Micky wrote:

I replied without thinking about this last line. So with bluetooth
headPHONES or stereo earBUDS, they can be seen by both at the same
time, but not single ear. I don't see why the two would be related.

Does it matter if the single ear devices call themselves stereo or
not?


I'd have to say if the device is a single peice (one ear) and says it's
stereo, it should support listening to music via the player on the phone.

It's been several years since I researched this, I was looking for a one
peice that could be used for playing music from an iPhone, because that is
what I wanted. Mostly for driving, so I didn't have both ears covered.

Motorola made them but were priced higher than I thought was practical.

From what I remember, it has to do with the bluetooth profile they support.

It was something like using a2dp and or another one, avrcp that can use or
has hsp and or hfp. The hsp is for the headset and hfp is for hands free (or
it's the other way around).

What it comes down to is, the stereo headsets (that cover both ears) has both
hsp and hfp, it uses one for the phone calls, the other for music.

Most single peice (one ear) is hfp only. So the phone sees it as a device it
can transmit to, but the music player is looking for a hsp device and can't
use it.

So what I'm saying is, if the device (one ear) says it's stereo, maybe it
supports both hsp and hfp so either the phone or music player can use it.

It's confusing and I'm confused. There was something else, like either profile
has 2 channels, in case of the headset, it uses one for left, one for right.

In the case of the phone, one channel is for listening, the other talking.

The main problem I ran into is most of the cheap ear peices and even the
headsets don't really explain what profiles they support. Many of them said
something like "supports 2 bluetooth devices" but after you read the fine
print, it's one hsp device (like an iPod) and one hfp device (like a flip
phone, razor or something).

Some support 2 devices, both hsp or hfp (or both).

As far as how they work in the real world, the headset I use (not a one-ear),
if I'm listening to the music player and a call comes in, it pauses the
player, beeps in the ear peices, tap the side to answer, do your call, when
disconneted it switches back to the music player and starts where it left off.

That actually works quite well and is somewhat amazing you never need to
touch the phone and switch back and forth. If the phone supports voice
dialing, same thing, tap the side of the headset, when the player mutes, say
"call home" and off it goes.

But making a short answer, rather than one (one ear) that says stereo, if
you can dig down and see if it supports both hsp AND hfp, that is what you
are really looking for (I think).

-bruce