Windows Phone Thoughts: A Fresh Catch: Bluetake's BT400 G5 Bluetooth Headset on the Platter

Figure 3: The BT400 G5 Bluetooth headset - (1) ear hook; (2) microphone; (3) swivel point; (4) speaker.

Turning the headset over (Figure 3) reveals the ear hook (#1 of Figures 2 and 3) attached to a swivel point (#3 of Figure 3). The swivel point can rotate around roughly 360°, while the hook itself can rotate 180° within the swivel point - both rotational movements effectively allow you to mount the headset on either ear and in an orientation of your choice. Rotating the hook within the swivel point does require a bit of force and it clicks every 90°. When I first tried it, I thought it broke, but I soon realised that this was just part of the headset's design. Phew!

As you mount the headset on your ear, the plastic speaker (#4 of Figure 3) sits at the entry of your external ear canal. It's very different to most other headsets, which tend to use either a gel insert or a padded foam cover. From a comfort and practicality perspective, it has an upside and downside. Starting with the upside, I found that it wasn't too invasive. While wearing it, I could still hear my surroundings from both ears. Yet (the downside), the unique modelling of the speaker made it hard to fit in the ear. There were times when it felt loose, and as I shook my head, the headset was flapping about my ear and on the brink of falling off. Well, perhaps it's simply due to the shape of my ears, which I doubt because they are actually normal - honestly! Either way, I had to resort to orienting the headset to be perfectly horizontal before it would stay secure.

The microphone (#2 of Figure 3) is located at the tip of the headset. It isn't of the noise-cancelling variety, but it still performs rather well. More on that later.

Here is an overview of the headset's specifications:

• Radio: 2.4GHz - 2.480GHz (Carrier Frequency);
  
• Coverage: Bluetooth 1.2 - Class 2 / 5 to 10 metres in open space;
  
• Spread Spectrum: FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum);
  
• Supported Profiles: HFP (Hands-Free Profile) / HSP (Headset Profile);
  
• Power Input: 5V / 200mA - 500mA;
  
• Power Rating: 5mW - 10mW;
  
• Battery: 3.7V / 120mA / Li-Polymer / Rechargeable;
  
• Speaker: 13mm / 300Hz - 3.4KHz / 112dB ± 3dB @ 1KHz (SPL - Sound Pressure Level) / 5% (THD - Total Harmonic Distortion);
  
• Dimensions: 82mm x 53mm x 24mm;
  
• Weight: 20g.

While the headset isn't the smallest or lightest on the market, it is comfortably-sized and doesn't weigh down the ear.