Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-804 Review

I am sure, like me, you have always been told to never judge a book by its cover, or in this case never judge a Bluetooth headset by its box. Well the later statement would be extremely difficult given the fantastically creative packaging for Nokia’s smallest ever headset – the BH-804. Packaging which will have gadget fans gleaming and environmentalists screaming.

The Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-804

If you have not yet experienced the wonderful treasure chest of goodness otherwise known as the packaging yet let me direct you to Matt’s recent unboxing video.

What’s in the box?

Nokia BH-804 Headset
Lanyard carrying strap
Additional rubber earpiece covers (x2)
Ear loop
Mains charger (micro USB connection)
Adaptor cap (to connect mains charger to the headset)
Desktop charging stand

Nokia BH-804 Specification:

Dimensions: 42 x 13.6 x 6 mm
Weight: 7.2g
Operating keys: Answer/end/power
microUSB charging connector
Operating range (maximum): 10 m
Operating time (maximum): 4 h
Standby time (maximum): 150 h
Charging time (maximum): 1 h
Compatible Nokia chargers: Nokia Travel Charger AC-6/DC-6
Bluetooth 2.0 specification with EDR
Hands-Free (HFP) Profile 1.5 and Headset (HSP) Profile 1.1

The headset.

The headset comes in at 42 x 13.6 x 6 mm and just over 7g so not only is it the smallest but also one of the lightest I have ever seen.

Personally I have never really been a fan of Bluetooth headsets. I can just about see their purpose but the thought of having a small tusk like item sticking out of my ear all the time is not an idea that has been particularly appealing. But, I have to say even I couldn’t help but be impressed by the BH-804, it is sleek, stylish, and surprisingly comfortable.

The idea behind the size of the device is to give the wearer the impression that they are not wearing a headset at all and just enhance the experience of wearing one. For that reason it does come just as it is with no over ear loop attached. However, even after switching the different sized earphone covers around I still found myself reaching for the comfort and security of the bundled over ear loop.

But, to take the grand total of good old fashioned clichés in this review to two. ‘beauty is only skin deep’. However, I am pleased to announce that the BH-804 does not disappoint on substance. Sound quality is fantastic and although I have limited experience of Bluetooth headsets I have sampled a few in the past, none of which compare quality-wise to the BH-804. This increased sound quality I imagine is largely due to the enhanced audio quality with digital signal processing (DSP) which is used for background noise cancelation which, I have to say although it is not as effective as being locked in a chamber of silence it does do the job cutting out the most obvious and somewhat distracting sounds of the world. I experienced little to no muffling and clarity was excellent with no need to sound like a broken record demanding everything be repeated through miscommunication.

The device is simple to use with just two buttons to get your head around and connecting the headset to your Bluetooth enabled mobile device is as simple as well connecting a Bluetooth headset to a Bluetooth enabled device in other words ‘simple’.

The device comes with a claim of 150 hours standby and around 4 hours talk time which is more than acceptable and should leave with few problems. As for charging the device, this is handled via micro USB either through the simple USB charger or via the included desk dock and Nokia claim just 1 hours charge should be sufficient to fulfil the above stated battery life.

The Nokia BH-804 headset – docked

Conclusion

Overall, the Nokia BH-804 is an extremely accomplished item. It is sleek, sexy and stylish, and although Bluetooth headsets are very much something you either love or hate, if you are in the love bracket, the BH-804 is certainly worth a look to give you that polished look of sophistication on the move.

Reviewed by: Nick