Motorola HS820

CNET editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.6 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Kent German
• Edited by:
  William O'Neal
• Reviewed on: 08/26/2005

Though they have the same parents, the Motorola HS820 Bluetooth headset looks nothing like its siblings, the Motorola HS8910 and the Motorola HS850. Instead of having an oval form factor and a silver-and-blue color scheme, it's styled in silver and black and has a long, slender (2.5 inches) shape with an integrated mic. Overall, we weren't pleased with the new look. The color pattern was a bit too severe for our tastes, and we sorely missed the HS8910's and HS850's folding boom mic, which doubled as a power control. Still, the HS820 offered satisfactory performance and a comfortable fit, so if you don't mind the style, it's worth a test drive. Moreover, the $79 price tag is reasonable.

The Motorola HS820 has a traditional over-the-ear fit through a flexible ear loop that can readily be switched for either ear. The headset easily slipped on and off and was so light (0.6 ounces) that we hardly knew we were wearing it. We also appreciated that the earpiece rested against our ear rather than protruding into it.

Controls on the headset were easy to master. A large multifunction button in the center of the HS820 turns it on and off, readies it for pairing, and controls calling functions. Though it was easy to find and press while we wearing the headset, we thought the twin volume buttons on either side were too small. There's also a small blue LED light near the tip of the HS820 that indicates the headset's status; we preferred the larger light on the HS8910 and the HS850.

We tested the Motorola HS820 with the Sony Ericsson S710a, though it will work with most Bluetooth phones. We had no problem pairing the devices and quickly got up and running. Conversations were mostly clear, though volume was somewhat low at times. We experienced diminished sound quality in noisy environments, but nothing particularly bothersome. Though the headset supports voice dialing, we had to speak rather loudly to make it recognize a name. The HS820 promises 6 hours of talk time and a little more than four days of standby time. We got three days of standby time in our tests.

Compare prices for Motorola HS820

MemorySuppliers

$55.00

Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 45 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars Write review

• Showing 3 of 45 user reviews

• 1.0 stars

  "Not worth the Motorola name."

  by HunterAce on September 10, 2009

• 0.5 stars

  "piece of junk"

  by chapchef on July 23, 2009

• 1.0 stars

  "This is the worst product in the universe!!"

  by livid1 on June 11, 2009

• See all 45 user reviews Write review

Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

• alaTest.com

  Editors' rating: 77

  Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 1595 reviews of Motorola HS820 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 74/100 and users 72/100. Comparing these reviews to 135996 other Headphones reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 77/100 = Good.

  Read full review

• pocketnow.com

  Editors' rating: 80

  Summary:     For $80, the Motorola HT820 headphones provide an excellent value. The input jack extends their functionality beyond Bluetooth enabled devices. They are very comfortable to wear and are well built. A booster to amplify the volume when using the ...

  Read full review

• wmexperts.com

  Editors' rating: 100

  Summary: The HT820 comes packaged with a soft pouch, audio cable, and charger. The headphones are the "over the back of the head" style. The earpieces are large, solidly built while the frame is lightweight. The frames flexibility makes the headphones feel a ...

  Read full review

• phonearena.com

  Read full review

• goodgearguide.com.au

  Editors' rating: 70

  Summary: For anyone wanting a basic set of wireless headphones these will do the job nicely.

  Read full review