REVIEW: Sound ID 300 Bluetooth Headset

I couldn’t wait to try the Sound ID 300 Bluetooth headset after I found out that the Sound ID company was established by a noted ear doctor who wanted to create a better Bluetooth product by using his knowledge of how the human ear processes sound. Founder, Dr. Rodney Perkins was able to gather top scientists and engineers to create a new type of wireless headset which would not only improve speech precision in noisy listening environments, but would also mimic the ears own sound processing ability.  My first thought given this information was that this was going to be the best headset I ever used, however, even though it turned out not to be the best, I was not at all disappointed; personally, I liked using it. 

What comes in the in the box is the Sound ID 300 Bluetooth headset, micro-USB charging cable, AC charger adapter (charging cable can be used to charge headset via computer or by using the AC adapter), rubber ear buds in 3 different sizes, 1 ear hook, and quick start guide/user manual.

The headset is glossy black and measures 2.1 inches long by 0.6 inch wide by 0.3 inch thick and weighs about 8 grams.  There is a thin multifunction button on the top which is used to turn on/off the headset, answer/end calls, last number redial, answer call waiting and swap calls.  On the side there is a small volume control button where continuously pressing it will toggle through multiple sound levels.  Simultaneously pressing the multifunction and the volume buttons will mute/un-mute calls, reject calls and utilize the voice dial feature if you phone supports it.  On the front, behind the black plastic, lies an LED, which will turn red or green to indicate battery status or blink red and green to let you know headset is in pairing mode.  Pairing was simple, my phone picked up the 300 with no difficulty.

On the back of the 300 there is an L and R marking and depending upon how the ear tip hole is turned will determine which ear, right or left, the bud is positioned for.  It is very easy to rotate the ear bud so that it sits perfectly and if you worry that the ear bud may come of, there is a nifty loop attached that will slide into the folds of your ear for a better fit.  Additionally, if you prefer even more stability, you can snap on the ear hook.

Usually my ears don’t work well with ear buds, they don’t feel secure and usually fall out with the slightest turn of my head; however I found these ear buds to fit great.  They were extremely comfortable and no matter how much I moved my head, the headset remained perfectly positioned.  Although I didn’t need the additional ear hook, I tried it anyway and I found it to be comfortable as well.

If you find that all of the ear buds and hook doesn’t fit either of your ears properly, the Sound ID website has a link where you can find audiologist in your area that would take an impression of your ear which would be sent out to a lab so that a custom ear bud can be made for you. I found to be a little over the top, and even though my ears are difficult, I wouldn’t see myself even toying with this notion especially given the fact that it will cost $65.00 to do this.

The Sound ID 300 has many features that make this headset very good. The optional NoiseNavigation feature when active ensures that both you and your caller can be heard well.  Noise cancellation along dual microphones helps to isolate speech and eliminate unwanted noise, and advanced DSP (digital signal processing) is used to reduce wind and background noise.

Besides controlling the volume manually, the 300 will adjust the volume control automatically as well.   Additionally, the 300 is equipped with a unique feature called “PersonalSound,” where continuously pressing and holding the volume control button for 2 seconds will select one of three enhanced listening levels which will change the voice heard and environment noise to better suit your hearing preference without raising the volume.  A series of audio beeps will be heard and will specify the level you are listening to.  One beep indicates the normal level, two beeps indicate the moderate level and three beeps indicate the strong listening level. Overall I preferred the normal and moderate listening levels, they sounded much more normal as compared to the strong level, where I found the voices started to sound a bit metallic and computerized.

Utilizing the automatic volume control, PersonalSound and NoiseNavigation features, I was able to achieve very good sound quality whether I was inside a quiet building, outside on a busy street or if I was driving with the windows closed or opened; the noise cancellation in my opinion was truly superb especially when I turned off the NoiseNavigation feature; the background noise became extremely noticeable.  My callers however had mixed opinions regardless how I set up the headset. For the most part, they said I sounded good however few thought that the quality was just okay and mentioned that I sometimes sounded as if I was in a tunnel or underwater.

The talk time of the 300 is up to 6 hours and up to 220 hours (9 days) of standby time; both I feel is good.  It will also take about 2.5 hours to fully charge the unit.   

Bottom Line:  I found the Sound ID 300 to be stylish and extremely comfortable.  The sound that I heard was really good and for the most part my callers thought the sound at their end was good as well.  Pairing was easy and talk time was acceptable.