Bluetooth Source

CNET gives the Plantronics 855 Bluetooth headset a very good score in their recent review. The Plantronics 855 functions as both a regular mono headset and as a stereo headset by attaching an earbud cable. The reviewer liked the stereo option because of its added functionality, though the small controls and sliding microphone boom were a bit of a concern. Overall, the Plantronics 855 received a 8 out of 10 in this review.

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Seeing a picture of the new Plantronics Voyager 855 may make you look twice. The new Bluetooth headset doubles as a pair of stereo Bluetooth headphones. It uses a detachable cord with an earbud on the other end to give you A2DP compatible Bluetooth headphones. It is a very unique design, and I can definitely see a market out there for the Plantronics Voyager 855.

Product page [ via Engadget ]

Evergreen’s EG-BT1390 is about as simple as you can get if you want to stream music wirelessly to your stereo system. Just plug in the Bluetooth adapter to wall power and the other end into your stereo and you are set to go. Simple, and a bit on the expensive side at $122.

Link [ via Akihabara ]

Parrot has unveiled a set of wireless Bluetooth speakers that will stream your music from any A2DP source. The Parrot DS1120 packs a total of 30W RMS power into the speakers, each equipped with a Class-D digital amplifier.

For added flexibility, the Parrot DS1120 allows you to connect audio sources via RCA cable. Further, Parrot has even included a Bluetooth 2.0 USB dongle if your computer does not already support Bluetooth.

Look for the Parrot DS1120 in October for about $280 US.

[ via Engadget ]

Parrot’s DS3120 Bluetooth stereo system has just been announced. It features an SD card slot, line-in, and FM radio. Also featured is a 1.8″ TFT screen for music details and phone information. The Parrot DS3120 has a built-in battery for up to 10 hours of battery life for complete portability.

Stream music from any Bluetooth enabled device or use the Parrot DS3120 as a Bluetooth speakerphone with its built-in microphone. It even has noise-canceling capabilities for optimal call quality.

The Parrot DS3120 will be available in October for about $240 US.

[ via Engadget ]

The BH-903 stereo Bluetooth headset is the latest from Nokia. It features a massive 15 hours of talk or music time, and supports a number of profiles including A2DP, AVRCP, PBAP, HFP and HSP profiles. You can use the built-in OLED display for call management and music controls, when supported by your device. The Nokia BH-903 will cost you a pretty penny (about $270 US) and will be available later this year.

PC Magazine has the scoop on a new lossless audio codec that could soon be coming to an A2DP Bluetooth headset near you. Currently, Bluetooth A2DP headsets have to reencode the audio signal first to PCM and then to the current codec, called the Subband Codec (SBC). The SBC codec, like MP3 files, is also lossy. This means that audio information is lost already, and reencoding to yet another lossy codec means even more audio is lost.

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Three new headsets from Nokia, the BH-803, BH-604, and BH-602, were recently announced. The Nokia BH-604 is a stereo headset with media controls for your Bluetooth media player. The Nokia BH-803 and BH-602 are regular headsets for making and receiving calls. You can expect to see these headsets in the Fall of this year. Read on for the specifics. (more…)

Philips has announced two new stereo systems that are iPod docks and also capable of streaming audio via Bluetooth. The BTM628 features a modular design and plays MP3 or WMA CDs. The BTM630 is one solid speaker dock and can also play songs stored on SD cards. Both speakers can also act as a full duplex speakerphone and will display the caller ID of the person who is calling you.

The Philips BTM628 will be available this September, while the Philips BTM630 will be available as early as August. Both speakers will be priced at $199.

[ via Gizmodo ]

Keep an eye out for a new stereo Bluetooth headset from Ubixon in their Lubix series. The new headset will sport a Qualcomm MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) display that does not use a back-light lamp and yet still remains highly contrasted indoors and outdoors.

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