Accessories 
The Nokia BH-214 is a pretty sweet external Bluetooth Module of sorts, that goes by the “Stereo Bluetooth Headset” moniker.
Why do we say this ? Well because while the BH-214 can be used as a Bluetooth Headset, it’s design allows it to be used as an external Bluetooth Receiver that you can plug in any pair of headphones to, or connect it to any pair of external Speakers. As long as they have a standard 3.5mm Audio Jack, they should work.
The Nokia BH-214 Bluetooth Stereo Headset includes such features as (and I’m just quoting the Nokia Product Page here) :
- Control your music with the easy-to-use keys
- Manage your calls with the push of a button
- Attach securely with the built-in clip
- Listen to music for up to 7 hours without recharging
- Use any headphones with the additional 3.5 mm jack
Pretty basic eh? The full list of specs can be found on the Nokia BH-214 Product Page.
Like I said, the ‘piece de resistance’ is the whole “Use any headphones” part. More on that later though!
The BH-214 Unit measures 51 x 39 x 18 mm which is admittedly quite small in our books, albeit a bit on the slightly bulky side? Arguably.
The Retail Package :
The BH-214 comes with a pair of in-ear-type headphones (the Nokia HS-44) along with the external Bluetooth Module. Also in box is a charger.
For more details on this section, do check out our Nokia BH-214 Unboxing Post.
On with the pictures !
The front of the BH-214 houses most of it’s function keys.
Here we have the Multifunctiona Send/Call/End key at the top, the rewind and forward buttons on either side, and the Play/Pause button at the bottom.
All the keys work fine enough, and have great feedback to them when pressed. There is a slight split-second lag when when you press the back/forward keys and the song actually changes, but this depends on which device you’re using with the BH-214 too.
Holding down the Multifunction key allows you to voice dial or do other voice-commanded features if supported by your device.
At the back of the BH-214, you have a nice little clip.
The clip is actually quite strong, while it is admittedly a bit annoying to use at first, you’ll see it’s benefits in no time. Once clipped on, it remains on. Which is something i wasnt quite expecting. Honestly I thought that clip would not be able to hold on, at all, so i was very pleasantly surprised.
The Clip lets you wear the Headset in a variety of ways.
Such as on your shirt collar, or on your bad holder, etc. I wore it on my sleeve when I went for a jog once, and it still hung on. That being said, that 17.8 g of weight on the BH-214 makes it change orientation all the time in this situation, which means the microphone (which is on the top) constantly changes orientation.
So if you’re on a call during such an aforementioned situation, chances are your caller wont really hear you very well.
Once you’ve got the positioning down right though, you’ll feel right at home. I used it with a long pair of wired headphones one day and kept it in my pocket. Only to realize the mic is on the unit and noone would be able to hear me if they called.
On the side of the BH-214 you have the Volume increase/decrease keys.
The volume of the unit depends on what pair of headphones you’re using with it. Quality too, of course. With the included Nokia HS-44 headphones, we didnt really have any problems with it. We took it out of the box, picked out a pair of ear-tips that fit (it comes with Small, Medium and Large) and wore the headset for a couple hours at stretch.
The rubber is really soft so you dont feel uncomfortable at all. Infact at times you can barely feel that you are wearing a pair of earphones.
Ofcourse, as we’ve already mentioned numerous times, the best part of the BH-214 is that you can replace the HS-44 with any pair of headphones or a loudspeaker.
This is why talking about Sound Quality on the BH-214 is a bit of an issue. With the HS-44 we got pretty loud sound (You’ll want to remember to turn down the volume the first time you use it). There is just a tiny bit of crackling, but its pretty much too difficult to discern and definitely not irritating at all.
As a whole, audio quality is definitely acceptable. Gets better if/when you use better earphones. Voices come in clear, and the bass is warm. It not stunningly impressive to be honest, but considering the price tag, we’d found it decent.
At the top, the BH-214 has it’s On/off key. To either side of it, is it’s microphone, and a tiny status indicator. The status indicator lets you know when the headset is switched on, connected, low on battery, etc.
We are pleasantly surprised by the in-call quality at both ends of the line using the BH-214. Despite the fact that the microphone is away from your mouth almost all the time, people you are talking to, shouldnt have a problem hearing what you’re sayin. Be it windy, or in a noisy enviroment.
That being said if you tuck the BH-214 in your pocket, or place it under your jackset or even turn your head while talking, the person on the other end will definitely hear the loudness suffer a lot. Still we were really pleased at the ease of communication and performance of the Bluetooth Module.
At the bottom of the BH-214 is the standard Nokia thin-pin charging port.
We were a bit confused on our verdict on battery life on the BH-214. Compared to devices like the BH-905 which lasts almost a day, it’s pretty bad.
But compare it to other bluetooth headsets in its range, the almost 7-ish hours of Audio we got out of this thing, is pretty respectable. Takes under an hour to charge fully too, which is definitely a plus point. To add to that, you can still charge and use the BH-214 at the same time.
Conclusion :
We were pretty pleased with the performance of the Nokia BH-214 as a whole. It works great as a wireless headset and we are impressed by the arguably high in-call quality it delivers.
Ofcourse it’s a bit annoying to attach the Bluetooth module to your clothes because of the weight of the thing and all. But it’s not all too bad. Granted the design is something you’ll either love or hate too.
The Ace up the BH-214′s sleeve is the fact that it can be used with any pair of headphones really. It’s price is also quite affordable at around $50 (Indian Rs 3000).
Ultimately, the BH-214 is definitely worth the price considering what it offers. So much so, that we’re going to get one for ourselves here at ZCJ!
Here’s a video of our final verdict on the Nokia BH-214 Bluetooth Stereo Headset.
Dont forget, we have our Nokia BH-214 Review Album on Flickr and Nokia BH-214 Review Videos on our YouTube Channel.
Were you considering the Nokia BH-214 Bluetooth Stereo Headset ? Have any questions about a feature ? Something we missed ? Do let us know in the comments y’all !
Clinton is currently based in New Delhi, India and is executive editor for UnleashThePhones. He is responsible for all editorial decisions, and covers all forms of Mobile and mobile-related accessories.
Cj is addicted to caffeine, social media, and technology. Always up for a good conversation, you can reach him through the contact form, his website, on Google Plus 
or on Facebook or Twitter: Follow @clintonjeff
Hi, did anyone test this headset with a Ubuntu (or GNU/Linux in general) - equipped computer?
Is this bluetooth hands free available in New Delhi? If yes, then where can I buy it?
It is about half the size of 5800XM so i think it's quite big.This thing reminds me the remote-control device in Danny Boyle's movie Sunshine. If there is a dark-grey version I'd consider buying one. It should be very useful when riding a bicycle, or when I am using DSLR.Btw, I am surprised by the price. Here in Hong Kong the lowest price is HKD288 (~US$37).
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