Surprisingly we’ve received a number of emails asking about information related to the Motorola SF 600. We’re not sure if it was all the hype Motorola created when they announced their new SF Series (and then didn’t release half of them!) or if people are just looking for an upgrade to their Motorola S305 (which still rock in our opinion)) or more likely the Motorola S10.
Either way, we’ve finally reviewed the new Motorola SF 600.
Pros
Price. Some people are going to disagree because the MSRP is $129.99, which is on the higher end for sports headphones, but you get more than your money’s worth, especially if you’re serious about your music and your workouts.
Built with Kevlar. No, your headphones likely aren’t bullet proof, but they are unbelievably light since they are built with scratch resistant Kevlar.
Sweat Resistant. To add further to the durability the Motorola utilized hydrophobic mesh and silicone seals to help keep moisture out.
Cons
Neckband cord. Most neckband headphones use a more sturdy/stiff plastic band that sits just off your neck. The SF 600 use a flexible cable that actually rests/touches your neck a lot during the workout. Wasn’t a huge deal, but it did bother us a little bit. It’s also not adjustable, though neckbands usually aren’t.
Full Review
When Motorola created the SF 600 they made them to function perfectly with their “Ultimate Fitness Device” the MOTOACTV. We’re not going to get into details on the MOTOACTV, but if you’re considering these headphones we recommend you check out this device.
The first thing we want to talk about is the design. The SF 600 feature a design similar to the Jabra Sport and Jaybird Freedom, which utilizes a thin cord to connect each ear bud and also acts as a neckband.
The controls sit on the top of each earbud. The right earbud houses the volume and multi-function button (forward/back/play/pause) and the left earbud holds the power button. The buttons are fairly easy to get to, though if you’re not to Bluetooth it may take some time to get accustomed to reach up to your ear to adjust everything.
Once you’ve figured out which ear gel gives you the best fit, and you get to choose from 5 different ear gels, the sound quality is pretty dang good. Lo/Mid/Hi ranges all sounded very solid. We were expecting to experience a lot of ambient noise or distortion from wind because the ear buds are pretty exposed, but we were pleasantly surprised.
As for the fit, they were extremely comfortable and not once did we have a problem with them coming lose or falling off. We should point out though that the a secure fit seems to rely more on the ear buds than the ear hook, so it’s important that you spend the time to choose the right size ear cushions. The only thing that bothered us slightly was the thin cable that connects the earbuds. It’s about 8 inches long and sometimes it felt a little awkward/uncomfortable resting on our neck.
These are Bluetooth headphones so we did take a few calls and everything worked out fine. When you get an incoming call it will actually stop your music and announce the call allowing you to take it or not. The microphone (which is built into the headphones) was average, nothing great, nothing bad.
Bottom line is sound quality is great, durability is exceptional, comfort is above average. Combined with the MOTOACTV these really are some of the best sports headphones available.
Specifications
- Bluetooth range = 30 feet
- Battery life = 5-6 hours
- Charging time = 1-2 hours
What’s in the Box
- Motorola SF 600 Sports Headphones
- (3) sets of round silicone ear cushions (S/M/L)
- (3) sets of round/grooved silicone ear cushions (S/M/L)
- Micro USB charger
- Carrying case
