Jabra GN-6210 Office Wireless Headset

CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating
Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 6 reviews
• See all user reviews

Product summary

CNET editors' review

• Reviewed by: Kent German
• Edited by: William O'Neal
• Reviewed on: 02/16/2005

We first reviewed a GN Netcom headset as part of our Bluetooth headset roundup. Though we were satisfied with the audio quality of the GN Netcom GN6110, we weren't too impressed with the style. In fact, we likened it to half an earmuff. Luckily, the company has given it another go with its 6210 wireless headset. Though it retains the same charging base and dual-phone functionality as its predecessor, the headset itself is identical to the more comfortable and more stylish form factor of the crescent-shaped Jabra BT250. The price is high at $249, so you may want to expense this one.

Instead of a traditional ear hook, the headset employs a wraparound design that hugs your ear from the back. A short boom mike extends from the bottom of the crescent, which holds the battery and the control buttons, while the earpiece curves in from the top of the device on a flexible rubber appendage. The result is an extremely secure, comfortable fit that allows the GN 6210 to be worn on either ear. We especially liked the MiniGel earpiece, which you can swivel and mold to your liking.

Controls on the Jabra consist of a volume rocker and a multifunction button that turns the headset on and off, places and ends calls, and prepares the headset for pairing. Using the generously sized buttons takes no acclimation, and they are easy to locate and press while the headset was in use. You can utilize the buttons to make voice calls and switch between the headset and the phone (once it's paired). Pairing the headset with a phone takes only one try, and a tiny blue light flashes when the headset is on and when it's ready to pair. For travel, you also get a compact charger that is much more portable than the weighty desktop cradle.

Like its older sibling, the GN 6210 can be used simultaneously with a Bluetooth mobile or a landline phone. Simply plug your home or office phone line into the charging cradle, and you can talk away without being chained to your desk. The headset comes already paired with the charging base, but a single button on the cradle also does the trick. The cradle also has a much-needed design improvement: GN dispenses with the troublesome cradle-eject button found on the 6110. This change makes the headset fit more securely in the cradle, and now it's much easier to take out.

You can use the headset with the GN Netcom 1000 Remote Handset Lifter. Designed for the truly busy--or the truly lazy--the handset lifter attaches to your landline phone via a Velcro or an adhesive strip. When answering a call on the headset, the lifter raises the phone off the hang-up button, thus connecting the call. To hang up, the process is reversed. We had no problem attaching the handset lifter to our office phone, and it worked without incident. When attaching the lifter, make sure it's positioned to hang up the phone completely.

We tested the GN Netcom GN 6210 with the Motorola V600 and the Motorola Razr V3. Overall, it performed as expected, though with a few glitches. Though the initial pairing was trouble-free, the headset lost the connection to both mobiles on a few occasions, though not when we were on a call. Nonetheless, it was bothersome. We also found the mobile pairing interfered with the landline pairing on one occasion. Audio quality was good on our end, but callers said they weren't as enthusiastic with reports of an echoing sound. Also, volume could be improved on both ends. The GN 6210 has a rated talk-time battery life of 8 hours and a promised standby time of seven days. In our tests, we got five days of standby time on a single charge.

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User reviews

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 6 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars Write review

• Showing 5 of 6 user reviewsSee all 6 user reviews

• 4.0 stars

  4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

  "Works great with deskset, not as well with Blackberry"

  by flip831 on April 22, 2005

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• 4.5 stars

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

  "I love it, but...."

  by rude1979us on November 10, 2005

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• 4.0 stars

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

  "Worked well 8 out of 10"

  by MichaelE on July 14, 2005

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• 3.0 stars

  1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

  "Good enough that I will keep using for a while..."

  by carterjr on January 4, 2006

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• 5.0 stars

  "Great Product - Few Gliches"

  by ttdat on May 6, 2005

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• See all 6 user reviews Write review

Where to buy

Jabra GN-6210 Office Wireless Headset: $202.99

store	price	in stock?	rating
Amazon.com	$202.99	Yes

see prices from 1 store

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Where to buy Jabra GN-6210 Office Wireless Headset

• store price in stock
• Amazon.com $202.99 Yes

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