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"excellent headset" on by student420
Pros: sound quality, noise and WIND cancellation, small size
Cons: none so far (well could be cheaper)
Summary: i just bought this headset from a cingular (now AT&T) corporate store yesterday. So far it has been really nice. The small size is awsome, the sound quality is excellent, and it cancels wind noise better than the jawbone! everyone i talk to says i sound good and their incomming sound is good too. great fit too, feels really secure, never falls out either.
Updated
NOBODY CAN HERE ME ON THIS THING. IT WORKED GOOD FOR THE FIRST DAY OR TWO FOR SOME REASON, AND THEN I NOTICED I DOESN'T WORK WORTH A CRAP. DOES NOT WORK AT ALL OUTSIDE, EVEN IF THERE IS JUST A LITTLE BREEZE. INSIDE PEOPLE STILL COULDN'T HEAR ME, I STILL HAD TO CONSTANTLY REPEAT MYSELF. I EVEN EXCHANGED IT TO SEE IF I JUST HAPPENED TO GET A BAD ONE (FROM A CINGULAR CORPORATE STORE) AND IT STILL HAD THE SAME HORRIBLE SOUND QUALITY (MUFFLED AND HOLLOW). THIS HEADSET IS OVERPRICED JUNK, DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. IN THE FUTURE I WILL WAIT AT LEAST A WEEK AFTER I PURCHASE A HEADSET TO REVIEW IT. -
"Very frustrating to use..." on by Innovator58
Pros: small size, sleek and unobtrusive look
Cons: poor fit in the ear, poor sound quality, terrible ergonomics
Summary: I bought the Samsung WEP500 at my local ATT store for $99 (with a $30 mail-in rebate, for a total of $69). I loved the look of the headset, and had high hopes for it's performance. I was looking for something approximating the performance of the Jawbone headset I own, but without the bulk. I should mention that I've gone through about 12 different headsets over the last couple of years, and so far the Jawbone has been the best performing (but least comfortable) unit I've owned (followed closely by the Jabra BT250V - more comfy but less of a performer).
Well, I'm not sure what the good people at CNET saw in the WEP500, but within 4 hours I returned it. It seemed that the DSP functionality was better at screening out my voice than surrounding noise. The center location of the multifunction button virtually guaranteed that I was going to redial my last caller, which I did an embarrassing 6 times! If Samsung could eliminate the "quick touch redial" feature of the multifunction button, it would be a great improvement. Unfortunately they would also have to work on the noise-reductionfunction as well. Keeping it in my ear (regardless of which eargel I used) was the straw that broke this users back.
In summary, as attractive as this unit was, I found it simply impossible to use. -
"Not User Friendly" on by Ikonradio
Pros: Small design
Cons: WONT STAY IN EAR! Horrible location of multi-purpse button!!!
Summary: This is by far the worst bluetooth headset I have purchased. This device will not stay put in your ear for an extended period of time. No matter how you position it, it will slowly slide out. Also, the multi purpose button is in a very bad location. It's located at the very top of the device which is horrible because when you re-position the device, which you will have to do often after it slips out, you WILL touch the button. This often results in accidental hang-ups or redials. I've had this headset for less than a week and I'm already looking for a replacement for it and I paid the full price of $89.99. I wouldn't GIVE this device away. It will be discarded of.
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"The knock-offs are killing this product" on by thechil
Pros: Sleek design, tiny size, call clarity
Cons: Button placement, only average battery life
Summary: I truly believe that many - if not all - of the below average reviews the WEP500 receives are actually based on poorly built replicas from China, and not on the OEM Samsung unit. On a site like cNet, you'll be reading opinions of buyers who purchased from unknown outlets. These opinions, while honest, don't always represent the original product.
Like most folks, I was initially attracted to the headset because it's tiny, affordable, and carries the name of a major manufacturer. To put it briefly, I've been completely satisfied with the unit.
Nearly all of the negative reviews that I read before purchasing the headset cited poor reception, thoughtless button placement, and a lack of functionality in general. I will admit that the multi-function button (it's the portion in the photo that has the telephone headset etched into it) takes some getting used to. The reason is because every time you insert or adjust the unit in your ear, the natural placement of your index finger will be directly on top of the multi-function button. This will inevitably cause a calling error or two, or ten.
However, other than the multi-function button's placement, the unit performs very well. I find both incoming and outgoing voice signals to be good if not great. The only drawback to a conversation with the WEP500 is its tendency to over amplify sounds very near to your body (running faucet, etc). Voice dialing is accurate and reliable.
The battery life for talk time is average but the standby life is excellent.
Like all in-ear headsets, the WEP500 can become uncomfortable if worn for long periods without a properly fitting insert cover.
My only other complaint is with the charging system. The cradle is very small and isn't a problem to carry around since it conveniently doubles as a hard carrying case for the headset. My gripe is with the wall charger that mates with the cradle. Although the unit is a standard 5V - 500mA charger, Samsung neglected to provide the incredibly obvious convenience of a mini USB style charging port on the cradle. Instead, we're stuck with a proprietary plug similar to the first generation Nokia cellphones. With so many high end mobiles, smartphones, and even other headsets making use of this common charge/data port, it seems like a no-brainer to include it on the cradle (effectively eliminating the need to carry extra wall chargers around with me). No such luck.
In conclusion, the WEP500 isn't the best headset to ever grace the earth, but it might be the best looking. Furthermore, it certainly doesn't deserve the technical beating it's taking here on cNet. I honestly believe that half (if not all) of the negative reviews are aimed at cheap clones bought on eBay. This headset works fine! I’ve owned mine for over 6 months now. -
"A product well worth its money" on by Evrain64
Pros: Exceptional sound quality,
Cons: Overly sensitive multifunction button, can be unconfortable for those with small or slick ear channels
Summary: First things first: I regret having waited roughly three months before buying this headset, thanks to the (in my opinion) superficial and outdated user reviews on most sites, most irritatingly even those here on CNET.
What I wanted was an headset with excellent sound quality, DSP and a small form factor, mostly due to my erratic lifestyle and a TERRIBLE experience with an outright crappy headset, namely the H500 from Motorola: at first, I considered the Jawbone, but looking like a Borg wasn't my intention; then the Blueant Z9, but I was dissatisfied with some user reviews from trusted sources and its form factor. At last, after almost picking up a WEP200, I finally bought this lovely gizmo from a local reseller.
First of all, the thing is TINY, and I mean it. My colleagues and friends all commented how discreet and elegant it was, and they were right: moreover, I find its charging cradle perfect to carry it with me without risking to damage it. My ear channel is fairly small, so I had to fumble a bit with the provided rubber covers before just using its default one, which ensures a decent and unexpectedly secure fit at the cost of a slightly muffled incoming sound.
What surprised me the most, though, was its incredible sound quality: I tried to phone a few people without telling them I was on a headset (nor on a mobile phone, for that matter) and all of them commented how my voice was crystal clear, even while driving or in front of an open faucet; ironically, a few times it was their devices that malfunctioned. Auto volume balancing and other exotic features work as advertised, aswell, doing their job and ensuring clear communication in a wide range of situations, even in the middle of a busy emergency room.
Flaws? I can hardly call them such, but there are a few. First of all, the ************ button. Yes, it's placed in an unfortunate position, it's incredibly sensitive, but I really can't understand all the whining: it took me three days only to learn how to handle the WEP500 without triggering a phone call by accident; besides, one can always press it again to terminate it, again making such observations true but rather pointless. Also, the battery can be stretched to as far as 4 hours of talking time, but hardly beyond that point; charging it daily solved the problem for me.
Now, my opening statement was a somewhat annoyed reverie against the reviews I've read so far on this product. That because most of them can either be referred to early adopters (surfing the Web I noticed how units produced in early 2007 were often faulty, sometimes entire stocks - mine was manufactured on February 2008) or people who bough a fake. One user in particular commented how the included earhook (intended as an earloop) broke and the headset kept falling out of his ear. Problem is, the WEP500 isn't shipped with an earhook! Besides, Samsung headsets have spawned an army of cheap chinese clones, I wouldn't be surprised if many unsatisfied customers actually didn't receive a genuine unit.
To sum it up, I strongly recommend this WEP500 to those looking for a headset with the aforementioned features: small, discreet, elegant, excellent sound and noise cancellation, that nice cradle. And for God's sake, don't let outdated or superficial reviews fool you: after using this headset for over two months, I've been unable to find any of the flaws everyone is bragging about. So yes, CNET this time was right with its review (although I would've given it an 6,5/9), but not everyone shops wisely.Updated
A small addendum to my review: first of all, what the asterisks hide is merely the word "multifunction", although I don't know wy it showed up like that. Also, my proposed rating would be 8.5/9 (and no 6.5/9).
About the WEP500' performance: it is absolutely flawless, but beware of your phone: at times, using an old Nokia 6600, the headset wold require repairing due to commands not being recognised anymore; also, twice I had to adjut thevolume due to the interlocutor experiencing echo, and twice I had to recall them due to the headset sending a constant stream of loud static over my voice. Both problems were caused by my failing phone, as I never experienced them again after using it with my HTC TyTN II.
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