As Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory is fond of saying; “everything is better with Bluetooth.” There are certainly people who will dispute that, but Bluetooth can be a great feature. This particular headset opens up a world of possibilities for your Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) and other Android phones.
The Sony Ericson MW600 is perhaps the most unique take on a Bluetooth headset that I have seen, it is really more than simply a Bluetooth headset. It is a Bluetooth/FM transmitter that comes with ear buds – but…and here is the killer feature…you can plug in any set of ear buds or headphones to this device and use them.
As I have said before, I love music, I love Bluetooth and I hate wires, so I was looking forward to see what the Sony Ericson MW600 could do to make my life easier and my music playing more enjoyable.
Sony Ericson MW600
What’s in the box
The Sony Ericson MW600 comes with the Bluetooth/FM transmitter, a pair of Sony ear buds, two extra gel tips (small and large – medium ones are on the ear buds already,) a desktop charger and an instruction manual.
Pairing the MW600
Just turn on the Power button the MW600. The first time you turn the Sony Ericson MW600 on, it goes automatically into pairing mode. When connecting to other devices in the future (you can have three devices paired with this) just hold the Power button in for about five seconds to put into pairing mode. The screen of the device shows that it is pairing.
On your Galaxy S3, HTC EVO 4G LTE or HTC One X or other Android device, just:
- Go to your Bluetooth settings
- Choose Scan for devices
- Select the Sony Ericson MW600 from available devices
Functionality
The Sony Ericson MW600 has more functionality than most Bluetooth headsets. It has all the basic controls on the Bluetooth transmitter;
- Microphone
- Call button
- Volume up/down
- Pause/play
- Power button
Then, the MW600 tosses in some very cool additional features;
- An LED screen that gives battery information, Bluetooth information and the name of the song playing
- A built in FM radio
- A clip to attach the Bluetooth transmitter to a shirt or pocket
The FM radio deserves a bit more explanation; the user holds down the Play/Pause button and then uses the touch volume controls to choose between the phone and the FM radio. Choose the FM radio and use the FF and RW buttons to scan for stations. When connected to the FM radio, you don’t need to have the phone with you unless you want to be “on call” for phone calls.
Push and hold the Call button to activate S voice on the Galaxy S3 or voice dialing on any other Android phone. To answer an incoming call, just tap the Call button. Tap the Call button again to end a call. Double click the Call button to redial the last number called.
The MW600 also handles a second caller. When another call comes in:
- Press the Call button to put the first call on hold
- Press and hold the Call button to switch between calls
- You can also mute the microphone during a call by holding down the Play/Pause button
Comfort
The Sony Ericson MW600 is really just a clip on transmitter – so it is easy to just attach to a shirt or pocket and you hardly notice it is there.
Since you can use the included ear buds (which were excellent) or any other earphone or headphone – the MW600 is as comfortable as your most comfortable set of earphones – which is awesome. I have long complained about the comfort of some Bluetooth stereo headsets – this is just like wearing comfortable ear buds.
Call quality
The microphone for the Sony Ericson MW600 is located on the end of the front of the unit – near where the earphones plug in. For the most part, call quality was good. Users could hear me as long as my mouth was not too far away from the microphone.
Because the microphone is on an external unit that can be clipped onto your clothes, you need to be smart if you want to use this for phone calls and put it at least nearby to your mouth.
Music quality
The music quality on the Sony Ericson MW600 was hands down the best Bluetooth streaming stereo music (on a headset) I have ever heard. More often than not, Bluetooth stereo headphones never seem to play loud enough. Since these have a built in volume control on the device (a touch sensitive bar on the side of the unit) and you can also use the volume controls of the phone, these things played loudly.
The included Sony ear buds had great audio quality; the bass was strong and the mids and high frequencies were well defined. I tried lots of different types of music and really liked what I heard.
It should also be noted that the FM music quality was also very good – much better than typical FM quality on a portable device.
The wrap up
The Sony Ericson MW600 is the most versatile Bluetooth headphone/headset/FM radio unit I have every tested. There are still some wires (since you plug in a wired set of ear buds or headphones) but there is no wire needed from the phone to the unit – which is very convenient. Sound quality is great, functionality is terrific and the added FM radio is a nice touch.
The good
- Very convenient
- Great sound quality
- You can use your own headphones if you want
- LED screen with information
- Touch sensitive volume control
The bad
- You still have wires from the ear buds or headphone
- You have to clip it on near your mouth to be able to use the microphone
The verdict
The Sony Ericsson MW600 is great for working out, taking phone calls and listening to FM radio. The included ear buds are great, but you can just plug in your own as well. They play louder and with greater fidelity than any other Bluetooth headset device I have tested.
Buy it now
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