I don’t find that many stereo Bluetooth headsets very interesting, but I did get pretty excited about the JB-200 when I first saw them on Jaybird’s website. I received a review pair in the mail a few months ago (Jaybird sent them over to keep) and used them every chance I got for the first few weeks. Once paired with the right device, the JB-200 sound good. Unfortunately the fit of the headset is prone to on and off days. Some days you’ll wonder why everyone isn’t born with a set already on — and other times you’ll wonder where the music went as the buds slowly, but surely slip out of years. If it weren’t for the pesky choice of silicone earbuds and an iffy set of buttons, the JB-200 would be an absolutely amazing stereo headset.

3.5mm adapter up top, iPod adapter below

The Package
The JB-200 comes in three different packages, each of which varies in price and the inclusion of a 3.5mm adapter or iPhone adapter  (or both). I received the bundle with both adapters, and it comes with an equal parts gorgeous and gigantic charging dock for the headset and 3.5 mm adapter. The BT adapter is relatively unobtrusive, but I found the 3.5mm adapter just too huge to use.
The dock looks ridiculously cool and the charging indicator on the JB-200 even glows an eerie Cylon red when you insert it. Unfortunately, the problem is that you have to dock the JB-200 to charge it. There is no other, more portable charging solution aside from the rather large (albeit awesome) dock. I suppose it’s because creating a plug on the JB-200 would make it more susceptible to water damage, but seeing as the dock actually charges from a mini-USB port, I don’t see why a more portable solution wasn’t included in the premium bundle.

The Look and Fit
The JB-200′s are a pretty high tech audio solution, and they look the part. They’re a sleek black, curvy design and they feel quite sturdy in-hand. Jaybird also promises that they’re sweat and rain proof and has a warranty to back up their claim. Putting them on isn’t quite as simple as other headsets, though. You’ve got to bend and twist the earpiece so that it holds your ear in the middle (musical sandwich!), and the short wires connecting the headset simply hang behind your head.

The main portion of the headset (which rests behind your ear) is made of plastic, and the section leading to the earbud is made of a flexible rubber. The waterproof playback controls are set on the right ear and can take a little getting used to thanks to their rubber design. One thing to note is that the power and talk functions are mapped to the same button — which makes it impossible to use the headset for Bluetooth Voice Control on an iPhone 3GS.

I had heard from other writers on JAMM (Heather and Doug)  about how the JB-200′s could be a little troublesome in the fitting category. The manual compares them to tight-fitting sports gear, but I’d actually argue the opposite. No matter how hard I tried or how many mirrors I stood in front of, I could never really get this headset to fit snugly on my ears. It was comfortable enough, but the way that the silicone earbuds are designed makes them really difficult to adjust and keep in place for you to enjoy the full range of sound (especially the bass).  I found this to be the case during normal usage, and the problem only got worse when I tried running with the earphones. It’s probably alright if you blast the volume on the headset (I set it at around 60%), but that’s something I despise doing. It’s really this awkward and annoying fit that mar the otherwise awesome sound.

Sound
As always, it should be mentioned that sound over a bluetooth connection does take some hits — and it also heavily depends on the device that you’re using to stream. I found my MacBook Pro to be a pretty poor wireless music solution, but the iPhone fared much better and sounded to me to be at least as good as the default iPhone wired headset. There isn’t any isolation when you have the headphones on, but this is probably a good thing since the JB-200′s are marketed as a headset for athletes. It’s good to have at least some awareness when you’re jogging.

Battery Life and Charging
The JB-200′s can handle at least a day of idling if you’re using them purely as a cellphone headset, and I’d estimate that they can handle at least three hours of music before biting the dust. This is pretty decent, but it’s a real shame that the charging station that came with my unit is so inflexible. It looks amazing and makes the charing LEDs glow a cool cylon red, but the base station (which also charges the 3.5mm adapter) is just far too bulky to bring around with you in a bag. Considering the fact that most other headsets can charge via portable mini-USB cables, it’s a real shame that the JB-200′s use a proprietary plug to charge.

Conclusion
Three people on the JAMM staff have tried the JB-200′s out, and none of us were able to fit the headset properly and comfortably for an extended period of time. Something happens as you use the headset so that it ends up slowly slipping out of year ears, and it really is a shame because it is one of the best sounding and most versatile bluetooth stereo kits around. They sound great, look cool, and you can pair them with multiple devices natively or with the help of the adapters. If Jaybird can nail a better design for the JB-300′s, then we’ll really be talking, but until then I’d advise caution or at least a place with a return policy in case the silicone earbuds give you as much grief as they gave us.

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The Jaybird JB-200′s or “Freedom Bluetooth Headphones” are available for $129.99 alone, $159.99 with the 3.5mm adapter, and the iPod adapter can be purchased separately for $49.99 from Jaybird.

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