Review: Jawbone Bluetooth Headset
As far as form factor goes, Jawbone is the largest of the three bluetooth headsets I’ve reviewed so far. I assume the reason for this is the sophisticated background noise reduction circuitry built into the unit.
Yes, the background noise reduction technology really does work. I tested it while walking down a particularly noisy street near my house. A friend on the other end could barely hear any of the noise and there were times when he thought I was in the quiet confines of home. The outgoing sound quality compared favorably with the 350 dollar Bang & Olufsen Earset 2.
One area where the Jawbone fails is with wind noise. Even a small gust of wind can be of an annoyance to the caller on the other end. No adjustments with the headset can be made to avoid this. If some sort of wind noise protection is important to you, check out the Earset 2.
Incoming sound is good. It’s better than Apple’s iPhone bluetooth headset, but not quite as good as the Earset 2. The sound is loud and clear with a subtle digitized feel.
Contrary to what others have said, I think the Jawbone is a very comfortable headset. Included in the package are multiple earbud and ear loop attachments. Once I attached the proper earbud/ear loop combination for my ear type, I had no problems with extended length conversations.
I do have a complaint about the ear loops though. They’re made out a cheap metal that breaks easily. You can easily bend the metal, which is good when you want a custom fit, but try to bend it back and there’s good chance it will snap in two. I also see some rust stains on the ear loop. I don’t think of myself as an overly sweaty individual and I never use the headset while I’m at the gym. Not the kind of quality I expected from a 120 dollar headset.
The Jawbone works well with the iPhone. Sound quality is very good and in some cases approaches the quality of Bang & Olufsen’s famed Earset 2. In terms of size, it’s a little on the large side but I found it to be comfortable and not at all heavy. Build quality is something this company needs to work on. I would avoid this headset if you’re the kind of person who’s rough on equipment. Otherwise, I have no problems recommending this headset. This is the headset I’m currently using with my iPhone.
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