• SH440 Bluetooth Wireless Headset
• Manufacturer: SouthWing
• Vender: at&t
• Price: $49.00
• Reviewer: badersk (aximsite/mobilitysite)
• Rating: 3/5

Overview

Southwing’s latest offering through at&t with some interesting and useful features in a compact and comfortable (at least to this reviewer) unit. It comes nicely packaged with changeable trim plates, dedicated charger (you know you need one more) and can be worn with or without an ear loop. It also comes with a holder that you can attach to a button hole to carry the headset when not in use (if it is used without the loop) or you can clip to your clothes.

Pairing: After the initial charge the unit is easy to pair. The first time you turn it on it automatically goes into pairing mode and all you have to do is initialize pairing on your phone or pda and type in the default pass code and you are finished. If you want to pair it with another device you simply scroll through the voice menu with the volume up and down buttons to pairing, press the on/off button and pair it with your device. It will pair with multiple devices but as with all Bluetooth devices, it can only be used with one at a time.

Use: The unit is easy to use and has a better working range (distance) then my Logitech Mobile traveler headset that I have been using. By pressing the On/Off button you can answer and end calls, the volume buttons are on the sides of the unit to adjust you simply hold down on the + or -, they also act as scroll buttons for the voice menu. You can store 4 favorite numbers and access them through the voice menu as well as access at&t’s voice services and pairing. It also works with Microsoft’s voice command.

The sound quality when tested with my Cingular 8125 was nothing stellar but I would consider it ok for an inexpensive unit. However, for me, the volume is not high enough for me to hear well when there is any background noise. In its defense though, I suffer from some hearing loss in the upper frequencies and need more volume than most people. It is the same with the microphone, if there is no background noise the person on the other end can hear you fine but my wife complains that she can’t hear me if I am in the car or outside near the interstate. I do not have this issue with my Logitech unit.

As for comfort I find that I can wear this unit with or without the ear loop for as long as need to. I used it without the loop most of the time because while larger than some of the other inexpensive headsets the loop does not fit my ears very well, they are a little large, and it holds the speaker up too high. Without the loop I find it will fall out occasionally if you tilt your head. Otherwise it is quite comfortable either way. This is not the case with my Logitech mobile traveler, my ear will be sore before the end of my 15mile ride home

Battery Life: In this area the SH440 does really well. On a full charge it claims that you can get 8hrs of talk time. I believe that it will come real close. I know that I have gotten 3days and at least 6 hours of talk time. Each time you turn it on it announces the battery life remaining on the unit, it also lets you know when the battery life is down to an hour, 30 minutes and 15 minutes.

Final thoughts: All in all even with its faults I like the SH440. It is comfortable easy to use and if you are an at&t customer it has some special features that are very useful especially for those who make use of their *8 voice features. While sound quality is not stellar, when compared to my other headset, for me, the comfort and ease of use make up for it. If you’re looking for an inexpensive Bluetooth headset with lots of features you might want to look into the SouthWing SH440. If sound quality and noise reduction are what you are looking for, you should look for something else.

Pros:

• Ease of use
• Small and light
• Can wear with or without an ear loop
• Interactive Voice menu
• Works with at&t’s *8 voice services
• Good range and battery life.

Cons:

• Low volume
• Less than stellar sound quality
• No noise reduction.

Thanks to Southwing for providing an evaluation unit.