Review: Motorola MOTOROKR S305 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones 23
The MOTOROKR S305 Stereo Bluetooth Headset sports sleek looks and a low price, but audio quality is lacking. Wrapped around my head you’ll find the Motorola MOTOROKR S305 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones, and you won’t see any wires connecting them to my Pre. Huzzah! They’ve got a relatively secure fit and a minimalist design that artfully hides the fact that there’s a battery and all sorts of transmitters and receivers inside to make it work. For bluetooth headphones they’re relatively inexpensive, but that becomes evident when you realize that the S305 disappoints in the most important area: audio quality.
Audio Quality
I don’t know whether to blame it on the bluetooth connection or the Pre’s audio processing capabilities or some combination of those and digital cobwebs, but listening to music through the S305 was an experience of static-filled quiet, distorted louds, and muddy bass.
I’ll be honest, I’m a bit of an audio snob and have a very hard time picking out headphones that measure up to my ridiculous standards and yet don’t break the bank. And at just $50 in the PreCentral Store, the S305s won’t break the bank, but they also simply don’t measure up for me. That said, most of the time you’ll be using headphones its to listen to your music and drown out the outside world, so static and slightly distorted loud points won’t likely stand-out in your listening. If you aren't an audio snob, they might do just fine for you.
Thankfully, the human voice generally isn’t overly high- or low-pitched (unless you happen to be talking to Fran Drescher or James Earl Jones) and most people tend to talk louder than is necessary when using the phone, so you won’t have to worry too much about them being overwhelmed by static or simply turning out muddy. That said, the voice quality isn’t fantastic, it’s simply good enough. The same couldn’t be said for the caller on the other end of the line - often times my voice was reported as sounding distant or metallic. Seeing as I’m not a proper cyborg (yet), sounding metallic isn’t exactly in my laranyx.
Controls
And that’s where the price point and convenience of the S305 comes in – for not much more than comparable name-brand wired headphones you get the convenience of leaving your Pre stowed away while still hearing your tunes and having control over those tunes. The magic of A2DP is its counterpart AVRCP, which means there is also a link back to the phone to control the music with play/pause, forward, and back controls. The volume can be adjusted on both the Pre and the headset, which sports fairly large volume rockers.
Unfortunately, you’re going to have to memorize which switches are where, as the minimalist design of these headphones results in tiny raised labels that I simply could not discern by mere touch. The phone, play/pause, forward, and back buttons are located ninety degrees apart on the cap over the right speaker, which ends up getting pushed against your head if you try to just push one of the buttons instead of grabbing the headphones with your thumb and middle finger and pushing the button with your index.
Comfort
For my head at least the S305 is not the most comfortable set of headphones I’ve ever worn. After about an hour the hard plastic wrap-around band was pushing down on the back of my ears in a manner that was starting to become marginally painful. The hard plastic band has a plus, however, it holds the headphones quite securely to your head even in moderately jostling activities. Even during a two mile run I never had any fear of the headphones slipping off. As mentioned above, controlling any of the A2DP controls is not a single-finger affair, unless you like pushing the speaker against your ear. Nothing about the S305 is adjustable - they are exactly what you get.
As with any cans, the longer you wear them, the hotter your ears are going to get simply for lack of ventilation; though there doesn’t seem to be any excess heat generated from the constant wireless transmitting and battery drain.
Style
Those tiny controls have an advantage: they don’t stand out (physically and visually). If it weren’t for the lack of wires, it’d be hard to dismiss the S305 headphones as nothing but a set of standard (though slightly chunky) headphones. The street-style around-the-back design is very much in vogue these days and the band on the S305 is suitably large enough to accommodate larger heads and hairstyles with minimum fuss.
In the Box
There’s not much apart from the headphones in the box here. With your purchase you get a tiny manual, a tiny safety packet (don’t listen to music too loudly, don’t swim with electronics, don’t put the cat in the toaster, etc), and a charger. That charger, however, is a miraculous little thing, as it is Micro USB. As in the same Micro USB that the Pre uses to charge, and I can confirm that the chargers for the S305 and Pre are interchangeable, so there’s one fewer thing to lug around.
Conclusion
The Motorola MOTOROKR S305 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones have a moderately comfortable design and are designed with minimalist aesthetics. The sound quality isn’t as great as it could be, but as they say, you get what you pay for. For exercise or headphones for a day out on the city streets, the sound quality will be more than adequate and the convenience of wireless music simply can’t be beat.
The Motorola MOTOROKR S305 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones are available in the PreCentral store for $49.95, a 17% savings off the list price of $59.95.
Pros
Wireless music!Cons
Non-tactile buttons
23 Comments
I strongly disagree with your review. I have two sets of the s305 and I think the audio is great. http://blog.photoframd.com/?p=1326
You probably did not boost the audio output on the PRE. That would explain why you are experiencing static-filled quiet. The Pre will automatically reduce the audio level when you first sync the Pre to the S305. This happened with both of my headsets. You need to increase the output level and then the sound is great. You can even hook them up to a HI-DEF TV using a bluetooth transmitter: http://blog.photoframd.com/?p=1452
I agree with photoframd. I love these headphones. Once you have the audio output on the PRE on full blast, then you control volume from the headset and it sounds great. I'm very close to buying a second pair so while one is recharging, I can be listening to the other.
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haha. i bought these to wear with my PRE a couple of months ago. I use them to listen to Pandora every morning at the gym and I too think they are awesome. Audio is solid and they are pretty comfortable. They are pretty cheap as far as earphones go and I highly recommend them, especially if you have a PRE and want to rock out with Pandora!!!!
I have the S305 as well and I agree with your review. I have no complaints about the audio volume, its quite loud. But every now and then the audio goes out for just a bit as if it loses connection with my Pre and when answering calls people always have a hard time making out what I'm saying. Calls break up often especially when outside. I like them because I commute to work on a bicycle and being able to listen to and control my music without wires is a big plus. So I'll be keeping them until I find something better. And there most certainly will be something better. But hey, it was fifty bucks, what can I say?
I've had these for two months now and I love them.
I pair them with my Pre, my laptop at home, a cheap dongle I purchased to hook up to my stereo so I could play videogames without annoying my wife.
The Audio quality is great for the price and I've never had a problem with comfort at all.
They are easily the most comfortable headphones I've used, wireless or otherwise.
Yeah, I have these as well and they just work. I use them while jogging so I can listen to pandora on the run. Like I said, they just work and the ability to take a call on the run is simply a bonus.
I'm so thankful for this review and its honesty. I'm an audio snob myself and have yet to find a decent sounding pair of Bluetooth headphones. I guess the technology is not quite there yet (maybe BT 3.0?). I'm not sure but it sounds like the audio is being compressed before being sent to the headset, so MP3 audio, which is already compressed, sounds low quality.
Wow! Looks like a lot of people actually DO like these headphones... but for the audio quality and supreme sound isolation I have with my Shure E3c's, I'll gladly put up with wires for now.
I think either A) the reviewer got a bad set of headphones, or B) he's got his volume settings all wonky.
I've had these for about a month now and they are outstanding. I use them everywhere for everything. The sound quality is comparable to several sets of wired (non-fancy) headphones I have.
Now, they aren't closed cell, four speaker super-headphones. They're not Bose audiophile headphones, but they are far better than any other portable headphones I've tried. In fact I have four different sets of Bluetooth stereo headsets in the closet because I keep reading reviews of them and buying them. This is the first set I like.
Sorry, Derek, you got it wrong this time. You may want to check your unit, or your volume, and edit this review.
How do these compare to the Moto S9-HD? Those seem to be a decent pair for bluetooth and I've seen them around for less than $60
I didn't like the S9-HDs, personally. Mostly it was due to a set size of ear that you are expected to have to wear them. They fit ok in my ears, but my wife couldn't wear them at all. Also, as they do sit inside the ear, I felt that they got pretty uncomfortable pretty quickly.
The s305s don't have that problem because they fit over the ear, not inside them.
I also found the s305s have a better call quality when used as a headset. Now I'm not saying that either one is great for this purpose, but the s305s have reasonably good sound canceling, which the s9-HDs really lack.
In a recent call with my Dad, when I told him I was on a headset (he couldn't really tell before hand), he said that I just sounded sort of "far away" but that he could otherwise hear me very clearly and distinctly, despite the AC in my truck going full blast.
I happen to like these headphones. Work great with my Pre and the sound is awesome. You might wnt to re think your review.
Just picked up the S305 at Fry's Electronics for $39.99 and am quite pleased with the audio quality. No static whatsoever, even when the Pre's volume is set very low. As with most headphones of this style, they tend to rub on the top of your ear, making them less comfortable for extended listening.
I'm on the search for new headphones. Anyone have the JayBird Bluetooth wireless headphones? They look pretty cool but want to do my homework before coughing up the $$. Looks like they have good reviews and the sound quality seems to be good on them. These sound like the quality is not all that good and the I can't picture myself doing bench press on these....
I agree with the people here who liked these headphones. I think the reviewer's Pre audio output is the one to blame for the poor audio quality he experienced. I tried hooking this baby up on my PC to listen to 128kbps mp3's and the sound output was excellent. The bass was pretty good for these cheap headphones and the overall audio is pretty balanced. The call quality is quite good also as my wife can clearly here my voice from these headphones even though I was walking along a busy street during rush hour traffic. For the price ($52) i'll stick to the S305 for a clutter free connection while on the go (and on the couch)
audio quality could be better but overall I cant complain. These cans are a value for the size and design but one thing that will most likely cause me to return them is how uncomfortable they get as the hard plastic presses around your ear. I find myself using for the gym or quick run but after and hour I will be screaming. Typically I do not even like behind the ear as even when in bed or lying down they interfere with the band in the back. Again if you are using for active lifestyle yes but for long listen sessions you might wanna get some pain meds to go with them..
I just ordered these off verizon's site for $26 shipped (including tax), Seems like overall most sites except his one give it good reviews. I'll report back on how mine work out.
Hi,
I recently purchase two Motorola S305 headsets from Ebay's Mobile Liquidation. When I received the two headsets, one work and the other could not charge, Return both headsets as instructed by seller and a week later received another two. Again, one worked and the other the volumn control didn't work.
I complain to the seller about their quality control and returned the bad one for a refund. I didn't trust their quality product anymore.
Purchase my second S305 from Amazon this time. The headset arrived in an original Motorola package and not a plain white box (bulk packaging) as from that seller from Ebay.
Now for my review. I like the fit, comfort, weight, simple control, sound quality, and price. The headset perform very well with music, but notice a slight audio lag while watching video from the Itouch.
S305 performed beautifully while on the treadmill and chores around the house. Never had any problem with headset slipping.
As for bluetooth capable with cellphone, the sound quality and function worked well too. Pairing was never a problem with either the Itouch (2G and 3G) or the Motorola Razar.
I just purchased the S305 for use with my Pre. I am disappointed. In using Pandora, which runs fine with corded headphones, I find that the headphones cut out every few seconds and freeze Pandora. I have to re-pair the headphones & Pre (turning bluetooth on and off) or change Pandora stations to get it to restart. This happens every few minutes or every few seconds. Any suggestions how others manage to get decent results with Pandora? I am using a WiFi connection. Any recent experience with WebOS 1.4.1., or Pandora 1.0.4?
In using the Music Player, I find that the range is quite deficient, and that if my arms are over my head while the Pre is in my shorts pocket (doing pullups) the signal is broken. It is also broken with the Pre in my shorts pocket if I am walking. Perhaps other users have used an arm band for their Pre (on the right arm)?
I totally agree with this review and I probably would have even been a little harsher. I am (temporarily) using the S305's at my desk at work. I have them synced to a MacBook Pro and my Blackberry Pearl.
I returned the first pair that I bought because I thought something was wrong with them. They were very hard to sync consistently and the sound was 20% static and 80% music. I too am kind of a music snob but I can also recognize the limitations of some technologies in exchange for some convenience. These were not acceptable.
I got my new pair a couple of days ago and they're exactly the same. Bad sound quality and hard to sync.
Also, if I go out for a walk, i'll play music through my phone rather than computer. I can't even put my phone in the breast pocket of my jacket or I'll lose the signal or drown in static so I have to carry the phone in my hand.
This issue is not because I have 2 devices synced. I have tried everything I could think of. Computer only with no phone. Phone only with no computer. Messed with the settings on all devices. Always the same.
I think the commenters here that are in love with the quality of these headphones are probably also the type that can rock out to a cranked up AM radio and think that sounds great too.
The one good thing about them is that they fit so loosely that they don't warm up your ears so you can wear them for long periods of time and you never have to take them off to hear someone in the room talking.
Does anyone who agrees, have a better suggestion for headphones? No wires please. I've had a decent set of bluetooth headphones in the past so I know it's possible. Only they weren't phone compatible.
I bought the Motorola S305s off amazon- good price. I'm glad I didn't spend more on them as they have a lot of issues. ??First and most annoying is I can not use them with my original iPhone to listen to music. I can answer calls with a lot of fussing with the buttons, but music is out. It flat out won't let you do it.??I have paired them w/ my iPad ok and listened to music, movies, or TV shows OK, but it is a bit of a hassle to get them paired. You have to try several times to pair them- the connection always drops the first few times, but I eventually get it 3rd try in.??The ear controls don't work properly. You can only pause or play a current selection. The skip forward or backward functions don't work at all. You only get a beep and the current selection continues to play.??The operating lights are a bit confusing. The instructions for this are about as clear as mud. When charging them they are supposed to have a steady green light when charge is full. I get a solid red light after a night of charging. If I unplug them and plug them back in I get a few red flashes that turn to solid green that signals a full charge. ??All in all they are OK, but very glitchy and temperamental. Sound quality is good. When I have been able to get a call to pick up, the call quality is good also. Person on the other end can not tell you are using a head set. I'd recommend for someone who is not too picky and has patience to deal with their quirks.
Hi. Ibought this S305 and so far they seem prety good. However i have a problem with the volume after finishing a call. If im listening to music with mid or low volume, and a call comes in, i answer the call and after i finish the call the music continues but with the highest volume. Does anybody knows how to control this ? thanks.