Nokia's Bluetooth BH-905 is 'the best headset ever made'

Pretty strong words from Nokia calling its new BH-905 headset "the best headset ever made." The claim comes as a result of a partnership with Wolfson Microelectronics to add its 10-microphone "feed-forward" active noise-cancellation technology to the headset -- 8 mics for capturing background noise, 2 for your voice. The headset can connect wirelessly over Bluetooth or via a selection of plugs for your home stereo, MP3 player, or airplane jack. It also features high-performance speakers with stainless steel audio controls on one can, phone controls on the other. They'll hit globally in August for a steep pre-tax price of €285 / $403. Hey, that's not bad for the best ever.

Gallery: Nokia's Bluetooth BH-905 is 'the best headset ever made'

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[Thanks, Stephen R.]

Read -- Announcement
Read -- Microsite with video

[gerbick @ Jun 2nd 2009 6:31AM]

For $403 dollars, it better do much more than noise cancellation.

[Orpheus @ Jun 2nd 2009 6:41AM]

Yeah it makes noise as well.

[Samboini @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:31AM]

What's to stop someone swiping these off your head as you walk?

[tobz1000 @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:39AM]

Samboini - it also shoots flames.

[Gorgeous @ Jun 2nd 2009 8:21AM]

@Samboini
If you are wearing these with a trench coat, Dr. Martens and an obviously loose wig - nobody is going to BE nowhere near you let alone swipe a pair of hideous headphones.

Also the man on the picture reminds us, that you may consider not to wear any kind of headphones over a loose full sized toupee.

[reisa @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:44PM]

The ugly-@$$ way they look will stop most criminals from ripping them off.

[Wwhat @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:50PM]

Your liver is worth 20 grand, you better stay inside.

[Matthew C @ Jun 2nd 2009 8:17PM]

I'd be curious about the bluetooth sound quality. I have a pair of bluetooth headphones, and while the sound quality is acceptable, it's much improved when I plug them in directly. for that price, I'd be great if they could deliver better bluetooth sound quality.

[Richard Glitter @ Jun 2nd 2009 9:20PM]

I myself, Mr. Gerbick, half shark alligator half man.

[LondonConsultant @ Jun 2nd 2009 6:36AM]

Nice idea but, if there's no boom for the speech microphones, you're going to look as mad as Susan Boyle when talking...

[Wwhat @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:51PM]

But will people forgive you too?

[niloc @ Jun 2nd 2009 6:40AM]

Best ever headset... like a Bose.

[jono @ Jun 2nd 2009 5:22PM]

Like a boss?

[Gilad @ Jun 2nd 2009 6:52AM]

Also, ugliest ever.

[rDub @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:34AM]

Funny enough, the headset didn't look all that bad in the photos by itself but when placed on the models it looked horrible while simultaneously turning them into huge douches...

All that for a mere $403

[nDy @ Jun 2nd 2009 6:56AM]

Someone is buying it anyway.
Don't ask why but NOKIA products always hit a market,
no metter how weird it is,

[superhobo @ Jun 2nd 2009 6:57AM]

It's like a crown of fail you can wear and share.

[ChrisTheFeral @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:02AM]

They look REALLY nice!

[Someone on the Internet @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:04AM]

Sweet, I am getting this for my first gen iPhone! Wait................

[go seki @ Jun 2nd 2009 8:01AM]

actually .. they've thought of you too .. 3.5mm connection amongst others .. no you don't need bluetooth

[Wwhat @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:55PM]

Yeah you can't afford a new ipod for years now, yet are going to buy a $400+ headphone, sounds likely aright.

[Someone on the Internet @ Jun 2nd 2009 4:20PM]

@Wwhat

You are joking right? What exactly is wrong with my iPhone Classic that I need to upgrade to the "State of the art" iPhone 3G. They added GPS and 3G. Well I am on T-Mobile and don't care about the GPS, as it built into my car and I don't want everyone on my buddylist to know _exactly_ where I am at all time. They also happen to get ride of that nice aluminum back for plastic that cracks.

Otherwise that, the devices are exactly the same, excuse me for not being super cool like you and paying the Apple tax every time his holiness Steve Jobs wants to pad his bonus. Give me features that are worth upgrading for and I will upgrade.

As For the headphone, I'm so sorry that I like a nice set of headphone that provide what I think makes sense in a set of headphone. Bluetooth(even if its lossy, its not like the iPhone playing MP3s is the audiophile defacto standard), noise canceling, the ability to accept calls, and nice set of drives. But that just me, you can go ahead and use your "state of the art" iPhone 3G earbuds.

Tosser.

[Cunthor @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:05AM]

Okay!!!

[Andrew Fujimura @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:23AM]

Let the Nokia/I can't afford it bashing begin. To me it looks like a they put some serious research and thought into it. Curious to see how they compare to the pxc-450 which are IMHO the best right now.

[Gad Get @ Jun 2nd 2009 9:10AM]

I'm guessing they fall far short in terms of SQ. Not to mention looks.

[Shinigami @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:34PM]

They might have spend a lot of money on engineers but they really saved on design!
It just looks weird. No matter how good it is, people won't wear it in the street if it looks weird. IMO.

[jcpb @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:26AM]

One word: Jawbone.

[jerm @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:41AM]

2 words: stereo bluetooth

[Hellios @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:41AM]

And on the other side, 3 more: Koss Porta Pro.
Just kidding, it's actually 2: Sennheiser PX100.

[Pretol @ Jun 2nd 2009 8:50AM]

While you're on the subject of compareing oranges to apples, why don't you compare jawbone to a rechargeable drill.

[se30chris @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:13PM]

3 words. Learn to read.

[axlastro @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:37AM]

Yeah right. Nokia headset best ever made. Just buy Motorola S9 HD and talk about design and sound quality. Ah and you could buy like 3 for the price of the Nokia crap. No offense fanboys.

[Aaron @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:50AM]

I've tried those Motorola earphones and they're shitty. The reception isn't good enough to get a reliable signal from my jeans pocket to my head.

[L @ Jun 2nd 2009 7:52AM]

How's the noise cancelling on your Moto? Nonexistant?

[Pretol @ Jun 2nd 2009 8:46AM]

the letter S in the name s9 stands for shit. I had them, i sold them. If you like to listen to your music in the bathroom, they'll do ok. Otherwise there are MANY MORE cheaper CORDED headphones that are surprisingly not as inconvinient as they've all of the sudden "become", which sound in magnitude better than s9's.

If the boomy bass is what you're after (and nothing else), s9's will do. Boomy bass is what they were good at.

[G. I. @ Jun 2nd 2009 8:30AM]

Only a dork would walk on the street with these cans on the head.

[Eastman @ Jun 2nd 2009 8:39AM]

i couldn't put it in nicer words .. :)

[Gad Get @ Jun 2nd 2009 9:12AM]

I'd have to strongly disagree with you there. A douche, for example, might also wear them.

[Bluecold @ Jun 2nd 2009 8:43AM]

For $100 less, you've got the Grado SR325is's. Made of real metal, not painted plastic. They'll stomp all over the nokia's SQwise.
I'll laugh at the fool who gets run over by a bus because his "best evar" headset prevented him from hearing said bus coming.

[Andrew Fujimura @ Jun 2nd 2009 8:57AM]

real metal like stainless steel? We have not heard the Nokias so we can't compare them, nor are the open backed, corded, mic-less, non noise canceling grados comparable. I am sure that you can turn the noise canceling off, like I can on my PXC-450's.

[Ishcabible @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:35PM]

These are almost the complete opposite of these buddy.
For one thing, Grados are completely open. Also, I don't think Grados have a mic.
They are metal btw. Aluminum to be specific.

[amdeida @ Jun 2nd 2009 8:58AM]

And the ugliest!

[Kelvinyam @ Jun 2nd 2009 9:04AM]

Now not only you need additional battery, but additional charger and additional wall socket or adapter. Unless this thing runs on alkaline battery.

[Al @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:38PM]

Blah, it uses the regular Nokia charger tip instead of micro-USB.

I think I'll get the Jabra Halo instead for my N97.

[shaunisadirty @ Jun 2nd 2009 9:18AM]

Nokia giving the product a line like "best headset ever made" is marketing in the likes of Apple. It's exactly like a line Apple would use to describe a product, only difference is if Apple had said it people would be jizzing all over themselves rather than complaining.

[kakapo @ Jun 2nd 2009 9:19AM]

appearance and price aside...

What I find interesting about the comments is that most are comparing these Nokia POS Cans to headphones only...
This is a communication device... you talk and listen... you voce dial... You have the Simon and Garfunkel effect (The Sound of Silence)...

Most of the recommended "cans" did not offer these benefits. And I think before I would walk, run, skip rope or play hop scotch with these on my head, I would make sure I had several dozen body gorillas to protect my bum. Why in the Sam Henry would you walk down the street with noise cancelling headphones on your head? Oh, and I can see me driving my car with these on - at least from the garage to the street!

I can see many reasons to denigrate these monstrosities. None of which require that I even mention other competitive products. They fail without trying to compete.

Cheers from Downunder!

[Andreas @ Jun 2nd 2009 10:05AM]

too bad they look so shit grown men will get bullied for wearing them.

[roach @ Jun 2nd 2009 10:12AM]

Bluetooth headphone question.

I sometimes play sappy music (my wife's music collection...dunno how it got mixed in with my cool tunes) I wouldn't want my fellow co-workers to hear. If I shut off a bluetooth headphone while listening to music on my HTC phone, does my phone take over and play the music using its speaker?

[Toronto699 @ Jun 2nd 2009 10:36AM]

the best noise cancelling bluetooth stereo headphones ive found so far are made by HP , great SRW sound , @ 149$ from HP acessories webpage

[Neoprimal @ Jun 2nd 2009 11:26AM]

They'd BETTER be advertised as 'the best' for $400...sheesh.

Pricing aside, I'd love a pair of really awesome bluetooth headphones. Currently I have the Motorola S9 which I purchased for gymming etc. and works well for that but nothing else, since it crackles and pops once my bluetooth device is too far from my body - hell, from my top pocket even, and I've tried it on a majority of devices from cell phones to bluetooth mp3 players.

I also have the Dell BH200s which I really love, but which I can't wear for a very long time. They're contoured and I feel some fatigue right where the plastic rests against my head when I wear them for a long time.

Kind of odd the majority of commenters are comparing noise cancelling bluetooth headphones with corded, non-noise cancelling ones. Sorry people, you can't really do that. That's beyond Apples and Oranges...that's....Kiwi Fruit and Potatos.

The idea of saying people look like a douche with em' on is interesting because I've heard others regard people who wear little white earplugs in that same light - I've never quite understood it. People just want to listen to their music, who cares what they wear? Someone people HATE earplugs (I do, they hurt my ear canal, no matter the size), and I guess some people hate over-the-heads or w/e those are called. No need to classify someone as 'looking like a douche'.

Personally, these look perfect at least for me. I'm not a huge headphone user. I don't take busses or walk a lot, so my use is limited to the occasional visit to a bookstore, walk in the park, sit down at a cafe with friends or in the home while gaming or listening to music from/in a room across/away from my PC. I certainly wouldn't wear them 'like' a bluetooth headset outdoors - that doesn't seem practical.