As a fan of technology, you’d think that I wouldn’t be a big fan of wires. And, theoretically, I’m pretty sure that I’m not. They annoy me more often than not, even a wire as simple as the one attached to my headphones has the tendency to get in the way when I’d really prefer it not to. Wires can be ridiculous, which is why technology like Bluetooth and devices like wireless headsets should be something I’d be using all the time.
And yet, that’s not the case at all. For whatever reason, I just haven’t found Bluetooth headsets all that useful, or worth the money needed to spend on them. It’s usually a laundry list of things, but mostly it comes down to the fact that I use wires the most in my day-to-day routine for listening to music, and it’s never really been a secret that Bluetooth headphones don’t offer up the best listening experience for music.
But, I’m always willing to try some out, especially if the design of the device is eye-catching. So, when I got my hands on LG’s newest Bluetooth headphone design, called the Tone Infinim (HBS-900), I was actually excited to try it out. The hardware design is certainly worthwhile, even if its an aesthetic cue that’s been around for quite some time (especially from LG). A few key features, though, took my attention hostage, and wouldn’t let me go until I dug in.
And so I did.
From the hardware side of things, LG’s Tone Infinim is actually comfortable. I say that as straightforward as I can, because I’ve never really experienced a comfortable Bluetooth headset, even wrap-around designs like this. Even from LG. But, with the Tone Infinim I didn’t mind at all wearing it for extended periods of time.
The buttons are easy to find, with the Answer/End button on the left side, and the Play/Pause function on the right. Along the right edge there’s a slider that will allow you to skip forward or back in your music selection; while on the left edge there’s a volume control slider. The On/Off switch is the inside right-edge. On each inside edge there’s also an additional button that, when depressed, will retract the wires, which leads into the design choice.
This is due in part because the design actually doesn’t want you to wear the headset around your head, but instead around the back of your neck. The headphones have what LG calls “wire management,” which is a nice way to say that you can actually extend the earbuds from the unit proper, and settle them into your ears comfortably. Both buds can be extended from the main unit, too, which is nice. And, LG has included several different earbud sizes, so hopefully you can find one that fits perfectly to your ears.
And then it comes down to music/audio quality.
I tried out the headset with an iPhone 6, and used apps like iTunes Radio, Spotify and Beats Music to listen to a wide range of music over the review period. Simply put, LG’s strange “CD-like sound” bullet point for the headset is indeed accurate, but I’m not entirely sure it should be used as a positive. The Tone Infinim are better quality than other Bluetooth headsets that I’ve used in the past, and in some ways by a large margin, but the quality isn’t good enough to make me switch from a wired pair of headphones.
As far as call quality goes, though, that’s certainly good enough. While I was using the phone, voice quality on the other end was very good, and there wasn’t a lot of distortion to make note of. As far as my end goes, those I spoke to said there wasn’t a lot of background noise even in areas with a lot of ambient sound, and they said I came through clear enough.
The battery life is worthwhile, too, which is nice because I have so many different devices to charge on any given day that not having to plug in another one is nice. I was able to go a few days without having to charge the headset, even with heavy music listening in between.
In the end, there are still some obvious limitations when it comes to a Bluetooth headset like this, but if you’re someone who isn’t looking for the best audio quality for music listening but just want a comfortable device to listen as you work out, job, or whatever else, the Tone Infinim is certainly a worthy option. Of course, you’ll have to consider the $149.99 price tag, as it’s usually listed for.
