Review: New Headsets Let You Shoot The Breeze

PETER SVENSSON

NEW YORK (AP) — Bluetooth wireless headsets have become a lot better in the last few years at picking out the user's voice from noisy surroundings.

But a key problem has persisted: If you're in a breezy place, it's been hard to make yourself heard above the sound of the wind whistling over the microphone.

The latest generation of high-end headsets, with prices ranging from $100 to $130, promise to do a better job at wind suppression. I tested three of them in locales that included a windy rooftop and the streets of New York.

The most telling place for the test actually was an interior staircase that, because of some fluke of the ventilation system, has a steady, light breeze of about 5 mph. That doesn't sound like much, but it's enough for conversation to be impossible with a Motorola H350, a 3-year-old headset that's still on sale.

With today's better headsets, the stairwell breeze was noticeable, but I could still make myself heard. Outdoors in gusty weather, even the best headsets were occasionally overcome.