Why not go wire free when listening to music with the LG HBS-700 Bluetooth Stereo Headset

 "A premium Bluetooth headset perfect for listening to music while on the go"

When it comes to using Bluetooth headphones I must admit I am not greatly experienced. I did own one some years ago but it wasn't very comfortable to wear so I rapidly went off the idea of using it on a regular basis. That particular headset was a one piece design with rigid headphones but luckily this nice new LG one I have received has the headphones on wires. I have a suspicion it may be just what I was looking for. As long as it doesn't feel cumbersome to wear and it delivers decent sound quality I will be happy. Let the test begin.

The Review:

 

I don't listen to a high amount of music on my smartphone but when I commute into London which I normally do one or twice a week I like to listen to the odd music track along with a few podcasts. Up until now I have been happy with my wired headset but after using the LG HBS-700 all that is about to change.

In term of hardware the LG HBS-700 Bluetooth Headset is quite a clever design. It consists of one piece of solid plastic that is designed to be worn around the neck and then the two earphones come away from the main body and can be placed in-ear with them being connected via a thin wire. This ensures that you have maximum comfort but still enjoy the benefit of using Bluetooth and the connection between your smartphone and headset remains wire free.

The rear of the headset, that sits at the back of your neck, is nice and thin for comfort I presume. Towards the front things get a little thicker as this is where all the controls and charging port are located.

On the left side you will find the volume controls and also a circular button for answering telephone calls. There is also the on off switch here which is just a simple slide and the charging port is here too which takes a microUSB connection. It is covered with a door to keep things tidy and clean when not in use.

Over on the right is the track skip forward and back control. There is also a button to play and pause the track you are listening to.

The controls all feel great to use while the headset is around the neck. It does however take some getting used to as normally when pressing buttons or switches you are looking at them. With the LG HBS-700 you have to get acquainted to using the buttons without using your eyes as it is impossible to do so while wearing it. I found that within a couple of days I had the hang of it but it was a little frustrating at first, I must be honest.

The actual earphones on the LG HBS-700 are of my favourite sort, the nice in ear ones with the soft rubbery cover. They fit perfectly in-ear and can sit there all day long if required and don't irritate or feel alien unlike so many headphones do. I love these so much! 

When it comes to sound quality the LG headset is superb for listening to music. It may not deliver the best quality in the world but it is certainly more than up to the job. I was a little let down though when it came to using it to make a phone call. Although the audio my end sounded fine, the other person said I sounded terrible. I'm not actually sure where the microphone is located on the device and I suppose it doesn't really matter as it is the quality of the mic that must be the issue. After this test I also tried it out on Skype and had the same results. So for music and podcasts this thing is great but for phone calls not so. It's main purpose though is for music and the way I think of it is that taking a phone call on it is just a bonus. You can have a conversation just fine but the quality is not the best.

Of course, when having a Bluetooth headset instead of a wired one you will be reliant on charging up its battery. I'm pleased to say that the LG HBS-700 is good for hours and hours of music playback. It is hard to judge how long it actually goes on for without doing the test but on the three recent trips I took into London I didn't need to charge in-between so I have had in excess of six hours of audio - nice. The specs on this thing say up to 10 hours and they may well be right.

The price of the LG-HBS 700 is also attractive. At just under $60 it is a real bargain if you ask me. Go on - treat yourself.

LG HBS-700 Bluetooth Stereo Headset

The Bottom Line

LG have made a great job with the HBS-700. It is nice to wear, music quality is enough and if wearing a jacket you can tuck the main body away so nobody will see it. They just see buds in your ears. Nice work LG. I'm impressed.