Stereo Bluetooth headsets aren't known for their sound quality, but we've been seeing some encouraging signs recently. LG's new $69.99 HBS-700 stereo Bluetooth headset sports an interesting design that combines a flexible plastic headband with a set of retractable, magnetic earbuds that defeat cable tangles. The HBS-700 also offers plenty of hardware controls for use as a hands-free device. It's a good sounding stereo headset and easy to recommend, though it falls just short of an Editor's Choice award.

Design, Fit, and Pairing
The HBS-700 measures 0.7 by 5.3 by 6.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.1 ounces. That's more than a set of stereo earbuds, but not by much. The center band is very flexible, and almost feels like rubber. Each side leads into a thick, glossy black plastic extension with a rubber ear. The left side holds a multi-function Call button, a large pair of volume buttons, a sliding power switch, and a covered microUSB charger port. The right side contains a Play/Pause button and a pair of skip controls for music.

Here's the weird part: the rubber ear tips pop out on separate, six-inch wires. In other words, you don't wear the headset with the earbuds affixed to each side. Instead, you detach the earbuds, insert one in each ear, and then wear the headband around your neck. The orange pockets at each end are magnetic; when you're done listening, you pop the earbuds right back in. It's a nifty design, and certainly one that's more comfortable to wear than the Motorola S9-HD's ($129, 3.5 stars) hard plastic band, which gets in the way whenever you lean back in your chair. And since there's a place to park the HBS-700's earbuds, there are no tangled wires to deal with when retrieving it from your workout bag or knapsack. But it won't help people who get chafed when they wear a plastic band along the backs of their necks.

The first time you power up the HBS-700, it automatically enters pairing mode. Subsequent pairing require holding down the Call button for four seconds while sliding the power switch down. For this review, I paired the LG HBS-700 with an HTC EVO Shift 4G ($149, 4 stars) on Sprint and an LG Ally ($49, 3.5 stars) on Verizon, using each phone's stock music player app.

Sound Quality, Other Tests, and Conclusions
Music tracks generally sounded clear and smooth. It appears LG has bypassed the usual treble-related issues with stereo Bluetooth by rolling the response curve off past 5 KHz or so. Formerly prominent cymbals and crisp heavy metal guitars sounded smoother than they do with the Editor's Choice Samsung Modus HM6450 ($79, 4 stars), but they also lost a bit of sheen. Meanwhile, the Arcade Fire's song "Ready to Start" sounded a little muddier than on comparable headsets. Bass extension was good, but kick drums lacked punch. In a back-to-back comparison, the Samsung HM6450 sounded a little brighter and more detailed, with harder-hitting kick drums and just as much bass extension.

On the plus side, I heard no background hiss with the HBS-700, and I didn't hear any Bluetooth-related dropouts or other glitches. The volume buttons cycle between eight levels in hands-free calling mode, and 16 levels in music streaming mode. The HBS-700 supports multipoint technology, so you can pair it with two devices simultaneously. But it only works in hands-free mode for voice calls; you can't stream music from either device. Range was good; I could walk about 15 feet away from my test handset before the music signal began to degrade. The 195mAh lithium polymer battery was good for an excellent 11 hours and 28 minutes of constant music playback. LG says that it lasts the same amount of time during voice calls.

All told, the HBS-700 has long battery life and an interesting design going for it, and it doesn't sound half bad. Still, while the Samsung Modus HM6450 costs more, you also get a good-sounding mono Bluetooth headset as part of the bargain. That means the HM6450 keeps our Editor's Choice award, though you'll be happy with the HBS-700 if you prefer its design.

Benchmarks
Continuous talk time: 11 hours 28 minutes

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