Comments on: Palm Stereo Headset Pro Review

Treo Headset reviewAside from the small square screens, my longest-standing complaint with Palm’s Treo line is the frustrating lack of an industry-standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. While de rigeur on nearly all other types of portable consumer electronics released since the original Sony Walkman, the vast majority of mp3-playing feature phones and smartphones on the market still forego the popular 3.5mm design in favor of a 2.5mm jack, A2DP, or some sort of USB to headphone adapter.

Palm has at least made some attempt to mitigate this critical flaw in recent Windows Mobile-powered Treos by incorporating stereo A2DP connectivity (standard on Treo 750 and available via ROM update on Verizon’s 700w/wx and with the release of today’s featured product, the new Palm Stereo Headset Pro. The Palm 2-in-1 Stereo Headset Pro combines a pair of comfortable stereo ear buds with an integrated microphone module. Read on for the full review.

Return to Story - Permalink

Article Comments

 (12 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Start a new Comment Down

Palm Headset Amateur

frankie69 @ 7/27/2007 6:10:38 PM # Q
Good review....bad headphone. Too bad because it looks stylish. Palm would better not call these headphones 'Pro', amateur is more accurate.
Reply to this comment

Audio Gateway

freakout @ 7/27/2007 6:49:08 PM # Q
W.r.t to Audio Gateway still being a "work in progress": it's not perfect, but a lot depends on which Bluetooth headphones you decide upon. Softick keep a list of the most compatible headsets. My experience with Nokia HS-12W earbuds has been a mostly positive one: the biggest issue now isn't the minor bugs, but the major slowdown experienced when you're running it with the top audio quality options. Softick, however, have claimed that Audio Gateway can actually sound superior to the standard built-in A2DP on WinMob phones.

Second, you may note that quality level 7 (especially with "Faster Analysis" turned on) is near performance limit of Palm device and built-in Bluetooth module. I also suppose that you SHOULD hear clicks and skips when all quality settings are set to maximum. Actually, you can read Pocket PC forums and note that such bitrates are usually unreachable for Pocket PC configurations...

(that's from their forums. Softick are very good about answering and responding to user's feedback, another point in their favour)

It's definitely a high-wire act, and probably won't ever be as stable as a pair of wired earbuds, but after having to go through the horrible process of returning my first Treo 680 due to a broken jack, I'm not sure I'm brave enough to keep using it.

Oh, and nice review, Kris. :)

Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650 ---> Crimson Treo 680

Reply to this comment

Open box

swieder @ 7/27/2007 9:26:53 PM # Q
Where did u fine the open box version of these? I would be interested in a pair if the price were lower.

RE: Open box
nitf @ 7/28/2007 3:29:01 AM # Q
Not sure what the reviewer paid but here is a pretty good deal:

http://www.pcmall.com/pcmall/shop/detail.asp?dpno=7147388

Reply to this comment

TX?

pascanu @ 7/28/2007 5:35:53 AM # Q
Is there any chance this might work with a Palm TX? Now or in the future...

Handspring Visor -> m505 -> Zire71 -> Zire72 -> Treo650
RE: TX?
hkklife @ 7/28/2007 11:24:59 AM # Q
No, the TX uses a standard 3.5mm stereo headphone connector with no facility for audio capture.


I'd personally going with a good pair of stereo headphones for the TX (I like the Sony Fontopias for all-around usage and the Skullcandy 'phones for strong bass performance) combined with a TCL mini bud microphone. The TCL/Labtec 2-in-1 is also another good possibility.

http://home.earthlink.net/~gmayhak/index.html


See the PIC reviews of the various microphone solutions for the TX:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/8976/palm-tx-mini-bud-mic-review/

http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/8959/palm-tx-external-mic-review/

http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/9353/tcl-labtec-stereo-headset-review/

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

RE: TX?
gmayhak @ 7/28/2007 2:33:28 PM # Q
Thanks for posting the links Kris :-)
I think our Treo Headset Adapter for the TX might work with these. I may have sent you one some time ago but maybe not. I'm backordered on parts to build more at the moment but let me know if I forgot to send you one.

Gary


Tech Center Labs

Reply to this comment

Money

TBolt @ 8/4/2007 12:45:19 PM # Q
Thanks for the review. Interesting, though, that you suggest the $50 price tag is a bit much when you also say that your "favorite Shure E3C earbuds" go for a minimum of $119 at pricegrabber. hehe At that price, I'd buy the Palm headsets, first.

TBolt
RE: Money
TBolt @ 8/4/2007 12:53:25 PM # Q
Wow...I didn't know that a 9mm drive (on the Sony Fontopias) worked on the Treo 700p. $40! Great! Is the adapter for the Treo's 2.5mm port dependable?

Cheers.

TBolt

Reply to this comment

**Important** sound quality

mikeweb66 @ 12/9/2007 8:59:31 AM # Q
So, I purchased the 2n1 'pro' headset and was also very disappointed with the sound quality. The high ranges were very 'tinny' and the bass range was almost non-existent. This is coming from someone who doesn't know the difference between E flat major and 'Major Tom'. Anyway, the sound quality of this headset was literally the WORST of all of the dozen or so I've used with my Treo and before that my iPod.

I thought about going back to my Sony Funtopia(?) in-ear headphones, that seem to be similar technology to the palm in-ear 'Pro' headset, because I remember they had great sound in a small form factor and stayed snug and comfortable in my ears. See this URL:

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4035113

I looked at them both side-by-side, the speaker diameter was the same and I realized that the rubber ear pieces from the Sonys would work on the Palm headset. So I switched them and VIOLA! All of the sudden, the Palm headset sounded JUST AS GOOD as the Sonys. Just for the hell of it, I put the Palm rubber ear pieces on the Sony headset and AMAZING, they sounded just as bad as the Palms originally were.

So, my suggestion is, if you have the old Sony Funtopias lying around or can procure replacement rubber earpieces for them (the Sonys shipped with 3 different sizes), then do it.

I would also humbly suggest to Palm that they stop being miserly and ship these things with the right rubber ear pieces in 3 sizes like the Sonys do and stop (ONCE AGAIN) from giving us great products with the one fatal flaw that renders them inferior.

Reply to this comment

Palm 2 in 1 Stereo Headset Pro

Gekko @ 7/2/2009 6:07:13 PM # Q

i'm tempted to buy these. how's the fit? are they comfortable or not? sound good or not? tangle factor? are they subtle looking?

reviewer seemed to have mixed emotions.

RE: Palm 2 in 1 Stereo Headset Pro
Gekko @ 7/2/2009 6:13:39 PM # Q

my other option is to just buy the palm 2.5 3.5 adapter and use a standard 3.5 headset. BUT i want to use these for phone capabilities too - hence, i need microphone and answer/disconnect button to work. suggestions?

also - does anyone know if the palm 2.5 3.5 adapter combined with an iphone headset will work with a Centro for ALL capabilites - ie stereo sound, phone microphone, AND answer/disconnect button?

happy 4th!

Reply to this comment
Start a New Comment Thread Top

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass: