- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 319 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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24 out of 25 people found this review helpful
3.5 stars
"Good but not as impressive as I'd hoped...."
Pros: Attractive design, fairly good sound filtering technology, light and comfortable to wear
Cons: Sound filtering technology not as impressive as advertised, impossible buttons, ill fitting ear bud
Summary: I have used a variety of bluetooth headphones in the past, including those from Jabra and Logitech, and generally been satisfied with them, but since I was shopping for a new one (the old one got stepped on) I was hoping for something that would be an upgrade. This isn't a first generation technology any more so as I shopped around my expectations were kind of high. Other than Jawbone, however, no one seemed to be offering anything other than smaller, or "cooler" looking (neither of which was a draw for me). So I gave the Jawbone a shot.
My biggest problems with all the headsets I have ever used is not background noise. While I do live in NYC and frequently use it in loud environments people have always been able to hear me, if not perfectly. What always defeats my calls is wind, and it's no different with this headset. A mime doing the "walking into the wind" bit nearby is practically enough to make me incomprehensible to the person on the other end. As for the general noise cancelling ability that is supposed to be this headsets big selling point, I thought it worked well, but it didn't "wow" me. It's evolutionary, not revolutionary which is really what I was hoping for, especially for the price.
I agree with some of the other reviewers that the volume is kind of low and the voice quality is somewhat tinny, but to be honest the earbud doesn't fit me very well so that could be part of the problem. This of course brings me to the next problem. No matter what bud I use it doesn't actually fit into my ear. It seems the general shape of the headset is designed to keep it in contact with the users jaw, however in doing so it keeps the earbud from reaching far enough into my ear. I never had this problem with other headsets so I don't think my face/ear structure is so statistically odd as to make my problem unique. At any rate for my optimal use they would need to either include a greater variety of earbuds or perhaps attach the earbud to some sort of adjustable stem.
My final problem is the buttons. I don't know who can use that itty bitty stud that serves as the answer button. Besides being tiny, it also offers no tactile feedback, or even an audible beep to let you know when you have sucessfully activated it. On many occasions I have accidentally hung up on calls since I was unaware of having sucessfully triggered it to answer in the first place. The same is true when hanging up. At times I have tried repeatedly to hang up on a finished call, and after unknowingly doing so, continue to press the button at which point the phone dials the last number that called me. It means I'm forced to use the handset to answer and end calls. Frustrating.
Still, despite these disadvantages the phone generally works well. It paired easily with my Sony-Ericsson, the range is superior to any other headset I've ever used, and so far the battery life is good as well. It's very comfortable and lightweight, and I frequently forget it's even on. I think it's also true that it has an very sharp and unique design that sets it appart from all other headsets. If the cost is not prohibitive I'd recommend it to anyone who prizes style as much as substance.
- 1 reply to this review
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I don't see how people can describe this thing as nice looking. First of all it is way too big, and makes you look like one of the borg when you wear it lol. At 14 ounces it is also way too heavy. It's a big airated square block. What is so "elegant" or "stylish" about that? It looks like a cheese grader. I am an industrial designer by trade, which means I design all types of consumer products, including headsets. I tried about 20 different bluetooths and come to realize they are all imperfect, and ALL have static now and then, including the jawbone. so what is the point of paying the price for this thing, when you can get the same call quality for considerably cheaper. Try the samsung wep 410. Now that is a stylish headset, and the call quality is excellent for bluetooth.
Where to buy
Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset (silver):
$103.99
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$103.99 | Yes |
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