REVIEWED: Sennheiser Presence hands-free headset
A flexible new approach to an old and awkward concept, this Smart Bluetooth headset does good business
Price as reviewed: £169.99
Wearable technology isn’t new. In the post-iPad era gadget makers are in a rush to sell us smart watches, ‘wristables’ that measures out footsteps and soon Google Glass, but wearable headsets have been around for yonks.
Still awkward?
Trouble is, most are terrible. Well over a decade on from suddenly becoming aware of people – usually men in sharp suits – seemingly taking to themselves, I still feel incredibly awkward while wearing Bluetooth headsets, but for businesspeople on the go, they remain invaluable. The Sennheiser Presence goes right for the business user by promising to hook-up to two devices simultaneously (such as a phone and a tablet or laptop).
Great for business
The Sennheiser Presence is great for business. Unlike the headsets of old, the Presence uses a refined low-energy wireless technology called Smart Bluetooth, which does away with the nonsense of contest pairing. It also allows a total of eight devices to be kept in the Sennheiser Presence’s memory for instant pairing when desired.
Small buttons
Measuring 98x173x57mm – far from the slimmest around – and weighing 113g, the Sennheiser Presence has a microphone that extends down slightly. A small plastic support kept it comfortably fixed to my ear. However, the buttons on the black and silver-styled Sennheiser Presence are too small. Reaching up to my ear to turn-up the volume – which perhaps does’t go quite loud enough – I wasn’t confident of not accidentally ending the call.
And although we love the bullet-proof hard flip-case that holds the headset and a 5cm USB-micro USB cable, trying to get either back inside is impossible – the moulding is just too snug and it’s not obvious how to orient them.
Call quality
Calls using the Sennheiser Presence phone calls are so, so clear, and it’s possible to use any smartphone’s built-in voice control such as Google Voice or the iPhone’s Siri.A great option – but ditch the carry case.