Motorola H500 Bluetooth headset (Nickel)

April 15, 2006 12:08
Good
1.5/5
Bought the H500 because it was recommended (and discounted) by Verizon when I upgraded to the Motorola E815 phone. Found that most of the people on the receiving end of calls complained about muffled voice quality and/or static. Didn't seem to matter whether the phone was close to or further away from the headset. Verified this by having someone call me using the headset & sure enough, it was true. Also found it difficult to connect & disconnect the device from the phone. Sometimes, the only thing that worked was rebooting the phone. Tried the Plantronics 640 based on CNET user reviews. After a week of pretty heavy use, I have found the 640 to be a much better headset on all counts.

- irajay26

January 18, 2006 07:00

4.0/5
I just got two of these headsets today, one for my Treo 650 and another for my wife's Razor. It works well with both, but it there are certain features it will do with the Razor and not with the Treo. This is probably because the Razor is also a motorola product and the Treo is a hybrid PDA/phone. Regardless, the H500 worked just fine with my treo right out of the box. The sound can be a bit low on my end on some calls, but I'm not so sure that's not the caler's phone more than the BT headset. It's very light, fits very well and has a decent signal allowing me to walk several feet away from my phone before I hear static. Outdoors wind noise might be a problem, but I use mine primatilr while driving.

- LouCap

January 19, 2006 01:07
Good
1.5/5
I bought this headset b/c I have a Motorola E815 cell phone. The functionality is quite good--the controls are easy to use, and it has everything you need. However, the outgoing sound quality is so poor that I had to get a different headset (I am trying the Plantronics in-ear one). I tested it out in various environments (by calling people and also leaving myself voicemails at work), including sitting in my office with the door shut with no external noise, and get too much static to continue using. I drive in the car a lot and use the headset several hours per day, and this is not acceptable. Spend the extra money and get a better headset.

- j5ryall

December 25, 2005 10:22

4.5/5
My partner and I have had BT phones for nearly 4 years - SEr520m. Finally bought 2 of these a month ago.
Incoming is clear. I have read reviews of other headsets complaining about lack of volume. My hearing ain't what it used to was and there are times when i think i should lower the volume! People i'm talking to have often don't realize i'm on a headset. I can talk to partner using her H500 and our conversation is virtually the same as simply talking phone to phone.
I didn't give it a 10 because while you are able to the switch ear hook to use on the laft ear (default is right ear), it is easy to break the plastic part that connects the ear hook to the body of the set. I did. I called Moto and even offered to simply buy the ear hook (probably a $1 item. They said they don't sell parts, BUT, gave me an RA number to return the whole unit for a new one. (Hook is holding onto set for now.)
Problem is i am addicted. I am a heavy user (2000 min./mo. - mostly day time) and wear this all day long. You don't notice it any more than you do your glasses.
Pd. $52 on sale at RS for these.

- snidely9447

January 14, 2007 02:49
Spectacular
2.5/5
The design slick, the comfort on the ear was tolerable, the button placements fantastic. Everything looked right about this headset. Unfortunately, the experience was less than stellar when I actually tried to use it.

The function button does not seem to work at times, failing to answer calls on more than one occasion.

While the incoming volume is fine when you are in a quiet environment, using it outside, in a car with the windows down, or anything where noise is present will give you a less than satisfactory experience.

The headset also does not sit snugly on my ear, and it is OK when I am at a standstill, but moving about forced me to hold the earpiece to my ear to hear the previously mentioned unsatisfactory volume.

Finally the outgoing microphone was also weak, and indoors I found myself needing to be far louder than normal, outside I had to just about scream for the person on the other end to hear me clearly.

If they could fix the flaws, it could be good, as is, it is not worth even the new lower prices.

- JayMonster

March 15, 2006 12:53

3.0/5
Overall the H500 is a good product. I bought one for myself and one for my boyfriend. I like the look of it and how light it is. The incoming sound is good, but the outgoing is very poor. There is a lot of static and a really bad echo. And sometimes other wireless conversations can be heard by the person on the line.

- gicathy4u

January 10, 2007 05:55
Good
1.5/5
Unfortunately, this unit is unacceptable when it comes to being heard. Everything else, including incoming sound quality is fine, but no matter who I call the result is the same, the audio is low and has significant interference. My cellular phone is a LG PM-325, I am now looking for a replacement, very disappointed.

- soflags

January 2, 2007 12:55
Terrible
0.5/5
As others have noted, people you are talking to will hear a very distracting echo that's the result of the earpiece feeding back into the mic. If you turn the volume down to try to eliminate the feedback/echo, then you can't hear the other party.. . . The other problem I had was that my callers complained of poor sound quality. The several days I used it, it also dropped calls. . . Using this thing was an exercise in frustation. Great product for finding something to do with empty landfills though.

- imaniguana

December 30, 2006 09:37
Mediocre
1.0/5
So this was my first bluetooth headset. I was so excited to set it up and start using it and when I did, I was severly disappointed.
Pros: Others say that the design isn't all that great, but it fit my ear perfectly. Loved the buttons, really easy to press and it is really light!
Cons:I decided to call up my girlfriend to test it out, and to my surprise, she could not understand a word I said. I tried calling other people to see if it was the headset, and sure enough, the people could not hear me at all. There was also a lot of static when I'd have my phone in my pocket, or even too close to the headset.All of this happened in the privacy of my own , quiet and peaceful room.
Overall: If you are looking for frustration , this is the headset for you. I don't recommend this for anyone looking to have clear conversations.

- Aaya74

December 28, 2006 03:05
Spectacular
2.5/5
The Motorola H500 was a mistake to purchase. I sought a good deal, but in return I've gotten lots of fustration. When I attempted to connect the bluetooth to my cell phone, I had no luck. I brought back the item the Verizon store and the sales associate got it connected after spending 30 minutes. At first, the bluetooth fitted around my ear perfectly, but after 2 weeks of using it, now the bluetooth is loose. There have been several times that the bluetooth disconnected automatically from the phone and while I was in a conversation. There are also times when the sound quality was bad (static sounds), eventhough the phone was 2 feet away from the bluetooth. And for some reason, there are times that I hear a ringing sound that bugs the hell out of me because it will go off when I'm not taling and while I'm talking, which then I have to turn off the bluetooth and turn it back on. Overall, do not purchase this item. Not only you will get fustrated, but you get disconnected and potential lose clients as I did.

- jerr54