Ok, it’s not exactly rocket science to figure out a headphone. Just plug the Bluetooth transmitter in any sound system equipped with a minijack – an iPod or even your old stereo TV set – and put on the neckband. The headphone cushions are very comfortable and they come with a spare pair. Bass is strong and the whole listening experience is very pleasant – way better then with regular iPod earbuds.

The listening experience maybe pleasant but getting there goes through a rocky road. In theory all you have to do is press the turn on button in both units – the headphone and the transmitter – and… presto! But no rabbit come out of the top hat. No magic happened.  The blue led indicating connection took forever to light up. Since the units are turned on by pressing a (very) small button that takes some time lighting up we got unsure if the procedure was done correctly. If it was a small switch there would be no doubt. Several times we walked down a few blocks hearing “the sound of silence” – no, it was not the Simon & Garfunkel hit, but alas the annoying wait for the FreePulse to work. Sometimes we even wondered if our iPod Shuffle was properly turned on (it has no display) but after a few minutes the whole setup started working. Turning off was also a hassle as it takes several minutes – and much button pressing and swearing – to happen.

click to enlarge
Figure 5: On/off buttons.

We tested the range using the transmitter plugged in the iPod attached to our belt and plugged in the bedroom PC while cooking in the kitchen. No need for a range wider than that, if you ask us. The FreePulse has volume controls located in the left ear phone where the on/off and mute buttons are also found. Unfortunately there are no iPod-integrated playback controls on these headphones.