Sony Ericsson's LCD Equipped HBH-660

	Sony Ericsson HBH-660
Weight	23.6
Body Size	80mm x 21mm
Talk Time	5:04 (5:54)(1)
Ear Loop	Adjustable
Left/Right Ear?	Both
LCD	Caller ID/Status
Pairings	Multiple
Features	Call reject, mute, display rotate
Headset Sound	Good, slightly dull
Mic Sound	Clear, synthetic
Crosstalk Test	MP3(2)
Noise Test	MP3
Wind Test	MP3
Included Accessories	Neck lanyard
Pros	Display, comfort, looks
Cons	Display is quite small
1) Time with music transmitted in both directions (time recorded in silence) 2) Background sound is the inbound audio. This tests for presence of crosstalk

The Sony Ericsson HBH-660 represents the company's 4th iteration of their successful HBH-6xx series of Bluetooth headsets. The HBH-660 makes use of the same basic form factor as the prior headsets, but sports an updated look. Gone are the user changeable faceplates of the HBH-600, in their stead can be found the new LCD display that provides the user with not only status information, but the name or phone number of the inbound caller - if the connected phone supports the Bluetooth Hands Free profile.

The HBH-660 weighs 23.6g (.83oz), which is exactly 1 gram (.035oz) heavier than the HBH-600 that it replaces. It is nearly exactly the same size as all of the older headsets. The use of the same old design is a good thing in this case. The HBH-660 is extremely comfortable to wear, feeling nearly the same as an older HBH-60 or HBH-65 (the HBH-660 had a slightly different ear loop). The HBH-6xx series of headsets remain some of the few headsets that I can wear for hours on end without being bothered.

The ear loop has always been one of my favorite aspects of this series of headsets. The combination of rotating 360 degrees around its pivot point and its spring loaded hinge allow you to reconfigure the headset for use on your other ear with only one hand. All surfaces that touch the ear are smooth and rounded, and the rubber surface of the ear loop holds fast, making the headset very secure on your ear without undue pressure.

The physical controls of the HBH-660 are quite simple to master. There is the main control button that handles call initiation and call ending duties, as well as being the main power switch. The other control is the rocker switch for the volume. When idle, the switch controls the ringer volume in the headset. During a call, it controls the inbound audio volume. If you press both the up and down buttons at the same time for a few seconds, the headset will go into pairing mode so that it can be discovered and paired with from another device. The HBH-660 supports multiple pairings at the same time, but upon startup will always try to connect with the most recent device, ignoring the others.

The cool thing about the HBH-660 is the small LCD display, of course. For that extra gram of weight, you can now see who is calling you without having to look at your mobile phone. As I mentioned earlier, as long as your phone supports the Hands Free profile (which most all newer Bluetooth phones do), the HBH-660 will show you the phone number of inbound callers that are not already stored in your phone, and will show the actual caller name if you do already have the person in your contacts. The HBH-660 ships with a snap-on lanyard attachment that makes it convenient to wear the headset around your neck so that you can see the display when a call comes in.

 

Featured products from the MobileBurn store