Jawbone Era Headset (Midnight)

Pros: Charger and Cord Combo
Dedicated On/Off Switch
Sound Quality
Streaming Media, Music and Voice
Fit

Cons: Comfort Over Time

Summary: Sound and Streaming: The sound quality is great and the volume is as loud as I care to make it. The media streaming (music and voice) is both useful and cool. Of course it won't replace the stereo headset for an audiophile but will do in a pinch and spoken work sounds really good.

Battery Life: I can talk 3 hours with tech support and stream NPR for 2 hours before the battery starts before a little voice in my ears says "you have about a half hour of talk time remaining".

Features and Use: The Jawbone Era is very easy to use, not at all complicated. I won't cover all the features but I would like to share a couple that I really like: 1) Having the dedicated on/off switch instead of dealing with a multifunction button. 2) An interesting thing that Jawbone has added is a short stiff bendy charge cord and matching USB wall charger. The whole thing is 5 inches long and just plug your headset into and it stands there in the socket in plain site so I don't forget it the next morning. The faint red light tells you it's charging but is not obnoxious and won't bother even the lightest sleeper. As for the guy who complained mightily about and could not understand the short cord, Dude! Use your imagination. How many 3 foot USB cords do you need in your life anyway.

Fit and Comfort: Pro and Con here. I really believe, that with a little trial and error, anyone can find a good working fit. There are many earbuds to choose from and the earloop is very well designed and comfortable. However it is so hard to find a combination that is comfortable all day long. After 2 or 3 hours my ears starts to hurt a bit from the bud. I honestly think that I will have a callus, either physically or mentally, after a full week of use. I don't believe anyone should let this stop you from purchasing the Era, but it will drop 1 star from my rating.

Summary: For several years I've used a Plantronics headset that served me well and has a very comfortable fit. I felt it was time to move into the current decade and I feel that my new Era is a more than worthy successor.