Xperia X10 Blog

Sony Ericsson MW600 Bluetooth Headset Review

Sony Ericsson MW600Sony Ericsson was kind enough to send over a brand new white MW600 stereo Bluetooth headset to review. The black MW600 has been on sale for a while now, which we’ve been using since the Xperia X10 launch. However, for those of you still considering a Bluetooth headset and sporting a white Xperia X10 this white MW600 might be right up your street.

Of course, the great thing about this Bluetooth headset is that you can pair it with any mobile handset that sports Bluetooth. An integrated 3.5mm jack also means you can also use your own pair of favourite cans with the headset. Combining this with a small OLED display, great battery life and a FM radio means the MW600 headset deserves to be on your shortlist if you are in the market for a Bluetooth headset. Click through for the full review.

Sony Ericsson MW600 Specifications

  • Bluetooth 2.1
  • OLED graphical display: (12 x 125 white pixels + border of red/green pixels)
  • Battery: 170mAh Lithium-Ion
  • Stream time (up to h): 8.5
  • Standby time (up to h): 500
  • Talk time (up to h): 11
  • Charging connector: Micro USB
  • FM radio playing time up to (h): 11
  • Dimensions (mm): 17.5 x 15.0 x 62.0
  • Weight: 13.0 g

Review

In the box

We were sent a pre-release version so we did not receive the white MW600 in its retail packaging. However, we did get all of the accessories that are bundled in the retail version. This included the white MW600 Bluetooth headset, a matching pair of white earphones along with several different sized ear buds. The retail version will also come with a USB charging cable.

Sony Ericsson MW600

Design

If you’ve not seen the MW600 before, it is very lightweight (13g) and is about the same size as a standard AA battery. The white MW600 isn’t completely white. It sports a silver body (painted plastic) with white trim for the buttons along with white trim on the top/bottom of the headset. I’m not too sure of the design myself, but the display coming through the silver body is a nice touch.

Sony Ericsson MW600

One side of the headset has the touch volume controls (as seen above), whilst the other sports the music playback controls including play/pause/rewind/forward (as seen below). We found that the touch volume controls were quite fiddly in practice, it is open to accidental presses as you only need your finger to touch the surface to move the volume (rather than actually pressing a button).

Sony Ericsson MW600

The bottom of the MW600 houses the 3.5mm jack, and just on top of this, on the main body, you can see the call button.

Sony Ericsson MW600

The top of the MW600 houses the microUSB charging port along with the power on/off switch.

Sony Ericsson MW600

It is good to know that the headset comes with a strong spring-loaded grip and teeth that means clipping the MW600 to clothes should be an easy task. We didn’t have any problems attaching the clip to shirts, jumpers or coats.

Sony Ericsson MW600

Set up

Set up was no problem with our Xperia X10 picking up the MW600 and requesting a pairing very quickly. The MW600 can be paired with up to three devices (whether that be your laptop, mobile or other device), however only two can be active at any one time.

Sony Ericsson MW600

Audio quality/Music playback

In terms of call quality, we found that the MW600’s mic did a great job of picking up our voice despite being placed in different places around our neck/chest. Despite the issues with the Xperia X10’s in-ear call volume, we had no problem hearing the caller on the other end when conducting a call. Around 50 percent volume was fine to conduct a conversation even against the backdrop of a busy road.

Unfortunately, the caller ID or track ID function does not seem to work with the Xperia X10. This means that when someone calls you can only see their number and not their name. We thought this may have been sorted once the Android 2.1 update arrived, but disappointingly there’s been no change on this front.

Sony Ericsson MW600

Holding down the play button brings you to a menu where you can also select to listen to AM or FM radio through the device. The navigation wasn’t the most intuitive and requires some time before you get used to it. You use the FF and RW buttons to move up by .05 increments. A long press will cause the tuner to scan to the next station. An annoyance is that radio stations cannot be saved.

Sony Ericsson MW600

The headphones themselves are of reasonably quality and quite comfortable too. Four extra ear buds are provided of different sizes to ensure that the fit is as comfortable as possible.

Sony Ericsson MW600

Battery life

Battery life is one of the stand-out features of the MW600. Depending on usage, it will only need charging once every few days. The micro USB port also means that it can be charged from any PC/laptop.

Sony Ericsson MW600

Conclusion

Overall, the biggest positive we can give the MW600 is that it has become part of our daily lives. It is small, lightweight, connects easily to most phones we’ve tried, it offers good call quality, an FM radio and great battery life. However it’s by no means perfect, even with the Android 2.1 update, there is still no caller ID or music track display on the MW600. Despite this, the Sony Ericsson MW600 is well worth being on your shortlist if you’re in the market for a Bluetooth headset and at around £30 offers great value for money.

Positives

  • Small & lightweight
  • 3.5mm jack to enable one to use any headset
  • Charing via ubiquitous micro USB
  • Clear readable display in most conditions
  • Good battery life
  • Mic delivers clear sounds/good sound quality
  • Up to three Bluetooth pairings

Negatives

  • Not full functionality with Xperia X10
  • Fiddly touch volume control
  • White may not go with all earphones

Many thanks to Sony Ericsson for sending us the white MW600 stereo Bluetooth headset for review!

X10

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56 responses to “Sony Ericsson MW600 Bluetooth Headset Review”

  1. I love mine(I’ve got the black version, which matches the Black X10 perfectly).

    I use it almost every day while working out and it is hugely functional.
    That said I really wish we’d get a bluetooth update so it would do trackID and calledID.

    Only a one main gripe that you didn’t mention:
    -Wi-fi + bluetooth(music) = choppy music playback and sometimes results in the headset disconnecting.

  4. Thanks for the review. I have the black one. Im not sure about the AM though?. Have you managed to tune into an AM station? I can only scan through FM…

  5. I agree with Ekul. Sometimes the music can cut out for a second but i have never lost connection completely.

    All in all great for the price, although i did have to change the earphones. No Bass

  7. I got mine with my X10 and i love it. I just have one question, when i try to pair my MW600 with another device it kinda forget the first one and i have to pair it with every device i want to use it with? any ideas.

    By the way, Great review, thanks for your effort.

  8. This is nice looikin…. so ,..

    @ SE who might read my comment,.. as an apoligie id like you to send me one of these Bluetooth devices for free,. just so,. to make it up to me and maybe to the rest,. for the late update on Eclair…. Give me an answer….just so I know you care for your customers….

    Thank you…

  9. it with any mobile handset that sports Bluetooth. – I think you mean support.

    I have the black version of this and I love it. I would have preferred buttons for the volume control tho.

  10. @Lee – I only had the disconnecting issue when I was using the Nordic branded 2.1 firmware on my X10a. Using 1.6 I have never had it disconnect completely; like you said it would cut out for a second or two, seemed to be whenever it was initiating data transfer over wireless.

  11. Got a question. Can you use this headset in combination with Spotify? Meaning using the forward and stop buttons.

  12. Where do you buy this other than the net been in carephonewarehouse, orange t mob no one sells it

  14. Is the in call volume bug not fixed in android 2.1 for the X10? Why SE not fixed the in call volume problem? 🙁

  15. Looks really sweet. Love my MW600, even though I don´t use it very much. Coolest thing is to connect it to my surround system and using the X10 as a remote when listening to Spotify!

  16. Who the hell would buy this if u onw am X10 or one of its derivitives. My mini pro will lhas got less than half of the stream time its got…. Plus why would I buy a SE device, im stilll waiting. On 2.1 when gingerbread will b out soon.

  17. Xda developers, you are the masters. Can u help us with MW600’s full functionality for Xperia X10???

    Please… or there ara any app for this?

  18. yeah…it would be great if xda developers could find a solution! Call id and track id are very usefull features. it’s a shame we don’t have them on x10 right now!=/

  20. I bought X10 because my old K790 Cybershot phone was great in it’s time.
    FM tuner was built-in and used h/p as antenna. When music forgotten, my X10 sufficed as mini ghetto blaster with built in speaker way better than X10.

    I will probably buy this bt h/s based on good comments. I may also buy the little dongle clip doodad thingymajig with the tiny touchscreen that you can read messages etc without pulling phone out of pocket etc. Looks cool.
    “What’s that?” ” Oh, that’s my phone’s Satellite” lmao!

    Anyhow folks, I’m not a fanboy of S.E. usually prefer Motorola. Flip and RAZR were most copied designs then iphone sorta changed everything, but nobody noticed it was just like Palm Treo. Now market flooded with all the latest and greatest and I have an X10 on 1.6… and a 3 effin year contract!

    I don’t believe the abuse of profanity in some posts deserves any attention from anybody at all. Stop bragging about other phones, this is an X10 site.

    PROPS TO XDA!! Really helpful as well. I’m just not gonna void my warranty unless I hav
    e to. I got a working copy of angry birds beta and finished all 15 levels at ***! Now I’m just itching for 2.1 update in Canada so I can finally use my full version and play what may be the most addictive game on the planet right now. My next phone? Unknown for now.

  21. Hi, This is amazing Accessory from sony Ericsson. Gels very well with my Xperia X10. Worth the 50bucks i spent.

  22. This device is not compatible with a washing machine. The stock headphones however are. Trust me.

    But honestly, I don’t miss the MW600. If you like to go running it slips off your shirt a lot (microfibre especially). Plus it’s best to clip it in the center or to your left and the volume turns down as you bounce around.

    It’s is stylish and somewhat cool but if you just want it for radio music purposes, DL Tune In Radio. You’ll get music from all over the world. I rarely used it as a bluetooth headset.

  23. i have a black mw600 with an xperia x10 still running 1.6. I too have noticed choppy performance w/wifi enabled, it’s borderline unusable unless you’re sitting right by your wifi point.

    i disagree with the review re: the mw600 headphones, they are definitely substandard. So substandard, I almost returned the mw600. Luckily I plugged in other headphones first.

    It seems to work well with the headphones that come w/the xperia x10 itself – just plug-in the headphones & not the mic cable part.

  24. PLEASE HELP ME. I’M BEGGING YOU KIND SIRS, PLEASE. LOOK INTO YOUR HEARTS, I’M PRAYING TO YOU TO HELP ME.
    PLEASE TELL ME.

    Will the update have 16m color?

    THANK YOU. PLEASE RESPOND URGENTLY.

  25. MW600 is great as you have mentioned. But i really dont get why caller name and track ID cant be displayed inspite of 2.1. It works amzingly well with my other fone K790i, shows caller name and song name. Hopefully there will be patch for this. because im ok with NO track ID but i need caller ID.

  26. who cares.when do we get 2.1 update in spain still waiting.does anybody now????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

  27. @Moron: learn to read, SE’s Product blog has mentioned several times that there is NO change regarding 16M colors, Multitouch nor In-call volume in the 2.1 Android update. All possible fixes have already been addressed in previous (minor) updates. STOP TROLLING!

    @sewez: the MW600 can pair up with up to 3 devices, when you enter the pairing mode, remember to choose a different (unoccupied) slot for the new device using the volume slider. The device supports 2 active connections – one for A2DP stereo music, one for hands-free calling, these are selected from already paired devices by pressing the play/call buttons for about 2 seconds.
    Note, that you cannot have 2 active connections of the same type to different phones at the same time, but you can listen to music on phone (or your iTouch) and wait for calls using the other.

  30. @quartzie
    Well said. This is NOT the 2.1 update thread 8+)

    Maybe I investigate further before buying headset.
    I want ONE Stereo Headset that also handles calls at same time like supplied headset, but wirelessly. There are all kinds of new bluetooth devices coming down the pipe these days.

  33. Hi guys can you tell me where I can buy this MW600 here in Manila. I have been looking for this headset since April of this year but most of the SE stores do not have any stocks.

  34. I saw somebody say f…sony ericsson, something about still not having 2.1, but I want my 1.6 back, and further more can I really connect both my live view and mw600 to the same device at the same time using bluetooth? I thought this was impossible??

  36. HI ,

    Does it get connects with three mobiles together , And than if anybody calls on either mobile – will i be able to receive call….?

    Plz help ,

    Thanks,
    Regards,
    Sachin Agarwal,
    Mumbai

  37. Anyone know that if Sony Ericsson MW600 Bluetooth Headset, works when the phone is on “Flight Mode”.
    I mean does its mp3 player work when the phone is on “Flight Mode” or not.

  38. newly bought sony bluetooth mw600 , issue that encounter ..bluetooth lost connection 3~4 time daily ..is the device issue or my xperia x10 . to reconnect back the bluetooth i press the call button but always link to voice dialer .how to disable it ……

  39. WTF i buy this phone but the mw600 doesnt work to my xperia 10i…any one can help me for this matters…i think im just wasting my time to this phone and mw600
    …just pm me in my acct in ym..thanks

  40. Why doesn’t people read the prevvious posts before making their own? It’s sooo frustrating, and the forum could be cut in half from unnecessary posts. 😉 Because a lot of the answers to their questions in in the previous posts, or even in the article. 😉

    Ronny,
    No(r)way

  44. my mw600 is getting some charging after that it showing full charging inthat time if i may off and on the device again it is showing nill batery and when doin pairing in last min device is getting otomatic off iwant solution plz show the way any one

  45. mw600 is perfectly amazing . i`m using it with my iphone and ipad , i can simply walk free in my home while i`m on skype . i would`ve preferd if the volume buttons was a press functional instead of touch though :s

    Ali
    Lebanon
    Beirut

  47. if i buy new earphone , all earphone have long cable. No one earaphone with short cable

  48. i need to buy sony ericsson mw600 is any this items available in Oman or in Dubai and which number i can contact them as i need this very urgently Thanks
    Sam

  49. Hi Folks, Can somebody tell me,is this device compatible with any model of Samsung & Nokia mobile phones??? Means can i use it with Nokia OR Samsung mobile phones????.

  50. @Jacobo are you able to receive audio and sent voice input after connecting to ps3 ?? Please confirm.. Planning to buy one..

  51. i want to by the Sony Ericsson MW-600 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones,but you dont have the price.can you hekp to by it.i want to khow the price+the easy Delivery for grece!!you tell me,and ill by it!thanks.I ll wait news from you.have i nice day!!!