LG HBM-560

The LG HBM-560 is another Bluetooth headset in a long line of recent LG cell phone accessories. It is very similar to the LG HBM-550, except for some minor design differences, and thankfully, it is quite cheap at around $74.99.

With a glossy black front and a compact blocky shape, the LG HBM-560 is quite a stylish headset. Measuring about 0.42 by 1.61 by 0.74 inches, the HBM-560 is compact and lightweight at around 0.4 ounce. On the front of the headset is a multifunction button that feels flush to the surface of the phone, but it is still easy to find by feel, thanks to a slight groove around it. The Power button is on top of the headset, while the volume rocker is on the left spine. All buttons were easy to press, even when worn on the ear.

Unlike the LG HBM-550, the HBM-560 has an actual earpiece on the back of the headset. The earpiece comes with a rubbery earbud cover that feels quite comfortable when fit in the ear. However, the large size of the earpiece doesn't fit completely in the ear, so it feels a little looser than we like. Thankfully there's a flexible plastic ear loop that keeps the headset secure around the ear.

The LG HBM-560 has pretty basic features, like answering, rejecting, and ending calls; voice dial support; call waiting; last-number redial; and the ability to transfer calls from the headset to the phone and from the phone to the headset.

We paired the LG HBM-560 with the RIM BlackBerry Pearl, and the process went very smoothly. Call quality was pretty good in quiet environments, but did not fare so well in crowded areas (like a busy restaurant). It also had quite a bit of interference when there's a lot of wind. Normally however, callers heard us just fine, and vice versa.