HBH-PV712 Style Edition

Sony Ericsson has attempted to spice up the normally dull line of Bluetooth headsets with the HBH-PV712 Style Edition. Sporting interchangeable faceplates and offering decent sound quality and ease of use, the PV712 is aimed at women as it comes packaged with a small handbag and necklace attachment.

The HBH-PV712 offers interchangeable, coloured faceplates and there are three included in the sales package. The simple design sees only three buttons present, making ease of use a paramount feature. A large call handling button on the front does the grunt of the work, while top mounted volume controls conveniently adjust in-call volume. Once hooked over your ear and adjusted, the HBH-PV712 is pleasing to use with the controls easily accessible.

The HBH-PV712 sits just inside your ear with audio provided by a small speaker. The design is convenient as it can be worn on both ears thanks to the detachable ear hook, but both the speaker and ear hook become uncomfortable after prolonged use. A small indicator light above the call handling button lets you know the status of the headset. A constant red light denotes that the unit is charging, green means it is fully charged, while a flashing green light indicates that the unit is connected to a mobile phone.

Performance is average, but not outstanding. Audio, assisted by Digital Signal Processing technology (DSP), is passable in quiet environments, but does tend to deteriorate if you are in an area with a lot of background noise. Generally though, calls are crisp and clear with a decent level of clarity for a Bluetooth audio device.

Once paired, the HBH-PV712 enables voice dialling tags (provided your mobile phone supports them) and redial functions. You can also mute the microphone and transfer sound from the headset to your phone. The sales package includes a necklace attachment and a small handbag which strongly suggests this headset is aimed at women. The bag has a magnetic clip to open and close and is large enough to store a phone and the HBH-PV712.

According to Sony Ericsson figures, the HBH-PV712 provides a very reasonable 15 hours talk time and 500 hours of standby time.