Motorola S9/S9-HD Bluetooth Headset Review [Gadgets]

With the iPhone 3.0 OS update, A2DP protocol was introduced to the legions of Apple fans.  A2DP isn’t something new and has yet to seriously gain mainstream adoption.  You could easily compare the A2DP adoption rate to Bluetooth in general, which also took a longer time to gain popularity with the masses.  But, I have a feeling that because of the success of the iPhone and its inherent nature as a media player, A2DP will be at the forefront of all headset makers in the near future.

One such headset that has been around in one fashion or another is the Motorola S9 series.  The S9 was first introduced back in 2006 as one of the lightest and slimmest A2DP capable Bluetooth headsets.  Motorola has since released in late 2008 an “HD” version of the original but is the extra “HD” worth the $100 premium for the headphones?  Let GamerWok be your guinea pig!

The S9 and the HD version share almost identical design.  Both incorporate a behind the ear style of wear but instead of having the arms wrap around the wearer’s ears, Motorola decided to use a tension grip to hold the earphones in place.  The curved arms rests just under the user’s temples and grips on with little force.  This isn’t the most comfortable way to wear earphones for an extended period of time but it’s the best solution for behind the ear types that I have found for users with prescription glasses.  Yes, you read that right, the S9 and the S9-HD works perfectly with glasses!

The S9 and the S9-HD incorporate a lithium ion  battery built into the rear hump, where the Bluetooth antenna is also housed..  That hump also has a mini-USB connection (covered by a rubber flap) for charging and the power button for pairing and operation.  The arms directly above the earbuds have rubberized controls for your phone.  On the right arm is the play, skip, and back buttons while the left arm has the volume up, down, and the call answer/end buttons.  All the buttons on the headset is rubberized and sealed for sweat resistance.  You see, Motorola wants you to be working out with these so everyone at the gym can stare at the nerdy-ness of your wireless headphones!

The earbuds come with removable tips for different ear sizes which is fairly typical for today’s earphones.  These; however, are not complete noise isolation but they do a decent job at filtering the majority of ambient noise.  But because they aren’t exactly in-ear headphones, sound leakage will occur, so be warned before you crank up that Celine Dion soundtrack!

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In real world usage, the six hours of playtime claimed by Motorola isn’t quite the truth.  When paired with my iPhone 3G, I got about 5.5 hours of use but when paired with my iPhone 3GS (the newer one), the battery life dropped to 4.5 hours.  However, performance was better with the iPhone 3GS than with the original 3G.  I received much less interference when used with the 3GS and was able to walk almost 10 meters away, through a stud wall and two car doors before having some signal loss.  When I was walking with my iPhone 3G in my front pocket, my body acted as a shield to the Bluetooth signal and caused the music to constantly drop; therefore, the only way to maintain a clear signal was to put my iPhone in my back pocket.  However, this wasn’t the case with the iPhone 3GS as the signal remained strong regardless of where the iPhone was on my person.  I can only attribute the stronger performance of the S9-HD to the iPhone 3GS as the software and headphones were identical in each test.

If you do plan on using the S9-HD (or the S9) with the iPhone, note that the next/previous track buttons do not work with Apple’s device.  This is no fault of Motorola as it is Apple that hasn’t implemented full Bluetooth controls.  However, all other functions work as described.

When comparing the S9 to the S9-HD, there are a few key differences.  First is the monotone color of the all black S9-HD compared to the flashier red of the original S9.  The earbuds are also different between the two with the S9 having half tips while the S9-HD employing full tips that enclose the whole ear canal.  This produces better sound isolation and deeper bass.  The control buttons on the S9-HD are also more pronounced, with each button at the raised height while the S9 only had the middle buttons (Play/Pause and End/Call) raised.  Personally, I preferred the single raised buttons of the S9 as it made finding the specific button that much faster.

The S9-HD also has SRS Labs’ WOW-HD functions built in.  This is where the “HD” moniker comes in.  What SRS claims WOW-HD will do is create a wider range and a deeper sound for your media, which it does to some degree.  The bass is much more noticeable on the S9-HD than the S9 but nothing that your iPhone’s EQ couldn’t accomplish either.  I listened to a wide range of music from Elvis to The White Stripes and I have to say, I preferred the cleaner sound of the S9’s than the newer “HD” versions.  But again, this is all personal taste.

Where I’m Coming From

I’m not an audiophile, as I’ve said before.  And I usually listen to audio books and podcasts on my iPhone (yes, even working out) so I’m not looking for the concert experience here.  I am looking for something to cut the wires while I’m lifting weights or mowing the lawn.  So for that purpose, these S9’s will do the job.

What I Compared it To

My last pair of headphones was the official Apple in-ear headphones and those are the last things I had in my ears before the S9’s.  And when comparing them to both the S9 and the S9-HD, these Bluetooth headphones do not sound nearly as clear and dynamic as the dual driver Apple headphones.  But the lack of a wire is certainly appealing.

What I Liked

The lack of wires will definitely turn heads and allow your own head to turn without catching on a barbell.  The S9’s sound was clear enough and the connection was strong as long as your phone has a strong enough antenna.  The on-board controls functioned well and allowed me to keep my iPhone in my armband.  I can’t say enough about how wonderful it is to be able to listen to your iPhone without having wires tangling everywhere!  And the fact that the S9/S9-HD works with glasses is phenomenal!

What I Didn’t Like

Motorola claims that the S9/S9-HD are sweat resistant.  But if you’re a heavy sweater like myself (and by heavy I mean needing to towel off after a 45 minute run) then you run the risk in shorting out some of the on-board controls.  After a week of working out, my Play/Pause button stopped working and would only work after the unit completely dried off after sitting on my desk for two days.  Even though the S9/S9-HD works with glasses, they are not the most comfortable headphones.  You’re going to find that despite their light weight build (1.14 oz.), you will find that after a few hours that 1.14 oz. will feel like 15 lbs.

Recommendation

At $120 MSRP for the S9-HD and $50 MSRP for the OEM S9’s, I would suggest you go with the S9.  The added WOW-HD doesn’t do much that your built in EQ can’t do and if you’re looking for a concert experience, neither S9’s will deliver.  The redesigned full tips of the S9-HD are nice but they aren’t $120 nice.  But the real question is if you really need A2DP Bluetooth headphones.  Because if wires don’t bother you, there’s no need to pay Motorola this much for a mediocre sounding pair of headphones.  But if wireless is important, then these are simply unbeatable for comfort and style, especially for the $50 S9 (if you can find them still).

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