Samsung WEP301 Bluetooth Headset - Cheap and Works Well
Written: Nov 05 '08 (Updated Mar 20 '09)
Product Rating:
Pros: Low price, features and performance
Cons: No echo or noise cancellation
The Bottom Line: I recommend this headset, especially if you can get it for low price. It is not as good as my Latte Mocha with noise and echo cancellation...
dkozin's Full Review: Samsung WEP301 Bluetooth Headset
Since Soyo Freestyler 500 that I got for my mother didn't seem to be able to hold the charge and produced pretty mediocre (at best) sound quality, I got her a Samsung WEP301. I already have two Bluetooth headsets: I use Motorola HS815 headset while driving (I generally try not to talk on the phone when driving at all though) and Latte Mocha at home.
The Samsung was about $7 after a rebate and comes from a reputable company, so I decided to give it a try. My mother uses Motorola RAZR V3 cell phone. I also tried this headset with my RAZR2 V8.
What Is Samsung WEP301?
The Samsung WEP301 is a Bluetooth headset for Bluetooth mobile phones or devices. It works up to 10 meters (30 feet) away from the phone with no wires. The headset fits over your ear with a earhook. It comes with three sizes of pads to securely fit in your ear. The pad replacement is very easy.
The talk time is rated at up to 5 hours. The headset ships with a travel charger and a set of "skins" you can apply to its outer surface top customize its appearance (different colors and patterns).
How It Works
After the headset arrived, I charged it using its supplied travel charger. The jack on the headset it of circular design. Why can't all manufacturers standardize on mini-USB or micro-USB? The jack fit is pretty tight and you have to apply quite a bit of force to insert or remove it.
After the headset was charged, the red light on it went off. The light is pretty small and serves for all purposes (lighting blue or red). I paired the device with my mother's phone according to manual. After that, the usage was easy. I mostly rely on voice dialing. Here is how it works (provided you recorded voice names on your phone already).
You push the button on the side of the headset and say the name of the person you are trying to call. The phone recognizes the name and you hear the name repeated in the headset and then the phone dials the number. You push the button on the headset to hang up when you are done.
You use the same button to turn the device on or off, hang up, dial a number or switch it to the pairing mode.
The headset is quite comfortable and does not intrude much into your ear. It also has volume control buttons that are quite effective. At the loudest setting, it is very loud.
Performance
The sound quality is relatively good. I also found that the talk and standby times are impressive and close to the estimates. The range is amazing. I walked away from my phone a couple of times and went to the other room (about 20-25 feet away through the concrete wall) and it was still working.
The charging does not take forever, unlike the Soyo Freestyler 500 my mother had before. The buttons are rather stiff, but overall build quality is excellent.
After 5 months of use, it still works well.
Bottom Line
I recommend this headset, especially if you can get it for low price. It is not as good as my Latte Mocha with noise and echo cancellation, but it gets the job done.
The WEP301 is one of the newest additions to the SAMSUNG Bluetooth family. The WEP301 features a simple yet robust design that compliments any style a...More at SF Planet
Perfect Replacement ear hook for Samsung WEP301 Bluetooth Handsfree Form fitting One size fits all (Bluetooth Headset not included)More at Amazon Marketplace
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