Entered CNET Catalog: 12/02/2004
SKU: BLUNXL0028
Manufacturer: Nextlink
Manufacturer description
The Bluespoon AX is the outcome of an intensive development since late 2003. The result is a new 3rd Generation wireless Bluetooth headset made for the consumer at an affordable price. Bluespoon AX weighs only 10 grams, uses the latest Li-ION battery technology and a high efficiency 2.4 GHz. antenna, with very long range. The 3-button interface is a new addition to the Bluespoon AX. A large multifunctional button is placed on top of the headset, and two smaller ones are placed on the sides. The completely redesigned soft tip backpiece turns 360 degrees to accommodate both left and right ear users. Speaker and soft spring are now a single soft silicone unit. The battery is user-exchangeable, and recharges via the Mini-USB port on the headset (PC and MAC compatible). The supplied neck strap is shaped like the mini USB plug, and ensures safe carrying, when on the move. Support for both Bluetooth Headset and Handsfree profile ensures compatibility with a wide range of Bluetooth devices. Bluespoon AX can be paired with 8 different Bluetooth devices.Product summary
The good: Small and discreet; easy to pair and use; works in either the left or right ear; comfortable.
The bad: Soft-tip earpiece isn't as stable as other designs.
The bottom line: Though it looks like few other Bluetooth headsets, the Bluespoon AX is a solid performer.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 01/22/2005
At first glance, we were perplexed by the AX's form factor since there's no visible way to hook it over the ear. But like Bluespoon's earlier model, the AX has a soft stem of rubber that bends to fit inside of the earlobe and manages to hold it in place. It took a few tries, but putting the headset on is simple once you've mastered the process. Also, unlike its predecessor, the AX (available in clear plastic and black) can fit in either ear. The fit is plenty comfortable--it ships with two different-size earpieces--but we felt that it was prone to falling out if we were doing something more strenuous than, say, walking down the street or driving a car.
One thing that we love about the Bluespoon AX is its discreetness. At 1.6 by 1.1 by 0.9 inches and 0.3 gram, the headset is downright tiny. Because of its size, the small controls are limited to two volume controls and the multifunction button that we used to couple the device with the Motorola Razr V3.
Pairing the AX was a breeze, and call quality was mostly good and clear. On our side, we could hear callers quite well, and while there was a slight hiss on their side, they remarked that we came through fine. One caller, however, heard some background noise. Nextlink promises a total talk time of 6 hours and more than 300 hours of standby time.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46out of 46 user reviews
I think it is the best blue tooth out there.
Pros: It fits perfect in your ear and you don't have to fight that stupid wire that barely hangs onto your ear. I could hear real clear and it really blocked the outside noises and wind. would not trade it for the world.
Cons: You can't make any sudden or jarring movements or it will fall out.
out of 46 user reviews
Good value for money
Pros: Neat form factor; utilitarian; affordable.
Cons: Not the best at high volume
The only thing I didn't like about it is that the person on the other end hears an echo at higher volumes. At mid to low volumes its just fine. But this hasn't affected me too much.
Bottom line - Not the best out there in terms of build quality but definitely bang for the buck!
out of 46 user reviews
GOOD little wireless earpiece "DON'T DROP IT"
Pros: SMALL, EASY PAIRING, GOOD SOUND QUALITY
Cons: "FRAGILE" once dropped POOR SOUND QUALITY
out of 46 user reviews
Fit is perfect, too bad they can't understand me
Pros: Fit, Fit, Fit
Cons: Outgoing sound quality is below par
This one went back in the box pretty quickly because it was obvious that nobody liked talking to me on it.
I forgot to mention, the multifunction button was loose and it rattled when I walked. Pretty annoying, but I would have overlooked this if the sound quality was good.
out of 46 user reviews
Absolute garbage!
Pros: looks cool
Cons: Needed to re-establish partnership constantly, STOPPED WORKING AFTER 1 MONTHLots of static, poor voice quality, voice echo, poor battery life, n
out of 46 user reviews
If you want a disposable headset, this is the one to buy
Pros: good volume & battery life, very comfortable
Cons: very delicate; if you drop it once it's gone.
The fact that I bought a second unit after the first one stopped working shows how much I liked the unit. But now, forget it. It's made like it's disposable!!!
out of 46 user reviews
After one year and still Standing...
Pros: Light weight/great earpiece communicator
Cons: At first getting used to it... to small to handle
I haven't seen nothing new or better yet, that make me change my mind about my bluespoon...best buy ever !!!
out of 46 user reviews
I had high hopes from word of mouth
Pros: The compact size is impressive.
Cons: Sounds quality not the greatest. Echoes on other end.
out of 46 user reviews
This thing is teh crapp
Pros: good if you like getting ripped off
Cons: gone thru 3 cheap technology
Last 2 wouldnt take a charge after 2 weeks.
If you like this get a quarter and tie it to your head. It wont work for calls but at least it will be still worth a quarter
out of 46 user reviews
Poor Quality
Pros: Small, good quality audio.
Cons: Poor construction, flimsly feel.
out of 46 user reviews
You what you pay for ;)
Pros: Cheap, small
Cons: unstable fit, uncomfortable, bad sound, not functional
out of 46 user reviews
Really wanted to like it but was terribly disappointed.
Pros: Size, weight (11g), design
Cons: Fit, Sound Quality, Connectivity
out of 46 user reviews
Looks great, poor design, minimally functional
Pros: Small and compact, user friendly controls, fits entirely inside ear, doesn't interfere with glasses, discreet style
Cons: cheap construction, power cord connection fits poorly- gives unreliable recharge, microphone and speaker too close, resulting in annoying feedback for other person
out of 46 user reviews
Portable and User Friendly
Pros: Great pairing and USB charger for laptop
Cons: Small and earpiece could be uncomfortable for some
The best thing is that it has a USB charger so you don't have to bring your power adapter if its low and could just attach it to any computer or laptop at any time. It also comes with a lanyard(necklace)that attaches to the tip of the device so you don't have to where it all day.
Pairing is easy, like all the headsets i've used. I had a plantronics explorer 320 and the range was very low i can't move anywhere without static.
with the bluespoon, i could walk anywhere around my house and leave my phone in the room and get little static sometime.
probably people have the most problem is the earpiece fitting. its a love hate relationship....some people will love it. I DO!!! and sometime will hate it. it has this antenna looking piece on the earpiece and you put it inside your ear, not around it, INSIDE the bowl of your ear.
looks are nothing great....but you can't see it anyways....its the SMALLEST bluetooth i've ever seeen!!!!!!!!!!it has two volume buttons and the universal talk button which lights up.
basically range is awesome...pairing is awesoem....user friendly
i like it and its a great deal.
out of 46 user reviews
Good Sound, Small form factor
Pros: The sound quality was clear. Personal best feature the small form factor.
Cons: Largest problem was the construction
out of 46 user reviews
Light, Easy to Pair, Works Well
Pros: Lightweight, Mute seperate from volume controls
Cons: Earbud could be made softer
out of 46 user reviews
Excellent sound quality
Pros: Small, lightweight, good sound, easy pairing
Cons: Cheap construction, earpiece,
out of 46 user reviews
Horrible sound quality at caller's end
Pros: Cute design, good receiver sound, seamless pairing
Cons: Extremely distorted sound at caller's end, picks up way too much noise, poor manual
On the plus side, very cute design, no problems fitting unique rubber hook in ear, comfortable fit, good sound quality at my end. Great rechargeable battery desing. Talk button a little picky (sometimes needs 2 or 3 tries to get it to turn on and off), poor manual, but understandable if you have technical experience. This would be a good BT headset would it not be for the HORRIBLE sound quality at the other end. Worst BT headset I ever tried (out of 3, HS-820 & HS-850). Would have thrown in garbage or kept purely as novelty if I wasn't able to return it.
out of 46 user reviews
Great little headset
Pros: small and less noticeable
Cons: easy to lose
out of 46 user reviews
Looks cool, but static reception
Pros: Space age looks. Very comfortable.
Cons: low volume, static reception
My boss has the same headset Nextlink, without any complaints, however, when I personally tried out Motorola's newest HS850, there was no comparision in reception quality - the Motorola was way better! You've got to remember that Motorola has been doing the wireless radio act for decades prior to Nextlink, so who are you going to trust as someone who has perfected the routine?
Overall, this headset is good, however the static problems I've had, plus the low volume dilemma has killed it in my mind... I'm returning this thing ASAP.
out of 46 user reviews
Bad sound quality, cheaply made, PAINFULL!!!!!!!
Pros: Ligth, usb charger.
Cons: USB cable too long, DID I MENTION PAINFULL!!
out of 46 user reviews
Excelent toy
Pros: light weight I can wear it for hours
Cons: poor wind reduction but then I work indoors
out of 46 user reviews
Very appealing design. Bad communication tool.
Pros: Very small. Easy to install and operate
Cons: Very painful to wear for more than an hour. Bad communication and constant noises when using outside of the building.
Though, device is very easy to operate and wear, there are a few bad things about this headset.
One is that it is working very poorly when you are walking outside. Constant noise and interruptions of the signal. However, the connection is strong and clear inside of the building. Probably, there are too many electromagnetic interferences in the NYC.
Forget about using this headset when it is a bit windy outside.
Two, due to specific design of the headphone, it is quite difficult to wear it for more than one hour. Even thou that the rubber clip is very soft, it is still giving some pressure to your ear. It was very uncomfortable to wear this headset for a long period of time.
out of 46 user reviews
Generally a very good set, I would buy another one if it had a better attachment to the neck strap.
Pros: Replaceable rechargeable battery is nice, small, lightweight (forget it's there sometimes), quite robust, surprisingly secure in ear, usb charging
Cons: Attachment to neck strap via charging port is really poor design, dettaches very easily. Affected severely by wind, to the point where other party can't hear you when you are walking.
The neck strap attachment is the main reason for my hesitance to replace my broken one with the same one!
I gave this feedback to Nextlink by clinking on the 'Contact' link in www.nextlink.to and to my surprise, they told me to send it to them and they will fix it Freee of Charge!!!! Now, that's what I call service.
out of 46 user reviews
Honeymoon lasted 3 months
Pros: Tiny, discreet, sound quality
Cons: Horrid build quality, sketchy connectivity
But then the problems started. First it would drop connection for no reason. Then it would turn off on its own for no reason. Then it wouldn't start back up unless you plugged it in for charging, then press the power button to reactivate. Even then, sometimes it wouldn't start back up unless you let it sit and rest.
Very inconvenient.
Then Sunday I accidentally dropped it from a distance of 2 feet, onto the hardwood floor of my home. It disintegrated as though it had a mini bomb inside. Good riddance and a fitting send-off, if you ask me.
Bluespoon has seen my last dollar for anything they sell. I ordered a Plantronics 640, we'll see how that one fares.
out of 46 user reviews
Shocked and
Pros: Their is none
Cons: didn't work no customer service
out of 46 user reviews
This is the one for me!
Pros: small, very comfortable, sunglass compatible, very clear output on both sides of the line.
Cons: fragile, voice quality great though outgoing volume is lower than handset
out of 46 user reviews
Great looking, but fragile and poor sound
Pros: Very small and comfortable to wear.
Cons: Will break very easily due to plastic construction.
The second had a range of less than one foot and may be because it had a bad antenna when shipped. Finally, the manufacturer exchanged it, but I had to ship the unit to Denmark for an exchange and the third one works so far.
If this one fails, then I'm done with it and will go to something less discreet in order to gain durability, range, and sound quality. Bluespoon does have a new 5G coming out that looks awesome and is even smaller than the AX!!!
out of 46 user reviews
The best headset I have ever had!
Pros: Small size, long battery life, clear incoming calls, wow factor
Cons: Small and fragile, sometimes people can't hear me well (rarely), starts to hurt ear after prolonged use - 1 hour or more
out of 46 user reviews
Looks great, but sounds horrible w/lots of static & tin-can caller voices
Pros: Small, lightweight, unobtrusive
Cons: TONS of static within 2' of phone, sounds like a tin can
She couldn't have been more wrong. While the Bluespoon AX is smaller, and lighter, the sound quality is horrible. I had complaints from callers that my voice sounded full of static, and that was with the phone resting on my desk or my credenza (within 2’ of me). My callers voices sounded to me as if they were coming through on a tin can-string telephone. I then tested the unit with my phone in my pocket and by walking about 5’ away from the phone. I received incredible amounts of static. I reset the Bluespoon AX numerous times and unpaired/paired it again with my phone (per Nextlink’s instructions, even removing the batter to do so), and still it sounded very, very bad.
I don't know how the reviewers could have given this product. The only redeeming quality was that the volume was a bit louder than my HS810, but this due to the nature of the earpiece fitting more snugly within the ear canal (as opposed to the HS810 which rests flatly against the ear canal). However, I rather not hear a louder version of a poor quality voice reproduction.
I'm returning this unit in exchange for the Motorola HS850 (the newer version of the 810). The Motorola headset functions very well.
out of 46 user reviews
Too much background noise
Pros: Small and doesn't go over the top of your ear = no problem wearing glasses
Cons: Excessive background noise
out of 46 user reviews
Constantly dropping connection on OS X 10.3 & 10.4
Pros: Small, comfortable
Cons: Drops connection
out of 46 user reviews
Love the size - doesn't survive drops
Pros: In the ear design, weight and uniqueness
Cons: Not solid in construction
In an effort to make them as light as possible, there isn't much there to hold it together. Will have to look for something else.
out of 46 user reviews
Good headset takes a little getting familiar with.
Pros: Small size very indiscreet, will not draw a lot of attention.
Cons: Some what limited range, easy to lose if your messy like me!!
out of 46 user reviews
Excellent Bluetooth Headphone
Pros: Painless pairing (I am using it with Razr V3); excellent range; excellent call quality; VERY light; fits snugly
Cons: somewhat pricey
out of 46 user reviews
Cool toy. Terrible communications tool
Pros: I guess size. You can dress in a black suite with sunglasses and mess with people walking through the mall.
Cons: Again size, cheap design
Mic is overly sensitive. Driving 70 mph down the road with this is a bad idea. Way too much back ground noise. Other party hears whistling noise and echo from their voice being transmitted from the ear piece back to the mic since they are millimeter apart from one another.
Plastic is cheap and prone to cracking.
out of 46 user reviews
It's awesome!!!
Pros: Very handy and with the talk time it is holding out at 6hours
Cons: Need a little bit responsibility not to lose, accessories hard to get.
out of 46 user reviews
Lucky buy for my first BT headset
Pros: Light, small, and stays in the ear. You may forget you are wearing it
Cons: appearance looks a little disposable.
out of 46 user reviews
this is the headset i'm longing for
Pros: Bought this from a retailer in Hong Kong. Great customer service. Couldn' wait to open it up and found the amazing small size and light weight of the AX. After charging, paired with my O2 xdaII. It's the best pairing experience and ease of use. The w
Cons: Packaging is not attractive among others. No power adaptor with the package.
out of 46 user reviews
"you'll appreciate the AX!"
Pros: very light weight as if it's not there. comfortable and great sound quality.
Cons: not all CR2032 batteries can work on the AX. manufacturer prefer to purchase the replacement battery from the factory. but that's really picking the bones out of an egg.
out of 46 user reviews
Only lasted 45 days
Pros: Great while it worked.
Cons: Charged every night with provided hardware. It failed to charge one evening and faint electrical smell followed. Company that I purchased it from Web Site is no longer available. And, they don't answer the phones.
out of 46 user reviews
Great form factor, buttons are toylike though
Pros: Compared this to the Scala 500 which hooks over the ear. I much prefer the rubber "spring" in the ear...and I disagree with Cnet, you can run with it in your ear! The ones that hook over your ear usually don't have a way to sit IN your ear, so they flop
Cons: The buttons are slightly "loose" in the housing. They have the feeling of being "cheap" or like they belong on a toy. Sometimes, when I'm NOT on a call, but the headset is in my ear and I'm moving around, I hear the buttons "jiggle" in their positions.
out of 46 user reviews
AMAZING JUST BUY IT
Pros: it's very lightweight and comfortable, I sometimes even forget I've got it on, it's also very small so it's not clunky like the over-the-ear models, it also connects very smoothly with my phone, has excellent sound quality (both sending and receiving), an
Cons: Sometimes the main button feels a little squishy and have had one problem with it auto-redialing and me not knowing it was on a call..
out of 46 user reviews
Best Blue Tooth Headset I've ever used!
Pros: Size, Weight, Quality construction, Innovative, high on Cool Factor
Cons: Charging options limited, Easy to lose(small is easy to misplace)
out of 46 user reviews
Great BT headset for $74 direct
Pros: works perfectly as advertised, but also great value when purchased directly from nextlink
Cons: almost too small, easy to misplace
out of 46 user reviews
Excellent Quality at Reasonable Price
Pros: Had my AX for 2 months, excellent quality and design. The mic is one of the best in the market which picks up the user's voice very well considering the size and distance it is from the mouth.
Cons: Only USB charging ... sometimes not as convenient if you decide to travel without a notebook.
