KentFKruhoe...

 View profile
 Send mail

Great concept, poor execution

Nov 16, 2007

Rating: 7 out of 10 (Very good)
Pros: excellent sound, very light and comfortable to wear
Cons: overly sensitive; shuts off at the slightest interference
Opinion:
I'm actually wearing the S9 conected to a Nokia N73-1 as I write these few lines from the local True internet cafe here in downtown Bangkok. I've become quite a bluetooth fan over the past few months. After I discovered that bluetooth was not caused by licking blue loli-pops all day, I can't seem to leave the house without hanging one around my neck or plugged into me ear . I now own 3 bluetooth toys, a Sonor H300, a Motorola HT820 and the new S9 which I bought last week. I think this allows me to write a fair and objective comparison.

Let's begin with the negative aspect - there's really only one but it's a potential deal breaker. The S9 is too sensitive to radio interference - from a variety of sources - includinmg but not limited to other mobile phones, radios of all kinds, even commercial freezers at the local convenience store. It shuts off so often I can't recommend it - in particular if you live in the city. Granted, Bangkok has an extremely high mobile penetration rate - maybe the highest in the world - but that doesn't reduce Motorola's obilgation to make products for the real world we live in. My $20 Sonor holds a connection better than the S9 at roughly $100 - how the hell is that possible? I can't imagine that it would hold a connection while running - I believe what the other posters have said in that regard sweating or not. It is simply not good when you're on the move, period.

OK, the positive. IF you manage to find a fairly quiet corner, the sound quality is quite exellent - especially when you consider the smaller size of the speakers. Out of the box you get 3 different earbuds; after a few days of experimentation I actually found that the largest one works best for me - not because I have big ears, but in terms of comfort. The large earbuds don't need to be 'inserted' into the ear - which I find a little uncomfortable, but rather sit nicely on top of the ear opening - allowing you to hear what's going on around you.

The S9 is also light enough to be worn for extended lengths of time without irritation - or the sweating around the ears that's common with headphones that cover the ear completely. In short, I am totally satisfied with the comfort - but I have a normal size head. People with larger than usual heads should try them on BEFORE buying them.

In summary, the S9 is an excellent headset for 'planned listening' - that is - when you have arrived in a relatively quiet place, shielded from radio interference. The sound quality, comfort and convenience are spectacular.

Motorola needs to go back to the drawing board with respect to the dropped connection problem, however, as this is a major problem for an otherwise excellent bluetooth device.

Warm regards from Bangkok,

Kent F. Kruhoeffer
+66 086 9855920

flickr.com/photos/bangkok_in_focus