Written by dgoldring on Friday, May 11, 2007

Review: Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset — Bringing The Sounds of Silence to Your Phone


In olden days, telephones used to be connected to the wall by a cord.   Worse, the handset was also connected to the cradle.  This meant that you were pretty much locked into your position when making a phone call.  The good news, however, was that it allowed you to control the location of the phone, keeping it in a quiet corner of the house where you would not be interrupted by environmental noises during your important calls.

That worked well until telephone manufacturers began cutting the cords.  First it was cordless phones, then cell phones, and ultimately Bluetooth headsets.  Today, we can make and receive telephone calls from anywhere at anytime.  While this does add a significant degree of convenience to our communications, it also means that we have no control over our environment during a call.  Frequently, an important call might be made from the side of the road, the middle of an arena, or any other noise filled locations.  It can make a simple telephone call quite difficult:

"Hello"

"What?  I’m at the construction site…I can’t hear you."

"Hello?"

"What?"

You can’t control your environment, but with the Jawbone noise shielding technology, you can outsmart it.

                 – Aliph Jawbone

Outsmarting your environment means finding a way to cancel out background noises without affecting the spoken voices.   This is exactly what is offered by the noise shield technology in the Aliph Jawbone headset, which  allows you to return to the days of controlling the environmental noise around your calls, regardless of the noise around you.  

What’s In The Box: Before I get to what is in the box, let me take a moment to discuss the box itself.  The Aliph Jawbone comes in a display case fit for any museum.  Made of clear plastic, the Jawbone sits on a pedestal in the top portion of the box.  The instructions, cables, and other miscellaneous items are in the bottom portion, safely hidden by the wrapping. 

 It almost seemed a shame to disturb the display, however, I did not waste a lot of time considering that before tearing into the packaging.  As I mentioned, the top section of the box contains the headset itself.  In the bottom portion, you will find:

  • four various shaped earbuds
  • four various sized and shaped ear loops
  • wall charger unit (with USB socket)
  • USB charger cable
  • instruction manual

 

Look and Style: I mentioned that the Jawbone is packaged more like a museum display than a Bluetooth headset, and there is a good reason for it.  As soon as you lay eyes on it, you can tell that it is no ordinary  headset.   In fact, it looks more like art — or jewelry — than a headset; something to be displayed, not used. 

The main silver section (it also comes in red and black) bears a testured pattern, giving it a sleek, slightly industrial look.  Not only is this stylish, but it also serves to significantly reduce wind noise.  Additionally, the buttons are hidden within this design, so that they can be easily accessed without becoming a visual distraction.  Most importantly, however, there is no blinking blue light.  Instead, the Jawbone features a muted white light which slowly builds and fades.  Bluetooth users everywhere who have wondered about the infamous blinking blue light should rejoice at this news.

Fit and Comfort: All ears are not made alike and one size certainly does not fit all.  Unfortunately, these are two truths that many headset manufacturers do not consider, making Bluetooth and wired headsets which are not customizable or adjustable.  This leads to fatigue, difficulty hearing and considerable soreness in your ears.

Fortunately, Aliph recognized this problem when they made the Jawbone headset.  As such, they included four different earbuds, which can easily be snapped onto the headset, allowing the Jawbone to conform to your ear, not vice versa.

One of the largest factors in the comfort of a headset, however, is the earloop.  If the earloop is not sized properly, then the headset will not fit properly or even fall off of your ear.  This is of particular importance to users who want to wear the headset from their left ear as the loop must be reversed.  Jawbone includes four ear loops: a standard and an extra large curved for both the right ear and the left.  This means, regardless of which ear you wish to use, or how large your ears are, the Jawbone will always be a perfect fit.

I tested several different earloops and earbuds to get a feel for the various options.  One thing I did notice was the ease with which the buds and loops could be removed and replaced, yet they remained securely attached when in use.  This ability to easily customize the fit of the headset, without affecting its durability is one of the most important features of any headset, and the Aliph Jawbone is one of the best in this area.

Pairing: Pairing the Jawbone with my phone was a snap.  The first time you connect the headset to your phone, simply press and hold the noise shield button for 3-5 seconds until the light alternates flashing white and red.  This means the headset is ready to pair.  Then, follow your phone’s instructions to pair the headset. 

Each time you want to connect after that, simply turn on the headset by holding the talk button until the white light begins to blink.  Then, follow your phone’s instructions to connect to the headset.  To turn off the headset (and conserve battery power), just push and hold the talk button until the white light turns red.  This means the headset has been successfully disconnected.

Controls: It always amazes me how much you can do on a headset with only one or two buttons.  On the Jawbone, there are two: the Talk Button and the Noise Shield Button.

The Talk Button is used to answer and end calls by pushing it once.  You can also place a call by redialing the last number dialed.  Simply press the Talk Button twice quickly to redial.  If your phone supports voice dialing, push the Talk Button while the headset is in standby mode.  When you hear a beep, speak the dialing voice tag to place the call.

The Noise Shield Button primarily controls the volume and noise shield.  By default, the noise shield will be activated when you turn on the headset.  To turn off or reactivate the noise shield, simply hold the button until you hear three tones (ascending tones means it is activated, descending means deactivated). 

The Noise Shield Button can also be used to control the volume of the headset.  Push it once and the headset volume will increase to the next of six steps.  Once the highest volume step is reached, pressing the noise shield button will return the volume to the lowest step. 

The most important function of the Noise Shield Button, however, may be rejecting calls.  This is extremely important when your phone begins to ring in the middle of a meeting, revealing to everyone that your wife’s ringtone is Bon Jovi’s "You Give Love A Bad Name".   Just tap the Noise Shield Button once to reject the call and send it through to your voicemail. 

Noise Shield: Let’s face it, there are a million different designs for Bluetooth headsets, all of which claim to be unique and more comfortable than the others.  I have not reviewed a lot of them, so I cannot tell you which one is the most comfortable or the best looking.  I can tell you, however, that the noise shield technology in the Aliph Jawbone headset sets it apart from any other headset I have used.

Noise shield is a network of microphones within the headset which removes most of the distracting noise from your background and dynamically adjusts the headset speaker to fit your environment.  So, what does this all mean?  Simple.  It means that your caller can hear you with significantly minimized background noise and you can hear your caller without straining.

I have read reviews where the noise shield was tested by placing a call from a NASCAR race.  I do not tend to go to NASCAR races, so I decided to test the noise shield in my everyday environment.  In order to be useful, it would have to meet the challenges of my daily routine. 

So, I took it for a walk through Washington, DC during the beginning of rush hour.  I walked along the busy streets to the train station, through the commotion of the tourist filled station to the platform and, ultimately to my seat on the train (while passing several noisy locomotives).

During the entire course of this walk, I was on the phone talking with the Jawbone.  My caller and I were both amazed by how well the noise shield technology worked.  My caller indicated that (with the exception of a loud bus which passed me on the same side as the headset) she could hear almost none of the traffic noise, despite the fact that I was walking along a relatively busy street.   

I also noticed that when cars would pass, or the wind would pick up, the volume adapted to meet the competing noises, ensuring that I was able to hear everything the entire conversation. 

Most impressive, however, was the train locomotive.  If you have never been on a train platform, the engine in the locomotive is exceptionally loud.  Typically, if I am listening to music on my headphones, I just accept the fact that it will be drowned out for a minute as I pass the locomotive.  Likewise, if I am talking on the phone, neither I, nor my caller will be able to hear anything until I pass the engine.  Not so with the Jawbone.  As I passed the engine, my caller could hear the engine noise in the background, but could also clearly hear me speaking in a normal tone…even though I could barely hear myself.  Likewise, I was able to hear my caller over the train noise while she spoke in a normal tone. 

The adaptive noise shield technology is simply amazing, and should be considered a necessity for anyone who regularly talks on the phone in a noisy environment. 

Battery and Charging: Aliph advertises six hours of talk time and 120 hours of standby time.  I have to admit this battery outlasted me.  I left the Jawbone on in various combinations of standby and talking for two straight days without charging it.  If you are like me and automatically plug everything in at night, you will almost never have to worry about the battery.

I did, however, find the charging system to be somewhat odd.  The back of the headset contains several small slots.  The charging unit slides over the back of the headset like a cap.  Several prongs within the charger will connect with the battery behind the slots, and provide a charge. Additionally, there was a small rubber cover which covered the connections on the headset when it was not charging.  This cover constantly fell off, leaving the connectioned exposed. 

The other end of the charging plug contains a standard USB plug.  This means the Jawbone can be charged in any laptop or desktop computer via the USB port.  The USB can be plugged into the included USB-AC charger and charged via any standard wall socket.

While I appreciated the fact that the wall charger was detachable, meaning I could plug the USB end into any portable charging device, I did not appreciate the proprietary nature of the cable.  By choosing not to use a standard connection, such as a mini USB with the headset, Aliph has ensured that none of the universal sync and charge cables will work with this headset.  Instead, I will be forced to carry one more cable when I travel, and keep one more cable on my desk.  I found this proprietary charging system to be unnecessary, and wish it had been replaced with a standard mini USB connection.

Conclusion: I admit that I was skeptical when I first heard of the Aliph Jawbone headset.  Sure, I read the same initial reviews as everyone else about using it at a NASCAR race, but I figured there had to be some hyperbole or exaggeration in there.  After using it for several weeks, however, I found no hyperbole.  I have never used a headset like the Aliph Jawbone before.  Not only does it adjust the volume dynamically to match the noise around you, it also shields much of the background noise from your caller.  Now, the next time your wife calls to ask you to pick up eggs and milk on the way home, you will have no excuse for not listening. If you work in a noisy environment, or just want to be able to hear your calls with more clarity, then you absolutely must try the Aliph Jawbone.  Once you use it, you will never be able to use a standard headset again.

Vital Statistics:

Name: Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset

Manufacturer: Aliph

Where to Buy: JAMM Store  or Jawbone website

Price: $99.99 at JAMM Store, $119.99 at Jawbone website

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More in Accessories, Reviews | 44 Comments


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44 Comments

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Brandon Steili
May 12, 2007

Once again I am jealous. I have no idea how you are getting your hands on these things… but if you get bored of this headset let me know !!!!

Great Review Doug. Looks like a great device!


dgoldring
May 12, 2007

Thanks, Brandon. :) Don’t be too jealous. I don’t get to keep this one. :(

Doug


Dan
May 12, 2007

In my search for a breath headset that really works and isrelatively comfortable to wear for an extended period I picked up a Cingular branded version of it. Gotta say that it is one of those all too rare) products that actually works as advertised. I do, however, wish it were a bit less conspicuous. Drawing attention to it-good for Jawbone advertising but not for me as I would prefer something less obvious.


dgoldring
May 12, 2007

I agree with you, Dan. To be honest, though, I have yet to find a headset that doesn’t say, “look at me. I’m wearing a headset.” And this one is much more attractive than some I have tried

Usually, I leave it on my desk unless I am making a call. It takes only seconds to put it on if the phone rings.

Doug


melvynadam
May 13, 2007

One requirement I always have with a BT headset is that it has to have a lanyard hole. I hate the “blue flashing ear” look and much prefer to have it handy around my neck (usually, slipped into a breast pocket).

Recently I’ve had enormous trouble just finding a headset that would work consistently with my HTC Wizard. For some reason my Motorola HS850 which works fine with other devices, does not do so with the Wizard.

For the last week I’ve been using a BlueAnt X3 Micro and am delighted with it.

The Aliph charger really concerns me. The sound of all those small connectors that need to make contact just screams of potential issues in the future: dirt, kids, having not only to carry another proprietary cable but having also to protect it when you travel because of the delicate nature of the connectors. This would probably rule it out for me even if I were inclined to spend $120 on a headset.


dgoldring
May 13, 2007

Great idea about the lanyard, Melvyn. How do you get it to stay on? I also dislike having things in my ear all day. So, I may have to give that a try.

The charger is not as big a concern as you would think. The pins are fairly well protected by the design. I was a little concerned about dirt getting into the unit. But to be honest, in the time I was testing it, I never had a problem with that. My only real concern with it was lugging around an extra cable with me.

Doug


melvynadam
May 14, 2007

“How do you get it to stay on?”
Not sure what you mean. Some BT headsets have hole to thread a lanyard through and others do not. Mine does. So I threaded the lanyard through and I wear it round my neck.


dgoldring
May 14, 2007

Hey, Melvyn. That is exactly what I meant. I had not seen one with a lanyard hole before. What a great idea. :)

Doug


rogbot
May 14, 2007

Ive used the BT Jawbone now for several weeks. I can reinforce the comments about the noise cancellation, and after trial and error getting quite a good fit.

A few concerns beyond those mentioned here:

- the earloops can easily get bent to the point of breaking in adjusting the unit on your head, or in a pocket. I thought it was just me, but have now spoken with 2 different fellow air travelers who have suffered the same fate. The problem appears to be the flexiblity: one just inserts the earloop into a hole in the unit, which creates lots of leverage against the thin earloop.

- the unit appears to have a problem staying connected, even when both phone and Jawbone are fully charged, via Bluetooth. Its constantly unconnecting and reconnecting. At first I thought it was the phone, but not having same issue with a Jabra unit.

- while the noise sheild will adjust for the sound of wind on reception, it does not work well in terms of the cancelling wind sound for the listener at the other end.


William
May 22, 2007

Beware – I picked up a new Jawbone yesterday at my local Cingular store. Found that the charger cable would not stay attached. It appears to be defective, poor molding. I reported this to Jawbone, and received this response (a direct quote):

“It sounds as though you may have a damaged charger cable. Because of the wide range of usage patterns, we do not cover the charger under the warranty plan.” The offered to inspect the cable if I sent it to them, at my expense.

Not exactly what I would call customer service!

William


dgoldring
May 22, 2007

Wow, William. I am really sorry to hear about that. Did you try taking it back to the store to exchange it for another one?

Doug


leftie
Jun 7, 2007

I’ve had the same problem as William with my charging connector not staying connected. I emailed Aliph and received the exact same response:

“It sounds as though you may have a damaged charger cable. Because of the wide range of usage patterns, we do not cover the charger under the warranty plan.”

They’ve offered to replace mine (this one time) if I ship it to them first so they can inspect it.

I’m sensing a product design/manufacturing problem…


Ty Chee
Jun 14, 2007

I just bought a new Jawbone BT Headset. I was quite disturbed at the design of the charger cord. It will not stay on the headset. In fact the spring loaded contacts in the headset actually push the connector off the headset! This really sucks!

Ty


Jim
Jun 19, 2007

So far mine seems to be working good and doing everything they tout it to do. When I bought it, I had some questions about it and the Cingular people said they didn’t know enough about it yet. The Jawbone people didn’t have support yet either and I had to communicate through e-mail.


Julio Preuss
Jun 25, 2007

Just got one, but it doesn’t seem to be charging. After reading the comments here, I bet the charging cable is bad. Let’s wait for Aliph’s tech support response. Even if they exchange it under warranty (and I believe they are required by law to do it, regardless of what the warranty term says), it will give me a lot of trouble, since I don’t live in the US. I hope the headset is as good as people say.


Vanja
Jul 9, 2007

Just got my Jawbone, and just like some other users on here I’m having trouble with the charger staying in place. It will stay in place for a couple of seconds and then it pops out. I’m using a hair clip to hold in in place now, it beats having to hold it for two hours in order to charge it. I will contact Jawbone and see if I get the same response as the others.


RitaPDX
Jul 18, 2007

I have the same problem with that darned charger. I ended up using a rubber band to keep it in place. It seems a shame that so much excellent engineering is besmirched by such a sloppy and poorly tested design. Other than the charging issue I LOVE the thing!


Mike
Jul 26, 2007

I have the same problem with the charger. I now have 3 jawbones (!!!). I love the actual headset, but the charging cable on the first two went belly up… i sense a revision in the connection coming. Hopefully.


dgoldring
Jul 26, 2007

Mike, Unfortunately, I have gotten a lot of posts here saying exactly the same thing. The charger was one of the big drawbacks that I saw when I wrote the review, and the fact that it does not work well is even more troubling (for the record, mine worked fine when I wrote the review). I am really not sure why the used such a bizarre connection rather than just going with a mini USB.

Doug


Gliderguider
Aug 1, 2007

Just brought my new Jawbone Air home from the Cingular (nee AT&T) store. After reading/viewing the CNET review I was humming with anticipation! First task, hook up the charging cable — oops, hook up the charging cable – oops…. Seems they ran out of money paying the industrial designer, and had the charging connector designed by the same guy who can’t get the perforatons installed in toilet paper.

Mine is on with a rubber band right now, but I haven’t got the patience for that — the whole kit is going back to the Cingular store tomorrow. Hopefully, a wave of returns will filter through to Aliph — return for full credit is the only message this kind of outfit can really hear.

Bummer — it’s a really cool design. Maybe next year the’ll have it done right.


Steve
Aug 7, 2007

Ditos on the charger connector problems. Headset is great, charger bad. I’m on my second charger, and it looks like this one is going back to the AT&T store, too. Does the rubber band trick work?


Carmella
Aug 11, 2007

Well, I just got my red Jawbone at my local Apple store. The first one I got had a bad charger cable. I returned it and this new one is fine. I really love this headset!


Carmella
Aug 11, 2007

I apologize, but I forgot to address something in my above post…it seems to me that the Jawbone really cannot be very conspicuous because the voice activation sensor must rest on your cheek or near the jawbone to distinguish speech. Otherwise, this important feature would be sacrificed.


Scott
Sep 6, 2007

Well I have a problem with the charger cable -indirectly. With mine it stays on but when trying to take it off for the first time the Noise shield button cover came off on one side ! I have gone back to the supplier to see what they will do about it.


Richard
Sep 7, 2007

I ordered mine on-line from a reputable store & have been using it for 2 months. Didnt do the leaf blower test, but did go outside & stick my ear 2″ from my air conditioner & asked the wife if she could hear any background noise…. Her answere was move closer to the a/c…lol Little did she know that i was almost getting shaved being so close. The jawbone was a gift for my wife, but after trying it for 2 days, she felt uncomfortable with it in her ear. She inherited my H700 & is very happy. As to others having problems connecting the charger, i must be lucky. It takes a little pressure pushing it into the jawbone, but fits snug. It really subdues background noise. Took a little adjusting & trial & error to finally be comfortable with the right earbud & loop. None the less i’m very happy so far. Clarity & reception couldn’t be better Regards Rick, Montreal


Chris
Sep 17, 2007

After a little over 2 months, I had a problem where the charger was no longer charging the unit. The headset’s red light, indicating that it is charging, would only light up if I tightly pressed the charger to the headset and held it like that. If I didn’t, the proper connection wasn’t made. I suspect the contacts on the headset had gotten dirty or tarnished. Earlier today I took it back to the Cingular/AT&T store and was on my way with a brand new headset and charger within 3 minutes – they just swapped it out for me. The nature of electronics is that sometimes problems arise…I wish all companies would take care of me as well as Cingular/AT&T did today.


Geoff
Sep 19, 2007

I use a jabra ear piece that conforms to the ear and eliminates the ear loop. It works fine and is quite comfortable


JOhn McLaughlin
Oct 1, 2007

I have been using the Jawbone for several weeks and have had no problem with the charger. However, I do not like their earbud or there ear clip. The bud would be better with a softer insert and the earclip is cumbersome and does not fit well. I went back to my Plantronics and my Jabra jx10. Both devices work almost as well, are less conspicuous and are a lot more comfortable.


JOhn McLaughlin
Oct 1, 2007

I have had no problem with the charger. However, I find the device to be too conspicuous and very uncomfortable. The earpiece is very cumbersome and does not fit well. The earbuds could be softer for a better fit. I have probably used every device out their, since I am wearing the device most of the day. I went back to my Plantronics and Jabra JX10. Both are less conspicuous and a lot more comfortable, than the Aliph device.


Jeremy
Oct 6, 2007

For those having trouble with the charger connection, I thought mine wouldn’t charge when i plugged it in either, the LED did not light up and it was in solidly. I found if I rocked the headset up in the charger, the light came on and it charged fine. Hopefully this helps some of you. I’ve had no issues with my Jawbone, right now it’s paired withe a RAZR V3m. Oh, and according to the Jawbone website, the rubber piece covering the connector holes is meant to protect it during shipping and is supposed to be removed, it’s not meant to stay on.


Richard G
Oct 14, 2007

In regards to their customer service, Aliph has been developing an unfavorable reputation within the bluetooth community.

I was personally satisfied with the product when I first bought it. No more than 3 months later the microphones lost the ability to pick most anything up. Almost all of my callers complained of being unable to hear unless I significantly raised my voice. So I did what any other consumer would do, I emailed their support staff. I got a confirmation in my email stating that I should expect a response in 1 to 2 business days. So I waited, and waited. No reply over a week, so I emailed again. And it’s been almost a month now, still no reply.

I did some online research and not surprisingly I found many similar horror stories with this “well received” device.
All in all, this piece of technology is not perfect but still better than most. However, I cant say the same for their customer service dept. As a suggestion take a moment to read their very limited warranty and brush up on the faq which states:

4. What’s your return policy?

If you purchased your Jawbone at jawbone.com, we offer a 30-day money back guarantee as well as a one-year exchange policy for defective units. For more information on our warranty and return policy, please check out our limited warranty link on the support page. If you purchased your Jawbone from anywhere else, you are bound by the return policies of that retailer.

All I can say now is “caveat emptor!”


dgoldring
Oct 14, 2007

Richard, I think you make an excellent and unfortunate point. There are really two factors in every sale. First is the quality of the product, second is the post-sale customer service.

Jawbone has made an excellent product, but if they have sub-par customer service, then I can see a lot of people choosing the Cardo S-800 or the SoundID headset instead.

Their products are fantastic, but are very comparable with similar products by other companies. When you talk to people and ask them why they chose Ilium instead of a competitor, it is almost always their reputation for post-sale customer service.

Doug


Lonci
Oct 20, 2007

Hey- I was wondering if anyone could help me out. I love my jawbone and travel all the time. But I keep losing the earbuds, they fall off while I’m traveling somehow. I can’t seem to find more earbuds to purchase?

Does anyone know where i can get just more earbuds?

lonci


John Patterson
Nov 1, 2007

I bought my Jawbone in August. I managed to break an earloop and lose one of the ear fittings the first week.

I thought it was just carelessness on my part. By the second week the button popped off with the charger fitting. After that I had to start using the rubber band technique for charging, but the button continues to fall off. The finish is wearing off as well.

After the first month I started dropping calls constantly.

Prior to this I owned an HS700 and and HS850 that lasted for a net of 3 years. I wore the batteries out on them, but never had an issue otherwise. The Jawbone might block out my crying toddler, but it’s simply not worth the hassle. I’m to purchase an H700 again and call it a day. I consider this product a complete waste of money.


Ryan
Nov 5, 2007

I read about all the charging problems people have been having, I have the exact opposite. Once I put the charger on the headset it charges fine… When I try to remove the charger it unplugs easily however the noise shield button comes off. This happens every time I charge it which is very frustrating. I have to get some pliers to remove the noise shield button from the charger then put it back on the jawbone.


Stu
Nov 9, 2007

Just bought one, same issue as Ryan where the noise shield over the charger receptors comes off & gets stuck in the charger cord. Need to wiggle it out; pliers would be easier. annoying, probably will exchange it.


ali
Nov 12, 2007

i have the same problem with my jawbone charger popping out with the endcap, and with the horrible customer service – no replies to my several emails.

anyone want to join me in a lawsuit? i’m a lawyer. alyesquire@gmail.com

ali


Shaun
Nov 14, 2007

I have had the same issue with the charger… this is the second jawbone I’ve gone through. Both the chargers worked fine for a while and then the issue where you have to fiddle with the end cap to make sure it charges started happening after a few months of use.


Bob Salo
Nov 18, 2007

I have two BT units with noise cancellation; the B&O which works beautifully at noise cancellation and fits beautifully and is extremely easy to turn on and off and has a single button to do all and no blinking light at all. But it has terrible battery capacity. The second is the Jawbone. So far the Jawbone has far better battery capacity – days on a charge rather then less then 8 hours with the B&O – but far less comfortable.

Both have excellent audio – B&O is a bit clearer, and both have very effective noise cancellation. But the B&O does not make cheek contact to work.

Both have unique chargers. Now I would like to find the features and quality of the B&O with the battery life of the Jawbone.


dgoldring
Nov 19, 2007

Bob. I really need to give that B&O unit a try. I have heard some great things about it from you and other readers.

Doug


Chad
Nov 29, 2007

Damn. Wish I had come here first before purchasing my Jawbone. My friend recommended it, in fact he had the same setup as I do. Cingular (now AT&T) 8525 with the Jawbone.

1. I experience connectivity issues sporadically. Unable to determine the cause. However, when in proximity to an Apple AirPort Extreme, I disconnect about 60% of the time.

2. Also had a problem with my first Jawbone charger. Much like most of the reviews, my first one “broke” near the noise cancelling button, where one side lifted and I could actually see the circuitry. To AT&T’s credit, they took the product back and gave me a new one. Although, this did happen on the first day of use, so I still had my receipt. The headset wasn’t even 12 hours old!

3. As far as the noise cancelling, I don’t seem to experience any benefits from this. Although I don’t find myself standing next to a weed whacker or a leaf blower, a casual ride in my car with the radio on does require me to hit the mute button on my phone. Walking in the wind also fails my test. In another test, I stood about a couple inches away from a Vornado on it’s lowest speed setting, to simulate wind as well. It actually cut everything out, including my voice. Trial #2, same Vornado, standing about a foot away. It cut my voice out, but kept the wind blowing. I kept that white button on my cheek, per specification for all tests. My experience? Noise cancelling is a bust.

4. Ear piece requires considerable effort to put it on. I don’t think my ears are any larger or smaller than that of anyone here, but I’m so used to my Motorola headset, that the Jawbone requires too much fenagling for me.

Good points?

1. Sound quality is actually pretty decent, if you’re in a quiet enough place and not relying on the noise cancellation feature.

2. Once you get it on, it is fairly comfortable, albeit, it is slightly heavier than my old Motorola headset.

Future requests for this product?

1. Mini USB charger. Duh.

2. A mute button. Just for the occasional need to be on mute, whether you’re having a side conversation, or coughing fit, whatever.

3. Noise cancelling that actually works.

4. Better market research.

*sigh* I may switch back to my old headset… Here’s to wishing everyone else a more pleasant experience than mine.


Jason Goodman
Dec 5, 2007

hello all! I bought my jawbone bt headset last night at a verizon wirless store. I plugged it in and then realized it was on upside down. I had some trouble unplugging it. I heard a crack and then I was PISSED. So I finally got it off, put it on correctly, and then went to unplug it this morning and the cover broke off like you all were saying and I could see the circuitry. I am just going to pry the thing out of there, and take it back and get something else. I am not even going to mess with this. The company needs to make a better connection. This is so stupid! I was so excited and now I am no disappointed.


sencaw
Nov 4, 2008

Good review Goldring!

I see a bunch of you guys mentioned a lanyard, I found one for my h500 that is awesome, the bluDangle at http://www.bludangle.com It is a super tough universal fit wireless headset lanyard that clips on to your shirt, coat, whatever. I started using the bludangle and I will never go back.


tony2times
Jan 9, 2010

sencaw – thanks for the plug on the bludangle. I bought one and its the shizzle. I like the lanyard better than my jawbone, lol.

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