We see a lot of Bluetooth headsets come our way for review here at PDAToday. Most are not very sexy and with the proliferation of these types of headsets recently they can tend to be a ho-hum accessory that gets ignored by the larger gadget websites who focus on trendy MP3 players and the like. We gladly pick up the slack to cover even daily use consumer electronics because when you spend that hard earned money it’s nice to know what’s of value and what’s not; besides who likes to sit in the return line at (insert favorite shopping place) all day.

In this review we will look at the Bluetake BT400 G5, their new flagship offering Bluetooth headset. Bluetake has managed to package a headset that borders on exciting and creative in the world of boring Bluetooth headsets. The BT400 G5 Bluetooth headset is stylish and is finished in a very nice tactile rubber coating surrounded with a snazzy plastic shell. They have opted to go with a marine theme to this line of products...mmm fish. The front is adorned by rubber ridges that disguise the two front buttons to create a scaled look. Weighing in at a scant minnow like 20 grams its light on the ear and features a moldable turntable ear hook. Bluetake uses a hard molded ear bud that rests in your ear canal. If you have abnormally small or large ear canals this may pose a potential problem. I found the unit to fit comfortably and to be easily adjustable. Volume was never a problem.

Performance of the BT400 G5 was quite good in terms of sound quality. In a noisy environment like our lab both parties were able to hear each other with out issue. In very quiet situations I did notice a slight background hiss, however that is common on many Bluetooth headsets and was not noticeable in routine use. In our wind tunnel test the unit did not perform as well as I had hoped however many headsets do not perform any better than a stand alone cell phone so no surprise here. The unit had no noise canceling features to overcome wind noise however that is common in this price range and in my experience perfectly acceptable.

Button layout is where the unit could use some more thought to design. My chief complaint was the location of the volume up and down buttons. When ever I went to answer a call I would inadvertently tap or hold the buttons as they were right there where your fingers would naturally grab, also this produces some drag on my ear as I fiddled with it. Next up is the answer button disguised along those rubber ridges I mentioned earlier. They look fabulous but became a nuisance when trying to find the talk or mute button “hidden” among all the other rubber ridges. I should point out that after using the headset for while I became accustomed to the location, so it’s a learning curve issue.

Range was decent on the BT400 G5, I had forgotten the headset was paired a couple of times and would answer my phone days later only to discover of the headset was in another room and auto paired when it became in range. Let’s just say I was puzzled the first time it happened. Standby time seemed impressive and they claim up to 250 hours with 5 hours talk time. Sorry, I was unable to talk for 5 hours straight to test that claim but it seemed to be close with about 4 or so combined hours of use.

The Bluetake BT400 G5 can be found online for about $40 to $50 and in this price range makes it stand out in terms of quality and functionality. With its low price point I can forgive the button layout/style issues. The BT400 G5 brings all the base features you would want in a Bluetooth headset to the table in a small stylish affordable package. I should note that Bluetake does claim compatibility with PC’s for voice messaging and VOIP (voice over IP) programs like SKYPE however my laptop in sans Bluetooth so I was unable to test those features.

Pros
Lightweight
Looks good
Price

Cons
Button layout can be confusing at first

--Bill Landon
Senior Editor

http://www.bluetake.com/products/BT400G5.htm

General Radio
Carrier Frequency : 2.4~2.480GHZ
Radio Performance - Receiver
Rx sensitivity < -80 dBm
Radio Performance
Bluetooth Class 2, up to 5~10 meters (in open space).
(The maximum operating range depends on the paired phone model, battery power, and environmental factors.)
Spread Spectrum
FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum)
Bluetooth Profile Supported
HSP (Headset Profile)
HFP (Hands-Free Profile)
Antenna
Chip Antenna
Input Power
5V, 200~500mA, AC adapter
Battery
3.7V / 120mA / Li-Polymer / Rechargeable
Standby Time / Talking Time
250 hours / 5 hours
(The maximum operating time depends on the usage frequency and environmental factors. A long distance wireless connection and use with a mobile phone will increase the power consumption.)
Speaker
Diameter: 13mm
Frequency Response : 300Hz ~ 3.4KHz
SPL (Sound Pressure Level) : 112 ± 3dB @ 1KHz
THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) : 5%
Impedance: 150 Ω ± 20% @ 1V, 1KHz
Power Rating : 5mW (Normal) / 10mW (Maximum)
Environment
Operating Temperature -10 ℃ ~ +55 ℃
Dimensions
82mm(L) x 53mm(W) x 24mm(H)
Weight
20g
LED Indicator Status
Blue: Power on mode or Full charged
Red: Low power or being charged
Blue & Red: Pairing mode