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There’s nothing worse than yanking your laptop off the table as you stand up or pulling the headphones right out of your ears when they get caught on something. Mobility has become a major focus for everyone, and bluetooth technology has been at the center of it, many devices and products having some sort of wireless alternative. The Motorola S10-HD is one such product, an “entry level” bluetooth headset for any consumer interested in wireless technology.
The S10-HD is an in ear, bluetooth headset designed for mobility and being on the go. They are designed to be sweat proof, which is more than useful to anyone who runs consistently. And if you just so happen to run long distance and need headphones with a good amount of battery life, the S10-HD’s have a listed, and verified, 8 hours of continuous play time. I’ve gone entire days, using these headphones on and off, without having to plug them in for a recharge (which is great for lazy student me.)
These headphones have great wireless range. At the listed 33 feet, you can leave them on a table while moving about your day, or working out. The in ear buds even manage to cancel out some of the ambient noise, further enriching your music listening experience.
One qualm I have with the S10-HD’s is that they appear flimsy. The plastic frame that makes up most of the headset really doesn’t lend much to the “apparent durability” and can make them seem a bit cheap. However, they are flexible, which is useful for wrapping around all sorts of head shapes. They can bend and twist a good amount before even showing any visible signs of strain. Plus, if it were any other more (apparently) durable material, I’m sure the weight would be even more than it is.
The S10-HD’s weigh about 43 grams, which puts them right into the range between comfortable and noticeable. For short periods of time, short being at most an hour, they’re great to wear. After that, they start to become noticeable and may begin to irritate your ears and lower temples. There are two rubbery pads right around the area where it would start hurting, which definitely help make it more comfortable.
Unfortunately, here the S10-HD’s quality comes into question. The right pad for me has started peeling off, the sticky strip beneath the pad losing it’s most important quality, stickiness. The pad now peels off and moves out of its groove whenever I slide the headphones onto my head or adjust them. Then it’s instantly uncomfortable, the plastic groove pressing against my skin constantly and firmly. It’s fortunately not too hard to temporarily fix, just needing a slight nudge to set it back into position. Thankfully, the other side is still intact, and I hope it stays that way.
The earbuds are removable and replaceable, a small bag that ships with the headphones filled with an assortment of differently shaped and sized rubber buds for swapping and replacing the default ones. I personally found that the headset fit me better after I played around with different earbud combinations.
On the sides of each earbud there are three buttons, allowing for control of various phone and music related tasks. The right side has: play/pause, next track, and previous track. The left side has: volume up, volume down, and accept call button. One thing to not however, is that the volume buttons don’t control the iPod’s volume, but instead control the headphone’s volume. While it can be annoying at first, it does lend to finer volume control, which I personally find useful since I tend to listen to music at lower volumes.
I rarely find myself using those buttons though, finding them a bit difficult and cumbersome to press. I generally find it necessary to wrap a finger around the headset itself to press the button. If that isn’t done, I either push the earbud into my ear or the hard plastic against my head, which can get uncomfortable. It’s not a major inconvenience, I just find the awkwardness detracts from my willingness to use the accessible buttons. The power button in the back is also a bit wonky, taking a good amount of force and time to power on.
For all they offer, despite the minor flaws, these headphones are wonderful, especially considering the price tag of approximately 45 USD. They’re great for anyone on a budget wanting or needing a decent set of bluetooth headphones but not willing or able to shell larger sums of money. Overall, I’ve enjoyed my pair of Motorola S10-HD’s and all the convenience it brings.
