Sony Ericsson HBH-PV740 Bluetooth headset

A Sony Ericsson HBH-PV715 Bluetooth headset with a monochrome display and a desktop charging stand

Good Gear Guide

A slight upgrade to the cheaper Sony Ericsson HBH-PV715 Bluetooth headset, the HBH-PV740 adds a small monochrome display and includes a stylish desktop charging stand in the sales package.

Pros

  • Nice design, monochrome display, desktop charging stand included

Cons

  • Incoming audio could be improved, a little expensive

Bottom Line

The Sony Ericsson HBH-PV740 Bluetooth headset certainly looks the part and the monochrome display is handy, but we expected better call quality at this price.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 189.00 (AUD)

The Sony Ericsson HBH-PV740 looks almost identical to the HBH-PV715 Bluetooth headset, with the exception of a small monochrome display, chrome edging and silver buttons. It also has a brushed metal finish on the front, though this doesn't really stand out. Once again, the style is very minimalist (which is ideal considering the stigma often associated with wearing a Bluetooth headset).

The ear-bud design of the Sony Ericsson HBH-PV740 Bluetooth headset means it can be worn without an ear hook, though there are two different sized clip-on hooks in the sales package. Although the rubber edge around the ear bud is designed to soften its feel against your skin, it is still quite firm — comfort can be an issue during long conversations. We found the Sony Ericsson HBH-PV740 nearly impossible to secure without an ear hook due to its size, so it's best to use one of the ear hooks. Conveniently, this Bluetooth headset can be worn on either ear.

A key feature of the Sony Ericsson HBH-PV740 Bluetooth headset is the small monochrome display. The screen shows battery life as well as an indicator when the headset is in pairing mode, but it's almost impossible to see in dim light, as there is no backlight. This shouldn’t be too much of an issue though, as the screen can't be seen when the headset is worn. It's useful while pairing the device or when you want to quickly check the remaining battery life.

The Sony Ericsson HBH-PV740 Bluetooth headset only has three buttons: a small power button on the back, a call-handling button on the front and side volume controls. Pairing the headset is easy: it automatically enters pairing mode when you switch it on for the first time and remembers the pairing each time it is switched on.

Call quality is not outstanding. We were expecting better quality than the less expensive HBH-PV715 Bluetooth headset, but the voice quality is almost identical, despite the $70 price increase. That’s not to say it is bad — outgoing audio is good and our callers didn't complain — but incoming audio is slightly less appealing, as volume tended to fluctuate. This is despite Sony Ericsson claiming the HBH-PV740 Bluetooth headset has automatic volume adjustment.

In addition to regular call-handling functions, the Sony Ericsson HBH-PV740 allows you to redial the last called number, transfer the sound from the headset to your phone and vice versa, and activate voice dialling — provided this feature is supported on your phone. For charging, a sleek, gloss desktop charging stand is included in the sales package.

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