Sony’s New SBH80 Wearable Hands-free Headset Now in Stores

We first reported about Sony’s new SBH80 during CES earlier this year, and if you've been waiting for it since, know that this wearable hands-free headset has hit local shores.

To recap, the SBH80 is premium wireless headset designed for mobile users who are also audio enthusiasts. A stereo Bluetooth headset, it supports the aptX codec for high-quality wireless audio, and comes with balanced armature drivers for clarity and accurate sound reproduction. Interestingly, the SBH80 is tuned to match the linear characteristic of the recording studio of musical impresario, L.A. Reid. More specifically, the studio’s console and main monitors were used as a reference point to optimize the sound, and the audio tuning settings were burnt to SBH80’s digital signal processor.

In addition, the SBH80 is designed to be worn and used all day (it's splash-proof, by the way). It weighs 16g (without the cord) and has a neckband that houses the battery (Sony claims stream time of up to 6 hours), the Bluetooth 3.0 module, a micro-USB charging port, power button, and NFC tag. An ultra-thin metal then extends around the neck and rests on the shoulders, and which connects to two slim ‘stations’ that hold the dual microphones (one on each side, so that you can tilt your head in any direction to talk) and remote control buttons for music and call navigation. Furthermore, you will feel a vibrating buzz from the neckband when there’s a call, message, or other notification. The headset's 125mAh battery is expected to provide up to 9 hours of talk time.

The SBH80 is priced at S$188 and is now available at Sony Style, Sony Centers, Best Denki, Gadget World, Newstead Technologies, M1 Shops, Stereo Electronics, Tech@Vogue, and other authorized resellers.

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