WEP300 headset
Thanks to the guys at Samsung, a great deal (to be more exact: two small bags) of accessories have arrived in our office. As a first subject, I have taken out the WEP300 headset from the pack. The device is a Bluetooth 2.0 headset with basic functions and with an “impressive design”. I can still remember the times when headsets were really huge. This one’s really small; it doesn’t need anything extra to keep it in our ear.
The only things inside the box, besides the headset itself, were the small charger and the user manual, which might not be translated in our language, but we don’t really need it if we know the device’s factory default pairing code for Bluetooth (0000). I would have been really happy in case a replacement “head” had been included, thus extending the device’s lifetime. The headset has a really modern exterior. It has a longish shape, but it’s still not longer than our ear and its silver color will probably be a positive for the ladies. It has a volume control and multifunctional button, which can accept/reject calls, activate voice commands or redial the last number. There is a LED which signals connection, but it’s not too bright, blinks very discretely and is placed on the part facing our ear, so we don’t have to be afraid of being looked at like a UFO and furthermore this LED signal can be turned of if not needed.
Its usage is worth mentioning. It stood confidently in my ear from the moment I put it in and I never felt that it could fall out. Unfortunately it filters out all external sounds, but this is the very reason why it sounds great, one can hear the voice of the person he is talking to loud and clear, even in the greatest noise. I can say about the microphone that it’s clearly audible that we are talking on a handsfree/headset, but still its quality is not at all different from other mid-category models. Officially, the WEP300 has 5 hours of talk time. I really can’t belie that, as it didn’t need any charging after 2 days of use and about 3-4 hours of talking.
WEP500 headset
The bigger brother has also made it to the package near the WEP300, and I was really happy about that. This little gadget has made absolutely positive impressions on me, and this is really something as I am quite against phoning with headsets, although I would really need to buy one of these things, as it’s quite embarrassing to always keep an eye on policemen when driving and, moreover, it’s dangerous too (of course I would never do such a thing, but I heard of someone who has once seen it). So, I would hereby signal the competent people that it would be high time writing a “strain” test about it (My colleague tries to suggest Samsung to give him the device for free… - Bog)
Let’s see what the thing that impressed me this much was. The box contained the headset, the charger, some spare rubber rings for the ear-part and a 2 in 1 docking house and support. This latter one might be the greatest thing of them all. We can charge the headset with this and store it inside it too. It might be a funny cliché, but this way we surely won’t keep losing it. I am a fan of docking houses in case of phones too, but I have never seen such a solution in case of headsets, so it really took me by surprise. The docking house is also good for storing the headset in it, upon disconnecting the charger, so we can make sure that nothing will hurt the little precious when carrying it in a pocket or a suitcase. It’s an A+ idea.
As for its exterior, the WEP500 resembles a discus, its functions are exactly the same as its brother’s we mentioned earlier, but in means of quality this headset represents something much better. I used it quite a lot and no one did ever observe that I am talking on a headset, since it filtered out external noises extremely well and, furthermore, I heard my conversation partner much better. According to the manufacturer it offers 3.5 hours of talk time and 80 hours of standby time with one charge, but I didn’t manage to test any of these values, as the headset rested in its cradle at evenings and thus it was charged and ready every morning. In any case, if we would have a “must have” award I would be sure to give it to this device.
Desktop speakers
Well, practically one of the bags was filled with three pairs of speakers. I will present these in one section, as they aren’t many differences between them, since they all have the same performance, that is they have can output a groundbreaking 1 W, but this proved to be more than enough for listening to music/radio at the office. I couldn’t really imagine any other use for them, as for a more serious volume one would need active speakers. These three models have all reminded me of the old-timer “walkman speakers” from Chinese markets.
ASP600
The only decisive quality fro them was their design, as they price too is almost the same. As I got to know from the manufacturer, these speakers were made for different phone series (I wasn’t that profound to ask which goes with which series), as Samsung thinks of such details too. It’s sure that they have their place near the palette of thousands of devices.
ASP700
So let’s see the design of the three models, in a style remembering of fashion-shows:
- ASP600: Somewhat rounded shape, it’s frontal part is completely covered with a protective metal “web”. Exactly as if it was from the 70’s.
- ASP700: Clear circle shape, just like the air inlets of Toyota Aygo. An alloy of the fashionable iPod color and stylish black. Highly recommended for fashion-crazy women.
- ASP800: The real retro. Almost cube speakers with a bit misprinted Samsung labels on their top parts. I had something just like these in the early 90’s, only that those had Sonny printed on them. (Or was that Suny?)
ASP800
HKT400 Speaker phone
I don’t’ really like handsfree car kits for many reasons. On one hand they can be uncomfortable if we’re not travelling alone in the car and someone else also hears the conversation. On the other hand if they are not built in to the vehicle (thus placing the microphones and speakers to an ideal place) we won’t have good sound quality.
Unfortunately the HKT400 is also from the “non-built-in” category, installing the device only involves plugging it into the cigarette lighter and off we go chatting. The speaker has only three buttons, so it’s easy to handle: with those on its side we can alter the volume, while we can use the button on its front to accept/reject calls.
A few words about the experiences. As some of you might not know, I’m lurking on the capital’s streets with a Toyota Yaris, which has its lighter behind the gearshift, in the lower part. Given this situation I had some problems. Although everything was okay with the speaker, as it was loud enough that I heard every little hiss from the one I was talking with, but the microphone didn’t prove to be as sensitive. My greatest problem was, however, that my lighter being taken, I had nowhere to plug my GPS and phone into. As for me I would still choose the built-in type, but for vehicles where the lighter isn’t in such a cover, this speaker will perform much better.
Polacheck
Translated by Szaszati
The accessories were provided by Samsung.
