By Odeisel

If there was ever anything that annoyed me about portable music, it’s cheap ass headphones. I know sometimes you get caught out there and you have to buy some on the run occasionally, but cheap headphones can totally ruin music for a two big reasons.

You’re probably playing some “music” nobody else likes but thanks to your poorly made headphones, everyone can hear every single word of your crappy music, even on the loud subway, even though you’re at least 10 feet away from others. Second, you’re already listening to an mp3 and the quality of your music needs all the help it can get to stretch itself into the realm of CD quality sound. (Tough luck trying to get that big echo record sound. We’re out on that). A good pair of headphones can bring out the lows and treble highs without sounding like noise.

You may prefer ear buds with noise reduction or ear muff style, over-the-head phones that block out sound. If you’re at the gym, those may not be the most conducive to getting your workout on (and not breaking your headphones). This column is about introducing you to the latest in headphones of all varieties and brands.

This edition covers the Nuforce BT-860 Bluetooth Headphones, featuring the latest innovations in Bluetooth V2.1 technology. The headphones are capable of receiving wireless stereo sound from Bluetooth mobile phones, MP3 players, Bluetooth stereo players, Bluetooth-enabled PCs (may require additional software). The BT-860’s sport a built-in microphone that supports current headset specs for most cell phones.

You immediately notice the old school microphone padding on the ear pads. You expect for transient sound to escape whenever you see those and when tested these were no exception. It was true stereo sound and the quality was nice and loud but the louder they got, the more available your music (and cell phone convo) were available to others. If you’re a privacy buff, are discussing sensitive topics, or are listening to incendiary music, you will probably avoid use. That said, if you are home, in an already cluttered environment wirewise, these headphones would be a welcome addition, particularly if you are multitasking. No tripping over mic cords and all that jazz

The interface is a almost like Cyclops from the X-Men with his visor. All the controls (volume, track skip, etc) are on one side of the headphones. Initially it felt like the headband couldn’t be expanded but once you find the right spots they are fairly easy to lengthen and shorten. The 860’s feel sturdy yet sleek, although the. The ear pads detract from overall chic.

In use, the phones had about a 2 second delay when switching from blasting music to answering a phone call; more than enough time to get to your handset and check caller I’d. If you aren’t hiding from phone calls the headphone controls are easy to control once you get the hang of where they are on your ear. When talking, you don’t necessarily have to be a loud talker to be heard but it was louder than with earbuds and a dedicated mic.

I tested the headphones on a Blackberry Tour 9630 and made calls with the television going. The mic didn’t pic up much background noise but I was conscious of where the mic was on the ear. The pounding boom bap of Nas Classic “New York State Of Mind” played on the phone between calls. The audio cue that calls are there is distinct and easy to catch but again, because of those pads, you aren’t exactly bathed in sound.

In a nutshell, the BT-860’s are solid for home use, but they didn’t inspire confidence in terms of outdoor use. I was fine with that.

• Frequency Response: 20Hz-22kHz
• Audio Format: 16 Bit, 44.1kHz (CDQ)/li>
• Signal Range: UP to 10 meters
• Dynamic Rangee: 16-bit> 92dB
• THD+N: -68.8dB/li>
• Bluetooth: V2.1
• Supported Profile: AVRCP A2DP
• Operation Time: Talk (9hrs) Music (8hrs) Standby (240hrs)
• Headset Dimensions. (L)155mm, (H)157mm, (D)38mm

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