LG Electronics Tone Ultra (HBS-800) Bluetooth Stereo Headset - Black

I am currently listening to the LG Electronics Tone Ultra (HBS-800) Bluetooth headset. I have reviewed a number of Bluetooth headsets in the last few months and this one has one big thing going for it - its design. 

The problem with Bluetooth headsets is what do you do with the things when you are out and about but you are not actually listening to them and you still want them handy? You could dangle them around your neck, but they could slip off and get lost. If you put them away, they're not very handy. 

So, LG figured out this collar-like device that weighs just 1/5 of a pound. If you are not using the ear buds, just attach them to the collar with the built-in magnets and the they are tucked out of the way.

So far, so good.  But, there are problems.

1) The magnets are not very strong and the ear buds come loose and dangle around a lot.

2) This device is not very loud. The sound quality is quite good but it is just not very loud. I listen to audiobooks while I walk the dog and I had a very difficult time listening to my audiobook with this headset. My Samsung Galaxy 3 always plays audiobooks at a lower volume than music so this is an ongoing issue but this LG headset could not get it loud enough for me to comfortably listen to the narration. However, when I switched to a no-name brand of Bluetooth ear buds that lists at half of the price of the LG headset I found that I actually had to turn my phone down - I was blasted out.

This headset comes with 2 extra sets of covers for the
ear buds and a charging cord to plug into a computer.
It is shown with my Bic pen for purposes of size comparison.

3) The noise-cancelling feature is pretty ineffective. In fact, I just turned it off because I found that I could hear it's hissing sound when I was listening to music. 

4) The phone feature is much louder than the device is just playing music. While using the same device to to talk on the phone and listen to music, I found I had to turn the volume down while talking on my phone.

So, to sum it all up, this is a clever idea with inferior follow-through. Considering its starting price is above the average price of an entry level Bluetooth headset and its actual performance is worse you have to consider if the convenience of the neck collar. 

You can get this headset in two colors: Black and white.

At the time of this writing, this headset costs $67.25 on Amazon.com. Click here to check on current pricing: LG Electronics Tone Ultra (HBS-800) Bluetooth Stereo Headset.

I rate this Bluetooth headset 3 stars out of 5.

Note: I received a free headset in exchange for an honest review through the Amazon Vine program.