haroldeveryman@yahoo.com

The Jawbone 2 was more comfortable, but that’s about it. I am a systems administrator and I can use the jawbone 1 by all the servers and no one can even hear them. With the jawbone 2, everyone I called said I sounded like I was in a well and could barely hear me. The noise canceling was over-aggressive and butchered my voice. Incoming call quality was OK.

I tried 4 different headsets before giving up on it. The ironic thing is that when I was speaking with Aliph’s support for RMA even their support rep preferred the sound quality of the original Jawbone.

In my opinion, the Jawbone 2 is vastly inferior to the Jawbone 1 except for comfort. For everything else, it is simply not worth the price and it’s just short of garbage.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Jawbone 2. Have you found it to be as comfortable to wear as the original? I still prefer the original even with the size difference.

I also had some concern regarding battery life in the Jawbone 2, but I guess that comes with having a smaller form factor. Over all I am enjoying the Jawbone 2 but I still have the Jawbone as a backup.

Have you tried the visor style Bluetooth speakerphone? Like the Supertooth that Dave recently reviewed?

My individual ear shape can be difficult to fit, so I need a headset with an earbud and ear hook.

Currently I use the Plantronics 520, which is great for fit and noise cancellation, and the Cardo S-800 which is also comfortable and sounds great.

I think I got them both after reading reviews here…..

Thanks for posting about your experiences with various makes and models of Bluetooth headsets. I would have to agree that Plantronics has some nice headsets. I’ve never tried Nokia though. It’s funny, Nokia isn’t a company that comes to mind when you think of Bluetooth headsets… just phones. I’ll have to try one soon!

My best friend likes his Jawbone (the original bigger one)except he can NOT wear it for long periods of time because it hurts his ear. He tried the Jabra ear gels (a solution on a forum somewhere) but that was no fix. Also, he’s had a problem with the flimsy plastic earhooks breaking. I believe Aliph sent him a metal one that has solvede this problem though. I believe the Plantronics or the Nokia is a much better bet for numerous reasons. They are very durable, have great noise cancelling software (Nokia is better), & are a lot cheaper. I tried the Jawbone out, but didn’t like the fit & it felt too dainty / flimsy.

I currently use the Plantronics 520. It’s very comfortable, cheap ($45 on Pricegrabber today), great noise cancellation, & has 8 hours talk time, that’s right… 8 hours!!! The only downside is, like my Jabra JX-10, & my Nokia BH-900, it does not have the standard Mini USB charging port. This is a hassle. Other than that it’s awesome & with the 8 hours talk time, who cares anyway, just charge it nightly!

Also, I own the Nokia BH-900 & it is awesome as well, & feels even better on than the Plantronics. The Noise cancellation software is great & the device has a sliding boom microphone that gets the mic closer to your mouth, probably part of the reason it helps. You can set it to hang up & answer calls by extending & retrieving the boom. It has no earbud sticking down in your ear. Once you figure out how to place it on your ear from the top down then twisting it in place. I learned this only after trying [& failing] for a few days, THEN reading the supplied directions, & only then was it a great headset.

The Jabra JX-10 [series 1] is stylish & small but it hurts my ear after about an hour or so, maybe even less. The supplied ear hooks constatly break. Jabra will send you 2 more as this is a common problem. There seems to be no digital signal processing (DSP) noise cancellation software built in. This make the Jabra a bad choice while driving. EVERYONE complains they here LOTS of wind noise. This is odd as I drive an Acura RL with the windows rolled up. There is a new one out that supposedly fixes both the ear hooks that are brittle & adds DSP.

I’d recommend either the Nokia or the Plantronics, both available for around $50 or less on Pricegrabber.com.

I agree that the Jawbone (version 1 and now 2) are too expensive for what you get. But, I did feel that the original version did live up to it’s claims as far as noise canceling.

Which headset do you use?

I have always felt the Jawbone had the WOW factor, in a Borgish sort of way, but thought the performance did not in any way match the design. Everybody felt I was speakng from the bottom of a well, and that little “clear rubber post” cheek sensor thingy was, well annoying. Like I had a rubber pin sticking in my cheek.

And, at $130, you are paying way too much. Try a Plantronics 520 or 510 for real performance. Even the Cardio you reviewed a while ago performs better than its higher prices cousin.