer of technology related products, he is Owner/Editor of Geekanoids.
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