Bluetooth headsets are becoming increasingly innovative as their popularity increases, with each brand finding unique ways to distinguish its products. The Sound ID 510 ($59.99, Amazon) is no exception, taking software control of your headset to a whole new level.
Overview
The SoundID is an attractive, lightweight headset that is not only rich in features, it incorporates a new feature that’s fairly unique among Bluetooth headsets. Instead of having a variety of buttons like many competing bluetooth headsets, the SoundID 510 sports a single button, an on-off switch, and a touch interface for controlling the volume. All other headset features are controlled by a highly specialized piece of software – an iPhone app!
EarPrint
Introduced with the Sound ID 510 is a free iPhone app called Earprint (iTunes link). Earprint is a unique app that allows you to customize the sound and features of the headset to match your hearing preferences. It’s also the sole means to access features such as environmental mode, which increases your ability to hear background noise while the headset is not directly in use.
The app also includes a “find my headset” feature that forces your headset to emit a series of loud beeps if it is in range, making the task of finding the headset much easier. Personally, I love the idea of using an app to interface with the headset – it’s a neat idea that really makes the entire experience of using the headset much more enjoyable.
Sound Quality
I am not an audiophile. However I did immediately notice a pressing difference in sound quality between my previous headset (a Plantronics Voyager Pro) and the Sound ID 510. My music and phone conversations came through much clearer, and microphone quality is also notably better, which many people I called on the headset were able to point out.
The wind resistance and background noise filtering of this headset is also very impressive, thanks largely to a series of several microphones hidden by a small grate on the headset, as pictured above. Although I still could not hold a conversation in extremely high winds, conversing in a slight breeze did become much more manageable.
Design and Comfort
One of the many things I came to appreciate about the Sound ID 510 was its minimalism – I enjoyed having fewer buttons to distract me when trying to raise or lower the volume or answer a call.
The four ear pieces included with the headset also make it extremely comfortable to wear, with sizes that are able to fit pretty much any ear fairly comfortably. The standard earpiece that came attached to the headset was ideal for the shape of my own ears.
Another of the unique and very welcome items included with the headset was a shirt clip to place the headset in when not in use. This made it much easier to keep track of the headset, especially for me, as I am prone to take them on and off of my ear.
Concerns
While overall I was very impressed with this headset, I did find a few faults. One fault is in it’s music playback. The minimalist interface does away with a button for controlling the playback of music. This means that in order to start of stop the playback of music, you have to utilize voice control or pull the iPhone out of your pocket. This, to me, was a significant inconvenience.
The second fault I found was that the on/off switch is fairly fragile. In the course of my testing, the switch fell off of mine, and I had to have the headset replaced. A more sturdy switch, or even a switch with a different design would be welcome improvements in a future development of this headset.
Verdict
I really enjoyed using the SoundID headset. Despite its few faults, such as being slightly awkward when frequently pausing and resuming music playback, it has nevertheless proven itself to be a solid performer all around.
Rating & Conclusion
Rating: 4/5[rating:4]
For it’s uniqueness, design, quality, and ease of use, I award the Sound ID 510 4 out of 5 stars, deducting a point for its mediocre music management and somewhat fragile build.
The Sound ID 510 is available now for $99.99, although it can also be found cheaper on Amazon for $59.99 with free shipping. For more information, or to purchase the SoundID 510 direct from the manufacturer, visit Sound ID on the web.
Pros
- Sound quality
- Includes a shirt clip
- Unique touch-controlled interface
- Works well with its companion iOS app
- Simple, straightforward design
Cons
- Doesn’t work well for pausing or resuming music
- On/off switch is easy to break
