Mustek MBT-H120 Bluetooth headset review: Mustek MBT-H120 Bluetooth headset

Mustek MBT-H120 Bluetooth headset
As Bluetooth headsets go, the Mustek MBT-H120 is just above average, which is to say there's nothing really bad about it, but there's nothing particularly special about it either. It delivers acceptable if not great sound quality, it has a simple design, and the fit is comfortable. It doesn't rank as our favorite Bluetooth headset, but it's good at what it's supposed to do. It's also fairly priced at $49.

The Mustek MBT-H120 has a minimalist silver and black design and a slender, tapered form factor. Since there's no boom mic, the headset measures a compact 3.2 by 1.4 by 0.9 inches and weighs a trim 0.5 ounce. We've certainly seen smaller headsets, such as the Tekkeon EzTalker Mini, but the MBT-H120 won't look too conspicuous when worn. The wearing style is a standard over-the-ear fit through a soft, flexible ear loop. The fit was comfortable and secure, and we had no problem slipping it on or off quickly. Also, the ear loop can be switched easily for wearing on either ear.

The controls on the Mustek MBT-H120 are well sized and easy to manipulate. A button on the top of the headset powers it on and off, readies it for pairing, and controls calls. Since the tactile control is raised conveniently above the surface of the headset, it was very easy to find when we were on a call. That said, since the button is at the rear end of the headset, users with longer hair may want to try it on first. Volume is controlled through two rectangular buttons on either side of the headset. Although these controls were large enough, they were slightly less tactile than the multifunction button. Also, they switch positions depending on which ear you're wearing the headset. When worn on the right ear, the volume-up control is on the top; when worn on the left ear, it's on the bottom. The final exterior feature on the MBT-H120 is an LED light below the power button that indicates charging and power status.

We tested the Mustek MBT-H120 with the Samsung MM-A940. The pairing process was painless, though unlike with most other Bluetooth headsets, the passkey for the MBT-H120 is 1234 instead of 0000. Audio quality was serviceable but nothing spectacular; callers could tell we were using a headset, though they could hear us well and said our voices sounded normal. For us, however, voices sounded slightly mechanical. Also, while we didn't encounter any problems in quiet environments, volume decreased noticeably in areas with a lot of background noise. We could still hold conversations, but users with hearing impairments will have more trouble. Supported features include call reject, last-number redial, and voice dialing. Battery life is rated at 5.5 hours of talk time and just more than four days of standby time.