# Have Bluetooth headsets improved in the past 2 years? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bluetooth-headsets-improved-in-the-past-2-years/506367 "2009-08-14T01:46:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bluetooth-headsets-improved-in-the-past-2-years/506367/1 "2009-08-14T01:46:09Z")
I have an old-ish BT headset. It wasn’t one of the $100 models, so I can’t parse out whether I don’t like it because of the quality of the technology or the price/quality of the model. Any point to upgrading? Has anything changed, especially regarding signal strength, signal viability/quality (i.e. better sound performance), etc? ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bluetooth-headsets-improved-in-the-past-2-years/506367/2 "2009-08-14T07:04:24Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > I have an old-ish BT headset. It wasn’t one of the $100 models, so I can’t parse out whether I don’t like it because of the quality of the technology or the price/quality of the model. > > Any point to upgrading? Has anything changed, especially regarding signal strength, signal viability/quality (i.e. better sound performance), etc? Just my personal experience. I got a middle price one when the state laws changed, it quit working, I took it in and got another one, it quit working, I traded it in for a wired earpiece. It just never worked well. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bluetooth-headsets-improved-in-the-past-2-years/506367/3 "2009-08-14T07:17:57Z")
In the mid-lines BT headset quality is still about where it was. Specs are more or less identical to 2 years ago. [Some expensive headsets](http://www.cellphoneshop.net/jawbone1.html?gclid=CJaDpK_NopwCFSBN5QodQ0vpjA) claim better fidelity through bone conduction and various advanced technologies but as far as u know this has no been borne out in real world independent testing. ---
**Author:** ![chromaticity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@chromaticity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chromaticity)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bluetooth-headsets-improved-in-the-past-2-years/506367/4 "2009-08-14T13:52:17Z")
If you tell us the model of your headset, I could try to find out if some better ones exist. I have access to lots of different brands at work. Personally I use [this](http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/corporate/products/accessoryportfolio/specification/hbh-ds205) and it seems fine, although pairing is a bit wonky at times. Do make sure that your model supports A2DP if you plan to listen to music with them. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bluetooth-headsets-improved-in-the-past-2-years/506367/5 "2009-08-14T14:06:05Z")
People I have talked to really like the “Jawbone” line of headsets. IT takes some getting used to as it has to be in contact with both your face and your ear, but supposely that helps tremendously with the background noise. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bluetooth-headsets-improved-in-the-past-2-years/506367/6 "2009-08-14T19:10:13Z")
The BlueAnt headset I got a couple months ago from Sprint is much more effective at dealing with background noise than the Motorola headset it replaced. (Can’t recall the model on that). The first one I got had a battery problem, which the counterperson at the Sprint store told me was fairly common when I returned it; the replacement has been great, though.