I’ve been spending some time with the oversized Nokia BH-604 stereo Bluetooth headphones and I have to say, they’re freakin killer. And huge. Overall, the headphones measure 190mm x 180mm x 75mm (7.5″ x 7″ x 2.9″) and weigh in at a solid 250g (8.8oz). The earpieces are decked out in a luxuriously soft fake leather wrapping, as is the top part of the headband. This leather is stuffed nicely with some sort of padding, making everything feel like you’re wearing a big cushy leather sofa. The sales package contains the headset and a power plug, but nothing else.
There are 4 buttons on the right earpiece – the multifunction button, a play/pause button, and the forward/reverse buttons on the sides. The bottom edge of the right earpiece houses the power port (standard Nokia small-barrel) and a volume flicker-switch. There’s a multicolor LED on the outer edge of this earpiece, as well, to give you an idea of what’s going on.
Pressing and holding the multifunction key for about 5 seconds will turn the headphones on, as indicated by a green LED. If you continue to hold the multifunction button down, it will turn to a green flashing light, showing you that it’s in ‘pairing mode’, so you can hook it up with your phone or PC. The Nokia BH-604 features Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, as well as the standard headset profiles, and I found the connection to be very strong, and did not have any issues with it dropping out, regardless of where my phone was.
Despite being completely massive, the Nokia BH-604 is a phenomenal pair of headphones. Due to the large size and thickly padded earpieces, using them on a phone call results in great audio quality, but it feels like you’re talking into a barrel, making it feel awkward to carry on the conversation. The receiving end, in my tests, said the sound was fine, and could hardly tell I was using a Bluetooth headset, which is good.
Music simply cannot be beat with the BH-604. I used them paired with my Nokia N95-3 for beautiful music in a completely mobile experience, but was admittedly slightly embarassed to use them outside my apartment. Paired with my laptop, however, the Nokia BH-604 was unstoppable! I was able to turn on a loud movie and sit in my armchair across the room, using Salling Clicker on my N95-3 to control the video and volume, and Christina was sleeping in the next room. This headset is perfect for the audio aficionado that wants to enjoy loud music or movies on either his mobile phone or Bluetooth-enabled laptop.
The battery life is phenomenal, easily able to last through a full work day of music, and the movie that evening. Nokia estimates 15 hours officially, and I’d say you could easily get that. Overall, if you’re interested in a stereo Bluetooth headset, and will be using it more to enjoy your media than for phone calls, the BH-604 is a serious contender. However, those looking for a headset to use while jogging or working out in the gym should probably steer clear, due to the sheer size.
