Master Dilettante

Headset nirvana. The best, period. It’s pricey, but you get what you pay for. Go out and buy it today.

When it comes to technology gadgets, I’m highly susceptible to the power of suggestion. Having heard about the Jawbone on and off for the past year and then recently hearing a friend rave about his, I finally picked one up from Cingular yesterday.

I’ve struggled for years (yes, struggled, for years) to find the perfect mobile phone headset. This one, I could hear but others couldn’t hear me and vice versa. That one’s sound quality seemed to degrade over time. This one was flimsy and broke easily. Another wouldn’t nest in my ear canal snugly.

My evaluative criteria are: (1) sound quality, both receiving and transmitting, (2) comfort/fit/usability and (3) durability. Among the half dozen or more headsets I’ve tried over the past few years are the Shure QuietSpot, various Jabra models, a Maxell, a Motorola Bluetooth model, Blackberry’s OEM ear bud and other mobile phone OEM ear buds. All have been inadequate for one reason or another. At long last, with the Jawbone, I’m closer to headset nirvana than ever.

Why is it awesome?

Quite simply, the sending and receiving sound quality is outstanding, better than anything else I’ve used. The Jawbone Web site has a video and several audio demonstrations of the difference between transmissions without the “Noise Shield” and transmissions with it. The difference is marked. I’ve called four friends so far; all four agree that I sound clearer and the background noise is lower using the Jawbone than any other headset I’ve used, in their recollection. In particular, the Jawbone appears so far to be effective in minimizing road noise. I experimented with using the Jawbone in my car with the windows down, and listeners could hear just a modicum of road noise in the background and regardless could hear my voice clearly. As for me, I’m happy with the clarity and quality of the sound I’m hearing.

As for other considerations, it took just a minute to “pair” it with my Blackberry Pearl (8100) using Bluetooth. The usability of the Jawbone — the acts of wearing it and using it — takes a small amount of experience but is perfectly acceptable. With regard to durability, only time will tell.

How does the technology work?

The User’s Guide explains that the noise reduction comes from “sensors, software, and ergonomic features.” “Directional” microphone sensors detect voice activity; my understanding is that the sensors collect sound/vibration. Algorithm-based software processes all of the signals into the microphone to remove background noise from the outgoing speech signal. The sensors and software also collect and adjust the volume and frequency content of incoming speech to “maximize intelligibility in any noisy environment.”

Other details & specifications

According to the User’s Guide:

• Talk time: 6 hours
• Standby time: 120 hours
• Range: <33 feet (10 meters)
• Compatibility: Bluetooth 1.1 or 1.2

Are there any drawbacks?

Yes, of course:

• Listeners tell me my voice sounds a bit “tinny.” I think this is a consequence of the digital processing, and I’m okay with the sacrifice given the tremendously good sound clarity.
• The price: ~U.S. $120 retail.
• The fit may not be universal. The package includes four around-the-ear loops (standard & long, left & right) and five ear buds. For me, for all of the ear loops, the distance between the loop and the ear bud is too small. The effect is that if I use the ear loop, it pulls the ear bud out of my ear canal so that it rests just outside of and partly behind it. I’ve dispensed with the ear loop and found one of the buds that will allow me to simply insert the device in my ear. I’ll see over time whether it will stay put without the ear loop.
• Putting the headset on is not easy at first. My friend taught me how to slide the bottom of the ear loop around the top of my ear flap. It works but takes some practice.
• It’s not particularly easy to switch back between the headset and the handset. I find this a common problem among all wireless headsets.

On balance, the sound fidelity is so good it dwarfs any negatives.

Where can you get it?

No sales channels are 100% reliable at the moment.

• eBay: Shamelessly, I’d recommend eBay. I just searched on eBay and saw over 70 listings for Jawbones.
• Jawbone Web site: Indicates Aliph’s (the manufacturer’s) direct sales channel inventory is sold out.
• Cingular: I heard that Cingular is marketing the product but that Aliph’s production is lagging a bit, so Cingular stores sell out within a day of stocking them. You can call different stores to ask when shipments are arriving and ask for units to be placed on hold for you once they arrive.

I knew nothing about the Jawbone’s relative scarcity when I walked into a random Cingular store yesterday and asked for two Jawbones. They were surprised I “knew” the store had them in stock, because they had been sold out for weeks and a new shipment had arrived just that afternoon! Lucky me. I bought two, one for me and one for a friend. A new shipment arrived today, so I’m picking up two more for friends in London who don’t otherwise have access.Jawbone is the product of Aliph, a San Francisco-based company. As a Bay Area resident, I like supporting the local economy, too. Check out http://www.jawbone.com/