Jawbone 2 (silver)

Pros: Great noise canceling capability, very comfortable fit, sleek design

Cons: Incoming audio quality isn't outstanding

Summary: I have used several bluetooth headsets over the past few years and the new Aliph Jawbone 2 is right at the top of the list. That being said there are a few minor complaints.

I purchased the new Jawbone 2 to replace my Bang & Olufsen EarSet 2, which is an absolutely fantastic headset with the exception that it is bulky and its noise canceling features are middle of the road. I could never get the original Jawbone to fit snugly and comfortably, so I was never able to use it despite desperately wanting the noise canceling features that it offered.

The B&O has been a very solid compromise and it delivers absolutely amazing incoming audio quality. In fact, I have never used a bluetooth headset that has the incoming audio quality of the B&O.

When I saw that the Jawbone 2 was being released in a new form factor, I was very excited to give it a try. I can say that the sleek new Jawbone 2 is extremely comfortable and stylish as far as headsets go.

In order to test the Jawbone 2's noise canceling capabilities, I left my office voicemail several messages from different environments (e.g., outside, busy street, driving at highway speeds, in a crowded environment, etc.) The noise canceling capabilites of the Jawbone 2 are absolutely amazing. I could hardly hear any background noise and several of my coworkers and friends have commented on how good a job the new Jawbone does in terms of noise cancellation.

My biggest complaint is that incoming audio quality is only fair at best. It falls well short of the B&O, but it is on par with most other bluetooth headsets. Frankly, I was expecting better performance in this area.

Another gripe is that the headset doesn't seem to automatically adjust the incoming audio volume as effectively as advertised when the Audio Assassin feature is turned on. I find myself having to turn the volume up on my phone in order to adjust the volume to an acceptable level.

I think that I'll stick with the Jawbone 2 given the fact that my main reasons for puchasing it were for its noise canceling capabilties and its improved form factor. I guess I'll just have to put up with average incoming audio quality.