This story actually spans a long time. Like, ever since Bluetooth technology became available for widespread consumerism. I never understood what's with all this rage over Bluetooth. My past experiences nearly every bluetooth device just about proved that it is an extremely unreliable wireless technology; connectivity and pairing for devices within bitch-slapping range of each other can be so incredibly difficult to achieve. What does it take to maintain a stable connection at all? So to me, Bluetooth is a tool best avoided unless absolutely mandatory.
And so indeed, did that problem faced me straight on.
Last year I quickly bought the Nokia XpressMusic 5310 after being holed up in Senoko power station for several months without being allowed to utilise fancy schnazzy phones in that secured area. They did not allow camera phones there, and frankly, is that a decent phone that does not sport a camera these days? Even when the camera sensor and lens totally suck? But regardless, I bought the phone because it provided the musical features to rival my ailing iMobile 310. Any phone unable to play mp3 ring and message tones are plain rubbish now.
On top of that, I immediately discarded the poorly-designed earphone headset provided by Nokia. True musical experience and otolaryngo comfort starts with circumaural headphones. None of that pathetic plug-in designs. Thus my acquisition of the Sennheiser eh250; not too big for mobility, kicking enough bass from the phone (traditionally, the 2xx series of headphones in Sennheiser's line have always provided the most bass). I became a happy person with song and dance in my travels; liberated from the noise of the world.
Until the phone rings. And I pick up the phone like a walkie-talkie or a radio mic unit. Over.
I had been tolerating this setup for the past year, since popular Bluetooth solutions for hands-free communication are one-sided-jab-into-ear models. That is unacceptable; not only do I require stereo for my music, I need it to be my headphones. If it is not circumaural, it will not do. Then came my colleague to the "rescue". Himself a believer in quality sound for music playback, his choice setup is a Bose on-ear that dangles an i-Tech Clip D-Radio. After convincing me the benefits of Bluetooth v2 and A2DP, I went about purchasing the lesser i-Tech Clip Radio model, since I don't need the on-device LED panel.
Initially, I thought I had met a joyous solution that did not require me to sing karaoke into my phone when I am listening to music. But a couple days of use soon revealed a massive problem - the Bluetooth signal would frequently break (not always but often enough); not because I was more than ten metres away from the phone; not because I was behind a thick shielding of a lead wall; but merely when i have my phone in my pocket and the Clip Radio hanging on my collar.
Yup, standing or walking upright in regular posture. Poor reception results. Maybe Bluetooth has designed with the Homo Habilis generation in mind, I don't know.
I speculated wildly with my colleague what could possibly be the problem. Whether my phone has poor transmission, or the material of my pants, even desperate enough to suggest if it could have been the type of briefs that I wear.
In an exchange test with my colleague's model for a day, however, it quickly exposed the fact that my phone is good enough. His unit works perfectly fine. And he reported that his music experience was totally soured by breakages when he used my unit. I guess I can return to wearing briefs again. Which made me glad since I was not used to having such "freedom" downstairs.
So it seems my voodoo with Bluetooth technology continues. Until I can get a proper working unit from customer service.