LG HBS-250 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

CNET Editors' Rating

3.5 stars
    Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)

Very good

Average User Rating

10 reviews

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LG HBS-250 Stereo Bluetooth Headset
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CNET Editors' Review

CNET Editors' Rating

3.5 stars Very good
    Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
  • Design: 7.0
  • Features: 7.0
  • Performance: 7.0

The good: The LG HBS-250 has a secure fit with good music quality.

The bad: The LG HBS-250 may be a little tight on those with larger ears, and call quality is mixed. Also, the controls are skinny and small.

The bottom line: If you want a lightweight stereo Bluetooth headset for when you're on the go, the LG HBS-250 is a good affordable choice despite its quirks.

Review:

Stereo Bluetooth headsets may not be as popular as their mono cousins, but ever since more cell phones have adopted stereo Bluetooth, they're sure to gain more attention. They're also a good choice for working out at the gym, since you'll have fewer wires that get in your way. The LG HBS-250 is one of a few stereo headsets LG has produced, and indeed we think it's a good option for when you're running on the treadmill or just running for the bus. It retails for a rather pricey $119.95, but you can get ... Expand full review

Stereo Bluetooth headsets may not be as popular as their mono cousins, but ever since more cell phones have adopted stereo Bluetooth, they're sure to gain more attention. They're also a good choice for working out at the gym, since you'll have fewer wires that get in your way. The LG HBS-250 is one of a few stereo headsets LG has produced, and indeed we think it's a good option for when you're running on the treadmill or just running for the bus. It retails for a rather pricey $119.95, but you can get it online for closer to $70.

The LG HBS-250 has the appearance of two tiny hockey pucks attached to each other with a long wire. Of course, the two hockey pucks are actually two on-ear earmuffs. On each earmuff is a thin plastic ear loop that's flexible enough to fit around each ear. When first fitting the earmuff, we felt a little bit of pinching around the outer ear, but once we slipped it on correctly, it felt really secure. Your mileage may vary though, especially if you have large ears. You can also adjust the length of the connecting wire between the earmuffs for additional comfort. The earmuffs are also padded with a soft cushion, so it feels comfortable as well.

All the controls are housed on the right earpiece. The entire front surface presses down, and acts as the Power/Call button. There's also a blue LED indicator on it. Around the side of the earpiece are the volume controls, the charging port, the EQ/Hold button, and the music jog dial. The music jog dial is used to skip through tracks, and you can hold it down to play and pause music. The EQ button is used to toggle through different preset equalizer modes; Normal, Rock, Vocal, Bass, and 3D. When you hold down the EQ/Hold button for 3 seconds, you activate hold mode, which prevents buttons from being activated unintentionally. The Power/Call button is easy to press, but we thought all the other keys felt a little cramped and small. We understand it's to save space, but it still felt a little awkward.

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Average User Rating

3.0 stars out of 10 user reviews

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star: 1
  • 4 star: 5
  • 3 star: 1
  • 2 star: 2
  • 1 star: 1

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Most recent user reviews

Showing 3 of 10 reviews

4.0 stars

"Works great! Much better than my previous set." By

Pros: Audio quality is GREAT. Worked great with my iPhone when I had one, works great now with my Droid X and MBP. Battery life is phenomenal: both the iPhone and Droid die long before it does. Comfortable and unobtrusive on my ears, while still secure.

Cons: Couldn't control iPhone playback from it and Droid X doesn't send tones through it (phone end issues, I think). Giant external button gets pressed easily and can produce annoying results: redialed people a lot on iPhone. Can't use while charging.

Summary: Nice piece of hardware overall. Got it for $25 on Woot. It was ABSOLUTELY worth that much. Doesn't have issues with losing connection to the phone when my body is between them like a lot of other sets seem to.
Overall, it's not the best headset I've ... Expand full review

1.5 stars

"Breaks quickly - no manufacturer warranty" By verkert

Pros: Easy syncing, fair sound quality

Cons: after 3 months of use, the flimsy plastic earpiece broke. The manufacturer blames the user for breaking the earpiece when putting it over their ear. Don't expect the manufacturer to honor the warranty.

Summary: Mediocre quality sound, poor design and materials that will break with intermittent normal usage. If you need to get warranty repairs, be prepared to pay $40-$100 as stated by LG warranty service.

Specifications

See full specs

Quick Specs

  • Headphones Type: Headphones - Binaural
  • Product type: Headset
  • Design: Clip-on

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