.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT SHOOTOUT
.TITLE Battle of the Bluetooth headsets
.AUTHOR James Booth
.SUMMARY Originally the realm of the uber-geek, a good wireless headset is becoming a requirement as more states enact hands-free laws for driving. But what model? Are they all the same, or do some bring more to the table than others? In this product shootout, Editor-at-Large James Booth examines five premium headsets in the Battle of the Bluetooth headsets.
.OTHER
Originally the realm of the uber-geek and those with an over-inflated sense of self-importance, the wireless Bluetooth headset is now as common as the mobile phone. As more and more states enact hands-free requirements while driving, a good wireless headset is becoming a commodity. But what model? What price range? Are they all the same, or do some, like the ones shown in Figure A, bring more to the table than others?
.FIGPAIR A Five premium headsets.
Wireless headsets come in a wide range of prices, from the cheap at $30, to the ultra-premium, promercial at over $300. In this product shootout, I examine five premium headsets, all hovering right around the $100 mark, to see which is best.
A $30 headset can’t be expected to last long, six months if you’re lucky. And let’s face it, beyond $100 is more than most consumers are willing pay. But the premium headsets priced around $100 should be the top performers in the consumer market and should last the two years of most wireless contracts.
.BREAK_EMAIL To learn which Bluetooth headset comes out on top, click here.
.H1 BlueAnt Z9i
The Z9i in Figure B is an upgraded model of BlueAnt’s original Z9 Bluetooth headset featuring Voice Isolation Technology for improved noise suppression, wind noise reduction, and echo cancellation.
.FIGPAIR B BlueAnt’s Z9i Bluetooth headset.
Two settings, Voice Isolation Standard and Voice Isolation Max, allow you to adjust to the surrounding environment’s noise., and dual microphones work to clear communications in even the noisiest environments.
You can pair the Z9i with up to five different devices, with Multi-point technology letting you connect to two devices at the same time, switching between the two as needed. And once paired, the Z9i will connect and reconnect automatically.
Other features include a tie/shirt clip for storing the headset out of the way when not in use, two ear hooks, and two ear gels. Advertised use time is 200 hours on standby, and 5.5 hours of talk time. The Z9i is also firmware-upgradeable via PC, which is a large bonus.
I found the BlueAnt Z9i to be easy to set up and pair with a variety of devices, including PCs, several mobile phones and Windows Mobile devices, and the PS3 gaming console. The headset has excellent reception and sound quality, but I was told by people on the other end of calls that my voice was sometimes tinny; changing to Voice Isolation Max helped to remedy this. The noise reduction itself worked quite well in quieting general background noise, as well as wind noise from an open vehicle window and running water from a faucet.
The Multi-point technology didn’t work quite as well as other headsets tested. The Z9i seemed to be hesitant to switch from one device to another and back; in many cases I had to disable Bluetooth on one device before the headset would switch over. The standby time fell far short of the advertised 200 hours; in fact, it was more like four days than eight. And the talk time came out at about four hours.
The included ear gels and hooks fit nicely and secure the headset through all kinds of use, and it was quite easy to put the headset on one-handed. However, I found the multi-function button to be a bit large and too easy to accidentally hit when putting the headset on or adjusting it. The button just doesn’t have enough tension to prevent accidental pushes.
Overall, the BlueAnt Z9i is a great Bluetooth headset for the cost. It has excellent sound quality and noise reduction, offers multiple gels and hooks to suit any preference, and is easy to setup and upgrade. The ease with which the buttons are activated and the bumpy multi-point switching is a bit of a drawback, but the Z9i easily earns 3 out of 5.
.RATING 3
.H1 Plantronics Discovery 975
The Discovery 975 from Plantronics packs a lot of features into a small package. Dual microphones are used to quiet and eliminate background noise. Voice prompts tell the user when battery power is running low, when the connection is lost, and for mute on and off. Like most headsets in this article, the Discovery 975 you see in Figure C has multi-point technology for use with multiple devices at the same time and the ability to switch between them.
.FIGPAIR C The Plantronics Discovery 975.
The Discovery 975 comes with three different ear gels, but no ear hooks. The gels are designed with a securing tab that holds the headset in your ear. Unlike many Bluetooth headsets, the 975 has a boom mike. Perhaps it’s a holdover from my days in the military, but I like a headset with a boom. A combination charger/carrying case shown in Figure D provides on-the-go charging, extending the 975’s use when on the road.
.FIGPAIR D The Discovery 975 features a charger/carrying case.
The unit’s AC charger is also adapted for US or European use.
The advertised talk time of the Discovery 975 is five hours, with a standby time of seven days without multi-point use, and four days with multi-point turned on.
I must confess to having a bit of trouble with the Plantronics 975. After testing three different units, I was able to determine there are simply some devices that it does not work well with. While call recipients praised the quality of the 975’s transmitted sound, calling it "crystal clear," and likening it to the clarity of a landline, I found that in some instances my reception was quite horrid.
When paired with my HTC Advantage and my daughter’s AT&T/Cingular 8525 the audio was intolerable. Every time the person on the other end of the call spoke it would be full of static and crackly. I can only liken it to a CB radio with the squelch turned up too far. This is not a problem that was unique to my experience, as I noted that others on the user forum had the same problem.
Later testing revealed that it wasn’t the headset per se, but how it interacted with the device it was paired to. I had no problems whatsoever when using it with my new HTC HD2, my wife’s Moto RAZR or Allcatel Tribe, a PC, and a PS3 gaming console.
The Discovery 975 was otherwise easy to set up and pair with all of the devices it was tested on. The multi-function button has the perfect amount of tension, not being accidentally engaged. The same applies to the single volume button, which cycles through the three preset volume levels. I feel that dedicated up and down volume buttons would be preferable to a single, cycling button.
I really liked the charger/carry case. The LCD window displays the charge level of both devices and rapidly (30 minutes) charges the headset, effectively tripling the 975’s use time. As far as talk time, I experienced about three hours from a full charge, with four days on standby.
Aside from being a boom-mic headset, the other feature of the Discovery 975 that I simply loved was the ear gels. Coming in three different sizes, they perfectly secure the headset without the need for an ear hook. The Discovery 975’s ear gel was the most secure of all the headsets tested.
While the multi-point functioned relatively well, there’s a bit of a problem with it; from the factory, multi-point is disabled, and there is no information whatsoever in the user manual on how to activate it. Users must download the "complete" manual from the Plantronics Web site in order to learn how to activate the multi-point feature.
The Plantronics 975 could easily have been the big winner in this article, and while it worked rather well overall, there are a few things holding this headset back. Namely that it doesn’t seem to work well with some devices. Although the atrocious audio reception was pretty much limited to two of the devices I tested on, none of the other headsets in this article experienced that problem. This leads me to believe there is something in the software of the 975 that was inhibiting its performance on those two devices.
Otherwise, the Discovery 975 was a solid performer with a lot of very desirable features. The verbal prompts for mute, lost connection, and charge level are much more of an advantage than the beeps common to most headsets. The carry/charger case vastly prolongs the device’s usage in the field, as well as showing the charge level via a visual meter. Whether on cellular or VoIP via PC or gaming console the audio transmission was one of the best of all the tested headsets.
The glitch of not working well with all devices, the fact that multi-point is disabled out-of-the-box and the difficulty in figuring out how to turn it on hold this headset back. It could easily have earned a full 5 rating, but the drawbacks pull it back to a 3 out of 5.
.RATING 3
.PAGE_BREAK
.H1 Plantronics Voyager PRO
Also from Plantronics is the Voyager PRO, which has been on the market for a couple of years and is already a quite popular model. The Voyager PRO in Figure E features the same noise reduction technology as the Discovery 975, including dual mics on the boom and the same three layer Windsmart technology.
.FIGPAIR E The Plantronics Voyager PRO.
The Voyager PRO comes with a variety of ear gels and cushions suitable for any preference. As you can see in Figure F, the boom and behind-the-ear portion can be swiveled for wear on either the left or right ear.
.FIGPAIR F Swivel the Voyager PRO for right or left wear.
Also like the Discovery 975, the Voyager PRO has multi-point for use on multiple devices at once and the ability to switch between them, as well as the same low battery and mute voice prompts. Advertised standby time is five days, with six hours of talk time. Also like the 975, the PRO’s AC charger is designed for US or European use.
Pairing and set up of the Voyager PRO was easy. The silicon ear gels are quite comfortable, and for those who prefer foam inserts, Plantronics has you covered as well. The multi-point technology was quite easy use, seamlessly switching from one device to another with no problems whatsoever.
The noise reduction and wind canceling feature worked very well with crisp and clear transmission and reception. The Voyager PRO easily slips onto the ear one-handed, but I found that after a few hours it weighed a bit heavy on the ear. I found the talk time to be in the range of four to five hours, with a standby time of five days.
The dedicated up and down volume buttons make volume changes easy, and the tension on all buttons was sufficient to prevent accidental pressing. There seems to be good reason for the Voyager PRO already being a popular model; it works very well. In fact, the only real complaint I have with the Voyager PRO is that it gets a bit heavy on the ear after a few hours. For all its positives, the Plantronics Voyager PRO easily earns 4 out of 5.
.RATING 4
.H1 Jabra EXTREME
Jabra’s EXTREME Bluetooth headset comes in rather feature-rich package. It uses dual microphones and Jabra’s Noise Blackout Extreme for clarity and noise reduction. The automatic volume control adjusts according to the ambient noise of the environment and retains natural-sounding voice quality.
Like all of the other headsets in this article, the Jabra EXTREME you see in Figure G has multi-point technology for pairing and use with multiple devices, with the ability to switch from one to another.
.FIGPAIR G The Jabra EXTREME headset.
It features a dedicated on/off switch, up and down volume buttons, and the multi-function button common to most Bluetooth headsets. Unlike most of the other headsets in this article, the EXTREME has A2DP programming in order to listen to music and other device system sounds on the headset.
Also included in the retail package are two ear gels, one for left wear, one for right, two ear hooks, a USB charger, car charger, and AC charger. And it came fully charged. Talk time is advertised 5.5 hours, with a standby time of 10.5 days.
The Jabra EXTREME was very easy to set up and pair. I love that it has a dedicated on/off button and dedicated up and down volume buttons. The buttons have just the right amount tension, preventing any accidental presses while still being large enough to hit. The multiple charging methods are a definite plus, with the USB charger providing the possibility of upgrading the firmware; however, at only six inches or so, the cord on the AC charger is way too short.
The reception was very clear, with automatic volume adjustment according to the environment. Transmission was described as "crystal clear," with excellent noise reduction. The multi-point function connected and transferred easily and seamlessly from one device to another. I found the talk time from a full charge to be in the four to five hour range. I have to confess to being a bit dubious regarding the ten day standby time, and was actually surprised to find that it did indeed last for ten days on standby.
Aside from the AC cord being too short, I only had one other complaint with the Jabra EXTREME, and that is the fit system. Although it comes with two ear gels, they are both the same size; and the hooks are rather cheap, as is the method with which they connect to the headset. They simply snap on, and there’s no swivel to them at all.
Of all the headsets, the EXTREME was the only one that did not offer a choice in sizes of ear gel, which it really does need. I had problems with it falling out of my ear when using only an ear gel. But when coupled with a hook, it could not be put on one-handed because the hook doesn’t swivel. It would seem that Jabra put the majority of the product budget into sound quality and took a shortcut on the fit system.
All things considered, the Jabra EXTREME was one of the best of the bunch. If not for the cheap fit system this headset could have easily earned 5 out of 5, but instead comes in at 4 out of 5.
.RATING 4
.H1 Jawbone ICON
Aliph entered the headset market a few years back with the novel feature of using the vibrations of your jawbone as a comparative filter to reduce background noise. The idea is that by comparing your speech, the vibrations of your speech through the jawbone, and the ambient noise, the user’s speech can be isolated and background noise eliminated.
Available in a variety of styles and colors, the Jawbone ICON shown in Figure H is Aliph’s newest incarnation of their unique Bluetooth headset.
.FIGPAIR H Aliph’s new Jawbone ICON.
The ICON adds Noise Assassin 2.5, improved wind reduction filters, and the Voice Activity Sensor that "feels" your speech for better noise reduction.
In addition to upgradeable firmware, Aliph has launched the MyTalk Web site in support of the ICON. From the MyTalk site you see Figure I, ICON owners can change the voice profile on their headset and load complimentary software.
.FIGPAIR I Aliph’s MyTalk site for the Jawbone ICON.
Other features of the ICON include voice prompts for battery level, incoming calls, power-up, and other functions, multi-point technology for connecting to multiple devices at once, and a battery meter displayed directly on your iPhone. And like the Jabra, it also has the A2DP programming for listening to music and other media, as well as the paired device’s system sounds.
With three different-sized ear gels with securing tabs for standalone use, and four different-sized ear gels with no tab for use with the snap-on ear hook, ICON users should have no trouble finding a fit combination that suits their tastes. A little tip… the Jawbone ICON is designed to be in contact with your face while in use [which might be an issue if you have a beard. –Ed.].
The ICON has a dedicated on/off switch, multi-function button, and LED embedded in the Voice Activity Sensor (the part that contacts your face). Advertised talk time for the ICON is 4.5 hours, with 10 days of standby time.
Aliph’s Jawbone ICON is easy to set up and pair. Connection to the MyTalk site, as well as firmware and software updates, were also quite simple. Pairing with multiple devices and using the multi-point feature to switch between them was flawless.
My reception on the ICON was as clean and clear as one would want; reception on the recipient’s end of calls was crisp and clear as well. With all of the other headsets tested, recipients could hear some form of background noise; running water, wind, television, whatever. Not much, just enough to know of its presence. However, calls with the Jawbone ICON were completely silent on the recipient’s end, regardless of the background activity.
For battery life, I was able to get in the range of 4 hours talk time, and like with the Jabra EXTREME, I truly did get 10 days of standby from the ICON. The addition of an included battery meter for iPhone users is nice, but the iPhone isn’t the only premium handheld out there. Frankly, Windows Mobile phones have been around a lot longer, so a plug-in for them wouldn’t totally be out of the realm of expected if there’s one for the iPhone.
I was able to find an easy fit with the standalone ear gels, but it would sometimes begin to slip out. Like with the Jabra, I had a bit of trouble with the snap-on ear hook. For all of the sound quality and extra features of the ICON, the cheap ear hook is a bit of a letdown.
I had one other complaint with the ICON, and that is the lack of any kind of on-the-headset volume control. There are no buttons whatsoever on the headset that have any effect on the volume. I was able to control the call volume via the system volume on my HTC HD2, but none of the other devices I tested the headset with had any effect on the headset’s volume. As great as everything else on this headset is, the lack of a dedicated volume control is a major drawback.
Considering all of the features the Jawbone ICON sports, the ease of use, and clarity of sound, it very easily could have pulled off a perfect score of 5 out of 5, but due to the lack of a volume control and the cheap ear hook, I give it a 4 out of 5.
.RATING 4
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
Learn more about [[http://www.myblueant.com/products/headsets/z9i/index.php|the BlueAnt Z9i Bluetooth headset]].
Learn more about [[http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/products/mobile/bluetooth-headsets/discovery-975|the Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth headset]].
Learn more about [[http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/products/mobile/bluetooth-headsets/voyager-pro|the Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth headset]].
Learn more about [[http://www.jabra.com/sites/Jabra/na-us/Headsets/Pages/JabraEXTREME.aspx?productfamilytab=Overview|the Jabra EXTREME Bluetooth headset]].
Learn more about [[http://us.jawbone.com/productsPageIcon.aspx|Aliph Jawbone ICON Bluetooth headset]].
.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO
