CNET Editor's rating: 8.0 out of 10
Reviewed by
Kent German
Review date: 03/15/07
The good: The Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones feature an attractive design, user-friendly controls, and solid sound quality.
The bad: The Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones' earbuds have a tendency to pinch if not set correctly.
The bottom line: The Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones offer a worthy choice for wireless cell phone sound.
One of the better cell phone developments in the past year has been the proliferation of stereo Bluetooth. While previously it seemed that handset manufacturers were consciously avoiding the feature, a simultaneous push for music phones has, thankfully, made stereo Bluetooth a reality. And as the number of supported phones increases, manufacturers have started to introduce stereo Bluetooth headphones as well. One of Moto's latest entries in the space is the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones. Made with the sports enthusiast in mind, these headphones feature a sleek, space-age design that wraps behind your head. For both calls and music, the sound quality was decent--and the fit was relatively comfortable. Priced in the $100 range, they're not exactly cheap, but they won't break the bank either.
Motorola emphasizes the word "active" when mentioning the S9, and by looking at the S9's design, it's clear why. Sleek and aerodynamic, the S9 weighs less then an ounce, which makes it one of the lightest stereo headphones we've seen. It also employs a simple, behind-the-head design that isn't clunky and doesn't look too conspicuous when worn. The rearmost portion of the headset, which holds the power button and charger jack, is the largest part of the S9 at almost an inch wide, but the ends connecting the earbuds taper to a slim diameter of .25 inch. We tested the red-and-blue version, but it also comes in a more subtle gray-and-black model as well. The S9 is water- and sweat-resistant, so you won't have to worry about wearing it during a hard workout.
Thanks to the practical design, we had no trouble slipping the headset on and off. Though the area with the power control and the charger jack is made of hard plastic, the ends are made of a rubberized material that bends easily. The ear hooks slipped easily on and off for us, but users with larger noggins may want to try the S9 before buying. On the whole, the fit is comfortable and the light weight made it barely noticeable, even for longer-wearing periods. The fit was quite secure as well. But the 0.5-inch earbuds did have a tendency to pinch if not positioned just-so. Indeed, it took us a few minutes of fiddling with the earbuds until they slipped comfortably into the ear. On the upside, the ear tips are made a flexible rubber and you get a choice of three sizes.
The controls on the headset were easy to understand and to use. As we mentioned previously, the power control is located on the bottom of the rear end of the headset, just next to the mini-USB charger port. It can be hard to locate when you're wearing the headset, but we can't imagine you'd be turning it on and off excessively. The charger jack is protected by a rubber flap, although the fit wasn't very secure. A small indicator LED sits between the power button and the charger port.
Moto smartly separated the phone and music controls on the S9. A Talk button and the volume control sits just near the left earbud. The former is easy to find and has a soft, tactile feel; the volume control is touch-sensitive and barely needs to be pressed. We haven't seen touch controls in very many headsets, but it's a feature we love on the S9. At times, they could be a bit too sensitive, but overall it was a very user-friendly experience. A music Play button sits near the right earbud and is also touch-sensitive.
We tested the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones with the Motorola Razr V3xx. The pairing process took only a few seconds and the connection remained strong. Also, we were able to reconnect instantly after turning both devices off for a short period. Overall sound quality was quite good for all kinds of audio. We could hear callers plainly and there was plenty of volume, even in windy or noisy environments. Callers reported few problems on their ends and we had no trouble being understood by voice-automated calling systems. Our only complaint was that voices on our side sounded harsh and almost robotic at times. However, the effect wasn't constant, so we don't consider it a deal-breaker. Other calling features include voice dialing, call reject, and last-number redial.
Sound from the music player was better than the call sound. We loved the stereo experience and we were impressed by the volume range. Keep in mind that the sound wasn't the sharpest we've heard, but it's more than adequate for most uses. Conveniently, the music automatically pauses when you receive a call, and then resumes after you hang up. We also tested the headphones with streaming video clips and enjoyed solid audio quality. The S9 has a promised battery life of six hours on a single charge.
10 out of 10 - Perfect Wow! best bluetooth stereo headphones on the market by far!
Let me start off by saying I have done a lot of research on these bluetooth stereo headphones. I have ...
Let me start off by saying I have done a lot of research on these bluetooth stereo headphones. I have a LG chocolate and I have been looking for these to replace my mp3 player and to use something more convenient when working out.
After doing a lot of research, I decided to buy these b/c i thought they looked the most subtle and seemed to look very cool when ur wearing them. Most of the other stereo bluetooth headphones are gigantic and make you look like a nerd. Research told me that most the of the stereo bluetooth headphones are still poor quality when listening to music but I wanted one anyway.
I bought the s9 for $74.99. I wasnt expecting much, but I found out that this thing is great! Everytime I use it, I can't stop smiling b/c its so cool!
Some people were complaining about the comfort. I have a normal size head and it fits perfectly! I can't feelany of the wraparound piece, it just feels like I'm wearing regular earbuds.
The sound is fantastic! I can't hear any difference between these and my best pair of headphones...seriously! tremendous bass sound, everything is crystal clear.
a problem with most bluetooth stereo headphones is the loudness factor, they don't get loud enough. You won't have a problem with that when using these. I have these set to volume 4/10 and its perfect loudness. When set to 10/10, you can listen to the song clearly w/out even having it in ur ears.
The buttons are great. They are very easy to use. Don't listen to the other guy that said the volume control is screwed up. It does make a very subtle beep but the music doesnt pause. The beep is actually good b/c you know when u lowered or raised the volume.
the only con I can come up with is when your talking to someone with these, you are talking through a small speakerphone b/c there aren't any pieces close to your mouth (if there was, it would look pretty lame). It will pick up background noise that the other person you are talking to can hear. I normally bought these for listening to music though, not calling people. Other than that I can't think of any other cons.
I really don't know why this isn't scored higher. Maybe it just works well w/ the LG chocolate or something...it's great b/c the color matches perfectly with it too. This is one of the best decisions I've ever made in buying electronics. I'm so happy with it. Buy it! you won't regret it.
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by cabel417 (see profile) -
July 11, 2007
12 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent sounds good but not 100% sweatproof
I bought this stereo bluetooth headset for my new Moto Razr V3xx to take on a fishing trip. Also had ...
I bought this stereo bluetooth headset for my new Moto Razr V3xx to take on a fishing trip. Also had to buy a MicroSD card to store music on my phone.
I did no research to know what other headphones were out there, so I was kind of going at it blind. This model just happened to be newly released (bought in Apr 07), but I had no idea.
This was my first Bluetooth device, so I didn't know what to expect. I was pleased at first at how well it worked. Sounded clear and plenty loud.
After the trip, I began using the headset while cycling and inline skating. I tend to do many hours at a time on the bike or skates. But one day recently it was in the 90s and I was sweating like crazy. The next day the buttons were not working and I noticed that there was quite a bit of salt caked up around the speakers. Don't have to be Sherlock to know what happened. So I simply took the S9s back to Best Buy and traded them in on a new set. But this time I started using the large, soft earcups. Sounded even better! But now it might be more dangerous to bike or skate since the fat earcups tend to block out more ambient sound.
I love them, but they aren't as sweat resistant as they are claimed to be.
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by mimsIII (see profile) -
June 21, 2007
10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular with good phone, you will be blown away
I have them with my Nokia 5300 and I'm absolutely amazed by the ease of use, sound quality and ...
I have them with my Nokia 5300 and I'm absolutely amazed by the ease of use, sound quality and weight (what weight?). You will easily forget that you wear them, listening to the music. Incomming call ?, music pauses, changes to a ringtone, you tap just above your left speaker and start to talk. Everybody I talked to thru them, could not believe the sound quality, and you even cannot find the microphone on the damn thing! I played soccer with them today with no problem at all. Good job Motorola. I see in many reviews people strugling. Advice? Get the phone with Bluetooth 2.0.
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by pablito2525 (see profile) -
May 12, 2007
6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
2 out of 10 - Terrible Great inside but not out doors
I paired theses headphones with the Razar V3xx. At first I was amazed with the clarity when using them in ...
I paired theses headphones with the Razar V3xx. At first I was amazed with the clarity when using them in the car or indoors. The problem came when using them outdoors. The sound was choppy and listening to MP3s was next to impossible. The instructions said to move the phone closer to the headset but even holding the phone at the back of my head didn't help.
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by slak423 (see profile) -
July 17, 2007
5 out of 10 - Average Not such a good fit...
I bought my S9's without doing my homework -- my bad. But I got lucky -- I have to ...
I bought my S9's without doing my homework -- my bad. But I got lucky -- I have to say that the S9 is one of the neatest toys I've played with in recent memory.
The ear mounted controls make listening to and controlling music, as well and making and receiving calls a breeze ? plus you get to feel a little like Lieutenant O?Hura. For best hands-free calling performance you?ll want to use the S9?s with a phone that has good speech recognition.
In addition to the great controls, the audio quality of the S9 is very good as well. Clear highs, nice midrange, and warm bass -- all well balanced at both high and low volumes.
Be forewarned, however, that while the headphones are capable of great audio your device may not be. For instance, my Vista Tablet PC rocked with the S9, while audio from my phone was "fuzzy." Listening to the same music on my phone with wired headphones produced beautiful audio. Clearly some phones could use better A2DP profile support (I?m talking to you HTC.)
The styling of the S9 is nice as well. And they are light-weight. But the real issue isn?t always weight. In the case of the S9, a product that I would otherwise rate as a 10, there is a major problem that makes it loose 5 points: the S9 is the most uncomfortable device I have ever worn over my ears. The CNET review hints at, but largely sidesteps, this very serious issue.
Because of the hard plastic used in the construction of the arms, the S9 squeezes against your head just above the ears. After just 30 minutes it this can become extremely uncomfortable. And don?t even think about wearing sunglasses or a hat with the S9 as both compound the problem significantly. A lesser issue is discomfort in the ear opening where the drivers rest, although this could probably compensated for with a different size earpiece, of which several are included with the S9.
To summarize, the S9 is excellent technology that works well, but it?s industrial design is severely flawed if Motorola intended to target consumers that would wear the S9?s for hours at a time. I suppose I could just have a big head, but I wear a medium in a baseball cap. Go figure.
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by guyfromseattle (see profile) -
July 10, 2007
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent way to go moto
Just got these headphones. Very easy to pair and the sound is very good. I'm very pleased with this ...
Just got these headphones. Very easy to pair and the sound is very good. I'm very pleased with this headset and works well for listening to music and is decent when making calls. The calls were loud and clear on both ends. Now I just have to fiddle with the earbuds to make a nice fit. Overall I'm very happy with this purchase. I paired it with a Samsung phone.
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by Shags007 (see profile) -
April 29, 2007
2 out of 10 - Terrible Constant Interruptions-Can't Use While Moving
You'll only be able to use these "active" headphones while sitting still or maybe on the treadmill. If the ...
You'll only be able to use these "active" headphones while sitting still or maybe on the treadmill. If the device moves at all, these headphones will lose the signal, causing an interruption that lasts from one to ten seconds, making it impossible to listen while walking. I tried putting the device in my backpocket and doing other things to better align the S9's Bluetooth receiver and the unit, without success. I had these headphones around my neck once when I entered a doctor's office, and a complete stranger stopped me to ask whether I was having the interruption problem with them and whether I'd found a solution. Read other user reviews of this product on other sites and you will find the exact same issue.
Also, the unit does not fold or twist, making it impossible to use while lying down or leaning your head back against a chair back or headrest. Battery life is OK but not great.
It really seems as though CNET's "excellent" reviewers did not use the headset in authentic situations before reviewing it.
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by parkaboy79 (see profile) -
May 12, 2008
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 out of 10 - Abysmal To those who work out- Stay Away
I have been through 5 now, and have given up on getting a pair that will survive a workout. The ...
I have been through 5 now, and have given up on getting a pair that will survive a workout. The buttons stop working on the side of the headset after your 1st or 2nd Work out. Motorola keeps telling me to take them back to the store, and I keep swapping however, this problem happens on all 5 times I have taken them back.
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by mcipaulr (see profile) -
January 22, 2008
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
2 out of 10 - Terrible "Sweat resistent"... they are NOT!
Motorola markets the S9 headset towards an "active" lifestyle. The product documentation claims that they are both moisture and sweat ...
Motorola markets the S9 headset towards an "active" lifestyle. The product documentation claims that they are both moisture and sweat resistent. I am in the process of returning my THIRD headset in two weeks due to failing touch-sensitive buttons. I use these while exercising (weight training, NOT cardio). All three headsets have failed during my workouts, most likely due to sweat shorting out the touch sensitive buttons. Unfortunatly this isn't an isolated issue. I have read many other reviews on other websites from users who have had the same problems.
It is unfortunate because the S9's are very comfortable while working out. The headphones stay in place, and the unit itself is very discreet.
6 out of 10 - Good Mostly good
I had high hopes for this product and have been mostly happy with it. Here are some of my observations ...
I had high hopes for this product and have been mostly happy with it. Here are some of my observations and concerns:
1. Head size-I have a larger than normal head and was concerned that the headset wouldn't fit correctly. However, it does fit and feel comfortable although I wouldn't mind about a 1/2 more on each side.
2. Battery duration-I've been happy with the battery duration. It holds on strong for about an hour and a half of listening to books on tape which is more than enough for my purposes.
3. Treo 650 compatibility-The headset worked out of the box for the phone function but I had to buy additional connectivity software from softstick to get the headset to work with my Real Player and Audible book tape software. Once I bought the additional software for about $20 it worked great.
4. Bluetooth-My biggest disappointment has been the bluetooth range. I like to put my Treo 650 in a belt pouch and listen to books on tape when I go walking but was disappointed to find spotty connectivity when the belt was around my waist. I ended up having to put it in an armband to get it to work without constantly cutting out. In fact, it works better when the Treo is across the room than when its around my waist area. This would be acceptable for a cheaper unit but for how much I paid for this, I was very dissapointed. The whole point of bluetooth is to be able to put this in my pocket and not have to hassle with wires.
5. Durability-I was initially impressed with the simple design and thought it would be able to stand up to exercising, walking etc, but lately I've found that the forward button will randomly engage in the middle of listening to a book tape. This is very frustrating when your suddenly bumped to the next section in the book and lose your place. It seems to go away ,for a while, if I massage the buttons, but with how new this is, it shouldn't be happening at all.
My final analysis always boils down to whether I would do this again if I had a do-over. In this case I would do over if the cost was about $50 dollars but at $100+, I wouldn't do it again. I would just stick with the old style headphones.
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by obtuse1 (see profile) -
September 7, 2007
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