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Nokia BH-501

By Alex Kidman on 06 March 2007

Good quality Bluetooth headphones, as long as you don't mind it being very obvious you're wearing a Bluetooth headset — and a walking Nokia advert as well.

Editor's rating:9.1 User rating:6.1

Comfort/fit/fashion
Nokia's BH-501 Bluetooth Headset are worn as full wrap-around headphones. Like most full headsets, they're in no way inconspicuous — and because you've got "Nokia" emblazoned in big letters on each ear, you're also providing a significant chunk of mobile advertising when you wear them. Our only concern with the BH-501 concerns the volume up/down buttons; if you're a glasses wearer you may find that tapping on them grinds your frame into your ear a touch.

Sound quality
The BH-501 impressed us with its sound quality, with rich and deep bass comparable to most wired headsets and distinctive treble. Volume range was impressive, with only a touch of distortion at the top level, which is noted by an audible beep when you hit it — a nice safety warning to stop you inadvertently blowing your eardrums off.

Pairing/ease of use
The BH-501's simple three-button setup lets you set normal phone functions — call answering and volume, as well as ordinary music volume if you're using purely as a pair of headphones. Nokia claims an optimal range of around 10 metres from an audio device; we managed around half that in our home test environment.

Topics: stereo, nokia, music, headset, headphones, bluetooth, a2dp

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Comments (31)

  • DamienJ gave a review on 14/11/2009 02:15

    • Good: Sound Quality
    • Bad: No Battery power indicator

    I have had these headphones for about 2 years, and they havnt broken on me yet. They connect to my Nokia 6120 Classic very easily and its easy to change volume aswell as answer calls or even use the voice feature of my phone, just by doing simple presses with the 3 buttons on the side. I t seems to me that most of the complaints about this product are either its fragility or not being able to pair easily. I have no trouble, so maybe a quick look at the manual could fix a few problems? and you could possibly learn a few extra features. As for the fragility, mine hasnt broken after 2 years, nearly 3 actually, so maybe its just a manufacturing problem?
    Overall a great set of headphones.

    Damien

  • Jigish Thakar gave 1/10 on 21/08/2009 19:32

    • Good: sound quality, pariing, fiting
    • Bad: delicate, fragile

    i purchased this to get rid of wires, sound is nice, shape is good

    but just using it for few months one of its arm got little crack. i approached service center, they said its a physical damage

    and now that crack is growing like hell

    and it seems like my 4500Rs are complete wast

    now i m trying to fix it by my own with some sticky solution

    so guys please don't buy it. it wont stay with u for long time

  • Eric gave 9/10 on 31/07/2009 23:47

    • Good: Excellent sound quality, good range, comfortable fit, easy to operate.
    • Bad: Band seems overly fragile, no battery level indicator.

    I purchased these headphones over a year ago, used them half a dozen times, then sat them in a draw to collect dust.
    I recently pulled them out again when I got my new phone, and have not been disappointed. The sound quality is above that of the majority of normal headphones I have owned and they eradicate the annoyance of finding yourself snagged on a door handle by the cords.
    The buttons are simple to use, even whilst wearing the headphones, due to the 'braille-style' raised dots to differentiate between the three.

    The bluetooth range seems adequate. I'm able to place my phone in my study at one end of my house and walk to my lounge at the opposite end, a good 15-20 metres, without losing the connection.

    The band raises some concerns with me, as it seems very fragile, and I find myself fearful of clicking the arms into place in case I accidentally snap them off entirely. I can see this becoming an issue in the future, as the wear and tear of daily use will likely result in them breaking sooner than I should like.

    These are the first pair of headphones I have found which sit perfectly comfortable, not pressing against any part of my ears with real force. This is quite an achievement in my books, and as I have numerous ear piercings, it's a welcome change from the usual ill-fitting headphones I test out.

    Overall I feel that they are well worth the money I spent on them, and I would happily recommend them to anyone looking to purchase a set of bluetooth headphones.

  • PremnathK gave a review on 18/05/2009 20:21

    • Good: Easy to use, long last charge
    • Bad: Sponge tears after use

    I have been using these head phones since September '07 and have got good service from it. The only problem is that the sponge is now tearing off after 1½ years of use. I do not know whom to approach for a replacement of the sponge.

  • nokia fan gave 3/10 on 08/03/2009 08:21

    • Good: now that it is taped up (!), it doesn't grip my ears as much as before
    • Bad: this gear is too fragile!!!

    bought off eBay for $A50 in Nov 08. By Mar 09 both arms have cracked (one after the other). I am not rough by any means.

  • Kal0Adiga gave 6/10 on 14/12/2008 09:25

    • Good: its comfortable , and dont fall off ur head and easy connection
    • Bad: alot actually
      -Sound quality isnt that good u can hear crunches so thats bad

      no control Buttons except for volume and on/off

      easy to break

      SO I SUGGEST THIS TO EVERYONE STAY THE HECK AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCT ITS JUST A WASTE OF MONEY

    so i managed to make it work FINALLY and i hope it didnt work though so i could return it Coz it actually SUCKS im really disappointed like i've spent almost 60 $$ on total rubbish

  • Kal0Adiga gave 7/10 on 13/12/2008 08:47

    • Good: it looks cool and all a bit big
    • Bad: 1.i cant seem to make it smaller for my head

      2. Very hard to make my phone get paired with it

      3. a bit expensive for a headphone

    i dont know how to make it work ??

    that sucks i've bought it yes *Check*
    Recharged it for 4 hour *check* but my phone isnt gettin it or pairing with it when i put PLAY VIA BLUETOOTH my phone is Nokia 5610 Xpress Music and its supposed to be with it


    if anyone can help plz email me : blue-toxic@hotmail.com

  • c13833 gave 9/10 on 16/09/2008 13:22

    • Good: Sound, bluetooth arrangement.
    • Bad: Headband easily breakable.

    Great sound from the headphones. I love it. Best I've had. I can't go without them. The crisp sound quality is great.

  • zemran gave 1/10 on 19/08/2008 22:26

    • Good: Good sound and easy use
    • Bad: very bad build quality
      loses signal if you have your phone in the wrong pocket.

    I have got through 2 pairs of these and they break far too easilly. The plastic over the ears is too weak and after being used a few times it starts to crack and then breaks.

  • Bugnacious gave 3/10 on 30/07/2008 14:34

    • Good: I haven't used them yet!
    • Bad: They don't work - nor are they working with my iPhone!!!!???? HELP!

    I can't connect these to a PC which is why I bought them & it says on the packet they are meant to! THere is no software available to correct this that I can find from nokia or else??!!!

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