Master Dilettante

A good friend of mine just asked me which Bluetooth headset she should get. I’ve done a fair amount of research here, bought a few too many devices myself and actually had planned to post reviews of the BlueAnt Z9 and the Plantronics Discovery 925. I’m going to skip those reviews and instead copy-paste my response to my friend right here:

What are your requirements? Are you thinking of a wireless Bluetooth headset?

J.I. just got the original Jawbone, which has come down in price quite a bit, particularly since a new model has been released. I wrote three blog posts on the original Jawbone, with mixed reviews: http://www.joonsookim.com/blog/?s=jawbone.

In general, I think you should be considering (1) sound quality, both receiving and transmitting, (2) ease of use, (3) physical comfort/fit and (4) durability.

Here’s what I think the options are:

I’ve looked at reviews of other Bluetooth headsets. Some folks like various Motorola versions. My sense is that these four above are among the best if not the best. Certainly, the BlueAnt and the Jawbone receive the highest acclaim.

Lemme know if you have more questions!

With this said, I continue to get some feedback that the Plantronics Discovery 925 transmitting sound quality can be spotty. I’ll likely check out the Jawbone NinjaAssassin at some point and will let you know how that goes.

Over a year ago I endorsed the Jawbone Bluetooth headset with unbridled enthusiasm. At the time, it was clearly superior to any other Bluetooth noise reduction headset. Not too soon after I bought it, my enthusiasm subsided and I reluctantly acknowledged a few concerns. Yet I remained satisfied.

Now, over a year later, events since then and the emergence of competing products prompt this reassessment.

Last year, I articulated my evaluative criteria: (1) sound quality, both receiving and transmitting, (2) comfort/fit/usability and (3) durability. I rated the Jawbone as outstanding in sound quality, I was noncommital with regard to fit, and I questioned its durability.

I stand by my assessment of transmitting sound quality, and reports are that the new Jawbone NoiseAssassin has much improved receiving sound quality.

However, I grew more and more dissatisfied with the fit the longer I used the original Jawbone. No matter which ear bud or ear loop I tried, I could never get a reasonably comfortable, snug fit in my ear; the Jawbone always felt as if it might fall.

On top of this, the usability and/or durability of the Jawbone wasn’t up to snuff. I’d originally broken my first one by a single short drop to the floor. Next, I found difficulty getting the Jawbone to charge. The awkward fit between the charger and the Jawbone port was a difficult marriage to make. Even using different chargers, sometimes I simply couldn’t get the Jawbone to fit and charge. Finally, the last straw for me was when the Jawbone would appear to charge but simply wouldn’t power on or function anymore.

Now, the NoiseAssassin is sexier in its sleekness, but I’m reading even more criticisms of its hit or miss fit. (I think this is the downside of relying on a heralded designer — the wrong designer will emphasize aesthetics over function). Apparently, Jawbone recognized the charger issues and has addressed them. But at this point, I’m once bitten and twice shy about trying the Jawbone again.

Oddly, I remain a promoter of the Jawbone. I’ve found that no headset is perfect. But I’ve since parted company with Aliph and its products and moved on to other alternatives. More on my quest for the perfect headset very soon.

Did I write too soon? To my list of Jawbone drawbacks, add questionable durability and unresponsive customer support.

Having had difficulties with the fit of the Jawbone, I foolishly dispensed with the ear loop; the Jawbone remained attached to my ear only through the snugness of the ear bud in my ear canal. Alas, while juggling five bottles of wine on the way to the checkout counter at Beverages & More, I felt the Jawbone wriggling its way out of my ear. Despite a feeble attempt to set down the bottles and rescue my three-day-old, $120 headset, it plummeted to the ground from a height of about four feet. I promptly picked it up, re-inserted it in my ear, made a call and was relieved to hear a voice on the other end. But, once I started speaking, I heard, “Hello? Hello? Hello? I can’t hear you, dude.” Click. Day three and my Jawbone got broke.

I attempted to use it three other times, to the frustration of a friend and my brother, and then I re-charged it overnight. To my chagrin, spontaneous healing, apparently, is not one of the Jawbone’s features.

Fortunately, because I had purchased two additional Jawbones for my friend in London, I co-opted one of these and plan to exchange the defective unit for a new one next week. Shhh, please don’t tell Cingular. (If you do, the recovering lawyer in me will argue that a fall from four feet constitutes normal usage, and the unit should be designed to withstand such duress).

As for customer support, I contacted Jawbone via the email support form on the Web site, to ask both about the durability of the headset and about how to improve the fit for my ear. It’s been 24 hours, and I haven’t heard from anyone.

Does any of this change my overall assessment of the Jawbone? Sadly, it does not. The transmitting sound quality is still so vastly superior to other headsets and this consideration is so important to me, that I’m going to stick with this device – at least until it breaks again. In fact, when I exchange the defective unit, I’ll pick up any additional units for my friend in Europe.

Addendum, 28 March 2007: Over a week later, a Jawbone representative replied by email with this response:

Dear Joon-Soo,

Unfortunately, the long loop that was provided is the longest loop we currently offer. Have you tried using other buds? This may help keep the jawbone in place. I do not recommend not using a loop - while the jawbone can withstand a fall, not using a loop will not give you the proper fit required for the white sensor to rest on your cheek. This contact is what allows the jawbone to sense the vibrations in your jawbone, thereby canceling out the background noise.

If the other ear buds do not work, you can return your headset at the place of purchase within the 30 days allotted. We will be offering different sized loops and buds in the coming months. If you’d like to be put on a list, please let us know.

I hope this helps!

The Support Team

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/