[RabidRat]

It'd be good if we could get a thread going with general information posted up on which features work well and which don't, which manufacturers and models tend to be good and which tend not to be, what features are a good value, what's a good price to pay for a typical unit, etc.

I'm also interested in whether or not wind noise compensation actually works. Would I be able to use one of these things with the top down in a convertible and still be able to communicate clearly?

[TypeRNammer]

Have you taken a look at the jaw bone 2?

[RabidRat]

did some light research on it. some reviewers think it's a hassle to try to keep the voice activity sensor up against your cheek? do you have to always readjust this while you're talking?

i was looking at the blueant q1 as well. looks like there are some quality issues with this thing, but the voice command recognition and text-to-speech with the incoming callers names (apparently doesn't work with all phones though) seem really useful.

found both for $50 on amazon, so they look to be equally affordable.

[RabidRat]

hmm. found this review:


http://www.blackberryos.net/images/bluetooth.jpg

It's been a while since these two contenders were told they were facing each other. Lets just say that we had to make sure they really had a chance to fight. Honestly, it's obvious who the winner is going to be. However, I will still go through the tests that I had put them through with the final result.

I had gotten the BlueAnt Q1 and the Jawbone PRIME the same day. Right off the bat, I was attracted to the PRIME a lot more then I was to the Q1. Removing the casing for them both and having them in my hand I was still drawn to the PRIME.
Each blue tooth had a special feature that the other did not. The PRIME had the NoiseAssassin, while the Q1 has voice activated commands. I was excited to try these both out. I first used the Q1.

BlueAnt Q1

Right out of the case, the first thing you notice is the circular blue ant logo at the top of the device. You have the two side buttons to lower and raise the volume. Not going to lie, I did not use this device very long. BlueAnt, I'm sure you will get word of this but I am sorry. I have to be real and not lie. It comes with a comfortable rubber ear piece, when touching it, but in your ear it is not so comfortable. The Q1 actually is very uncomfortable. I like to keep the blue tooth device in my ear the majority of the day. Especially while driving, that's the whole point of the device. However the Q1 was not comfortable enough for me to keep it in for more then 10 minutes. Even if I did suck it up and kept it in, there was no support from the device and kept falling out of my ear. While driving, this was REALLY annoying.
The quality of speech while talking on the Q1 ranges. Driving with the windows down and on the highway, you mine as well forget it. No way you're going to hear anything NOR will they understand anything you are saying. Driving on the road at 25-35mph with the windows down is pretty much the max we could get before we had a real hard time hearing and the person understanding us. We did not even try with the top down on the car since we already knew it was not going to work.
The Q1 is known for their voice commands. You can say a command and the phone should do that command. You can say "CALL BOB" and it will, well, call Bob. We tried this feature out a lot. We really wanted to like it but we just found it to be rather annoying. If you were not talking to some one on the device and having a conversation with some one face to face, if you happened to say a word that the device uses as a command, you're going to get it in your ear telling you to repeat the command. Gets rather annoying. There were times where it did not 'recognize' our command and had to repeat it a few times. This was real frequent while driving.

Jawbone PRIME

I was def excited to get to play with this one after the Q1. I honestly was let down when it came to the Q1 and was EXPECTING the Jawbone to make me smile. I wanted to really test out their NoiseAssassin feature that they talk so highly about. Out of the box the Jawbone is pretty damn sexy. It has two hidden buttons which makes it look sleek but also causes aggravation due to this. The power button is on the flat side and you have to push and hold it down for about 10 seconds for it to turn out. However, the entire piece is pushable so if you don't push it in the right spot, you're going to be trying to turn it on for a good five minutes. The back of the PRIME has a one touch button for the volume. This was a feature they should not have had. They should have had a higher/lower buttons. Instead you push the back of the device to go up a level of volume and have 4 levels to choose from. If you hold that button in for 5 seconds you turn on/off the NoiseAssassin feature.
When you look at the PRIME the ear piece does not look like it could keep the device in your ear with out falling out. To my surprise it does! You could use the over the ear mount that they supply with, which is what I did to add extra security that it is not going to go anywhere. We put the PRIME through the same tests we did with the Q1. Pulled onto the highway with the windows down and I could hear perfectly. Obviously there was some loss in clarity but I was still able to hear the conversation. With the windows down the Prime is suppose to eliminate that noise and well, it did! The person listening could clearly understand me and told me it did not sound like I was driving on the highway with the windows down. So, this led us to the test we did not do with the Q1. I put the top down on the car and took off on the highway again and you guessed it. Still worked perfectly. I could hear him fine and he could still hear me with no problems. He said that he could tell I was on a highway but it was nothing that was causing a problem with hearing the conversation. The NoiseAssasin lived up to the hype!! I was VERY impressed! With the top down, traveling at 85mph, I was able to hold a conversation while driving.
The only downfall I did not like about the Prime was the battery life. It died rather quickly. Something you need to charge every night to ensure it will survive the entire day.

THE WINNER :

The Jawbone PRIME blew the Q1 out of the water. I'll end it with that.

Source: http://www.blackberryos.com/forums/reviews/2513-weeks-fight-jawbone-prime-vs-blueant-q1-4.html

The Q1 can be found for $50 vs the $80 Jawbone Prime though. Hmm.

[Gh0stRider]

For the Prime, you don't have to keep the sensor on your cheek. It will still work if its not touching.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

get the jawbone one, best on in the market

[godwin]

Get OE car versions. The ASICs are tuned for the soundspace of your car, especially if you are talking about a convertible.

Off the shelf units are for general use and honestly it is hit and miss.

[RabidRat]

Get OE car versions. The ASICs are tuned for the soundspace of your car, especially if you are talking about a convertible.

Off the shelf units are for general use and honestly it is hit and miss.

ah i wish i could. my car's too old for that haha maybe in another lifetime in a z4 m =)

edit: hey offtopic, but Godwin what's a good source for staying up to date on automotive engineering tech? is there any comprehensive publication or do you end up having to read multiple journals to get a general picture?

[TypeRNammer]

I have the jaw bone 2 and it's a bit tricky to keep the sensor on the cheek. And if you have side burns then that defeats the purpose a bit, I would know =p.

But now I dedicate my jaw bone 2 to be used with left 4 dead 2 now since it's tricky to keep it on the ear :haha:

It's a good device if used properly!
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[lowside67]

How about reading the 32 post deep thread aptly titled "Best Hands Free Bluetooth Headset?" :rolleyes:

http://www.revscene.net/forums/best-hands-free-t600647.html?t=600647

[FN-2199]

If you own a PS3 and play online, the PS3 bluetooth isn't bad for the price.

[tamazoid]

If you own a PS3 and play online, the PS3 bluetooth isn't bad for the price.

But pretty much any bluetooth will work with the PS3...

So it'll be good if you have it already for the PS3. If not, then I rather spend the money on a different one...

[hirevtuner]

parrott stuff is pretty good, if you choose it, i would recommend ebay

http://www.parrot.com/usa/products/bluetooth-hands-free-car-kits

[tiger_handheld]

How about reading the 32 post deep thread aptly titled "Best Hands Free Bluetooth Headset?" :rolleyes:

http://www.revscene.net/forums/best-hands-free-t600647.html?t=600647

beat me to it...

[godwin]

SAE, IEEE journals and conferences.. I only go to the ones I like to see things. Honestly a lot of the things I write on RevScene is just common sense and university level science. eg Bluetooth headsets manufacturers are still bounded by the same physical rules of memory size, battery draws etc. The headsets themselves isolate sounds by FFT. Would they add a routine to reduce wind noise where a minority of their customer going to encounter? I really doubt it.

For car bluetooth, always get OE integrated ones. Handsfree is just an extension of the audio system, that's why companies like Bose, Harmon (and sub companies) have been dominating the mid to high end OE car audio business. They measure and tailor each model / DSP soundspace for a particular car model, with the data it makes writing noise filtering etc much efficient. They also have the knowledge where is the optimal mic pic ups etc.

On the plus side, since it has been legislated all cars 2010+ should have integrated as an option from now on.


edit: hey offtopic, but Godwin what's a good source for staying up to date on automotive engineering tech? is there any comprehensive publication or do you end up having to read multiple journals to get a general picture?

[Yushimi]

I have the BlueAnt Q1 and friend got the Prime.

Q1 is good if you have 2 lines because the Prime said it can connect two phones but it doesn't really. Once you pick up the first line it disconnects the other phone which means if the other phone rings you'll need to pick it up manually while the Q1 still keep the other phone connected so you can hold the first call and answer the other call through your bluetooth still.

I got my Q1 for $100ish but I'm the type of person who doesn't like online shopping that much. Maybe you can find it online for cheaper.

Q1 has the neat feature of changing the strength of the noise cancellation and a lot of other features. You can update the software on it so it continues to improve itself.

Prime has "noise assassin" and a longer usb cord to charge lolz.

Honestly, it comes down to design factor.

I just prefer the Q1 more than the Prime because it fits the needs for myself. *& I think the Q1 is better :P*

EDIT: I forgot to add, they both come with earhooks so you don't have to worry about it from falling off :)

[twitchyzero]

ps3 one has great quality but the fit and comfort sucks...and no one wants to walk around with a ps sign on their ear haha

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

ps3 one has great quality but the fit and comfort sucks...and no one wants to walk around with a ps sign on their ear haha

my friend did tat, and i was like WTF'

[RabidRat]

How about reading the 32 post deep thread aptly titled "Best Hands Free Bluetooth Headset?" :rolleyes:

http://www.revscene.net/forums/best-hands-free-t600647.html?t=600647

thanks douche. :rolleyes:

I scanned the 1st and 2nd pages of VAC for any topic with "bluetooth" in it, didn't find anything, and went ahead to post a thread. technology like this gets outdated fast; there's no point looking up other threads when it might be months or years old.

[Expresso]

thanks douche. :rolleyes:

I scanned the 1st and 2nd pages of VAC for any topic with "bluetooth" in it, didn't find anything, and went ahead to post a thread. technology like this gets outdated fast; there's no point looking up other threads when it might be months or years old.

lol but the thread was only created on December 24/09

[Phil@rise]

parrott stuff is pretty good, if you choose it, i would recommend ebay

http://www.parrot.com/usa/products/bluetooth-hands-free-car-kits

I 2nd that. They work well. Mutes the volume, mic is good and clear.

Only downfall is that it requires installation, splices into the speaker wires.

[DC5-S]

blueant z9i was on sale for $49.99 at bestbuy.. think its ended now tho.. too bad!

[tiger_handheld]

thanks douche. :rolleyes:

I scanned the 1st and 2nd pages of VAC for any topic with "bluetooth" in it, didn't find anything, and went ahead to post a thread. technology like this gets outdated fast; there's no point looking up other threads when it might be months or years old.


Isn't Mobile phones in the VLS section? why search VAC for mobile phones. and the sad part is - you are a mod, you are suppose to know these general things...

Not sure why you'd fail me..

[mx555]

JAWBONE FTW. except they like to fall out.

[SolidPenguin]

Motorola T505. Not a headset, the sunvisor clip type. Its awesome

[moomooCow]

I was looking at the Plantronics Voyager 855's (http://reviews.cnet.com/headsets/plantronics-voyager-855-bluetooth/4505-13831_7-32600914.html). They look pretty nice and they can convert from a regular mono bluetooth headset, into a stereo bluetooth headset. This way, you can listen to your music when you want to!

[slammer111]

Used a Jawbone (1st gen) and the thing kicks. Upgraded to OEM BT this year. It was not cheap, even when buying used parts and installing myself. That's the biggest drawback by far.

There is absolutely NO substitute to voice dialing while driving. I can't even imagine fumbling through my phonebook anymore.

I'm wondering why they don't make BT MANDATORY here as opposed to Optional. Pretty much 90% of drivers out there have a cell phone.

[TOS'd]

^ Not everyone likes the fact that anyone in the car can listen and partake in the conversation.

[Tim Budong]

Give the Blackberry HS-500 a try
its cheaper than the Q1 and the Prime

comes with a microUSB car charger
has a very good noise cancellation system as well!
Not the most stylish looking thing, but if your wearing the headset strictly in the car, then save some dough and go for the HS500

The Jawbone is like the pinnacle of BT headsets, stylish and amazing. but the cost is a factor that scares people away.

The Q1 might not look as sexy, but having the option to use two lines at the same time makes it special vs the rest.

Its sad that the consumer cannot demo the piece b4 buying for health purposes tho.

The best part with these 3 headsets is that it comes with enuff pieces to fit big and small ears, where as some of the nokia and motorola ones are terrible for big ears.

[Cossack]

I got the Plantonics Voyager the best sound quality I've ever had. I think it has better sound the the headset itself!!!


Very pleased with Plantonics!!! FTW!!!

[124Y]

JAWBONE FTW. except they like to fall out.

Werd. I have the Jawbone Prime and it works and functions amazingly!! The only part I don't like is that it's hard to push the earpiece into the ear without pressing the buttons, so if your earpiece is falling out when you're in the middle of a call, you may accidentally hang up the call.

[Gh0stRider]

Give the Blackberry HS-500 a try
its cheaper than the Q1 and the Prime

comes with a microUSB car charger
has a very good noise cancellation system as well!
Not the most stylish looking thing, but if your wearing the headset strictly in the car, then save some dough and go for the HS500

The Jawbone is like the pinnacle of BT headsets, stylish and amazing. but the cost is a factor that scares people away.

The Q1 might not look as sexy, but having the option to use two lines at the same time makes it special vs the rest.

Its sad that the consumer cannot demo the piece b4 buying for health purposes tho.

The best part with these 3 headsets is that it comes with enuff pieces to fit big and small ears, where as some of the nokia and motorola ones are terrible for big ears.

That one is like the Jabra BT530.

[Eff-1]

Motorola T505. Not a headset, the sunvisor clip type. Its awesome

planning to pick that one up myself. amazon.ca seems to be cheapest at $100.

[SolidPenguin]

I got mine refurb on ebay for $45. works great

[bsftong]

Werd. I have the Jawbone Prime and it works and functions amazingly!! The only part I don't like is that it's hard to push the earpiece into the ear without pressing the buttons, so if your earpiece is falling out when you're in the middle of a call, you may accidentally hang up the call.

Just picked up a Prime, tried it out on two seperate occasions but both times the other party said they could hardly hear me. Is there a way to fix that? Or is it a faulty unit?

[nightkid]

i have the plantronic 975. it's actually rated higher than the prime. plus it has a charger with battery inside.

[TOS'd]

i have the plantronic 975. it's actually rated higher than the prime. plus it has a charger with battery inside.

picked it up too, but i wasn't a fan of how it fit in my ear (probably just me though). so i gave it to one of my parents and bought myself a Q1.

[nightkid]

i used the smallest one and the fitting is alright. anyways, it's loud and clear. one more thing, u can leave it on when u charge it. u never have to disconnect it from ur phone.

[TOS'd]

I think its just me. I never could fit those apple headphones properly. Honestly the only way for those earbuds to work for me is if reverse the Left and Right ones.

I am now using the Q1 with a medium size sony ericsson in-ear silicon bud. And its pretty amazing.

BTW, for ppl signed up for the Best Buy Rewards Email thingy. They just sent a newsletter thing out, there's a 15% off code for any bluetooth headset/device that is over $69.99 regular price.

[124Y]

Just picked up a Prime, tried it out on two seperate occasions but both times the other party said they could hardly hear me. Is there a way to fix that? Or is it a faulty unit?

Hmm that's weird. When I first started using it, I've tested it out with my friends and they could all hear my pretty clearly. They even had a hard time believing I was on the skytrain when I told them.
Are you wearing it correctly so that the white Voice Activity Sensor is contacting your skin? Maybe the angle you're wearing it has something to do with that?:confused:

[124Y]

BTW Jawbone has just released their newest product - the Jawbone ICON.
http://us.jawbone.com/

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5450435/aliph-jawbone-icon-review-bluetooth-celebutante

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/img_1034.jpeg
Look, we can hate on Bluetooth headsets all we want, but the fact is, they're both practical and popular among a certain set—and Aliph's new Jawbone Icon is a solid choice, though barely changed from previous versions.
The Price

$100
What's New?

There are no major audio enhancements here; the company's made tweaks to its NoiseAssassin noise canceling tech, but I compared it to the last new Jawbone product, the Jawbone Prime, and neither I nor the person I called could hear a difference between the two. That means it sounds fine, not noticeably worse than normal phone use, although I did notice that the volume was a little bit low, even at its highest settings. But even standing on a busy street, calls were pretty clear on both ends. One really nice addition is volume equalizing—if you're in a conference call with a loud talker and a soft talker, it'll even them both out to a comfortable level. Basically, it sounds fine, which is about all you can ask for from a Bluetooth headset—but I would definitely have liked to see some kind of major improvement to warrant a whole new product.

Physically, it's shorter and more squat than the Prime, as well as lighter (though it's not like the Prime was weighing down your ear). It also comes in six different colors and patterns, each of which is named after a broad stereotype (The Hero, The Bombshell, The Rogue). Each caricature has its own appropriate voice actor to read notifications (the Bombshell sounds like Jenna Jameson, the Rogue sounds like Batman; all are hilarious, possibly unintentionally), though you can choose which one you want in the MyTalk app store (more on that later).
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/screen_shot_2010-01-17_at_4.45.04_pm.png
You'll be hearing those voices a lot, since they've replaced the previous Jawbone's bleeps and bloops with vocal notifications ("Incoming call," "You have four hours of talk time remaining," things like that). It's not a bad system, but most of the voices are so laughably cheesy that it can be more distracting than a simple "beep boop." Also, while it does read caller IDs, it only reads the number, not the name—pretty much useless, since who memorizes phone numbers anymore?

There are some minor design changes as well; the Icon charges by standard microUSB instead of a proprietary jack, it has an actual on/off slider (instead of a hidden button), the position of the LED is moved to be less ostentatious, that kind of thing—all of those changes are welcome. Oh, and a bonus for iPhone users (and only iPhone users): The Icon's battery life gets its own little icon, right next to the iPhone's, which is convenient.
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/img_1052.jpeg
http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/img_1041.jpeg
http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/img_1043.jpeg
http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/img_1047.jpeg
http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/img_1058.jpeg
http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/jawbone_icon_carousel_hr.jpg
The Unnecessary App Store

Aliph also created what's essentially an app store for the Icon, called MyTalk. Why? Fuck if I know. They've only got a couple language packs and some simple stuff like one-touch Free411 calling in there at launch, because a Bluetooth headset does not deserve an app store. I pressed Aliph for some details on where they thought MyTalk might be headed, and they didn't share any ideas beyond the omnipresent Twitter. They may not actually know what to do with it—they seemed unwilling to commit to anything complicated or cool like, say, a Google Maps app.

For now, it works mostly like a firmware update (which makes sense, because firmware updates are a major part of MyTalk right now). You plug in your Jawbone, log into the website, and choose which app you want. Then another program, the Jawbone Updater, loads the apps onto the headset. The apps themselves are triggered with a long press on the Icon's only button, which brings up the most salient point about why a Bluetooth headset doesn't need an app store: It doesn't really do that much. It only has one button, it has no interface to speak of, no screen, and connects only via Bluetooth. So I'm not really sure how they plan to flesh out the store—they mentioned Twitter, but it's unclear exactly how that would work.

As it stands: This is a bridge too far, you guys. What's good for the goose (the goose being smartphones, obviously) is not good for the goddamn Bluetooth headset. Kill it, Aliph. Update firmware some other way.
The Verdict

It's probably the best Bluetooth headset on the market—it does the job, it's cheaper and smaller than its predecessor (the Prime was $130), and sound quality is still tops in the category. Of course, it's also gotten oddly silly since the last generation; the designs are pretty tacky (they may look cool in photos, but they're very plasticky in person), the new voices are a big old pot of savory fondue, and the app store is ill-conceived but easily ignored. All that considered, if you're looking for a Bluetooth headset, I don't have any hesitation about recommending the Icon—just don't expect any huge changes.

[bsftong]

Hmm that's weird. When I first started using it, I've tested it out with my friends and they could all hear my pretty clearly. They even had a hard time believing I was on the skytrain when I told them.
Are you wearing it correctly so that the white Voice Activity Sensor is contacting your skin? Maybe the angle you're wearing it has something to do with that?:confused:

Which phone are you using it with? I wonder if its just a compatibility issue for my BB Tour. I tried a second unit and got the same results. I think I was wearing it right. The VAS was right where my sideburns are though, would that have such a huge affect?

[124Y]

Which phone are you using it with? I wonder if its just a compatibility issue for my BB Tour. I tried a second unit and got the same results. I think I was wearing it right. The VAS was right where my sideburns are though, would that have such a huge affect?

Well I'm using the Sony Ericsson C902. Is the VAS contacting your skin, or your sideburns? If it's contacting your sideburns, it probably won't sense the vibration of your speach...

[SSM_DC5]

.

[DC5-S]

Does anyone who works at Best Buy or Futureshop know when the Jawbone Icons are going to arrive in stores?

:duh: and i dont see it on any online stores, besides ebay