Altec packages the 903 stereo headphones about as simply as possible: a power adapter is included for easy recharging, but nothing else; the headphones are what they are. They come with sculpted cone-like rubber earpieces built in, channeling their 14mm speaker drivers sound in the general direction of your ear canals, and have telescoping, swiveling arms that can be stretched and repositioned to fit your ears. Text and icons on the headset are a mix of silver and gold, pretty nice looking I would say.

The earpieces enable the wireless headset to incorporate some components that will benefit many iPod touch 2G and iPhone users. First, there’s a more powerful than average bluetooth chip inside, capable of working at distances of roughly 60 feet from the iPhone 3GS before the signal starts to break up on both sides of a phone call; at distances of roughly 30 feet, callers reported hearing a little inoffensive static on their end, as well. The bluetooth chip uses the 2.1 standard, pairing very easily PIN free with all of the bluetooth devices I tried, and apparently drawing less power when used with 2.1 compatible products. Up to seven hours of battery life for talk or listening are promised, and we ran 903 for comparably extended periods without needing a recharge.

For the most part, you can expect that these are a good performer, all things considered. Both telephone and stereo bluetooth music are clear, unlike my usb headset. People I called said that there was a slight treble boost and that our voices sounded a little more compressed when heard through the headset, but good overall. There’s also a feature called OpenMic, which lets you hear your surroundings rather than the music that’s streaming wirelessly.

Overall, a number of very real advantages to users looking for bluetooth stereo headphones with calling and music features.This includes impressive broadcasting capabilities, a design that’s acceptable visually, and a reasonable price tag. If you’re willing to take a shot and see whether this pair of wireless headphones will fit on and around your ears, you’ll almost certainly find the sound quality, weight, and battery life to be acceptable until the next major breakthrough in Bluetooth headphone technology comes along.

Altec Lansing BackBeat 903 906 Stereo Headset EAR TIPS Price: US $5.95 on eBay®