HP RF823AA Premium Stereo Headset
From Hewlett Packard Office
Listen to music, play games, and carry on conversations in comfort¿for hours on end¿with our Premium Stereo Headset. Features & Benefits: Noise canceling microphone filters out unwanted background noise. 38mm drivers lets you immerse yourself in your music and games. Comfort fit, foldable design & cushioned ear cups for hours of continuous enjoyment. In-line volume and mute control for precise control. Virtual surround and uncompromised gaming audio. Compatible with MSN Messanger, Skype, Vonage, Yahoo IM, Google Talk. Gold-plated connectors provide superior signal transfer. 5 Foot (1.5M) cord, connects directly to your PC.
- Color: Black
- Brand: Hewlett-Packard
- Model: RF823AA
- Dimensions: 2.80" h x 5.30" w x 4.40" l, .35 pounds
completely worthless
I have never written a review on amazon for any product, but I really feel like I need to let the world know how cheap these things are. As if it weren't enough that the sound quality is horrendous and the headphones themselves are very uncomfortable, they literally snapped in half less than a month after I purchased them. That's right, they snapped right in the middle like a rotten twig as I was putting them on my head, revealing an extremely cheap joint that I can't imagine would last more than 3 months for anyone. DO NOT BUY THESE...you could get a more reliable headset for 50 cents on ebay.
Terrible Design, Uncomfortable, Poor audio quality
I have rarely every purchased a product that I can find nothing good to say about. This is one of those rare occasions. The audio quality is mediocre, the mic sound quality is average but what really makes these headphones stand out is just how terribly uncomfortable they are to wear. I use voice chat via Skype for business all day long and after about 30 minutes with these things on my head and my ears start throbbing. I tried stretching the head phones out for a few days leaving them stretched over a block just slightly larger than my head and it still didn't help. The rigid plastic tightly clamps my head and makes me feel like I have my head in a vice. Considering how much I paid for these, I didn't expect a ton, but the Logitech headphones I paid $10 less for are significantly better.
Don't buy the HP Premium Stereo Headset
See those headsets up there? Don't buy them. I walked into WalMart looking for a decent headset to use for my computer the other day, and these were the 'nicest' looking ones they had. They weren't the most expensive, but they certainly weren't the cheapest either. About a week or so ago I almost bought a much cheaper set made by Logitech, but decided to look at a few reviews first. Why I didn't do the same for this headset is beyond my knowledge.
I stood in the isle for quite a while, debating whether or not to purchase them at that moment or a later time, after reading a few reviews. I hate blind buying and very rarely do it. But for some reason the 'HP' part of the packaging seemed to reassure me that it'd be a good buy. I haven't heard too many negative things about Hewlett Packard, then again I really don't follow hardware reviews, something I should start doing after buying this...monstrosity.
Back home and finally getting a chance to try them out, I immediately realized that they were quite tight. I thought perhaps that I'd get use to it, but it isn't looking likely. I also noticed the volume control and how close it was to my chin. My previous headset's volume control was a good foot and a half/2 feet away from my chin. The HP Premium Stereo Headset's volume control, however, is a mere 3 inches away. And you don't even have the ability to turn the volume all the way down.
The cord itself isn't nearly as long as I'd like it to be, either. From the volume control to the tips of the jacks I have a little over 4 feet to work with, giving me about 5 feet in total cord length. This is way too short for a headset, and I really wish it would've been stated on the box(something like that should be required in my opinion).
Like I said earlier, the headset itself if quite tight. This isn't a huge problem for those who don't wear glasses(but it may still be a bit uncomfortable). However, to those who do wear glasses(like me), it's a real bitch. It pinches the temples between your ears and head, creating an extremely uncomfortable feeling which pretty much requires you to take them off every now and then for a break. Then we have the sound quality, which is mediocre at best.
The microphone works, but the headphones seem muffled. Speaking of the microphone, did I mention the mute button? No? That's because it doesn't even work. Then again, I may have gotten a defective headset. The bottom line is simply avoid this headset at all costs. Definitely not worth the [...]+ I paid, the majority of which probably went into the collapsible design. You can fold up the ear pads and then fold the entire headset together, which is utterly useless to me since I'll never take the time to do such a thing. Even if I were to travel and brought them with me I'd simply wrap the cord around them, like I always do.
HP, how could you have ever approve of such a crap-tastic piece of hardware?
Update: 3+ months later, and I guess I have gotten use to the tight fit. Everything else, however, still stands.
