The Sound ID SM100 Bluetooth Headset Review
Brand - Sound ID
Model - SM100
Hanging Style - In Ear and Ear Loop
Sizes - small, medium and large rubber ear pieces
Weight - .4 ounces (11 grams)
Ear Orientation - Left or Right
Battery Life - 8 Hours in Phone mode
Rechargers Included - USB Power plug charger, wall charger, car charger
Warranty - 1 year
Price - $65
Phone Used in Testing the Unit - Blackberry 8130 on the Sprint Network
1 - First Impression
Model - SM100
Hanging Style - In Ear and Ear Loop
Sizes - small, medium and large rubber ear pieces
Weight - .4 ounces (11 grams)
Ear Orientation - Left or Right
Battery Life - 8 Hours in Phone mode
Rechargers Included - USB Power plug charger, wall charger, car charger
Warranty - 1 year
Price - $65
Phone Used in Testing the Unit - Blackberry 8130 on the Sprint Network
1 - First Impression
It is a very small unit, not the smallest on the market but small enough to not extend past your ear. Feels light and sturdy in the hand. Buttons are small but seem to be easy enough to access once you get used to its layout. There is a call control button on the face of the unit, volume up/down are paired close to the boom mic and the environmental control near the outer part of the headset.
2 - Usage
Pairing the phone was easy and worked on the first try. Hold down the call toggle button until th e light flashes red and green. Put your phone/PC into search mode. Once they find eachother, enter code 0000 (zero x 4) on the phone and your all set! As with other phones, be sure to charge the headset before initiating a pair up.
When first using the device, it took some time to figure out which ear piece size fits most comfortable. The medium size was already installed when we unpacked it. At first it seems too large but after some adjusting it securely fits in my ear. My ears are slightly smaller than most but there is a smaller ear piece in case I needed to change down. Changing the ear pieces was very easy to do. To adjust the ear orientation, there is a left/right indicator that tells you which way to turn the rubber ear piece. Once in your ear, it sits securely no matter how much I tried to shake it out. Additionally I was not using the included ear loop.
The rubber ear piece sits securely in your ear, blocking off most of the sound coming in that ear. To solve that, there is an environmental mode which is toggled by the solitary button. It acts like a hearing aid mode that takes in the ambient noise and amplifies to (4 levels of amplification - off, low, medium and high). This feature really works which I was quite impressed by. Other in-ear headsets cut off the ambient noise, effectively making you deaf in one ear which was the problem I had with the Plantronics Voyager 815 (the worst headset I have ever used).
The environmental mode is also activated during a call. It uses dual microphones to sort your voice from the environmental noise. Depending on how much noise there is, you can toggle the filtering level. When adjusting the environmental levels it does take a few seconds to compensate in the new level.
Keeping the unit charged up is a non issue with this device. Whether by a computer, car or wall outlet, you can keep it charged up when not in use. One thing that is common with all other headsets is that when in charge mode, it disconnects from the phone. Pressing the call toggle button reconnects the headset to the phone.
Battery Life is claimed at 8 hours and falls very close to it. I managed to go 2 solid days on the phone without needing to charge. When the device was going dead, a tone rang in the headset and a red LED flashed as well. I was able to charge it up while in the car and most conveniently while near my PC. One thing that was a trivial but obvious need is having a USB extension cable. They supply you with a USB to barrel plug charger but it may be difficult, like when using a laptop, to charge the unit. I strongly suggest getting a USB extension cable if you will be charging from a computer frequently.
Distance was marginally better than most other headsets I have used. It may be the bluetooth capabilities of the Blackberry 8130 that may be the main limit to the headset's distance but still was able to perform solidly in the day to day use.
A bonus feature that is unique to the SM100 is a 2 way radio mode. A peer-to-peer 2 way communication link with another SM100. This feature was not tested but we found it an interesting way to use a collection of these headsets with other staff members.
Switching between environmental mode (hearing aid mode) and phone mode occurs seamlessly as calls are connected and ended. Voice command/redial (depending on what your phone supports) is initiated by holding the volume up button for 3 seconds. The button is on the small side but easy to reach once you get used to the layout and ear orientation.
3 - Conclusion
This a solid performer at a good price. Battery, comfort and value are this unit's strong points. One thing that I found as a downside is that a USB extension cable was not included. Not a big deal since such a cable is available online for about $10. Since they give you a wall and car charger, the USB charge is not such a big deal. The 3 rubber ear pieces should work for just about everyone and the included ear clip is a nice touch for those of us who use in rough environments or smaller ears.
8.8 out of 10
Thanks for reading our blog review. If you have any questions, visit us online and send us your questions through our contact form at http://www.f1networx.net/contactus.html or respond back right on the blog.
Will Kutzler
F1 Networx Inc.
2 - Usage
Pairing the phone was easy and worked on the first try. Hold down the call toggle button until th e light flashes red and green. Put your phone/PC into search mode. Once they find eachother, enter code 0000 (zero x 4) on the phone and your all set! As with other phones, be sure to charge the headset before initiating a pair up.
When first using the device, it took some time to figure out which ear piece size fits most comfortable. The medium size was already installed when we unpacked it. At first it seems too large but after some adjusting it securely fits in my ear. My ears are slightly smaller than most but there is a smaller ear piece in case I needed to change down. Changing the ear pieces was very easy to do. To adjust the ear orientation, there is a left/right indicator that tells you which way to turn the rubber ear piece. Once in your ear, it sits securely no matter how much I tried to shake it out. Additionally I was not using the included ear loop.
The rubber ear piece sits securely in your ear, blocking off most of the sound coming in that ear. To solve that, there is an environmental mode which is toggled by the solitary button. It acts like a hearing aid mode that takes in the ambient noise and amplifies to (4 levels of amplification - off, low, medium and high). This feature really works which I was quite impressed by. Other in-ear headsets cut off the ambient noise, effectively making you deaf in one ear which was the problem I had with the Plantronics Voyager 815 (the worst headset I have ever used).
The environmental mode is also activated during a call. It uses dual microphones to sort your voice from the environmental noise. Depending on how much noise there is, you can toggle the filtering level. When adjusting the environmental levels it does take a few seconds to compensate in the new level.
Keeping the unit charged up is a non issue with this device. Whether by a computer, car or wall outlet, you can keep it charged up when not in use. One thing that is common with all other headsets is that when in charge mode, it disconnects from the phone. Pressing the call toggle button reconnects the headset to the phone.
Battery Life is claimed at 8 hours and falls very close to it. I managed to go 2 solid days on the phone without needing to charge. When the device was going dead, a tone rang in the headset and a red LED flashed as well. I was able to charge it up while in the car and most conveniently while near my PC. One thing that was a trivial but obvious need is having a USB extension cable. They supply you with a USB to barrel plug charger but it may be difficult, like when using a laptop, to charge the unit. I strongly suggest getting a USB extension cable if you will be charging from a computer frequently.
Distance was marginally better than most other headsets I have used. It may be the bluetooth capabilities of the Blackberry 8130 that may be the main limit to the headset's distance but still was able to perform solidly in the day to day use.
A bonus feature that is unique to the SM100 is a 2 way radio mode. A peer-to-peer 2 way communication link with another SM100. This feature was not tested but we found it an interesting way to use a collection of these headsets with other staff members.
Switching between environmental mode (hearing aid mode) and phone mode occurs seamlessly as calls are connected and ended. Voice command/redial (depending on what your phone supports) is initiated by holding the volume up button for 3 seconds. The button is on the small side but easy to reach once you get used to the layout and ear orientation.
3 - Conclusion
This a solid performer at a good price. Battery, comfort and value are this unit's strong points. One thing that I found as a downside is that a USB extension cable was not included. Not a big deal since such a cable is available online for about $10. Since they give you a wall and car charger, the USB charge is not such a big deal. The 3 rubber ear pieces should work for just about everyone and the included ear clip is a nice touch for those of us who use in rough environments or smaller ears.
8.8 out of 10
Thanks for reading our blog review. If you have any questions, visit us online and send us your questions through our contact form at http://www.f1networx.net/contactus.html or respond back right on the blog.
Will Kutzler
F1 Networx Inc.
