Nokia WH-600

Nokia's latest stereo headset is stylish and comfortable, and it offers reasonable sound quality to boot. The headset also performs well for phone calls, featuring in-line volume and call controls as well as a microphone.

The WH-600 features a stylish black silver and chrome finish. The over-the-head design features an adjustable headband, and the soft, cushioned ear cups are comfortable to wear for long periods. Unlike many other similar designs, the ear cups don't leave your ears particularly hot after prolonged use.

The WH-600 works with any device that uses a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, but Nokia includes two adaptors in the sales package — one to work with any Nokia device with a 2.5mm Nokia AV connector and the other to work with any non-Nokia device using a 3.5mm headphone jack. We're not sure exactly why a 3.5mm jack adapter is needed when the jack for the WH-600 is 3.5mm in the first place, but without this adapter, audio quality on an iPod or non-Nokia device isn't up to scratch.

For handling phone calls, the WH-600 does a reasonable job. The in-line volume controls, call handling button and microphone are attached to the wire, and although its positioning looks a little low for best audio response, we found outgoing audio excellent. There is also no issue with incoming sound, which is loud and clear at its highest volume level.

The WH-600 is best described as solid when it comes to regular music listening. We tested the headphones with the N82 and were impressed with the bass response, as well as the clarity and crispness of our music. We also noted that the headphones don't distort at higher volume levels. On the other hand, instrumental separation isn't the best, as background elements tended to disappear and were difficult to make out. Overall, the sound isn't audiophile-quality, but it is much better than what you'll get out of the standard earphones bundled with most phones and music players.