Nokia E75: Headset is Actually Quite Good!
Any N-Series or E-Series comes with a wired headset. This nice inclusion by Nokia isn't something to be overlooked, as it really is a function and quite decent piece of equipment. Ever since my N93 I have yet to come across an N or E phone that doesn't include the stereo headset complete with some foam earbud covers in case you should happen to want them. These have always been a sort of "that's nice but what else is in here" point with me. That is, they never really appealed to me. And the reason for that is not because I never use bundled headphones- I actually use my iPod's earbuds all the time- I just never really liked them.
The headset bundled with my original N93 didn't fit well in my ears. However, the round-the-neck design really did appeal to me, as did the fact that the N93 had no standard 3.5mm headset so if I wanted another choice, I wasn't being allowed to use it. The earbuds leaked noise and didn't fit well, and anything but treble was lost in even the slightest of noisy environments.
However, I decided that I'd ignored this piece of included kit for quite a while, I might as well give them a go with the E75. And to my surprise, I rather liked them! They earbuds fit well, and the fancy round-the-neck design was initially a bother to untangle but comfortable once in-use. On a phone call, I enjoyed the extra bit of call clarity I felt I was receiving, and the other caller never once complained about how I sounded.
Pleased, I decided to cue up some music and daydream on my bed with the window open. While it is true that these speakers still leaked a lot of outside noise in to my ears, the audio quality itself was much improved from what I last remember using a bundled headset. The HS-43 headset wasn't actually half bad! I'd continue to use but I still prefer a wireless headset (I'd looooove to get my hands on one of Nokia's OLED-equipped headphones/headset!) or "real" headphones for my music. (I believe the reason for the sound leaking is as a safety feature... imagine being on a phone call while walking on the street for a moment. If you weren't able to hear your surroundings, a lot of bad things could happen very quickly.)
So what I ultimately mean to say is... I'm quite happy with the HS-43 headset. I'm surprised to hear myself saying that, but I really am happy!
