Nokia BH-705 True Wireless Earbuds

All the Trimmings

Nokia, world-famous for their respectable run of mobile phone production, ticks all the right boxes with the packaging for the BH-705. There’s a simple, stylish product image on the front of the box, simple typography on the back and, all in all, a sleek and minimal aesthetic. This solid first impression is followed by a well-organised box interior. First, there are the in-ears themselves, which Nokia calls ‘”Earbuds”. However, they’re strictly speaking in-ears as they are inserted into the ear canal. Besides these, there’s the convenient charging case, which in this instance is a charging tube. If this is mounted, the accessories, distributed over three small boxes, are illuminated. Among other things, you’ll find a charging cable with a USB-A to USB-C connection. Finally, there are three sets of earpieces ranging in sizes small to large and, of course, the obligatory documentation.

Rounded Hardware

Immediately obvious is that the in-ears are very small and cylindrical with only a narrow button protruding approximately one millimetre from the device housing. This is a good thing because, thanks to this button, the in-ears don’t roll away immediately, even if the fit is slightly crooked. Unfortunately, there’s nothing comparable with the charging tube. It’s made of a cool metal and boasts a smooth finish that’s fantastically round. Due to uneven weight distribution in its interior, being slightly off balance will result in it slipping away. In short, the charging case is far too round and one is well advised to always position it upright to avoid constant crashes and tumbles.

As long as they’re provided with the right earpieces, these in-ears sit tightly in the ear. What’s more, their small size and lightweight nature tick an important box in the list of my personal requirements for a good set of in-ears: unobtrusiveness. The shape of them almost disappears in the ear and if you take care to align the controls of the in-ears upwards, you can operate the BH-705 very easily.

Now we move on to general operation. There’s only one button on each earpiece and still, start/stop, skip forwards/backwards and volume up/down all work intuitively and logically if you have spent a brief bit of time with this model. Press once, left or right: Start/Stop placer (and end call or answer), double click left: volume down, and right: volume up. Long press left: skip back and right: skip forward. Very long press left or right (about six seconds): switch off and decouple. By pressing right once quickly and once for a longer spell, you call the digital assistant, although this is a bit more complicated. Some competitors would do wise to look at this and follow suit. It works fine and I give Nokia maximum points for user-friendliness. Furthermore, the technology is also protected against perspiration and splashes in accordance with IPX4 standards.

The pairing with the player completes quickly and reliably thanks to Bluetooth 5.0, whereby voice confirmation informs you about pairing options.

The Sound Itself

The BH-705 convince with its quality sound. Pleasant bass, yet not too mid-heavy, clear highs overshadow a wide stage with beautiful clarity into the deeper layers of more complex music. Lower tones can be felt with ease, vocals are pleasantly close, and above all, high notes are clear.

I’m very surprised of what comes out of this little device. Everything without EQ interference: simple, straight – a casual, fuller sound. The Nokia BH-705 represents a solid argument for spending a little bit more to get a superior sound.

Telephone calls are easy to understand. There’s no extensive reverberation or strong noise distortions to warp speech intelligibility. Here too, the extra investment in technology has had a positive effect.

Less Successful Areas

I already mentioned the unfavourable inclination of the charging unit, but its main function of charging the in-ears with a three-hour cycle proves surprisingly difficult.

Pressing on the front side pushes a slide out of the cylinder, into which the two in-ears should be placed back to back in a recess provided just for this purpose. Already at this point, you have to make sure that the buttons are aligned at a small recess on the sides. A tiny metal element penetrates into the front of the in-ears i.e. into the driver ports, and another contact on the underside meets with the outer shell. This is how the current is allowed to flow. Please note, a gentle and accurate hand is needed for this process. Magnets do help things a little, but should you push the slide back into the cylinder too carelessly, you’ll be met with two red LEDs signalling you to try again. This doesn’t happen if you’ve done everything correctly. However, should things move about too violently in your pocket or backpack, the charging contact can break off, leaving your in-ears without a charge and you left dealing with another flat battery in no time. Obviously, function fails due to design here.