I am starting to think maybe I need to lay off of the Bluetooth headset reviews.  I love Bluetooth headsets, and one of these days maybe I will do some sort of a comparison roundup of the various pros and cons of the models I have reviewed.  For now, though, I am just starting to run out of introductions.

That being said, I have probably been anticipating the Cardo S-800 longer than any other Bluetooth headset I have reviewed.  I first learned of Cardo (then called Cardo-Scala) months ago, and requested a review unit.  Shortly thereafter, however, they announced the upcoming S-800 headset and offered to send me this latest model.  After all of the usual production delays that often accompany a new product, it was finally ready to roll in early September, and my review unit was waiting on my doorstep just a few days later.  So, would the Cardo S-800 live up to the hype and expectation?  How would it fare against several months of anticipation?  Take a look past the jump to find out.

What’s In the Box: Of course, the most important thing in the box is the headset itself, which is exquisitely displayed in this ultra-modern looking package.  Additionally, you will receive everything you need to get talking right away, including:

• a detachable ear loop
• AC adaptor
• USB charger
• Lanyard
• User Guide

Quick Look: Before we get into the review itself, let’s just take a quick look around at everything that this headset has to offer. 

On the face of the headset, you will notice the Cardo emblem, neatly emblazoned upon the control button.  At the end of the is the status indicator light.  Otherwise, it is a very clean and slick looking headset.

The bottom has nothing of interest, however, the top features the main power button.  

On the back is the micro-USB connector, which is the new universal standard for portable devices.  Cardo, it appears, was ahead of its time with this one.  In addition to the micro-USB slot, you will also find the multi-function wheel.

On the inside, you will find everything you would expect in a headset.  There is a microphone, speaker bud, and a rotating slot for the earloop.

Here is the removable earloop, which we will discuss in more detail soon.

The final piece of this equation is the lanyard, which is shown here. 

Bluetooth Pairing and Connection:  Pairing the Cardo S-800 to your phone is easy.  Simply press and hold the power button until the LED status indicator alternates between red and blue.  The headset is now in pairing mode.  Then, follow the instructions on your phone or device to seek the headset.  The two will automatically pair.  Once paired, of course, you need only turn on the device (with your phone’s Bluetooth radio activated) in order to connect in the future.

One unique feature offered by the Cardo S-800 is the SWAP technology.  This technology allows the headset to connect with two phones at the same time.  As long as neither is actively conducting a call (standby mode) you can quickly swap your connection from one phone to the other by simply double pressing the multi function wheel.  If one phone is actively engaged in a call, however, you will not be able to switch to the other phone.  Additionally, if either phone rings, then the headset will automatically switch to whichever phone you need.  This is a great feature for people like my close friend, Jack, who carries  personal phone, as well as a Blackberry for work.  On many occasions, I have caught him patting his pockets trying to figure out which phone is ringing.  With the Cardo S-800, this game of cellphone treasure hunt would be a thing of the past.  Regardless of which phone was ringing, the call would be automatically transferred to the headset.

Fit and Comfort: I love the design of this headset.  Although it looks a little blocky, it really tucks right into your ear and practically out of site. 

The earbud itself, however, was a slight problem for me.  It is designed to be able to slip into your ear without an earloop.  I found, however, that the earbud was far too large to nestle into my ear comfortably.  Most earbud style headsets these days have an adjustable bud which can be replaced to fit any size ears.  I wish this one had been adjustable, as I had an extremely difficult time keeping it in my ear without the included earloop.

So, let’s take a look at the earloop.  This is one of the craziest earloops I have ever seen.  When I saw it for the first time, I thought, “here we go, form over function.”  My wife looked at it and called it a wire clothes hanger.  Essentially, it is a thick wire, shaped like a lower case “n”, with a straight end and a curved end.

To use the earloop, simply insert the straight end into the hole in the headset.  Slide it in further to tighten and pull it out to loosen.  Pretty easy, really.  The hole itself will rotate 360 degrees, so you can adjust it to fit any way you like.

Still, I was looking at this wire thing and thinking again, form over function.  This will probably hurt like heck.  Then I slid it over my ear, only to find that this wire thing is one of the most comfortable earloops I have ever used.  Most earloops have heavy plastic or rubber cushioning them.  The genius of this one is that it shunned these conventions, which eventually  weigh down on your ear.  This wire is so thin and light that you barely notice it on your ear at all. It is also designed in such a way that the curve of the wire follows the shape of your ear,meaning it will fit snugly, without poking in the wrong place.

I was truly amazed at the comfort I found in this “wire shirt hanger” earloop.  Despite looking like an ancient torture device, it actually is one of the most comfortable earloops I have used.   Now, if only the earbud itself fit as nicely or adjusted as easily as the earloop.

Sound Quality:  What can I say here except “Crystal Clear”.   I was amazed at the sound quality in both the speaker and the microphone.  Both were exceptional.  I did not even notice that hollow sound which typically accompanies a Bluetooth headset. 

So, why is the sound quality on the Cardo S-800 so good?  Well, it all starts with the embedded audio balancing, which ensures that the speaker and microphone are always properly adjusted for the noise levels.  Of course, this will not do you much good if background noise is interfering with your call.  In that case, the audio balance will simply adjust to whatever it is hearing, even if it is in the background.  Thus, Cardo has included noise reduction technology, which filters out unwanted background noises both from the speaker and the microphone, meaning the focus will remain on your important conversations, and not the win, background, traffic, or other noises encountered in every day life.

Controls: For all this headset can do, you would expect it to have more buttons, dials, and levers than the space shuttle.  Amazingly, though, it handles all of these features with only three controls.  A large control button on the face, a smaller power button on top, and the multi function wheel on the back. 

The only problem I had was that there was so much going on, I almost needed a cheat sheet in order to access all of the features.  Unfortunately, I did not find them all to be terribly intuitive.  For example, to answer a call tap the control button.  To answer call waiting during an active call, tap the multi function wheel. 

As a simple reference, though, the control button generally controls beginning and ending calls; the power button is used to power the headset off and on as well as hot dialing; and the multifunction wheel handles the microphone and speaker settings.  Various combinations of the taps and scrolls will allow you to access the advanced features.  In fact, I am pretty sure that you can access a secret Easter Egg feature by pushing “Power-Control-Control-Multifunction Wheel-Up-Up-Down-Down-Down-Power-Power.”  Seriously, the controls are complicated, but not quite that complicated. With a little practice, I was able to learn most of the common controls.  Some things like conference call will just never remain in my memory (press and hold the multifunction wheel during an active call with a second call on hold).  Then again, I rarely get that advanced on my phone.  Heck, I can’t even figure out conference calling from my landline phone at work.  Once you learn your way around the controls (or should I say, cockpit), this is the most powerful and feature rich headset I have ever used.

Features: OK, for most of this review, I have been telling you how many features this headset has.  Really, though, features may be the wrong word here.  It is not features which are unique to the headset, it is the phone functions which can be controlled from the headset.  Unlike most headsets which can answer calls and handle a few limited functions, the Cardo S-800 can perform almost any task.  Frankly, by the time I was done learning all of the functions it could control, I was a little disappointed that it could not check email or surf over to JAMM as well…then again, I admit that I never actually tried.

First, the headset includes all of the standard phone operations that you would expect to find on any headset.  This includes such things as:

• voice dialing
• headset mute
• call answer
• call reject
• volume adjust

In addition, however, is a myriad of both standard and unique functions which can be accessed.  While you are actively engaged in a call, the headset can be used to answer call waiting or even activate a conference call. 

You can also program the headset to auto answer, which will automatically activate the headset and answer the call when it rings, or auto callback which allows you to redial the last person to call.

My favorite feature, however, is the hot dial.  From your headset, you can dial any of your first three saved speed dial numbers with the push of a single button.  This is great.  Of course, I would have liked more customization options here, such as being able to program the three hot dial slots with any number from your contacts or phone book.  Then again, the first three saved speed dial numbers are more than likely the ones you call the most anyway.  The ability to dial them without touching your phone is a fantastic feature which I have never seen before in a headset. 

The Cardo S-800 also offers a few features to make the headset a little more secure.  One thing I have noticed is that as headsets get smaller, they also get much easier to lose.  I can put one down on my desk and in a matter of seconds, it is gone (see if you can find it in the clutter of my desk, above).  Swallowed by the mass of cables and papers.  Sometimes, I fear it will never be seen again.  But this is not the case with the Cardo headset.  A buzzer on the headset makes it easy to spot in a pinch.  Just dial any number (I suggest calling yourself or your voicemail) and then turn your phone’s volume all the way up and then all the way down.  Once you have done so, your headset will begin buzzing until you find it.  One note of caution here, the headset must be paired for the feature to work, and it must be within the Bluetooth range.

Another problem I have results from the fact that I carry the headset in my pocket most of the time.  This often results in it getting banged around and buttons being accidentally pressed.  To avoid this, you can access the button lock.  Of course, with the buttons locked, you will be unable to answer a call on the headset unless you first unlock the buttons (or activate auto answer).

Indicator Light: In addition to the control buttons, you can also use the indicator light to receive valuable information about the status of your headset.  The indicator light can show your mode (connected, pairing, standby), your missed call indicator, battery status, and auto answer status.

Of course, if you are like me and think that a blinking blue light serves no purpose while you are on a call, then you can simply disable the status light altogether.  I loved this feature.  I have never seen a headset that allows you to disable this light, and I never really understood why I would need a blinking blue light in my ear (which I can’t even see) when I am on the phone.  To disable, simply roll the multi function wheel down and hold it there for at least four seconds.

Lanyard:One of the included items that most intrigued me about the Cardo S-800 was the lanyard.  I have heard of headsets that include lanyards, but never used one.  While I loved the idea of a lanyard (I wear my work ID around my neck anyway), the design of this one left much to be desired.

The lanyard comes in two pieces, the rope itself which was made of stiff plastic,and a rubber ring which fastens the lanyard to the headset.  Just attach the ring to the earbud and pull it tight to connect the lanyard.  I had a problem here because the ring seemed to loosen on its own, often causing the headset to fall out of the ring unexpectedly.  I would have preferred a small loop on the side or back of the headset to which the lanyard could be tied.  The design with the ring seemed over complicated and extremely insecure.  After the first day, I tossed the lanyard in my bag where it was never to be seen again.

Battery and Power: I was extremely impressed with the battery on the Cardo S-800.  It was routinely able to last a week or more in standby mode without charging (making occasional calls).  Obviously, the more calls you make with it, the more frequently you will have to charge the battery, but it was more than big enough for me.

Of course, the real question comes when the battery is low and you need to plug it in.  Many headsets have failed me here with fancy adaptors and proprietary connections.  The Cardo S-800 stands out in this respect, adopting the micro USB connection, which is set to be the new industry standard for mobile devices.  This means that soon you will likely be able to use the same cables to charge your phone and headset. 

I was also extremely pleased to find that Cardo shunned the growing trend of including only a USB charger.  In fact, it includes two charging cables.  One can plug into the USB port on your computer.  The other has an AC adaptor for charging in a wall socket.  The only thing missing was a car adaptor, but I really did not miss that at all.

Price: I do not typically make a point of discussing the price in the main body of the review.  I am making an exception here because I was utterly dumbfounded by the pricetag on this model.  When I was listing all of the controls and features on the Cardo S-800, I expected to find that it would be priced well above the level of affordability.  I at least expected it to be comparable to the prices of other, similar headsets.  What I did not expect was to find a price which was considerably lower than any comparable headset, by a significant margin.  Unlike most headsets with similar features, which cost $100 or more; the Cardo S-800 is priced at an affordable $84.99.  To pay under $100 for a headset as feature rich as this one is an incredible and welcome surprise. 

Conclusion: I have been anxiously anticipating this headset for some time now, waiting patiently as its release date approached, and passed, approached again, and finally arrived.   I am pleased to say that it was well worth the wait.  The features and functions it can control make it more an extension of your phone than something that connects to it.  My only complaint was that the earbud was too large and not adjustable, meaning it did not fit well in my ear.  Most importantly, however, the sound quality was second to none.  Speaking on the headset may even have been more clear than standing next to someone and carrying on a conversation.  Not only was this one worth all of the hype, it is also well worth the miniscule impact it will have on your wallet.

Vital Stats:

Name: Cardo S-800 BT Headset

Manufacturer: Cardo

Tested With: Sprint Mogul by HTC (WM6) and Treo 700wx (WM5)

Where to Buy: Cardo Systems

Price: $84.99

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