I’ve tried “behind-the-neck” headphones before, the idea being that the smarts of the device is around the neck leaving just the earphone itself on and in your ear. But they look strange – once I got over that, these new Sony “h.ear in” wireless were excellent.
The last ones I tried were much bigger and bulky, so when I looked at the Sony behind-the-neck headphones it was clear they were different. The hoop that goes around your neck is no more than 1cm circumference, and it’s so light that you’re certainly not put off by it being there.
In fact, the best thing to do is wear it within your collar or under your shirt – that allows you not to look like you’ve got some hook around your neck when you walk or run.
On one side is the power and volume controls which is actually very useful because while in-line controls are great, sometimes you’re reaching around to find where it is – on the behind-the-neck style the control never moves.
There are two clear advantages to this style of bluetooth headphone over other models on the market.
Firstly, the in-ear headphone is just that, it’s the headphone, its small, light and is really nothing more than the “speaker” technology. On other Bluetooth products you’ve got some of the power, Bluetooth capabilities and other required bits and bobs sitting on or around one of your ears. All that is packed around your neck with these Sonys.
Then there’s the feeling as you walk. It’s quite strange because you can hardly feel them on you – because the cord is attacked with some slack to the bit around your neck, the headphone is sitting snug in your ear without being pulled down on you by the cables. It’s a very comfortable feeling.
Sound quality is excellent as you’d expect from Sony, so overall it’s a real winner.
7.5 hours of playback time on then battery is enough for most uses – perhaps not ideal for the longest of flights though?
There is also a built-in microphone with support for HD Voice if your phone and carrier support it – so hands-free calling on your smartphone is a breeze.
Probably the only negative about them is the price. $299.95 is a big dollar item. Well worth it no doubt, but a big price for wireless headphones that puts you in the range of some of the best headphone brands on the market.
But, if comfort, wireless and quality are what you’re after – the Sony h.ear in Wireless behind-the-neck headphones are well worth a look (MDR-EX750BT)
[schema type=”review” rev_name=”Sony h.ear in Wireless (MDR-EX750BT)” rev_body=”Sony h.ear in Wireless behind-the-neck headphones are well worth a look, offering comfort, quality and design in an emerging market” author=”Trevor Long” pubdate=”2016-06-06″ user_review=”4″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”5″ ]
