by Josh Korwin
posted on March 5, 2009 2:20 pm
The basics
The Jabra BT350 is a lightweight, noise-canceling Bluetooth headset
featuring dual microphones, styled somewhat similarly to the Jawbone.
The Jabra SP700 is a hands-free, Bluetooth car speakerphone, with
the option of either using its built-in speaker, or porting the sound
via radio transmitter to the car’s stereo.
Jabra BT530 Bluetooth Headset, unopened
The ups and downs
The BT350 is light, comfortable, easy to pair, and easy to use. It
lasts as long as it’s supposed to (about 5.5 hours of talk time and up
to 250 hours of standby), and while the noise reduction is not perfect,
it’s certainly adequate—windy days will still likely cause complaints
from whomever you’re talking to. It can be worn in-ear, or
over-the-ear, depending on preference; the over-the-ear clip can be
removed, and the form-fitting earpiece can be swapped for a more robust
“stay-in-my-ear, dammit” version with a ring-like appendage (included).
Charging can be done via a USB cable, but the headset-end USB
variation is not the standard mini-USB connector. To make matters
worse, the SP700’s adapter is another non-standard variation on the
mini-USB, so one charger cannot be used for both, and you won’t be able
to use your standard mini-USB cable (from a camera or T-Mobile G1, for
example) to charge your Jabra accessories. The on-off switch is a nice
function, but it’s rare that I’ve had to use it. The headset will not
connect while being charged, so it’s useful to take it off the charger
when expecting a call—it will however connect quickly while the phone
is ringing, so it’s not a big deal. The answer/hang-up button works
more or less as it should. The volume up-and-down buttons are placed in
a logical position, but it’s somewhat uncomfortable to fumble with them
while the unit is in your ear.
Overall it’s one of the better headsets I’ve used—at $52 it’s
definitely worth considering, and it’s more visually appealing than
most of the competition.
Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Speakerphone, packaging
The SP700 Bluetooth speakerphone is the type of device I was loathe
to consider necessary; after all, most Bluetooth-enabled phones have a
built-in speakerphone. So why put an additional device in the car? My
mind was immediately changed after using the device for a few days.
While the speakerphone functions on most phones are adequate for
quiet-room operation, they often do not fare well in noisier
environments such as cars. The SP700 is loud. Like
earsplittingly loud. Especially when the unit is placed on the sun
visor near your head. In fact, one of my biggest complaints about the
unit is that it seems to default to the loudest volume every time it’s
powered up, and it’s annoying and seemingly ineffective to actually
turn the volume down. It seems to be on some sort of logarithmic scale,
so even a few clicks of the minus-button in (which is hard to find to
begin with, especially while driving), and the sound is still loud.
There’s also an obnoxious confirmation tone that blocks out the
incoming call for a split second each time the button is pressed—it’s
as if Jabra just doesn’t want you to change the volume. And personally,
I’ve pretty much given up.
During high-speed freeway driving, it’s great to be able to hear
above the traffic din, but it can cause some real ear-ache during
quieter parking lot moments. An added bonus (to some extent) is the
ability to transmit the audio via radio signal to the car’s stereo. On
paper, this is fantastic, and when I first tried it, it sounded
unbelievably clear. It was also much simpler to change the volume,
since I could use my car’s controls rather than the clumsy SP700
buttons. But here’s the catch: just like with any radio transmitter,
it’s necessary to find an unused station to broadcast on. In some rural
areas or parts of Siberia, this is probably not a challenge, but here
in LA, where simultaneous driving and phone-talking is extremely
prevalent, it’s nearly impossible to find an open frequency. And even
if you can find one, it’s likely to change as your location changes
while driving, and it’s awkward and dangerous to be fumbling with both
the SP700 and the car stereo while in motion, all while
telling your conversation partner “Hold on! I can’t hear you and I have
to find a new radio station.” Lives are at stake, Jabra. So I pretty
much stick to the built-in speakerphone—the radio functionality sounds
great when it works, but just not reliable or simple enough to justify
all the trouble. While the charger connector is a bit non-standard (as
mentioned in the previous section), it can be charged in the car, and
the device certainly does hold a charge longer than you’d expect.
At $61 it’s not a must-have, but it’s worth thinking about if you
spend a lot of time using your mobile’s built-in speakerphone in the
car.
Street prices
BT530: $52
SP700: $61
Final verdict
These two products are definitely worth considering—they may not be
everything you’re looking for, but they’re reasonably priced, quality
products.
Resource: http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/jabra-bt530-bluetooth-headset-jabra-sp700-bluetooth-speakerphone-2009035/
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