Nokia BH-905

Nokia BH-905 Bluetooth Stereo Headset

I, like perhaps most people buying this product made the purchase expecting to have a huge reduction in ambient noise levels as indicated by all the advertising. To compare the sound quality of music playback I will be setting the BH-905 against my Motorola S805 headphones which convert the Bluetooth stream very well and can also be used corded and as a decent handsfree. The possibility of having something like the S805's with active noise cancellation all be it at twice the price was something I was really looking forward to, and now after much waiting, I have them.

First Impression: Unpacking the headset reveals a quality component that feels solid and well put together. I was surprised be the compact size but the headband did seem to have a good degree of adjustment, also included was a charger, a single lead with 4 different connections, a 150+ page user manual (17 pages for English), a cleaning cloth and a heavy duty looking case that keeps headset and all the bits zipped up together.

First use: After the initial charge I adjusted the headset size to about half way and put them on to check the fit. The clamping force that keeps them in place is very light, too light for me. This headset sits on, not over, the ears like the S805 Motorola's, there was no way you could strut your stuff with these babies on, indeed just laying on the bed face up was enough to have them fall off the back of my head. Standing with this headset in place did feel comfy if a little insecure, probably good for long periods of use - maybe sitting for hours clocking up the air miles.

Bluetooth pairing with my Iphone was a doddle just as it should be, yes I have limited function and control but that is no fault of the 905's more to do with restrictions with the Iphone Bluetooth protocols, I still have play, pause, volume up down, call answer and end so still very useable. Sound quality is on a par with the Motorola S905 which I was very pleased with considering these where an on ear headset and not over ear headphones like the Moto's.

So this was it, I then stopped the music and with an average 52db peeking at 68db (Decibel app (App store)) consisting of a little traffic noise and my two little herberts on the Wii and remembering the 'symphony of sound and silence' in all the ads I flicked the ANC switch (Active Noise Cancelling). What a disappointment, no 'symphony of sound and silence', not even close, if I had put a figure on it then I would guess that this headset took about 10db off.

Verdict: Although the loose fitting Nokia BH-905 still cut out slightly more background noise than my snug fitting Motorola S805 over ear headphones I am still very disappointed, they simply do not deliver what they say in the ads - nowhere near. If however these are amongst the top Active Noise Cancelling headphones then I think that the application of this technology still has a way to go and the advertising needs to reflect this. I have been a Nokia fan for many years and still use many of their products (6280 plugged into a DT-1 for a bedside radio/alarm, a networked N95 for Ebay Imaging) and I hate so say it but this Nokia product was a big disappointment.

Good points: Multiple connection points, build quality, sound quality.

Bad points: Poor noise cancelling (no 'symphony of sound and silence' here), loose fit.

Ultimately, had I tried these out in store I would certainly not have purchased them at the RRP or even Play.com price, in a few months when and if they hit the sub £100 then maybe.