Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset (Silver/Grey)

Pros: Appearance

Cons: Fit, sound quality not what it was cracked up to be

Summary: I bought the Jawbone the day it came out in December at Cingular. I really wanted to like it as I'm constantly searching for the bluetooth holy grail of fit and sound quality. Unfortunately, I found that the Jawbone underdelivered on both fronts.

On fit, despite the multitude of loops and earpieces, I could just never get the device to sit well on my ear. Beyond comfort, this had two significant negative effects.

First, I had a hard time maintaining adequate volume when the ear insert started to slip. Given the quirky volume control, it was hard to adjust the level back to something sufficiently loud.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, the unit MUST fit well against your face in order for the sound cancellation technology to work appropriately. There is a little rubberized nub that is supposed to sit against your cheekbone to pick up the vibrations. Since I could never get a good solid fit, I was constantly losing the benefit of the special technology.

One additional issue: the device did not pair well with my Motorola Q (which has the latest software). It would randomly switch between hands free on and off, even when I tried to initiate a call from the device itself.

As such, I've decided for now to stick with my less than ideal, but better fitting Plantronics 510, which at $50 from Amazon, is a much better deal than this device for $120. Even at equal prices, I'd still pick the Plantronics. The Jawbone has gone back to Cingular...

If you try it, I hope you have better luck than I did!