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Reviews For: Heil HTH Handie Talkie Headset

Category: Headphones & Boom-microphone Headsets

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Review Summary For : Heil HTH Handie Talkie Headset
Reviews: 9MSRP: $28.95
Description:
The Handie Talkie Headset (HTH), from Heil Sound, is a single-sided,
lightweight headset designed for use with popular handheld transceivers.
The HTH provides hands free and discreet two-way communication while
maintaining the comfort necessary for extended use in moderate noise
environments. It features a left or right ear adaptable earpiece and an in-
line Push-to-Talk switch.The HTH is being introduced with pin-outs for
three handie talkies - iCom, Yaesu, and Kenwood/Baofeng - and plans are
underway to offer additional models.
HTH-I: Works with 2-pin Icom
HTH-Y: Works with TRRS Yaesu/Vertex*
HTH-K: Works with 2-pin Kenwood, Baofeng, an
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.heilsound.com/amateur/products/headsets/handie-talkie-headset-hth
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0093.1
W4KVW Rating: 2022-05-01
Sounds Great on my ID-51a Plus 2 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Purchased them New for my ICOM ID-51a Plus 2 & I get great audio reports.Only thing I don't like it the clip on the back of the PTT Button.I feel it's not a help but in the way when trying to key the PTT button.I would buy again if needed..
AA5VB Rating: 2021-11-08
Good Headset for the price! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought two of these headsets to use with my Wouxun KG-UVD1P radios.

My first impressions:
- Good sound quality on both TX and RX.
- I did experience the plug issue on one of the radios, but all I had to do to correct it was push it in a bit farther to seat it.
- Make sure the boom isn’t positioned directly in front of your mouth - even with the windscreen in place, you can still get some plosives and noise. After I moved the boom slightly, it sounded fine on TX.
- No issues with RX audio. It’s as loud or soft as I need, and adjustable with my radios volume control.
- TX button worked fine for me. No problems.

I’ll be ordering more soon!
KJ6KK Rating: 2021-09-07
Reports of very low audio on tx Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have an HTH for Yaesu FT3D. The plug would not fully insert into the FT3D socket, and thus would not operate. On the HTH plug, I cut away some of the insulator so that it would fully insert. That worked.
I also have an HTH for Kenwood.
On both models, when I would transmit, I would get reports of very low audio. Both radios had tx / mic settings at maximum sensitivity.
So, for that reason, I do not use either of of these HTH headsets.
AG6EM Rating: 2021-06-01
Works but extremely loud Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought 2 of these in the HTH2 (dual earpiece) version, 1 for an ICOM IC-92AD and one for a Baofeng BF-F8HP. Both have the same problem. The audio is extremely loud even with the volume set close to 0. This is especially a problem with the Baofeng since it emits very loud clicks when pressing any button and these clicks do not vary with the volume control. I worked around the problem by removing the ear cushions and covering the holes with a single layer of masking tape. This reduced the sound to a reasonable level for both but is not an ideal fix. They are also not particularly comfortable for extended use. Given the price and the lack of any good alternatives I give then an OK rating. I did have a MJF headset for the ICOM but the cushions fell apart. The MFJ audio level was much better matched to the Icom radio but the unit was apparently discontinued and there were no replacement cushions that I could find. I'll probably try to find a way to put a resistor pad in the speaker line to make a better long term fix.
VE3RWJ Rating: 2019-10-01
IT WORKS... SORT OF Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Considering the low price of this unit, you can imagine what the headphone and microphone element cost the manufacturer... probably pennies.

People say it sounds better than the internal mic in my TYT HT, so that's something. However,

1. The mic element is very sensitive to wind/breath noise, p-pops, etc.

2. Moving it far enough away from my mouth to get rid of breath noise causes too much of a drop in output.

3. The earpiece has a massive bump in the low midrange, and rolls off the high end too. If your radio has an equalizer, you may be able to compensate for this somewhat, and bring some clarity back to the sound... I find I have to really roll off around 400 Hz, at least 6dB, and boost 5-6K considerably, and that approximates the sound of my radio's internal speaker.

4. The PTT switch actually engages near the bottom of its travel. It is very easy to let up just enough finger pressure to unkey the radio. While I see how this could prevent unnecessary transmissions, it is also finicky.

Given how highly-regarded other Heil products are, I think they should come up with something sturdier and with a much flatter frequency response. The mic element should be able to handle being close to the mouth without excessive plosives and breath noise. Come on Bob, design something worthy of your name and reputation for the handheld market!, or adapt one of your better microphones for HT use, please! I would happily buy a much more expensive microphone if I could interface it with my various HT's easily.
N3NJ Rating: 2017-02-15
Usable.....not the best... Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Well, you get what you pay for I guess. It is affordable. Doesn't sound too bad. The connector jack is weak and has proven problematic for me. Audio reports were good. Don't expect too much, this unit is of inferior quality. Works OK in a pinch but inadequate for the long term. At least it didn't break the bank. 73 de N3NJ
W5MDB Rating: 2016-04-18
Plug Problems Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought 2 HTH-Y sets for a Yaesu FT-60. They sound fine (nice and loud), and I get good audio reports, but there's a serious flaw. The plug keeps coming partly out of the socket causing the HT to go into transmit. There's no easy way to prevent this as the slightest strain causes it to move. I bought these because of the exact same problem with a no-name earbud/mic set from Amazon. On the other hand, the plug on a Yaesu-branded speaker/mic fits snugly. One other issue is that the headband does not adjust enough to fit smaller heads.
KD2GRS Rating: 2015-07-09
Great performance, additional adapter required for ICOM ID-51 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have the HTH-I, for ICOM radio's. I agree with prior reviewer. While there are cheaper headsets out there, the HTH costs less than many ICOM options. The HTH sound quality and volume for listening are excellent - I have to turn down volume considerably for comfortable listening. I get good reports of my audio with the boom mic and wind screen. I'm very happy with it.

There is one issue to be aware of when using this with an ICOM ID-51Plus HT. This is a water resistant radio and the speaker/mic connection is deeply recessed. The plug/pins on the HTH (or many other accessories) will not fit directly into the radio, you need to use the OPC-2006LS adapter. The OPC-2006LS is specially shaped and has a o-ring seal on it to preserve water resistance.
K0JEG Rating: 2015-06-28
Inexpensive but very good Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
At $29, the Heil HTH is about double the cost of the many headsets you can find on Amazon.com, but it is far, far better quality. In fact, I think it's better made than the BM10 headset I use on my HF rig! The headband is a vinyl coated metal band that is snug but not tight. The plastics are fairly thick and should take a lot of abuse. The earpiece has a fairly large diaphragm and plenty of output, and the "leather like" cover helps shield out wind and background noise. It also keeps moisture and sweat in your ear and that can be annoying over a long period. I used it when our club provided communications support to a charity bike ride, and by the afternoon my ear was very sweaty. A more open-ear design would have let more air through, but that also would have meant more background and wind noise too.

I did not perform any comprehensive tests on the microphone element, but audio reports are all positive. The mic is on a small flexible gooseneck so it can be put in any position you want and can be flipped around 180 degrees so that you can use the headset with either ear.

Finally, the in-line PTT switch is solid feeling with a definite "click" when you push it. It also has a clip on the back for attaching to a shirt or jacket. The cable running from the radio to the headset is long, but not too long that it gets in the way, at least for me (I'm 5' 10"). Make sure you order the headset with the correct connector for your radio.

As I get older I am finding it a little more difficult to hear an HT speaker. This headset is extremely effective and makes it easy to hear the other station. It also is great if you are in an area where you need to be a little more discrete. I'd love to see a dual-headphone and/or a version to replace the BM-10s with appropriate connectors.