Motorola MotoRokr S305 Bluetooth Headphones

With every new personal gadget it seems I’m constantly tethered to something. At any given time during my work day, I’m wearing headphones attached to my phone, which is plugged into the wall, while using a keyboard and mouse that are attached to my computer which is also attached to the wall.

My primary use for my current phone (the LG Optimus V) is for music. Whether it’s MP3s from my personal collection or streaming Pandora, it’s sometimes the only thing that gets me through the day. Usually, that means headphones. With the advent of Bluetooth stereo headphones, I hoped that at least this one cable could be cut.

I do most of my shopping on Amazon these days, so I started there. There were a number of models available in various form factors from different companies, some I knew and some I didn’t. The two devices that had the most reviews (both positive and negative) on Amazon were both from Motorola: the MotoRokr S305 and the S10-HD. Out of sheer morbid curiosity, I went to the Apple Store to see what kind of price these fetched retail.

My closest Apple Store wanted $69.99 for the S305, and $79.95 for its earbud-style cousin the S10-HD. On Amazon, the S305’s were $34.95 and the S10’s were $69.95. Since I’d never used Bluetooth headphones before, I decided to err on the side of caution and pick the cheaper S305.

Setup:

One positive thing I can say about the S305 is that I had no trouble at all getting the thing connected. In fact, in a bit of electronic luck, the wall charger for my LG Optimus V actually fits and charges them, so I didn’t need to use the one in the box. It only took an hour or so to fully charge, and I got several hours of playback with them. My LG Optimus V connected to the headphones just fine, with no codes or other syncing weirdness.

Comfort:

I’ve had a spotty past with the behind-the-head wraparound headphones in the past. I had some ten dollar Sony wired phones at one point that were just horrible. I’m pretty sure it was a pair of these, the MDR-G45. Generally these kinds of wraparound can headphones either have a strange angle to them that doesn’t fit my ears or put a lot of pressure on my head just behind my ears (since that’s where the weight of the headset has to be supported).

I realized when I ordered the Motorola S305 that I ran a risk of them being just the same. It did take some adjustment to get the S305 to feel comfortable on my head. Let me just say that the way you’re “supposed” to wear them according to the manual didn’t work for me.

The band that wraps around the back of your head sticks out quite a bit. I imagine that’s to offer some flexibility for people with larger noggins, but if I rotate the headphones completely down like the manual says, I basically can’t use them sitting down, or lift my head very high standing up, without the band digging into my neck. I’d almost rather the ear cans be connected just by a floppy cable that I could tuck under my collar or something.

The whole reason I bought these headphones was for freedom of movement. Aside from not having to be tethered to my phone, the S305 didn’t deliver that. As I said, the plastic piece that wraps around the back of your head stuck out so much it kept either digging into my neck or bumping against the collar of my shirt. In both cases this caused the cans to shift slightly.

I could use the headphones for several hours in relative comfort. They’re still a bit of a strain on the spot just behind my ears, so I’m beginning to wonder if I just have a strangely shaped head.

Using the on-device buttons was awkward. The buttons require a good bit of force to use, and I ended up smashing my right ear whenever I wanted to change tracks. Also, the headset finds it necessary to make little beeps and blips whenever you press a button, which is distracting.

This is something I’ve noticed with a lot of Bluetooth devices. Word to the designers: just stop it. I don’t need audio confirmation that I’ve pressed a button. If you simply must do that, turn the freaking volume down! It’s jarring to listen to a quiet classical piece and hear an obnoxiously loud BEEEEP when I change tracks.

Sound Quality:

I have a pair of Sony MDR-EX38i earbuds that have been my workhorse for quite a while. They’re light, the buttons work with just about every phone I’ve ever had, and they block out sound pretty well. Going from in-ear phones to can phones is a bit of a nasty jolt. Can headphones simply don’t offer any decent sound blocking at all, and the bass performance is significantly worse.

If you’re wearing the S305 outside, pray there isn’t any wind. Once it picks up, you’re going to feel like you’re in a wind tunnel. Good luck if you’re trying to use them to make a phone call. The best scenario for sound quality with the S305 is indoors, in a quiet room. Even then, a decent pair of noise-isolating earbuds (the kind with silicone cups that block out sound) will give you a better experience.

Also, at least on the pair I had, there was a constant high-pitched whine from the headphones that was distracting on quieter tracks. That, above all else, was the main reason I ended up returning them.

I did test out the range on the headphones. I was able to listen to them from three offices down while my phone was on my desk (about 60 feet), but not quite far enough to go to the water cooler and back (about 100 feet) without losing my connection.

Build Quality:

The headphones feel cheap. There’s no way around it. They look and feel like my ten dollar Sony wraparounds, and that’s not good for something that retails for $60+. Given, I only paid $35 for them, but that’s the same price as my wired MDR-EX38 phones, and they have significantly better sound.

In some of the reviews on Amazon people were complaining about how the volume and power buttons were loose, causing an annoying rattle when they walked or ran. I don’t know if my phones were an updated model, but I didn’t notice that at all. The buttons did feel a bit loose when I used them, but they didn’t rattle.

I felt weird and a little dorky wearing the S305s in public. They’re just not stylish at all. I kind of felt like Lobot from the Empire Strikes Back, with a little more hair.

S305 and S10-HD:

I was lucky enough that someone in my office had a pair of S10-HDs that I could borrow. If you have a larger head and have to choose between these two devices, go with the S305. I personally found the S10-HDs to be much too small, and because of their earbud-like design most of the weight is in the band behind your head. That bugged me a lot.

The S10-HD certainly felt better made. I wasn’t worried they’d fall apart if I dropped them, but at the same time they didn’t really have any give at all in the band, so it’s basically one head size for all. I was also disappointed that although the S10s are earbud-style and have silicone cups, the sound quality and noise isolation wasn’t really any better than the S305.

The volume output on the S10s were actually worse than the S305 to me. I had to turn up the volume quite a bit on the S10s to match the same sound level I’d received at half-volume on the S305s. Even then, the bass was tinny and the treble was airy. Overall not what I’d expect from something in this price range.

Conclusion:

The S305s have the dubious distinction of being the only gadget I’ve ever had to return to Amazon. Judging from my test-run of the S10-HDs, I won’t be buying those either. My quest for a decent pair of Bluetooth headphones continues. If any of you have had better experiences with another brand, please let me know in the comments. I’m trying to stay under $100USD, but if there’s something spectacular out there for a little more I’m willing to give it a shot.