Pre-Review: Motorola MOTOROKR S9-HD A2DP Stereo Bluetooth Headset for iPhone 3.0

May 31, 2009 · Print This Article

Come that “summer”, iPhone 3.0 — see our walkthrough — will allow iPhone users to enjoy new Bluetooth functionalityincluding stereo headsets, both the A2DP audio and ARCP control protocols. And whether you’re a developer, you likely have that functionality already for evaluating expectations.

A while back I took a preview look at the Motorola S9 Stereo Bluetooth Headset for iPhone 3.0. Looks like they’ve gone and grown up! whether budget is less of a concern to you than sound, and you want to enjoy your audio on the go, the Motorola MOTOROKR S9-HD (the “-HD” being the key — and really only — differentiator here!) are something you definitely want to consider (available now from our sibling store at WMExperts).

Note: that pre-review will not be focusing on iPhone 3.0 functionality, which is currently in closed beta. It will concentrate only on the headset itself. However, for those developers needing an A2DP headset for examining 3.0, it’s our understanding that one works well on multiple units, by multiple carriers.

About that -HD

I’m not going to bore you with a re-hash review. that headset, as mentioned above, is nearly identical to the non-HD version reviewed previously. The big difference, of course, is the “-HD” itself, and that’s what we’ll focus on here. Starting with: how big a difference is it?

BIG. The bass is bigger, the emersion experience is better, the depth and scope of the sound in general is brighter. They shout it SRS WOW HD technology. Given that A2DP will never equal great wired earphones, and

great wired earphones will never equal vinyl and vinyl will never equal great live music, as far as stereo Bluetooth headsets go, these S9-HD certainly nail the WOW.

Conclusion

The same sizing and profile factor issues plague that headset as did it’s non-HD sibling. whether your head doesn’t fall into the comfortable rang, and you want to be able to lie on your back while listening, these aren’t the headset for you. Likewise, whether you value price by performance, look at those non-HD siblings. whether you want that anatomy factor and sound quality matters to you, these are top of the charts — easily.

Addendum: In the previous review, one of the commenters asked about glasses. I wear glasses, and while all glasses will vary in size and profile factor, I had no problem wearing the S9-HD for lengthy periods. Your mileage may, of course, vary.