Everything Motorola Q

I recently had the opportunity to trial the Motorola S9 Stereo headphones.

Motorola's S9 headphones are in a sense a convergence accessory. Many smartphone owners will use a Bluetooth headset and then opt for wired headphones. Motorola's S9 headphones allow you to take calls and listen to your favorite music - using one headset.

If you listen to music on your iPod or MP3 player then you more than likely are using a wired headset. I take my music with me to the gym and I cannot count the number of times my wired headset has been completely yanked from my ears. While iPods do not currently support Bluetooth devices, the Moto Q supports Bluetooth and A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile). Simply put, A2DP allows you to listen to stereo music and calls via Bluetooth headphones. For my testing, I took my Sprint Moto Q coupled with the Motorola S2 headphones. (Note: The Motorola S9 headphones support iPod players equipped with the TEN Technology naviPlay Bluetooth Stereo Adapter for iPod .)

Being a Mac user primarily, my first task was to get my favorite music on the Moto Q. The gym is where I listen to most of my music, so I had to prepare my Moto Q for this purpose. My workout mix consists of 2 albums and one was purchased through iTunes. Music purchased through iTunes can only be played on an iPod. My first stumbling block, but I was not to be denied. After burning the playlist(s) to CD's, I was able to import into my PC running Windows Vista. Syncing the music was just as easy using Windows Media Player. The whole process took no more than 30 minutes. If you use a PC as your primary desktop computer, setup time will be significantly reduced.

Sound Quality

I've pretty much been listening to The Used and My Chemical Romance for the past six months, so it's safe to say that I'm very familiar the music. This was helpful when testing the S9 headphones. Using the iPod Shuffle as a reference, I was impressed by the sound quality of the S9 headphones. The Used could be described as hard rock, even though they tend to get pinned with the emo tag. When listening to loud guitars, you don't often find nuances between headsets. Surprisingly, that's exactly what I found when using the S9 headphones. There were subject production values that were lost upon me listening with the iPod Shuffle. Granted, the music was ripped using two different computers, but I don't have any reason to believe that Vista's ripping process produces substantially better sound quality. I did not experience any audio drop outs or static. I did find the volume to be lower than I prefer. This could be due to the Moto Q and not necessarily the S9 headphones. Not a major issue, but worth nothing. My personal preference is loud, blaring music and with the S9 headphones I did hear more of the surrounding environment.

Being a Bluetooth headset, you can also field calls with the S9. I heard the caller in my left ear and quality was on par with the best of headsets. Normally, I use my right ear for my Bluetooth headset, so this was a bit odd. It would be great if there were an option to switch. If such a setting exists, I was unaware at the time of this review.

Comfort

The Motorola S9 is worn behind your neck and over your ears. The S9 features a "snug" fit and while more noticeable than standard headphones. They are not adjustable, so this fit might not be for all. The headset is very light. For gym use, the behind the neck feature did impede with any exercises using a weight bench. Runners however will enjoy the freedom of no wires and not having to worry about headphones falling out.

Functionality

As you'd expect, this is a Motorola Bluetooth product, so it worked seamlessly with the Moto Q smartphone. Pairing was a snap, taking a minute or so to get the two devices communicating. Standard procedure for pairing, put the S9 in pairing mode and then simply enter '0000' on the Moto Q to get them talking. The S9 comes with "on board" controls. Rather than accessing your music player (in this case the Moto Q), track changes and volume settings are all done using the controls on the headset. There is an audio acknowledgment whenever you make a change, which I found helpful, especially when I was getting used to the controls. I didn't notice any lag time while changing tracks or volume. The S9 performs as if it were tethered.

Design

The headset looks as if it were designed with the Moto Q9m in mind (and perhaps it was) as they look like blood brothers. The headphones are constructed of a very high quality and durable plastic. The inner lining is composed of a rubber material. Both are designed for heavy use and would respond well to persperation associated with gym use. The color choice may not suit everyone, but there is no questioning the build quality of the S9 headphones. Overall, I found the S9 headphones to be a nice mix of sleek design, but also designed for wear and tear.

Overall

The Motorola S9 headphones are priced accordingly condsidering the feature set and build quality. The snug fit might not be for everyone, but this set delivers when it comes to functionality and design. It won't replace your Bluetooth headset, but it is an excellent choice for someone looking to remove the wires from their active lifestyle. Runners will enjoy the ergonomic design. All in all, this is a solid effort and one that works well with the Moto Q family of smartphones.