Can’t find a headset/mic combination you like?  Do you have a favorite pair of headphones but no mic?  Wouldn’t it be great to just add a microphone to your own headphones anytime you like?  You may remember my own attempts at using a hot glue gun to attach a microphone to my own comfy headphones…  Fortunately, the AntLion Audio ModMic detachable boom microphone solves this problem.

Oh, THAT'S an antlion

Made in Oregon!

Specs:

• Jack: 3.5mm
• 
Pattern: Omnidirectional
• Sensitivity: -26 ± 3 dB
• Response: 30 Hz–17.5 kHz ± 3 dB
• SNR: 58+ dB
• Impedance: 2.2 KΩ
• Operating Voltage: 1 to 10V
• Max current at 2.0V: 500 µA
• Max input SPL: 110 dB
• Boom Length: ~5 inches (~12.7 cm, stock), ~6 inches (~15.2 cm, maximum length)
• Clasp Height: 0.5 inches (1.27 cm, attached), 0.2 inches (0.5 cm, detached)
• Microphone Weight (mic and clasp): 4 grams (0.14 ounces)
• Total Weight (mic, clasp, and cable): 20 grams (0.71 ounces)

The NeoClasp magnets have a peel-off adhesive on one side, and a four-pronged “tooth” system that lets you adjust the mic angle.  If you unscrew the cap, you can adjust the length of the mic boom.

Closeup of the NeoClasp magnet

Length adjustment

To attach, simply attach the adhesive NeoClasp magnet to your favorite headphones.  You’ll need a flat surface, since the magnet itself is flat.  In my case, my Sennheiser PX100-II folding headphones don’t have a flat surface, so I cut a tiny piece of double-stick foam tape to do the trick.

Favorite headphones + boom mic = goodness

How does it sound?  Sounds great!  I called up my brothers-in-law, who I usually use to try this sort of stuff out with, and they could not tell I was using something that was essentially completely custom.  Voices sounded almost booming, as if the mic was too close.  The 6mm electret capsule condenser microphone at the end of a 5″ long boom is flexible, so you can move it closer or further away from your mouth.  The cable is a VERY generous 11.5 feet long to reach the back of your computer.

If there’s one thing I would improve on is the design of the magnet “teeth”.  Because there are four teeth, you can only rotate the mic at 90 degree increments.  Perhaps 8 or 16 teeth would have allowed a more usable coarse adjustment for mic-to-mouth alignment, while the bendy bit works for fine tuning.

Now I have no excuse for NOT having my favorite pair of headphones to use for that next Skype session or fragfest!

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Gaming Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Gaming, Headset, microphone, skype, VOIP speaker/mic

AntLion Audio ModMic Detachable Boom Microphone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 23, 2011 at 11:00 am.

I recently reviewed the Jabra Wave Bluetooth headset, which I totally love.  But before that, Jabra had sent me the Jabra Extreme by accident.  The Jabra Extreme has great features and works just as well as the Jabra Wave.  Let’s give it a look, too.

Inside the package, you’ll find the Extreme headset, 2 Ultimate-fit Eargels, 2 ear hooks, AC charger, USB charger, car charger, and the manuals.

An added advantage of the Jabra Extreme is that it includes a car charger.  Just plug in the charger to the cigarette lighter port in the car , attach the USB to micro USB adaptor, then attach the Extreme headset.  It’s a pretty convenient accessory to use if you’re on the road a lot.  The AC charger on the other hand has a very short 10 inch cord which doesn’t make any sense at all.  Using the AC charger with a standard house outlet will force you to put the headset on the floor.  I, for one, don’t feel comfortable sticking things in my ear after they sat on the floor while charging.

Pairing the Extreme headset was pretty straight forward.   This headset has the standard bluetooth range of about 30 feet away from the cell phone.  The Jabra logo on the headset is the Answer/End button, and on each side of that are the volume up and down buttons.  Enlarge the picture (above) and you’ll see 2 noise cancellation microphones hidden beneath the grill.  There’s also a dedicated on/off switch on the bottom side.

Features of the Jabra Extreme :

• Eliminates background noise with dual microphone technology
• All day comfort with Ultimate-fit Eargels™ and ear hook
• Adjusts volume automatically
• Convenient car charger and headset holder in one
• Easy to use with dedicated on/off slider and auto-pairing
• Multiuse™ – connect to 2 devices at the same time
• Up to 5.5 hours talk time and up to 10.5 days standby time

Call quality to a land line sounded crystal clear with calls made both indoors and outdoors on a windy day in the busy Manhattan streets.  I got up to 5 hours of talk time before it turned off on me.

Wearing the Jabra Extreme wasn’t that comfortable for me.  This is just my personal opinion since I never liked the over-the-ear and in-ear style headsets.  And that’s the reason why I chose to review the Jabra Wave in the first place, which had the behind-the-ear style.  My cousins tried out the Jabra Extreme, and they said it was comfortable to them.  So I guess my ears are just a bit picky about earbud styles.

The Jabra Extreme is priced at $79.99 direct from Jabra.  It’s a pretty decent price since it includes the car charger also.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset

Jabra Extreme Bluetooth Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 31, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

Whenever I am reviewing headsets, I am always looking for thought in the design as well as function and comfort. PureGear’s PureBeats certainly has a fresh look.  But do they deliver quality sound or are they just another cheap in-ear headset that is over priced?

What is most notable is the cable. You won’t find yourself untangling these for half an hour like a lot of headsets. So even if you have to shove them into a small pocket for half a day, they unravel quite easily so that you can get to listening to your Beats.

PureBeats also includes an inline mic for hands-free calls also a button that acts as a send and end key as well as a play and pause button when listening to music. I was able to be heard clearly and the caller on the other end was able to hear me clearly as well, even though I could not hear myself, so it at first seems like the mic doesn’t work. But it does the job nicely.

With a name like PureBeats you have to expect great Bass. And I am happy to say they deliver. The Bass is ever present yet not over powering so as to drown the highs. I enjoyed listening to bass-heavy tracks while testing this headset for the past week. Though I wish the headset was a little louder. I found myself pressing the volume button constantly on my player only to realize it is already at its highest setting.

All in all, I enjoyed them. I think the 49.99 price point fits. I would recommend them for someone who doesn’t want to spend $100 or more on a in-ear headset. Or if you don’t want to spend a lot of time untangling or worrying about a shortage in one of the ears, you may want to check our PureGear PureBeats.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Audio, Headphones and earbuds, Headset

PureGear PureBeats Premium In-Ear Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 7, 2011 at 2:00 pm.

Clean, neat, and functional. What more would you want in a Bluetooth earpiece?

I’ve tried Bluetooth headsets before. Some I’ve liked, and some I’ve lost. Often, the same one met both fates. I quit buying them because they are usually fairly expensive to replace. Enter the EcoSound Bluetooth Headset from WirelessGround which is selling this headset for less than $10. This is insane for a Bluetooth headset! Must be a piece of garbage and look like a lump of coal, right? Not so, my friends, not so.

Clean, neat, and functional. What more would you want in a Bluetooth earpiece?

Earpiece screen and reversible earclip.

Wall charger and charging cable

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

Tagged: bluetooth headset, Headset

Eco Sound Bluetooth Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 14, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Jawbone has just launched the first Bluetooth headset with a built in accelerometer that enables the wearer to shake the headset to initiate pairing with a mobile phone, and tap tap the headset to answer or end a call. In addition to the new motion sensing technology, the Jawbone ERA also has a 25% larger wideband speaker that claims to offer HD audio for improved call quality, music and game audio. This headset is available now online and at Apple Stores, AT&T and Best Buy stores on Sunday, January 23 for $129.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset, Spotlight Gadgets

Jawbone ERA – Accelerometers aren’t just for smartphones originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 20, 2011 at 3:20 pm.

I’m one of those people who have ears that just don’t work with the Apple earbud headsets. I really prefer the in-ear style, which is why I was eager to review the MEElectronics M9Ps. They’re priced just above the bulk earbud prices, have an interesting style, and looked like they’d be a good solution for those looking for an in-ear wired headset. I’ve been using them for a couple weeks in my normal routine, and overall they’ve performed admirably.

Headphones are a tricky thing. You’ll probably wear them for hours on end, in a variety of settings. You’ll abuse them (admit it – you’ve swung your iPhone from your ears) and you’ll cram them in pockets, sweat all over them, and even chew on them. Is it any wonder $15 “disposable” headphones are available in every store? Add a phone that is your media player as well into the mix, and it gets more complicated. Now you need a mic in case you need to take (or make) a call. Ideally, you’ll want some way to do some remote controlling right on the headset. This is the nich the M9Ps are supposed to fill – good sound, mic, durable, and inexpensive in-hear headphones.

The Contents

The retail hanger box contained the headphones, an assortment of ear bud ends to help you get the right fit, an airplane adapter, and a carry case. I was able to find a large size for my ears, which gave me a good snug and sound deadening fit. The carry case is a nice touch, and protects the headphones in a backpack or bag.

Closer look

There are thee important bits to a headset. The ear buds, the mic/control, and the jack. Maybe toss in the cord – I have seen some horribly cheap cords. Let’s look at each. First, the buds and mic/control:

A couple of things stand out. The snake pattern to the wire is a bold fashion choice, as are the chrome headsets. The mic/button is that black rectangle. There’s a pinhole on one side (that’s the mic) and the whole thing is the button – just squeeze the bottom half to press it – you can feel the “click” when you’ve pressed it. More telling to me (the cheap headset slayer) is the beefy stress relief cable connectors on the headsets.

The rubber bud ends pull off with a bit of pulling, which is good – I’ve lost more bud ends then I care to admit, and these don’t seem likely to just fall off.

The other end is equally important:

Gold tip, same decently hefty stress relief connection to the wire, and a curious angle distinguish the plug tip. You’ll notice that it’s case friendly, the jack’s plastic housing and ring aren’t much bigger than the jack itself. I had no problems plugging this in when using several different iPhone 4 cases.

The angled jack works well, but I’m not sure it’s any better than a straight one.

Music

I’ll admit it’s been too many decades for me to claim any ability to distinguish quality audio. I can say that the M9Ps are plenty loud, with a decent low end thanks to the in-ear nature of the ear buds. They’re probably not leaps and bounds better than those $15 headsets, but they’re at least noticeably better, to my ears. The single button can control the ipod app on the iPhone/iPad: one click to pause/play. Two quick clicks to (most of the time) skip to the next track. The actions are dependent on the device, but most devices that can use headsets with controls will do something similar to that.

Calls

The M9Ps also give you hands free calls, without the Bluetooth robot look. If a call comes in on the iPhone (and again, on most every other device) a single click answers the call. Another click hangs up. Mic pickup was clear according to the folks I talked to, and of course audio is loud and clear mono from both earbuds. They survived the most challenging test – the “dog walk while gabbing on the phone.” This adds wind noise, background noise, movement noise, and dog barks to the mix. Again, callers were able to hear me just fine, and didn’t complain about background noise. These aren’t noise canceling, however, so that background noise is going to get through. I did hear a little wind/friction noise transferred up from the cable, but no worse than usual for headsets while walking outdoors.

Simply Good

What else do you want from a headset under $35? These will do the job – they look nice, they fit well, they sound good, and the mic/control is quite usable. There’s no sound like wired sound. Sure it’s old school, but at least you can hear, and those who you talk to can hear you, without a phone glued to your head.

Filed in categories: Android related, Audio, Video, TV Gear, Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Headphones and earbuds, Headset

MEElectronics M9P Hi-Fi Sound-Isolating In-Ear Headphones with Microphone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 15, 2011 at 9:56 pm.

If you much prefer the over-the-head type of headset, skip this review.  I’m one of those people.  I wear glasses and I never found the behind-the-ear style compelling enough to try.  But try I did.

The Logitech H760 wireless USB headset is another stereo headset and mic combo that works wirelessly with your Mac or PC via USB dongle.

Specs:

• Connection: 2.4 GHz RF
• Range: up to 40 feet (12 meters)
• Audio stream: 48 kHz
• Battery life: up to 6 hours
• Charging connection: full-speed USB
• Charge time: 2.5 hours or less (longer when in use)

You get the headset, USB transceiver dongle, micro USB cable for headset charging (charger not included) and a short USB extender for the dongle.  You also get a single-sheet fold out instruction page.

The H760 charges via microUSB connection.  An LED lets you know the charge status.

This is the USB bit that plugs into your computer.  It’s about the size of your typical USB flash drive.

The headset adjusts (telescoping) in the back of the band.  Other than the flexibility of the band itself, this is the only headworn adjustment you get.  The mic boom itself is flexible.

You’ll find all the controls on one earpiece.  This includes track control, play/pause, power and volume.

The microphone boom folds out of the way.  This mutes the microphone.  Very handy!

Microphone folded in, muted

Microphone extended and live

The earpads are covered in your typical, spongy foam.  They do not appear to be user replaceable.  They also feel a bit spartan.

USER IMPRESSIONS

Incoming audio sounded fine.  Nothing “enormous”, just adequate.  No complaints with outgoing audio, either.  Thankfully, the microphone boom is very flexible which gives you a wide range of fine tuning.

But for me, it’s uncomfortable.  It’s not something I’d want to wear for hours.  I’m not sure if it’s because I wear glasses, or if it’s the design of the headband.

However, if you prefer the style, it’s worth looking in to.  It’s very lightweight and easy to use.

If you do NOT like the behind-the-ear style and are thinking about it, don’t.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Gaming Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Gaming, Headset

Logitech H760 Wireless USB Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 4, 2010 at 10:53 am.

The new M100 Bluetooth headset from Plantronics features dual micrphones for better wind noise reduction, auto volume adjustment and several color choices, in an ultra slim design. It also has an actual sliding on/off button so you will easily know if the headset is powered up and ready for use. It’s available now for $79.99 

Plantronics Announces the New M100 Bluetooth Headset that Delivers Outstanding Sound in an Ultra-Slim Design
8mm-Thin Headset Combines Dual Microphones, Digital Signal Processing and Wind-Noise Reduction for Natural Conversations

Santa Cruz, Calif. – August 17, 2010 – Plantronics® (NYSE: PLT) today announced the M100™ Bluetooth® Headset, an ultra-slim, lightweight headset that includes advanced technology to deliver clear and natural audio. One of the industry’s slimmest headsets — the device measures only 8mm thin — the M100 also delivers outstanding audio performance by incorporating dual microphones, wind-noise reduction and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology.

The Plantronics M100 is very easy to setup and use, and includes convenient voice alerts for remaining talk-time, low-battery, mute, and connection status. A new  feature for iPhone users allows them to monitor headset battery levels with an on-screen battery meter.

When it comes to noisy environments, the M100 automatically adjusts to sound levels, so users are always hands-free and able to focus on the task in front of them.

“The M100 excels in every category that is important to busy people on the go, including audio performance, comfort and usability,” said Jeff Ducote, senior director, Mobile Category at Plantronics. “The M100 delivers all of this with exceptional sleek and lightweight style that we think consumers will love.”

More Colors, More Choice
The Plantronics M100 is featured in Charcoal Gray and is also available in multiple color accents: Glow Green, Electric Blue and Sparkle Pink. Other M100 features include:

Multipoint technology pairs one headset to two Bluetooth devices.
Battery that provides up to six hours of talk-time and 10 days of stand-by life.
At only 9 grams and 8mm thin, the Plantronics M100 is lightweight and comfortable for extended wearing.
Soft gel ear tips, in three different sizes, together with an optional ear loop provide multiple wearing options for a perfect fit.

The Plantronics M100 has a price of $79.99 ESP and will be available in August at www.plantronics.com and at Best Buy and Radio Shack. Broader availability in  additional retail and carrier stores, as well as Europe, will follow in September.

About Plantronics
Plantronics is a world leader in personal audio communications for professionals and consumers. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth headsets, Plantronics delivers unparalleled audio experiences and quality that reflect our nearly 50 years of innovation and customer commitment. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100 and is the headset of choice for air traffic control, 911 dispatch and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset, Spotlight Gadgets

Plantronics introduces the M100 Bluetooth headset originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 17, 2010 at 1:00 pm.

There comes a point in the life of any given technology where it has matured enough that the quality of the basic features starts to plateau, and new entries into the market necessarily rely on style or unique features.  Bluetooth headsets have started to reach this plateau, with each being able to provide — at the very least — acceptable battery life, clear enough sound, a decent microphone, and reasonable comfort.  Sound ID has attempted to stake their claim in the Bluetooth headset market with their feature-packed 510 headset.  Do these features make the 510 a strong contender, or are they just fluff?  I spent a few weeks with one to find out.

Features

• Works with EarPrint iPhone app
• Environmental mode – amplifies external sounds so you can hear your surroundings when not on a call
• Multipoint connectivity – connect to multiple devices at once
• Touch sensor volume control – swipe along the earpiece to adjust volume
• RealComfort earloops
• USB connectivity – charges with a standard micro-USB cable
• 3x NoiseNavigation – three microphones for enhanced noise and wind reduction
• A2DP
• Long-life battery – up to 5 hours talk time, 135 hours standby

Sound & Comfort

Naturally, the two most important characteristics of any Bluetooth headset are the sound quality and the comfort of the fit; if it fails miserably in either of these categories, no quantity of new and interesting features is going to make it usable.  Fortunately, the Sound ID 510 does just fine here.  The sound quality is quite acceptable, and the NoiseNavigation noise reduction does an acceptable job of filtering outside noise for the benefit of the person on the other end of your phone call.  The RealComfort earloops are also surprisingly comfortable and functional.  They don’t quite meet the sound isolation standard set by the Yurbuds I reviewed a little while back, but they stay in my ears, and even after wearing for a while, they don’t hurt my ears.  My compliments to the designers on this feat.

EarPrint App

I mentioned the necessity of unique features at the beginning of this review, and Sound ID is clearly aware of this, as the major selling point of the Sound ID 510 seems to be the EarPrint iPhone app.  The app is a free download in the app store, but is only compatible with Sound ID headsets.  The EarPrint app puts a plethora of information and settings at your fingertips:

Sound Personalization – While on a call, you can adjust the quality of the sound by dragging the Sound ID icon around this screen.  This seems to function in a manner largely similar to an equalizer, in that it (in my observation) adjusts the levels of treble, bass, and midrange in the earpiece.  Unfortunately, it’s not really clear exactly which direction you are supposed to drag to adjust which qualities of the incoming sound, so this ends up being a trial-and-error process, which ultimately serves as a significant distraction from your call.  I get that Sound ID probably wanted to capitalize on the touchscreen feature of the iPhone, and they wanted to make something simple enough for anyone to use, but it seems like they went a little overboard here.  I think a three-band equalizer would have worked just as well, and most people are already familiar with how to use an EQ.

The Personal Sound adjustment screen. If you're having a hard time figuring out just what is being adjusted here, you're not alone.

Sound Level Monitor – Provides a VU-meter-like faux-analog display of the current sound level detected by the headset microphone.  I’m not really sure what function this serves, other than to confirm that the headset mic is working, and that the headset is communicating with the iPhone.

The Sound Level screen. You can't really do anything with it, it's just there to look at.

In-Call Status Indicator – Allows the user to determine whether or not the headset LED is illuminated while on a call.  I suspect that most people don’t really care enough to worry with this, but it is a nice inclusion for the few that find some value in it.

Noise Reduction Demo – While on a call, turning this on will turn off the noise reduction feature, allowing you to demonstrate for another person just how much ambient noise the headset is filtering out.  This is probably something that you might use once when you first get the headset, but never again after that, so it sort of feels like fluff when included here.

Environmental Mode – Easily the most interesting — and in theory, the most useful — item on the Tools screen, this turns the headset into a pass-through of sorts.  Whereas a normal headset functions almost as an earplug while in your ear but not in use, Environmental Mode allows the headset to listen in on your environment with its microphone and pass that sound through to the earpiece.  A cool idea, but the execution leaves something to be desired; with the volume at higher levels, I started to get feedback, and that isn’t pleasant when it’s happening in your ear.  Also, it’s not clear how much this functionality depends on the EarPrint app.  Sometimes the sound would drop out when I would lock my iPhone, and the feature doesn’t appear to be persistent.  That is to say, if you have Environmental Mode turned on, and you turn the headset off, you will have to go into the EarPrint app and turn Environmental Mode on again the next time you turn your headset on — it doesn’t remember the setting from its previous use.

Find My Headset – Another cool feature (and one that should probably be built into the Bluetooth spec for headset devices), this causes the earpiece to emit a beeping noise — starting out soft, and gradually increasing volume — to help you locate your misplaced headset.  Thankfully, the app gives you a warning in advance so that you don’t accidentally test this out while the headset is in your ear.  The downside here is that the beeping is emitted from the earpiece itself, not from a dedicated speaker, so even once it reaches its maximum volume, the beeping is pretty faint.  It’s loud enough that most people would be able to find the headset on a surface in a quiet room, but good luck using this to locate the headset in a loud room, buried under a sofa cushion, or tucked into a coat pocket.

The Tools screen: In-Call Status Indicator, Noise Reduction Demo, Environmental Mode, and Find My Headset.

Battery Life – Provides a graphic and percentage estimation of the remaining charge on the headset battery.  While this is a nice feature to have, especially given that most headsets are completely lacking any sort of battery life readout, I’m baffled by the fact that they decided to roll this into the iPhone app rather than take advantage of the headset battery life icon built into the iPhone.  The Jawbone Icon takes advantage of the built-in battery display, so it’s clear that this is something that’s open to developers.  It’s so much easier to just glance at the built-in icon than it is to open the EarPrint app and navigate to the Battery Life section.  So while this is a nice gesture, it’s also not terribly convenient, and hardly the best solution.

The Battery Life screen.

Setup

Setup of the headset is simple.  As one would expect, you simply pair it with your phone as you would with any other Bluetooth headset, and you’re off.  Installation of the EarPrint app is also business as usual.  However, I have had some bizarre issues with the EarPrint app not being able to detect the presence of the headset, despite the fact that the iPhone Bluetooth settings clearly show that the headset is connected.  Rebooting the iPhone seems to resolve this issue, but that’s quite a pain, especially considering that you need the app in order to perform such simple tasks as checking the battery level.

The headset that I received did not have the latest firmware, and unfortunately, this caused me further frustration.  While the older firmware functions just fine, the newer firmware is required if you want to take advantage of A2DP through the headset.  Updating the firmware is simple enough in theory — just download the updater application from the Sound ID website, plug the headset into your computer’s USB port, and run the updater.  However, the updater is currently available only for 32-bit Windows.  There is currently no version of the updater software for OS X or 64-bit Windows.  My household is Mac-only these days, and my workplace has moved onto 64-bit Windows machines, so I had to do a bit of hunting to find a 32-bit Windows machine that I could use to perform the update (and yes, I did try 32-bit Windows 7 on Parallels… the updater could locate the headset, but couldn’t complete the update.  I have no idea whether or not this might work on 32-bit Windows via Boot Camp).  So if you don’t have access to a 32-bit Windows machine and A2DP is a feature you can’t live without, you might find the Sound ID 510 problematic.

It is also notable that, like any A2DP headset, when the Sound ID 510 is connected to your iPhone, all sound is routed to the headset.  I accidentally left the headset on and wandered away from it, and hours later discovered that my iPhone was emitting no sound, not even the screen lock and unlock sounds.  I eventually figured out what was going on (sounds were being sent to the headset, which was in another room), but not without first going through the frustration of troubleshooting.  If you tend to connect a Bluetooth headset to your phone and leave it powered on but out of your ear until you need it (like I do), you might find A2DP to be more annoying than useful.

The Hardware

Hardware-wise, there are several things that I like about the Sound ID 510, and one that I really don’t like.  I like the fact that the headset has a physical, visible on-off switch.  One of my greatest frustrations with prior Bluetooth headsets is not being able to tell at a glance whether they are turned on or not.  I also like the fact that there is an obvious, easy-to-find, and conveniently-placed button on the face of the headset for beginning and ending calls.  I’ve used far too many headsets that either provide multiple similar-feeling buttons with different functions, or that place the button in a place that makes it easy to press while adjusting the placement of the headset in one’s ear.  There are few things as annoying as trying to re-seat a headset in one’s ear, and accidentally hanging up on the other party when one inadvertently presses the poorly-placed call-end button.  I also like that the headset charges using a standard micro-USB cable.  It’s nice to know that, should I lose my charging cable, I have the option of picking up a new one at any electronics retailer, rather than having to pay twenty dollars to buy a proprietary cable that’s available only from the manufacturer.

What I could do without, however, is the touch-sensitive volume control.  Sound ID has placed a touch-sensitive area under the front panel of the headset, allowing one to slide a finger towards the earpiece to increase volume, and toward the mouthpiece to reduce volume.  In practice, however, this is rather annoying.  With no tactile feedback, it’s hard to tell whether or not one’s touch has registered, and all of the sliding up and down the earpiece tends to make the earpiece move around in one’s ear, often requiring one to readjust the earpiece after adjusting volume.  Fortunately, volume can also be adjusted via the phone itself, so if you don’t like using the touch controls, you don’t have to use them.

Conclusion

The Sound ID 510 is a mixed bag for me.  It’s a perfectly capable headset, but when it comes to the other features, there seem to be as many problems as there are benefits.  If Sound ID would start using the iPhone’s built-in battery meter, make the Sound Personalization feature a little less nebulous, and provide firmware update software for platforms other than 32-bit Windows, I would definitely call this a good choice for iPhone users.  As it stands though, I have a hard time recommending it over some of its competitors — and certainly, if you’re not an iPhone user, the Sound ID 510 doesn’t have much to offer you that other headsets don’t.  I would be surprised if Sound ID isn’t hard at work on an Android app as well, but until they provide one, the 510 is just another headset to anyone outside of the iPhone-owning community.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: A2DP, Bluetooth Gear, Headset, iPhone App

Sound ID 510 Bluetooth Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2010 at 11:03 am.

The new Sound ID 510 Bluetooth headset performs like most headsets except for one unique feature – it can be controlled by an iPhone app. When using the Sound ID 510, an iPhone and the free EarPrint App, you can do sound preference tuning while on a call by moving your finger over the face of the iPhone. As you do so, the audio will change till you stop moving your finger. At that point your personal sound setting is automatically stored. The EarPrint app also offers a visual battery meter indicator for the headset and a Find My Headset feature that will cause the headset to beep so that you can find it. The Sound ID 510 will be available for $129.99 MSR at AT&T stores nationwide and at www.soundid.com starting June 6, 2010.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset, iPhone, Spotlight Gadgets

Sound ID 510 – iPhone App Controlled Bluetooth Headset originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 26, 2010 at 8:30 am.

When it comes to headsets, I’m really picky.  In 2004 when I started playing on-line co-op games with my younger brothers in-law, I shopped around for various stereo headsets with microphones for gaming.  They were all either too uncomfortable, or had poor outgoing audio.  Eventually, I took drastic measures and made my own, and I’ve been extremely happy for many years.

So when I came across the new Plantronics .Audio 476 DSP headset, my expectations were low.  But to be fair, I gave it try.  Let’s take a look.

• Intuitive folding design for on-the-go convenience
• DSP provides wideband acoustic echo cancellation for clear calls
• Digital equalizer optimizes 24-bit hi-fi stereo sound for enhanced listening
• Noise-canceling microphone for clear conversations
• Soft foam ear pads and lightweight materials for a comfortable fit
• USB connection provides true plug-and-play ease
• Easy-to-use inline controls for volume and mic mute
• Cable length:  2 meters
• Speaker driver size;  32mm
• Speaker frequency response:  20Hz – 20kHz
• Speaker impedance:  32 Ω
• Microphone frequency response:  100Hz – 10kHz

Packaging

Headset unboxed

In-line remote with volume and mic mute toggle

Closeup of headband

The outer side of the boom microphone

Inside view of the microphone

Boom mic is flexible

Showdown! Home made Sennheiser/Boom headset on left, Plantronics on right

But how do they stack up against my Franken-Headset?  First, the specs (parenthesis for the Plantronics):

• Frequency response 12Hz–38kHz (Plantronics: 20Hz – 20kHz)
• Speaker impedance 300 Ω (Plantronics 32 Ω)
• Microphone frequency response: 50Hz-20kHz (Plantronics: 100Hz – 10kHz)

The headphones are the Sennheiser HD 580 from roughly the early 1990s, and cost $300-400 when new.  They are super comfortable and do not hurt after hours of wearing them.  The microphone is unique.  It’s from UmeVoice theBoom, cannibalized from a Model V4 headset.  What’s special about theBoom microphones is that they provide superior noise cancellation without any battery-operated DSP circuitry.

The UmeVoice theBoom mic is attached via lots of messy hot glue

Yes, it's really a higher-end (circa early '90s) Sennheiser HD 580 set of headphones

Behold the super cushy around-the-ear velvety goodness!

I’ve created a video clip so you can judge for yourself.

Click to download movie (.m4v file at 21.7MB)

I was quite surprised that the listening quality through the headphones was quite good.  Clarity and music listening was satisfying when compared to the mighty Sennheisers.  The microphone picked up my voice clearly, although it picked up a tad bit more background noise vs. the customized theBoom microphone.

Plus, the 32 ohm impedance of the Plantronics meant that I didn’t have to crank the volume as high to get an acceptable listening volume.

Although my homebrew Sennheiser headset is by far more comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions, the Plantronics wasn’t too bad, either.  Plus the Plantronics doesn’t have the rat’s nest of cords that come with my handiwork, nor does it have the fancy in-line remote for volume and mute.  A very clean package with good performance at a reasonable price.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Gaming Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Gaming, Headset

Plantronics .Audio 476 DSP USB Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 4, 2010 at 11:00 am.

Since Bluetooth was developed way back in 1994, its specifications have changed dramatically, and so have the devices that utilize it.

However, in my opinion, the vast majority of people who use mobile phones still prefer not to use Bluetooth headsets, even though their ease is quite straight forward.  People that I’ve spoken too in the past have always been deterred, mostly due to the size of the headsets on offer.  

If this is true of you, then maybe the SmallTalk Mini Bluetooth Headset developed by Bluetooth R&D company BlueNEXT is the headset for you.   The guys over at MobileFun were kind enough to send me a headset to review, so here goes.

The headset arrived in a very neat box, which contained the headset, ear hook, USB charging cable, in-car USB charging adapter and an instruction manual.  The headset has been designed to charge only with the included cable(which is the same sized fitment as Nokia 6300 phone chargers), which you plug into your PC/Laptop in order to provide a charge.  Or, if you find yourself on the road more than you are at home, simply plug the car charging adapter into your cigarette lighter, the plug-in the charging cable to the USB port on the top and you can charge the headset ’on-the-go’.

The contents - Headset with ear hook, USB charging cable, car charging adapter & manual

During the charging phase, the LED on the headset glows red.  I charged it out of the box for around 45 minutes, however the instructions do say that a full charge will take around two hours.   Once it is charged, pairing it with your device is very straight forward.  Simply hold down the power button for around 5 seconds and the main LED will flash blue and red, this means the device is ready to be paired.  Then, carry out the pairing process on your handset and within a few seconds, the device is connected and ready to be used.

Having quickly flicked through the manual to confirm the Bluetooth connection code, I connected the headset to my Blackberry 8900 within a matter of seconds, with no issues at all.

The headset has been developed to use ‘Multi-Point’ technology, which basically means that you can pair the headset with two devices at the same time, compared to other headsets which can only pair with one device.  When a call comes in, the headset knows which device is ringing and connects to the device automatically.  You can even connect it both your handset and your PC (If you use Skype to chat for instance) and no matter which phone rings, the headset will connect you.   I connected the headset to both my Nokia 6300 and Blackberry and it worked really well.

In terms of size and weight, the SmallTalk Mini Bluetooth headset really is the cream of the crop.  It’s tiny to say the least, with the main body measuring only 26.2 x 15.6mm.  Plus, weighing in at just 6.5g, when you start wearing it, you will quickly forget it’s there!

The SmallTalk showing removable earhook & side controls

The main button on the headset allows you the receive and end calls, so just a quick press and you can initiate a call using your voice dialling (Or indeed, use your handsets keypad to dial the number) and likewise press the headset button again to end the call.  There are also two small buttons at the top and bottom of the headset which adjust the volume levels during a call.  Although, I tended to leave the volume up all the time as the buttons are quite difficult to press.

When I made a call, the quality was very good in my opinion.  Audio clarity was crisp and clear, even when I realised the volume wasn’t even turned all the way up initially!  It worked equally well during voice activation and when I spoke, the person on the phone could easily hear every word I was saying.

The main button, used to initiate/end calls

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset

SmallTalk Mini Bluetooth Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 28, 2010 at 8:52 pm.

The Plantronics Explorer 395 is the company’s newest reasonably priced bluetooth headset.  Now before I go any further, to put this review into full perspective, I’m also the Moderator at HowardForums for all things Bluetooth.  I sadly own more headsets that I have holes in my head, and every new headset that comes out gets a raised eyebrow from me at all times.

Let’s look at the specs:

• Talk Time:  Up to 5 hours
• Standby Time:  Up to 1 week
• Weight: 11 grams
• Wearing Style: Over the ear
• Noise Reduction: Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Acoustic echo cancellation
• Mic placement reduces wind over mic
• QuickPair™ Technology: Supports initial pairing with Bluetooth phones
• Battery Type: Li-ion polymer rechargeable
• Charge Connectors: AC/DC 100 – 240V
• Charge Time: 2 hours for full charge
• Headset Controls: Power on/off, Call answer/end, Quick battery check, Call reject, Volume up/down, Last number redial, Voice-activated dialing
• Bluetooth Wireless Technology: Version 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)
• Supports: Secure Simple Pairing (SSP)
• Profiles: Hands-free v1.5 (HFP), Headset v1.1 (HSP)
• Range: Up to 33 feet from Bluetooth phone
• Service and Support: 1-year limited warranty

Inside the packaging

Like a kid at Christmas, I reached for the headset and pried it loose from the plastic package, but I was stymied by the Mother of All Boogers.  Someone in the factory went a little bonkers and applied a GIANT blob of gummy goo to keep the headset from rattling about, but it was so sticky and persistent I could not remove all of it from the headset.  Eww.

It's as gross as it looks.

The headset itself is nothing out of the ordinary by appearances alone.  It’s encased in chromed and glossy black plastic which look great, but impossible to keep free of fingerprints and facial oils.  The front of the headset has a long silvery stripe.  The wide part of the stripe serves as the multifunction button.  A red-blue LED is hidden underneath it.

The Plantronics Explorer 395

An LED is hidden underneath the multifunction button.

The headset has a non-detachable clear plastic ear hook that rotates and swivels for either left or right ears.  Only one ear “gel” comes with the headset, made of rubbery silicone-like material.

Backside of the 395

A micro USB charger comes with the headset and plugs into the end for charging.  There is also one single long, black button on one of the long edges for volume control that toggles between several volume settings.  Some may not like this, but I don’t mind.  I tend to use the phone’s volume controls anyway.

Charging jack and volume button

There is one microphone on the 395, and it’s located on the cheek-facing side of the headset.  It’s got a tiny bit of foam to help reduce wind noise.

Speaking of microphones, how did the 395 sound?

In a quiet room: No problems.  My outgoing voice was clear.  Incoming audio was heard easily.

Wind: I sat near a fan, and wind noise was very pronounced, despite the tiny foam bits.

Outdoors:  The 395 has built-in DSP for noise reduction, and it’s fairly apparent that my outgoing voice was a little clearer than the background noise.  But the DSP attempts to reduce background noise by making it less intelligible, and voice clarity suffers a little.  Compared to the more advanced (and much more expensive) Plantronics 975 and Voyager Pro models with the top of the line AudioIQ 2 DSP, there’s no contest.  The 975 and Pro in the same test was able to maintain speech intelligibility while significantly suppressing background noise.

I would say the 395 performs almost on par with the Plantronics 925, which uses AudioIQ DSP (not the newer AudioIQ 2).  The 925′s AudioIQ DSP also attempts to squash background noise, but makes your voice a little bit like you’ve got a cold.  I say “almost” because the 395′s attempts at noise reduction tends to make outgoing voices sound slightly robotic in a noisy environment.

What about incoming audio? Well, if the 975 and Pro was a 10 on the volume scale, the 395 gets a 7.  Loud enough for indoor use, maybe a little short in high noise environments, but still very clear and static-free.  I’m not sure if it’s partially due to the one-size-fits-all silicone earpiece.

See the little tiny bits of foam in the mic hole?

OK now you may be wondering why I even gave this headset a second look.  Well, it has a one feature I wish EVERY bluetooth headset had:  A sliding on/off switch!  Much better than the old “press and hold” the multifunction button.  With the slider switch, there is no mistaking by just “looking” at the headset whether it’s on or off.  Turning this headset on (or off) is quick and easy.  You’re greeted with four ascending tones for power on, and four descending tones for off.

There are other headsets that use sliding power on/off switches, and even some that wake up when you unfold them (Motorola has a few).  But they are far and few between.

The power switch! See the tiny bit of red underneath the slider?

The switch in the power "on" position (toward the mic)

There’s just one problem with Plantronics’ execution of the slider switch:  I could never remember which was on or off.  Did red mean it’s on, or off?  I would have preferred to see a little green color for power on (green means go, right?) like my 2nd and 3rd gen iPod Shuffles.

Family portrait! (Top to Bottom): Plantronics Voyager Pro, Plantronics Explorer 395, Plantronics 925, Plantronics 975

Same headsets, the backside

In all, a reasonably priced, good performing lightweight headset with a fantastic sliding power on-off switch.  It may not have the greatest DSP noise reduction or wind resistance, but a solid buy if those aren’t important to you.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset

Plantronics Explorer 395 Bluetooth Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 23, 2010 at 9:46 am.

Including their signature high-quality audio and is designed for the new or casual BT headset user, the new Plantronics Explorer 395 universally compatible Bluetooth headset is attractively styled and easy to use with separate buttons for volume, power on/off, and call answer/end. It’s reasonably priced at $49.95.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset, Spotlight Gadgets

Plantronics Announces Explorer 395 Bluetooth Headset originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 20, 2010 at 8:00 am.

The BlueKlip is a simple accessory that sticks on your car’s dash, your mobile phone’s case or any other handy location. Its purpose is to hold your Bluetooth headset when you’re not using it. The$6.99 price seems pretty reasonable considering you get 2.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, News

Tagged: Headset, holder, Spotlight Gadgets

Keep your Bluetooth headset handy with the BlueKlip originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 18, 2010 at 12:30 pm.

The Plantronics Voyager Pro UC raises the bar for Bluetooth headsets and is well-deserved for all the accolades that it has received.  If you have been a Bluetooth headset user from the dawn of Bluetooth as I have, you’ll quickly realize that with the Plantronics Voyager Pro UC, this ain’t your daddy’s Bluetooth!

I am a long-time Bluetooth headset user, ever since Bluetooth was unleashed on the world.  So for many years I have received strange looks and had complete strangers talk to me because they thought I was talking to them.  I with I had a dollar for every time that I have held my hand to my ear, not to hold the Bluetooth headset still, but to visually tell those around me that I am not talking to them!  If you are a Bluetooth user, you know of which I speak.  I have worn out or given up on a dozen Bluetooth headsets, so I jumped at the chance to try the Plantronics Voyager Pro UC.

Prior to this, my favorite Bluetooth headset was the Jawbone 2.  I was more excited than a tic on a hound dog to get the original Jawbone headset, and even more excited when the Jawbone 2 came out.  The noise cancellation and ‘coolness’ factor of the Jawbone products was un-paralleled.  I mean, if you wear a Bluetooth headset, you will get looks.  So if you are gonna look like a dork, why not look like a cool dork, right!?

But after my initial giddiness wore off, the reality of wearing the Jawbone for daily use set in.  I wondered why the Jawbone headsets came with so many accessories… earloops, and earbuds, and rubber-thingies, oh my!  I found out.  Maybe it was the shape of my ears, but I could never get the darn thing to sit right on the my ear without falling off.  To be effective, you have to make sure the Jawbone touches the side of your head, and the slightest tilt of my head would cause the thing to move.

(from top:  Original Jawbone [without earloop], Jawbone 2, and Plantronics Voyager Pro UC)

But before I trash the Jawbone too much (remember, I loved that headset), every other Bluetooth headset I have ever had posed the same problem for me… the darn thing just won’t stay where it is supposed to stay.  But I always wanted to have the smallest and coolest looking headset, so I put up with the hassle of having to hold my head still to talk.

But today I am a new man!  I am a new man because I have given up my desire to look cool while wearing a Bluetooth headset.  I am happy to look like a dork, so all I care about now is how the thing works.  And if you can get over looking like an employee at the McDonald’s drive-thru, then the Voyager Pro UC is for you!

So enough pontificating… let’s dig into the nitty gritty of the Voyager Pro UC!

After 3 weeks of use, I experienced a little over 6 hours of talk time.  I can’t speak to the standby time because I use this thing every day, all day, so I never let it sit.  It is the most comfortable headset I have ever worn, and I have worn every kind/style you can think of.  It looks big on your head, but it is still so light that I honestly couldn’t remember sometimes if I had it on my head.

As you can see from the pictures above, you can wear the Voyager Pro UC on either ear and it takes about 2 seconds to flip the headset around.  I have never had a headset that I didn’t have to pull out earloops, swap earbuds, and basically hop on one foot to change it from ear to ear.  The simple design of this product is sheer joy!  Also, the earbuds are extremely soft gel, so I didn’t even have to change the earbud that came on the product… it just ‘smushes’ (technical term there) ever so softly into my ear.  It also comes with some foam covers (seen in the pics) that cover the gel earbud if you want.

The charger is a microUSB charger which fully charged my headset in about an hour and a half.  On top of the device are the volume controls.  The power button is at the bottom of the part that sits behind your ear.  I will admit that turning the device on and off while it sits on your head is a bit tricky, but I got used to it.  The answer/hang-up button is on the outside of the hing that attaches the boom mic to the ear.  The boom mic is about 3 inches long, and it seriously does look like a drive-thru headset!  I just have to keep telling myself that I am cooler than I look.  The boom mic also adjusts up and down on the side of your face so that you can aim it directly at your mouth.

Call quality, which honestly is the most important aspect to me, was outstanding.  I would even venture to say that it is better than the Jawbone products, which is saying a whole lot!  Noise cancellation was excellent, and I tried it in many different surroundings… in the car with the window down, at a basketball game in a gymnasium, etc.  I never once have had to ask the other person to speak up because I couldn’t hear, and that was a sweet surprise!

There were many times that the person I was talking to on the other end had to hold the phone away from their ear because the headset was picking up my voice so loudly.  I don’t know if you would consider that a plus or a minus, but I often had to adjust the boom away from pointing directly at my mouth so that I wasn’t blasting the eardrums of the person I was talking to.  To me, that is a testament to the power of that boom mic.

My cellphone, which is a Windows Mobile 6.1 device, announces phone calls and pop-up screen notifications on my phone, and they all sounded awesome in the earpiece of this headset.  When the headset connects with my phone, I get a beep in my ear so that I know it connected.  A high beep means that it does not see my phone and a low beep means that it connected successfully.  And I can honestly say that the headset connected with the phone every single time.  I have never had that consistency before, and it has been a wonderful thing.  In the past I would have to sometimes go into my Bluetooth settings on the phone to turn it off and then back on to get the headset to connect to the phone.  But this headset just connects to it.

When a call is coming in, it beeps several successive beeps in my ear to let me know.  This is particularly nice when you have the phone on silent and still want to know when phone calls are coming in.  And a nice touch with this headset is that when the battery is getting low, the headset announces in your ear “battery low” with a pleasant sounding female voice.

I also have voice-dialing on my cellphone, so holding down the answer/hang-up button on the headset causes my voice-dialing to be activated, which is so handy when driving or you can’t look at the phone to dial.  Also, if I press the answer/hang-up button 3 times fast then my phone will automatically dial the last number I called.  I was able to walk about 25 feet away from the phone before the headset became un-usable, and like every other Bluetooth headset I have ever used, it is better to place the phone on the same side of your body as the headset… I couldn’t put the phone in my opposite pocket without serious call degradation.

If I had to pick my biggest disappointment with the Voyager Pro UC it is the lack of wind-cancellation, or whatever you want to call it.  The headset is basically useless if you are standing in any kind of wind.  The Jawbone products are much better in this regard.

Another thing that I’ll mention is that on all my previous Bluetooth headsets there was a blinking light of some kind that was a visual indicator to you that the headset was turned on and functioning.  To me, this was always an annoyance to the people NOT wearing the headset because they had to watch the infernal blinking light.  But it was nice for the user because you could simply look at the headset to determine if it was on.  The Voyager Pro UC has a light indicator that lights up blue when turning it on and red when turning it off.  But you can’t tell by simply looking at the headset if it is on or not.  I have to actually pick it up, hold it to my ear and press the answer/hangup button once to see if I hear a beep or not.  A small annoyance, but I feel I should mention that.

In conclusion, this is the best Bluetooth headset that I have ever had.  Until this thing wears out, I won’t be using any other headset.  I am over my vain attempt to look cool and I am comfortable in my ‘geek-ness’.  This is one of those devices that I simply can’t live without, and if you try it out I think you’ll agree that what really matters is finding a Bluetooth headset that just works.  And this thing works!

UPDATE:

I completely forgot to mention the thing that sets this Plantronics Voyager Pro apart from regular Plantronics Voyager Pro headsets… the UC on the end!

This headset comes with a Bluetooth dongle that allows the headset to work with your computer to make phone calls using various telephone software packages, such as Skype.  I have tried doing this in the past with a few other headsets that promoted this ability, but it has never been as easy as this.  Seriously.

My laptop has built-in Bluetooth, but I turned it off to test this dongle with the Plantronics.  The headset came with a software CD with the PerSono software suite that provides the ability to manage the audio and sounds on the computer that work with the headset.  But I wanted to see what would happen if I just plugged the dongle in and tried it.  And it just worked.  I don’t know what to say except that I was talking on a phone call with my cellphone using the Voyager Pro, hung up, then I started up Skype and called my brother, and the headest just switched to Skype and worked.  What more could you ask for?

I also used the headset with ooVoo, another software package to make phone calls, and it worked flawlessly with ooVoo too.  So I unplugged the dongle and tried it using my built-in Bluetooth on my laptop and it worked with that as well.  I have no complaints at all, and I was quite impressed with how seemlessly it worked.  And the voice quality that I experienced using it with my cellphone was there as well when I used it on the computer.  Now, I don’t use a Bluetooth headset with my computer on a daily basis, but if I did, this headset would be my choice.  I mean, it just works.  By the way, the UC stands for “Unified Communications”, but in my book it stands for “Ultra Cool”!

UPDATE:  April 23, 2010

After a few months of normal use, my Voyager Pro UC headset developed a problem.  It wasn’t related to any of the functions, but rather a crack appeared in the curve of the rubber part that sits between the boom mic and the part behind the ear.  It became so big that I was afraid that the rubber would crack all the way around and render the headset useless.

Needless to say, I was greatly dismayed because I have come to rely on this headset for daily use with both my phone and computer.  I don’t believe that I was in any way rough with the headset in the process of removing it from my ear and placing it back on my ear numerous times a day.  But I did use it heavily every day.

I contacted Plantronics about the problem.  They didn’t give me any hassle whatsoever, and the technician was very friendly and simply gave me the address to mail it to.  I put everything back in the package, mailed it off, and 3 days later a FedEx package arrived with my new headset.

Now, I have dealt with technology companies on issues like this for years, and I must say that I was very surprised, and pleasantly so, at how quickly they responded to me without any hassle.  A+ to Plantronics.  Further evidence to me that they are a class act.  Now let’s just hope that a bunch of people don’t post Plantronics horror stories on this review!!

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Cellular, Headset

This ain’t your daddy’s Bluetooth! Plantronics Voyager Pro UC Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 23, 2010 at 9:30 am.

I reviewed the Plantronics Discovery 925 last year and loved its stylish look, great fit, and superior performance. I have been using it regularly ever since. So, the day Plantronics released the, as some say, even more fashionable Discovery 975, I emailed Julie asking if I could review their latest bluetooth headset.

The Discovery 975 is Plantronics current flagship bluetooth headset. And as its packaging states, this earpiece is truly ‘Ingeniously Simple’.

Package Contents

• Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth Headset
• Leather charging case
• Micro-USB to AC power adapter
• Extra gel earpieces
• Case strap
• User guide

Features

• Dual-mic AudioIQ² technology simultaneously captures your voice and cancels background noise for superb call clarity
• WindSmart technology provides three layers of protection against wind noise
• Carrying case recharges the earpiece and triples talk and standby time
• Patented gel ear tips offer a secure and comfortable fit
• Up to five hours of talk time and one week of standby, from a single charge
• QuickPair technology for easy pairing with virtually any Bluetooth-enabled phone
• One-year limited warranty

Hardware Specifications

The Discovery 925 took bluetooth headset fashion where it had never gone before and the 975 takes that one step further. The 975′s minimalist design is extremely sleek and high-tech looking (right out of a SciFi movie; first thing that comes to mind is Uhura). The material covering the front of the earbud body is almost identical in look/feel to the back of my Blackberry Bold, a black leather-like material. At first glance the microphone bar appears to be metal but is sadly just plastic. Not a big deal however, since if it were metal, the earphone would most likely weigh more. The boom does seem to be fragile, but if it is like the less than rugged looking 925 mic, it will stand the test of time.

The call control button controls the power on/off, call answer/end/pause/redial, pairing, and reconnect when back in range. The white stripe is also a LED indicator that flashes various colors depending on the state, letting you know it is doing.  Like the 925, the earbud has a single volume button that cycles through 3 volume levels, mute on/off, and online indicator on/off.

The microphone boom has two built-in mics (AudioIQ² technology) engineered to simultaneously capture your voice and cancel/remove background noise. This, in combination with Plantronics’ WindSmart technology, gives you a very clear listening experience, even in the worst conditions. The 975 did excellent during my standard walk thru Seattle during rush hour traffic test, those that I talked with could hear me clearly…while I could hear them loud and clear as well.

The Discovery 975 is charged via a microUSB port. I would have preferred one of the more standard miniUSB ports but it would have been difficult to engineer something that large into such a small tech-package.

One of the best features of the 925 was its carrying case that not only protected the relatively delicate device but charged it as well. The 975 includes a new and improved version of Plantronics’ charging case. The case holds two additional charges, giving you three charges worth of power heading out the door. That is a ton of standby time and a good amount of talk time.

The 975 slips easily into its very well made and protective home. One of the minor issues I had with the 925 is that it was sometimes difficult to get the earbud out of its case.

But Plantronics has fixed that issue by engineering an ejection button into the 975′s case which pushes the earbud off the charging plug and slightly out of the case, making it effortless to take the headset out.

Plantronics has also added a small but very informative indicator window in the 975′s case. The indicator lets you know how much charge you have on both the case and headset. It also let you know if your bluetooth headset is still connected to your cellphone.

The Discovery 975 is very lightweight and comfortable. You can barely tell its there. The small, medium, and large gel earpieces make it reasonably easy to get the perfect fit. The 975 design and gel earpieces do a good job keeping the device in your ear and where you angle it. Not having an over-the-ear-hook design does make it more prone to come loose or fall out. Neither the 925 or 975 is meant to be left in your ear as you sprint for the bus.

The bottom line is, like its predecessor, the Plantronics Discovery 975 delivers an exceptionally clear calling experience.  Also like the Discovery 925, the 975 is as comfortable as it is stylish. At $129, Plantronics’ latest & greatest bluetooth headset is one of the most expensive bluetooth earpieces currently available. Since it is almost functionally identical to the Discovery 925,  available at less than half the cost, the older model is a much better bang for the buck. But if money is no object or the latest style is your thing, Plantronics’ Discovery 975 is definitely a worthy contender…..

Filed in categories: Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset

Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 9, 2009 at 7:29 am.

Remember the MoGo Mouse from Newton Peripherals? It was a Bluetooth mouse that could fit entirely into a PC Card slot. Now the same company has just announced the release of a series of Bluetooth headsets that are stored and recharged within plastic cases for cellular handsets. They remind me of the LG Decoy phone. The MoGo Talk headset / case combos available for the iPhone, BlackBerry Curve and BlackBerry Javelin. They can be purchased for $129.00 from the MoGo store.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset, iPhone, Spotlight Gadgets

iPhone case that holds a folded Bluetooth headset – MoGo Talk originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 5, 2009 at 3:52 pm.

Like many people, I own quite a few headphones.  These days all handheld devices we purchase come with a free corded headphone which most of the time are of crappy sound quality.   But what if I want great quality sound but without the mess of a snaking cable dangling down to my Bluetooth enabled media device?  This is where the Sony Ericsson Stereo Bluetooth HBH-IS800 comes in.

Priced at $179.99, this headphone is quite expensive, but it delivers in sound quality and Bluetooth range.  The unit that I got came with a bunch of manuals, the stereo headphone, a carrying case, 2 extra sizes of ear buds, a clip and a charger.  The charger that got bundled in was an Asian charger which Julie was kind enough to bundle in an American charger for me.

My first impression of this $179.99 product was that the carrying case feels very cheap and bulky.  The carrying case looks and feels more like that it belongs as part of the packaging instead of an actual carrying case.  At that price range I would expect Sony Ericsson to offer a better quality carrying case.  I would even settle for a small pouch.

At first glance this headphone might look like it just plays audio but it has a hidden function.  This stereo headphone is actually a stereo headset!  A quarter way down from the left ear bud is the single button control and next to it is a very tiny hole for the microphone.  Pairing with my iPhone 3G was simple enough.  Just hold down that single button for 15 seconds to set the headset to initiate pairing.  Passcode is the standard 0000.  After pairing, that single button acts like the answer and end call button when the phone rings.

The length of the headset about 21 inches.

The right ear bud has a tiny status light that flashes green and red for pairing and red for low battery.

You might wonder how does this headphones get charged?  Well there’s a hidden cover on the right ear bud.  opening it reviews the charging port.  A full charge takes around 1 hour.  Battery life lasted an amazing 3 hours.

This Bluetooth headphone has an amazing feature.  It has a long Bluetooth range.  In my experience, most Bluetooth equipped devices only work at max 30 feet and generally it only works in a “line of sight” functionality.  Well the HBH-IS800 works 75 feet THROUGH multiple walls!  I left my Samsung YP-P2 mp3 player on one side of the house and walked to the other end and I still have crystal clear music playing through the headphones.

The Sony Ericsson Stereo Bluetooth headphone is pretty expensive at $179.99.  But it is worth it for being extremely light weight, long lasting battery life, and long Bluetooth range.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Musical Gear

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset

Sony Ericsson Stereo Bluetooth HBH-IS800 Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 4, 2009 at 8:45 pm.

For a long time, I flatly refused to own a Bluetooth headset. They were expensive, the sound quality was mediocre, and the available designs were unattractive, ranging from “wannabe telemarketer” to “hey, I’ve got a Happy Meal toy stuck in my ear!”

But for every product category, a standout product always emerges and becomes the new benchmark against which all other similar products must be measured. For Bluetooth headsets, the bar was officially set in December of 2006 when Aliph introduced their first Jawbone headset. It was attractive, with a perforated metal surface that looked more industrial than toy-like, and it incorporated noise-canceling technology developed for DARPA. And while still priced at upwards of $100, it was nevertheless less expensive than many competing headsets at the time. The Jawbone became my first Bluetooth headset. It’s been nearly three years now since the Jawbone was introduced, and Aliph has not rested. They are now on the third generation of the Jawbone headset — the Jawbone Prime — and Aliph is intent on persisting as the gold standard for Bluetooth headsets. Does the Jawbone Prime do service to its pedigree, or does it come up short? Find out after the jump.

Design

At first glance, it would be difficult to distinguish the Jawbone Prime from the previous-generation Jawbone 2; the dimensions appear to be basically identical, both being a svelte 2.10 x 0.60 x 0.90 inches, and weighing less than half an ounce. Upon closer inspection, however, the differences become more apparent.

The Jawbone Prime has ditched its predecessor’s raised-diamond texture, replacing it with something like a series of helices in relief, creating several rows of elongated divots. I personally didn’t find this new texture to feel any better or worse in day-to-day use, so whether or not this is an improvement is really a matter of your own aesthetic judgment. Another noticeable change is that, rather than the continuous surface of the Jawbone 2, the texture on the front face of the Jawbone Prime is interrupted by a line running the width of the device, denoting the physical separation between the two buttons hidden under the surface. While this change may not be useful to Jawbone veterans, new users will likely appreciate it, as it does take some time to learn where the buttons are really physically located. This separator makes it apparent where one button ends and the next begins, solving one of the ease-of-use kinks of the previous model.

There are also some differences in the Jawbone Prime in terms of included accessories. The bits you’d expect are in there, such as the USB charger, and the AC to USB adapter, but the selection of fitment accessories has changed. Aliph has started moving towards the “new fit” earbuds, which modify the standard round earbuds by appending a small loop of rubber on one end and a slight point on the other. These twist-to-fit earbuds obviate the need for an earloop, and are now included in small, medium, and large sizes. The standard earbuds are also included in three sizes, but only two earloops (one standard, one “premium”) are provided. As with any inner-ear gadgets, how they fit depends entirely on the shape of your ears. My wife seems to be able to wear the new style earbuds without issue, but I personally have had a hard time getting a proper “seal” with them, so I have continued to use the earloop. Additional earloops in other colors, styles, and sizes can be purchased from Jawbone’s online store for $15 each. Jawbone 2 owners, be aware that you can also purchase a 3-pack of the new fit earbuds from Jawbone’s store for $10, so if you just want to go loop-less, you can do so on the cheap.

Aliph has also decided to go beyond thinking of the Bluetooth headset as a purely utilitarian device, inviting us to consider it as a fashion accessory. In addition to the standard black, silver, and brown of the Jawbone Prime, Aliph has introduced the Jawbone Prime Earcandy Edition, available in such colors as Drop Me A Lime (green), Frankly Scarlet (just on the pink side of red, pictured in this review), Lilac You Mean It (purple), and ‘Yello! (you guessed it, yellow). These colors are quite vibrant, and certainly a departure from the muted and business-like tones of most other Bluetooth headsets. The target audience for these seems to be women, but it’s certainly not unthinkable that some men might be interested in these colors. I have to ask though, if the point of the Earcandy Edition Jawbone Prime is really to make the Jawbone Prime a fashion accessory, why not just make the faceplate swappable? I would think that the truly fashion-conscious would want their headset to match their outfit on any given day, so why not make that an option?

Regardless, the Earcandy Edition headsets are identical to the regular Jawbone Prime headsets in terms of features and functionality, so there’s no penalty for choosing any particular color.

Features

Not a lot has changed spec-wise between the Jawbone 2 and Jawbone Prime, but the changes made are certainly worth noticing:

• Bluetooth Profile 2.1: provides better battery life when used with devices that support it (such as the iPhone 3GS)
• Acoustic Voice Activity Detector (AVAD): provides supplementary noise reduction when the voice activity sensor isn’t touching the user’s face
• Enhanced wind noise reduction: provides better elimination of wind noise
• NoiseAssassin 2.0: this update to the original NoiseAssassin technology delivers an order of magnitude improvement in the noisiest environments (6 to 9dB)

Performance

I tested the Jawbone Prime against both of its predecessors in a range of scenarios in order to see not only how the Prime itself performed, but to get an idea of how the technology has progressed, and whether or not one should consider upgrading if one is an existing Jawbone user.

Speaker test

In order to test the speaker (incoming audio) portion of the headsets, I connected each to my Mac Mini over Bluetooth, and set it as my audio source. I then played a few songs in iTunes, and compared the quality of the audio I received. The audio sounded flat in all three — very good for a headset that’s not designed for music, to be honest, but you wouldn’t want to use any of them for anything other than phone calls. Overall the original Jawbone sounded a little more tinny than either the Jawbone 2 or the Jawbone Prime.

Mic test

To test the mic itself, I called my landline and recorded a message with each of the headsets paired to my iPhone 3G. I turned off noise reduction on each of the headsets in order to eliminate that as a variable in the comparison. Overall, they all sounded as good as the audio straight from my iPhone’s mic, though with occasional wireless interference such as static or very brief dropouts if I got too far from my iPhone. I really couldn’t tell much of a difference between the three in this test, and to be sure, every one of them sounded at least as good as any other Bluetooth headset I’ve ever heard.

Car test

Again, I paired each headset to my iPhone, and recorded messages that I called in to my landline, but this time from a moving car with the radio on. This is probably representative of the most typical use of the headset, and thus the most crucial test. All three fared very well, but it was pretty easy to tell which was the original Jawbone, because the noise reduction simply was not as good. The Jawbone 2 and Jawbone Prime were close to identical, but the Prime edged out its older brother by doing a slightly better job in reducing noise. While audio from both devices was intelligible, it was harder to tell when the Jawbone Prime was actively canceling outside noise, which is impressive.

Loud music test

It’s unlikely that one is going to take a call when it’s so loud that one can barely hear oneself talk, but what if you did? I tested this by repeating the above tests while standing directly in front of a stereo speaker that was loud enough that a normal person standing next to me might have difficulty hearing what I was saying. The recording from the original Jawbone was a bunch of noise, it was clear that the noise reduction was having a hard time, and was overcorrecting. The Jawbone 2, while far and away better than the Jawbone, still had some noticeable difficulty separating my voice from the music. And while even the Jawbone Prime could not provide a completely noise-free call, it did a better job than I would have expected; I could understand easily 90% of the recording. It’s worth noting that every one of these headsets did a perfect job of blocking out noise when I wasn’t talking — standing in front of the speaker and saying nothing, there was only silence on the other end of the phone. The only problems came when I spoke, and bits of the music (possibly in the same tonal range as my voice) leaked through. Again, this was an extreme case, and I can’t imagine anyone trying to make or take a phone call in that sort of din, but if I had to, the Jawbone Prime is the headset I’d want to have with me.

Wind test

For this test, I replaced the speaker in the previous test with a fan, and tested it at various speeds and angles relative to the headset. To be perfectly honest, when it comes to wind performance, the original Jawbone blows almost as much as the fan did. I really couldn’t hear anything other than wind if there was more than a passing breeze on my headset side. The Jawbone 2 fared much better, but as seems to be the pattern here, the Jawbone Prime came out on top. It wasn’t flawless, by any means — get enough wind at the right angle, and it becomes pretty hard to hear — but those times were the exception, and let’s be realistic, even if you’re driving in your car with the windows open or the top down, you’re not going to have that kind of wind blowing directly on the headset.

Summary

The Jawbone Prime is, in just about every way, an improvement on its predecessors. I find the battery life to be more than sufficient for regular use, and the noise reduction features are unparalleled. Really, the only reason you might not want to choose this headset over anything else out there is if you already own the Jawbone 2. While it certainly outperforms the Jawbone 2, the performance gains in the Jawbone Prime don’t become truly apparent until you start getting into decent amounts of wind or ambient noise. And if you’re already happy with your Jawbone 2, shelling out the $130 (suggested, though you can find it for less if you look) for the Jawbone Prime may not seem too appealing.

Ultimately, the Jawbone Prime is easily one of the best Bluetooth headsets you can buy, and with the addition of the Earcandy Edition, there’s a color for just about everyone.

Filed in categories: Wireless

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset

Aliph Jawbone Prime and Earcandy Edition Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 2, 2009 at 9:02 am.

We reviewed the Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth headset back in July. Now Plantronics has just announced a new model called the PRO UC. This headset that works seamlessly with both mobile phones and unified communication applications/softphones like Google Talk and Skype. It comes with a USB dongle to use with your PC and works like any other Bluetooth headset with your mobile phone. It will be priced at $199.95 and will be available next month. Full press release after the jump.

Plantronics Adds Award-Winning Voyager PRO Bluetooth Headset to

Unified Communications Portfolio

New Plantronics Voyager PRO UC Delivers Unparalleled Audio Quality and Ease-of-Use for

Softphones and Mobile Phones

Santa Cruz, Calif. – November 2, 2009 – Plantronics  today expanded its growing portfolio of wireless headsets for Unified Communications (UC) with the new Plantronics Voyager® PRO UC headset. Voyager PRO UC combines Plantronics’ award-winning Voyager PRO Bluetooth® headset with a plug-and-play Bluetooth USB adapter to deliver richer wideband audio on softphones along with Voyager PRO’s superior noise and wind cancellation on both mobile phones and softphones.

“The Voyager PRO UC headset was designed for the growing number of mobile professionals who rely on unified communications to stay connected,” said Gunjan Bhow, vice president and general manager of Unified Communications at Plantronics. “Because the headset works with both UC applications and mobile phones, mobile professionals no longer need to juggle multiple headsets. They can get superior audio quality with one device.

Plug-and-Play Simplicity, Reduced Help Desk Costs

The Plantronics Voyager PRO UC headset features a plug-and-play Bluetooth USB adapter that reduces Help Desk support costs by eliminating cumbersome software setup processes. Users insert the adapter into their PC and can start talking immediately. The headset delivers high-end audio with wideband calling through softphone applications from leading providers, including Avaya, Cisco, IBM, and Microsoft, and other popular services, such as Google Talk and Skype. The Plantronics Voyager PRO UC headset supports multipoint technology that allows users to switch between their mobile phone calls and PC calls with the touch of a button.

Plantronics Voyager PRO UC includes the PerSono® Suite software providing call answer/end, volume and mute with supported softphones and manages PC audio, such as music, unified messaging and webinars. Call alert provides notification of incoming softphone calls while listening to streaming audio and a single button on the headset lets users answer/end calls. PerSono Suite software also includes feature setting capabilities so users can personalize the system with choice of ring tones, volume levels, and media management, such as pausing music when taking a call.

“We predict that the adoption of Unified Communications is set to significantly change the traditional communication landscape and infrastructure within businesses across the globe. Desk telephones for many knowledge workers will become redundant, as laptops with smartphones become the communication tools of choice,” comments Steve Blood, Research vice president at Gartner. “Headsets will become essential communication tools for collaborators and could become mandatory, because of health and safety policies.”

The Award-Winning Voyager PRO wireless headset: Engineered for Sound Quality

CNET and PC Magazine have bestowed coveted Editors’ Choice Awards on the Plantronics Voyager PRO for delivering unparalleled audio quality, comfort and usability. Voyager PRO features AudioIQ2 technology, the next generation of Plantronics’ AudioIQ® digital signal processing (DSP) technology that is enhanced by a unique adjustable dual-microphone boom. The boom provides the advantage of capturing your voice close to your mouth so the AudioIQ2 technology can more effectively remove ambient noise, while still maintaining the natural sound of your voice. The Voyager PRO UC headset also uses wideband audio technology to provide richer sound quality for PC audio including softphone applications.

Plantronics Voyager PRO features three layers of WindSmart® technology to minimize wind distortion. Dual external stainless steel microphone screens and acoustic fabrics that surround the microphones provide substantial physical barriers to wind noise. At the same time, AudioIQ2 technology intelligently deciphers your voice from the wind to deliver clear sound to your listener.

The Plantronics Voyager PRO UC headset also delivers unmatched inbound audio quality to ensure every word is heard on both sides of a conversation. It features a custom speaker that delivers full-spectrum audio so conversations are richer and more vibrant. The adaptive 20-band equalizer delivers distortion-free audio and works with AudioIQ2 technology to automatically adjust sound to comfortable levels based on the noise level around you to ensure maximum audibility.

Pricing and Availability

The Plantronics Voyager PRO UC is available in November through authorized resellers and office supply retailers such as Staples.com and OfficeDepot.com.  The Plantronics Voyager PRO UC headset system has a suggested retail price of $199.95.  For a complete list of supported softphone applications, please visit: www.plantronics.com/personosuite. To learn more about Plantronics Voyager PRO UC please visit: www.plantronics.com/voyagerprouc

Plantronics — The Voice of Unified Communications™

Plantronics offers one of the industry’s most complete families of corded and wireless products for unified communications. Widely recognized for their sound quality, reliability and comfort, Plantronics’ audio solutions help companies extend the benefits of IP communications throughout the extended enterprise, fostering better business communication and efficiency regardless of where professionals are working.

About Plantronics

Plantronics is a world leader in personal audio communications for professionals and consumers. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth headsets, Plantronics delivers unparalleled audio experiences and quality that reflect our nearly 50 years of innovation and customer commitment. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100 and is the headset of choice for air traffic control, 911 dispatch and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

AudioIQ, AudioIQ2, PerSono Suite, Plantronics, Plantronics Voyager PRO, Sound Innovation, The Voice of Unified Communications, and WindSmart are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Plantronics is under license. All other trademarks are the property of the respective owners.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset, Spotlight Gadgets

Plantronics Voyager PRO UC Headset can Skype originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 30, 2009 at 3:36 pm.

I know what a lot of you are thinking… “oh great, another Bluetooth ear piece. And I have to be honest, I thought the same thing when I saw this. Boy was I wrong! First of all, it is an actual Research In Motion Blackberry branded device, not some third party off brand. RIM is coming out with alot more branded accessories lately, mainly due to the huge growth the company has had with getting their phones out to the mass market.

The design of this particular device is what some people would call boring. However, I like that better to be honest. Most professionals DO NOT want a Bluetooth device that screams ” HEY LOOK AT ME!” Most would rather have a device that blends in. The HS500 is only available in one color, and that is Black/Grey. Along with the bland color and design, you will also see a lack of volume keys. This is actually my favorite feature. Instead of adding more clutter to this conservative looking device RIM included an automatic volume control feature. Based on the background noise it automatically adjust itself. It does this very well actually. I was at a 3 year old’s birthday party and we all know how noisy those can be. The Automatic volume control canceled out the background noise so I could hear very clear and the person on the other end said that the sound was very crisp and he could barely hear all the screaming kids in the background. Another friend said he couldn’t tell that I had my window down while driving down the highway.

Aside from the Auto volume, this device works like your typical ear piece. On this one it’s the pretty Blackberry logo that is your call button. The call button will do all of your normal functions, from answer, end, mute, and voice dialing. There are a few press combinations that you will have to learn but they are very simple. For example it would be one quick press to answer, two quick presses for mute and swap calls and so on. The only other button on the HS500 is the power switch, which is hidden along the bottom of the device. The talk time on this thing was actually very good. I got just under 5 hours of talk time before it totally died, and it only took about 2 hours to fully charge. Another nice thing about this device is the fact that it works with selected third party GPS mapping applications to allow you to listen to your turn-by-turn directions without annoying everyone else in the car. Another nice feature about the HS500 is the fact that it is stereo, which allows you to listen to your music and video through the ear piece. I know a lot of other do not allow that to happen.

Yet another great feature is there is no constant LED flashing to let people know how cool you are! The only time the LED blinks is when it is being paired to another device or when it is charging. Again most people don’t want the flash they only want the function.

The HS500 comes with a few things you may need. First it comes with 2 behind the ear wraps, and 4 different size earbud speaker covers. Most people will be able to use it right out of the box though. It also comes with a micro USB car charger. No home charger, which I thought was strange. However, it is very cool that you can use the included car charger for your phone as well (considering most new models are coming with the micro USB port). And of course you also get your owners manuals as well (which are in 5 different languages).

Overall, I personally love this thing. It fits in the ear very comfortably. Anyone who is a die hard Blackberry fan (such as myself), this is a must have. You will not be let down by the HS500. Now if you are looking for fashion over function, then the HS500 may not be for you. But like I said before, who wants a giant LED flashing, florescent green ear piece? If you are looking for a device with superior sound quality then the HS500 may not fit your needs either. Personally I feel the sound quality is perfectly fine. It is better than most other ear pieces I have used, but not by a huge margin. Still very clear and crisp and without a doubt the HS500 is more than good enough for anyone looking for a new ear piece. The HS500 is a worthy addition to RIM’s accessory line-up. Blackberry fans will be pleased with the form factor, which matches the design and styling of most of their latest handsets. The HS500 is easy to use and extremely functional, with above average sound quality and a cool feature that allows you to stream music from other stereo Bluetooth equipped gadgets.

At only $79.99 the HS500 is a definite must have, especially for the Blackberry purist. Head over to www.shopblackberry.com to pick one up. You will not be disappointed and it is well worth the money. You are getting a top level device at a mid level price. If you search hard enough you may even be able to find it for a bit less.

Filed in categories: Blackberry related

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset

RIM Blackberry HS500 Bluetooth Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 26, 2009 at 7:52 am.

The iTech Dynamic SolarVoice 908 Bluetooth headset has all the typical features one would expect from a headset. It has A2DP, multipoint, and noise reduction features. But, it has one feature that no other headsets have (yet)… It has a built in solar panel that will allow you to recharge its batteries via sunlight. Pretty nifty if it actually works. I’ve not had the best of luck getting solar chargers to work – especially though a car windowshield.

Filed in categories: News, Wireless

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset, Solar, Spotlight Gadgets

Let Mr. Sun recharge your Bluetooth headset – i.Tech SolarVoice originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 12, 2009 at 8:15 am.

The Celltronix VR1 looks like an ordinary headset, but it is the first Bluetooth headset that can record up to 8 minutes of incoming and outgoing calls. You can also use it to record voice memos. I’m not convinced that this product really solves a problem, but I suppose the voice memo feature could be useful. If the VR1 sounds like something that you need, you can get one for a little over $100.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset, Spotlight Gadgets

Bluetooth headset that can record your conversation originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 10, 2009 at 4:37 pm.

The new Sound ID 400 Bluetooth Headset offers some features that no other headset current offers:

PersonalSound – offers users 3 listening modes, tuned to the most common hearing preferences, to choose from in order to further enhance speech clarity without raising the volume.

Environmental Mode – enables users to hear equally out of both ears in-between calls. When this mode is activated, the hearing ability is enhanced and soft sounds can be heard while wearing the headset – allowing clear conversations “On” and “Off” the phone. This is a great feature as most of us like to leave our headset on in-between calls.

Compatibility with the Sound ID CompanionLink Remote Microphone – The CompanionLink is a small clip-on device that syncs with 400 and can be worn by a conversation partner or placed near a sound source to pick up audio at its origin for a richer sound experience. Clip the CompanionLink on the person sitting or at the back of the mini-van to clearly hear them over any wind noise, place it near the TV to better hear your favorite sitcom or place it at opposite end of the conference table to clearly hear what colleagues are saying.

It will be available at the end of this month for $129.99. Full press release after the jump.

SOUND ID ANNOUNCES THE SOUND ID 400 BLUETOOTH HEADSET– BRINGING NEW FUNCTIONALITY TO THE BLUETOOTH CATEGORY

Offering PersonalSound custom hearing modes to boost your listening power and Environmental Mode to amplify sound between calls

Only headset on the market to be compatible with the new Sound ID CompanionLink Remote Microphone

PALO ALTO, California, September 14, 2009 – Providing mobile consumers with a new way to enjoy hands-free communications, Sound ID today announced the latest product in its line-up – the Sound ID 400 Personal Sound System.

The Sound ID 400 continues the company’s winning combination of best-in-class audio and scientifically engineered all-day wearing comfort.  However, the 400 stands apart from the rest of the Bluetooth headsets on the market today, offering three unique features:

1)    PersonalSound™, which consists of three listening modes tuned to the most common hearing preferences to further enhance speech clarity without raising the volume. This feature is only found on Sound ID products – no other Bluetooth headsets offer this capability.
2)    The Sound ID 400 is the only headset to deliver Environmental Mode™, a feature that enables users to hear equally out of both ears in-between calls. When the Environmental Mode is activated, the hearing ability is enhanced and soft sounds can be heard while wearing the headset – allowing clear conversations “On” and “Off” the phone.
3)    Additionally, the headset is the only one of its kind to be compatible with the optional Sound ID CompanionLink™ Remote Microphone – creating a Personal Sound System. The CompanionLink is a small clip-on device, a mere two-inches in size, that syncs with the Sound ID 400 and can be worn by a conversation partner or placed near a sound source to pick up audio at its origin for a richer sound experience. This device can greatly enhance the clarity of speech in many communication situations, such as: (1) a distant talker, e.g. a lecturer; (2) a very noisy environment, e.g. a restaurant; or, (3) a talker whose speech is received as faint due to his or her physical location with respect to the listener, e.g. a passenger sitting in the back of the car.

“The Sound ID 400 showcases the innovative audio capabilities that our headsets are known for and kicks it up a notch with Environmental Mode and compatibility with the CompanionLink Remote Microphone,” said Michael Jones, President and CEO of Sound ID. “Together, the Sound ID 400 and CompanionLink create a new Personal Sound System that elevates the traditional Bluetooth experience by improving speech intelligibility and aiding in clear conversations – whether on or off the phone.”

The Sound ID 400 also offers NoiseNavigation™, which uses multiple microphones and special DSP algorithms to remove background noise and elevate speech. The goal is to improve speech understanding in noisy situations. Finally, Sound ID 400 can connect with two devices simultaneously – enabling users to answer calls from two phones from the convenience of one headset. It is designed with a Black Velvet soft-touch finish.

Summary of Key Features
· PersonalSound™, in addition to offering the volume control, the user can select from 3 custom listening modes that are tuned to enhance speech clarity and boosting listening power.
· Environmental Mode™ can be activated to create a “hear-through” feature that enables users to hear equally out of both ears, even when wearing the headset, transforming ordinary hearing into extraordinary hearing.
· NoiseNavigation™ removes background and wind noise while boosting speech for clear conversations.
· Multi-Point Technology enables users to securely connect with two Bluetooth-enabled phones, such as a work and a personal phone. Then, the Sound ID 400 can answer or originate calls on either phone.
· Automatic Volume Control reduces the need for users to manually switch volume settings, as the headset seamlessly adjusts to changing environments and variable noise situations.
· CompanionLink™ Remote Microphone is an optional accessory, which can be worn by a conversation partner or placed near a sound source, to pick up audio near its source for a richer listening experience.

Sound ID 400 Bluetooth Headset Specifications
· Lightweight:  8 grams (0.28 ounces)
· Dimensions:  53.5 x 15.5 x 7.5 millimeters (2.1 x 0.6 x 0.3 inches)
· Powerful Battery Life:  Up to 7 hours talk time, 200 hours (8 days) standby
· Latest Bluetooth Technology:  Bluetooth version 2.1+ EDR and eSCO improves the transmission sound quality and is compatible with earlier versions of Bluetooth
· Convenience:  Easy and secure simple pairing; comes with a Universal A/C wall charger, 100-240v

Sound ID CompanionLink™ Remote Microphone Specifications
· Pairing on the Fly:  Automatically pairs with the Sound ID 400 headset
· Lightweight:  8 grams (0.28 ounces)
· Dimensions:  53.5 x 15.5 x 7.5 millimeters (2.1 x 0.6 x 0.3 inches)
· Powerful Battery Life:  Up to 10 hours talk time
· Bluetooth Radio:  Wide band with a range of up to 30 feet line-of-sight

Pricing and Availability
The Sound ID 400 will be available in Q4 for $129.99 MSR. It comes with a Universal AC charger (100-240 VAC), USB charging cable, three sizes of RealComfort EarLoops and an Ear Hook for an alternative over-the-ear wearing option. The Sound ID CompanionLink Remote Microphone will also be available Q4 for $79.99 MSR.

About Sound ID
Sound ID™ was founded with the mission to bring personalized sound to mainstream consumers. Sound ID has accomplished this by combining deep knowledge of the human ear with cutting-edge Bluetooth technology and patented Adaptive Noise Compensation techniques. The result is a new category of Bluetooth-compatible headsets – designed to revolutionize your personal appreciation of sound by addressing your unique hearing preferences in a wide variety of environments.

Noted Ear Doctor from Stanford University and entrepreneur Dr. Rodney Perkins founded Sound ID based on the premise that personal communications devices, such as Bluetooth headsets, could benefit from knowledge advancements of how the human ear processes sound. From there, Dr. Perkins brought together top scientists and engineers in psychoacoustics, product design and software development to create a truly advanced product line.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset, Spotlight Gadgets

Bluetooth headset with new features – Sound ID 400 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 14, 2009 at 12:39 pm.