Jabra BT3030 Bluetooth Stereo Headset user reviews

Pros Good to great stereo sound. Good battery life. Use with any headphones!!! Very affordable.

Cons Volume about 2 clicks from perfect. Otherwise perfect.

Summary I currently own many stereo bluetooth headsets and have reviewed most of them here on CNET. The Jabra BT3030 is my favorite all-around to date. So much so that I've purchased a total of 3 BT3030's! (That's saying alot as I own some of the best--Altec Lansing Backbeat 906, Jaybird JB200, Plantronics 855.) What makes BT3030 so good?
- Price: $30-$40 new online.
- Sound Quality: Good to very good.
- Battery Life: 7-12 hrs of music.
- Functionality: Super functional.

The only negative is a minor one, and that is some of my lower volume mp3's aren't as loud as I'd like. So, occasionally, I wish I could bump up the volume 1 to 2 notches... not a big deal.

To keep this review short, let me just say that overall the BT3030 beats the competition hands down. I still own but no longer use my other more expensive stereo bluetooth headsets.

I've paired my BT3030 with Shure SE210 headphones and together they sound fantastic! They appear as if they were made for each other as the Shure's cable length is short (all Shure headphones come with super short cables, and include longer cable extensions that are unnecessary with the BT3030) and similar in length to to Jabra headphones that come with the device. Functionality is second to none. The unit clips on my t-shirt collar under any dress shirt, hidden from view but where the mic works perfectly. During business use I put in only 1 earbud which makes it less noticeable than any standard bluetooth headset. After work at the gym I pop in the other earbud and I've got fantastic stereo sound!

At $40 bucks each, I've got several and I NEVER EVER run out of battery! So small extras are easy to carry in a pocket.

Some of the negative comments about the microphone are lost on me. I'm very picky about performance and I've yet to have anything but compliments on the call quality from the listeners on the other end of a call.

All things considered, pair the BT3030 with quality earbuds and there is no competition for the money in stereo bluetooth headsets. Not only that but the geek factor is nonexistent as these look like a standard earbud(s) vs. others that look like Frankenstien bolts or worse, ear muffs! Most of the time people don't know I've got a bluetooth phone connection, let alone a stereo music connection! There are many stereo bluetooth devices but none surpass the value, functionality and performance of the Jabra BT3030.

Pros Small and light. Wear it under your shirt. Sound quality is excellent!

Cons None that I have found.

Summary I was given this item by a co-worker who got it for his kid. His kid didn't think it met his "cool" image, so, he took it back from his kid and gave it to me.

I use it to listen to music when I am at the gym, running, or biking.

I use it when I am in a noisy room where I wouldn't normally be able to hear someone I am on the line with. The included earbuds do an excellent job of sealing your ear so that outside noise is blocked out. Lets put it this way - with these on and nothing playing through them, it's almost as quiet as it is when I am wearing my hearing protection at the pistol range!

Third use that I have found for these - as a bluetooth "dongle" for my car stereo!

I hooked up a 12 inch stereo patch cable from the earphone jack on the "Dog tag" to my AUX input on my car stereo, then I stream audio over the internet to my cell phone, which is then played through the car stereo - works AWESOME!

The co-worker saw that I did that trick with the stereo and is now wishing he had thought of that! He would have never of given them to me !

After having used these for a week now, I would buy another one if this one was lost or stolen!

Pros Compatible with ANY 3.5mm headset. Easy to stow away in your shirt. Delivers OUTSTANDING sound quality for the wearer and EXCELLENT clarity to the caller

Cons One headset cord shorter than the other.

Summary I have used Bluetooth technology since around 2003 or so. I was a machine gunner in the Marine Corps, and, my hearing is, now, less than acceptable. Added to that, my ear canal openings are rather small, as headset sizes go. And, as if all that weren't enough, I work at a sea port along the Florida coast, so...wind is a huge factor in any call I make, headset or no.
I purchased this because my hearing issues require me to use a stereo headset if I am going to use one at all. All the other Bluetooth devices I've used were pretty poor for my hearing, not to mention all the excess noise they picked up that interfered with my caller being able to hear. I also didn't want something that would require me to be attached to my phone. Having been in the Marines, and accustomed to wearing "dog tags", I figured, this was something I could at least try.
Before writing a review, I waited to see how a week's worth of use would be. Day one was greatly impressive. The sound quality was great, the ability for my caller to hear was excellent (according to them), and the comfort was perfect.
The three sets of earbud covers that come with it are VERY pliable and offered no discomfort in long term wearing. I had to go with the smallest size. I sometimes wear them in excess of 9 hours a day (in a row) and have had NO discomfort at all. The ease of it being around my neck also provides me the ability to tuck it in to my shirt. This, I thought, would be a HUGE problem.
As it turned out, it was a HUGE benefit. Working in the Port, we have a lot of wind coming through. Even if it is calm and still in town, it's windy at the Port. The nature of nature, I guess. Today, it was windy and stormy, with winds in the range of 15-35kts. I had the BT3030 tucked in to my t-shirt, under my uniform shirt. I was standing in an unprotected (from the elements)area, eying the storm for funnel clouds and the wind was quite impressive. Enough to knock you off your balance with some gusts. I was sure my call was doomed. I raised my voice to compensate for the wind, and heard my caller ask, "Why are you yelling?" I could hear the wind buffeting against both ears, standing in the wind head on. I covered my ears, and asked if they could hear me clearly, and without the background noise of the wind. Their response was, "Just like you were sitting right next to me. Why?" I found this to be overtly impressive. I have had the same experience during calls I've made on the beach near my house as well. If I raise the volume on the device to compensate for my portion of the wind:sound issue, all is well.
Admittedly, outside of my shirt, the caller was deafened by the wind sounds. I have also had no issues at 70 miles per hour, with the windows open, on the interstate.
The buttons are easy to manipulate, and well sized and spaced. The headset is interchangeable in case you want to move to a higher quality headset, though, these seem to be just fine. To test this, I plugged my computer headphones in to the device, and it worked perfectly.
The convenience of being able to tuck the device out of my shirt, and, out of the way was very beneficial to me, as I am often climbing in and out of tractor trailers to due inspections at a security check point. The headphones only offer one problem to me, and that is the new design that seems to be catching on. The cord for the left ear bud is definitively shorter than the one for the right. I've noticed it as a trend over the last year or so. I don't get it, but, I don't like it. Although, I would not call it a design "flaw", it is bothersome to me.
The battery life, at least in the first week, has proven to be quite impressive. After the first full charge (which took about an hour after opening the package) I talked to friends and family for about the next 8 hours. It was my day off, and no, I don't spend that much time on the phone on a regular basis, but, I do spend a lot. Thus the comfort concern I had in a device.
Again, outside of the shirt, in an open environment, the background noise is an issue. However, walking around my house with it out presented no real problems, until I ran the water in the kitchen sink, at which time the caller heard NOTHING I said, and asked something about me being at a waterfall, etc, etc.
Given the reasonable price ($64.95 or so from Amazon.com, including expedited shipping), ease of use, compact size and easily tucked away, battery life, and sound quality and clarity for both me and my caller...I have no issues with this device what so ever, save the ear bud cord thing. Again, maybe that issue is just a "me thing".
Jabra has, on this device at least, raised the bar for overall performance and quality of a stereo style device.
If my opinion changes over time, I will edit this post and make note of it.

Pros Design is perfect. No 'Dork' factor. Good battery life. Excellent call and music sound quality.

Cons The 'clip' is worthless, but I don't use it anyway.

Summary I had my doubts about this BT headset, I have tried many so I went in with pretty low expectations.

I am pleased that these headphones perform phenomenally in music and calls.

I absolutely love the design. I like that I can use whatever headphones I choose. I also love that I can play my music from my phone to the 2.1 speakers I have. It's an awesome feeling knowing you can use it that way too.

Apparently from another review states you can stream audio too. I believe it.

I will more than likely get one for my wife too. She even thinks it's 'cool'.

Thanks Jabra, I didn't think you would impress me, but you did.