I have a perfectly good Bluetooth Headset already, the Blue Ant Z9, that I really haven’t used all that much so why did I want another Bluetooth Headset, and why did I decide on the Jawbone 2?
Why Another Bluetooth Headset
A number of things have happend in the last couple of months:
- I have pimped the Road King Classic and added the Garmin Zumo 550 which I use on the Harley and in the Jeep, so have been using a Bluetooth headset more to listen to the music and directions from the GPS. I have tried the Blue Ant Z9 for this and it is great BUT when it came to trying to make a phone call the wind and open faced helmet won!
- Both Sands and I have started using My Phlogs on our sites ( Almerimar Life, and Almerimar Life Strays and the use of a headset is pretty useful at times, so Sands needs to use the Blue Ant Z9 headset as well pretty regularly.
- I have been talking more client calls from the UK recently to do with some blogs that I am setting up and running, and being able to talk hands free while I make adjustments etc has been pretty useful, plus the battery of the iPhone is still terrible so it is best left in the docking station all day when I am at my desk!! I really should get myslef a extra battery ‘thingy’ for it soon.
So, a number of genuine reasons for needing a second Bluetooth Headset ……
Why the Jawbone 2
Truth be told I have wanted a Jawbone since they first came out, and the few people that I asked:Jawbone 2 or Apple Bluetooth iPhone Headset? pretty much confirmed my view that the Jawbone 2 was the ‘no brainer’ choice, especially as I was able to pick it up for £44.95 and £5 shipping from the UK off eBay.
I have always liked the design of the device, and the Noise Assassin feature certainly had a strong ‘macho’ appeal, even if I wasn’t sure that I would actually use or need it!
What Do I think Of The Jawbone2?
Ever since I was a child I have always loved the packaging of products. I would like to be able to add some ‘glamour’ to this review by saying that we were so poor that all I got as a kid for birthdays and christmas was wraped up empty boxes, but that isn’t true …… but I bet my parents were tempted at times as I recall playing for hours with the boxes and the paper. We don’t have kids so I haven’t passed that trait on, although two of our cats (Moreno and Oscar) just love empty boxes!! I digress, but it may explain why as an adult I am a sucker for the Apple packaging, have a lock up full of empty boxes, and even now when a new product arrives I never rush in and open it, but always take care with the pacaging and often (to the frustrtaion of Sands) will start talking about the packaging before I get to the product.
The Jawbone 2 made me a very happy person!
Great presentation and a well thought out case.
Love this packaging. The Jawbone 2 is presented as if mounted on a winning podium, or as a trophy in a glass cabinet, and your eyes are just drawn to the headset, but an element of intrigue is introduced as to what could be behind the black cardboard sleeve.
Very clever packaging
The bottom larger box contains the charger, cradle and USB cable. The device can be charged from the mains of via a USB port which is very useful, and the cradle for the headset is very small, neat and unobtrussive so perfect for traveling!
Small neat and compact, both the Jawbone 2 and the magnetic charging cradle
The smaller box has two spare ear pieces (large and small) and four replacement ear hoops ( 2 leather, 2 wired, again both small and large) and the headset comes fitted with a medium hoop and a medium earpiece. There is even a instructional video online describing how the Jawbone should fit. I seem to require a large hoop and small ear piece which seems pretty weird to me!
Options for every size ear, and very neat packaging!
As for the headset itself it is very light, beautifully made, and fits very well.
The little beauty
But does it work ………
Yes! I have been more than happy with it so far.
Initial pairing is easy enough as it automatically goes into pairing mode the first time it is turned on. You can check this as the indicator light on the side flashes red and white. If you subsequently want to enter the pairing mode you press the two buttons (talk on the side, noise assassin on the end) together for a couple of seconds and you are good to go for the next 3 minutes.
Operation is simple, but you do have a few button combinations to remember:
- The talk button (on the side) turns the headset on and off by holiding it down for a couple of seconds
- The talk button answers a incoming call with a quick press
- The noise assassin button (on end near ear) is pressed to reject an incoming call
- The noise assassin button is used to change the volume during a call, via a cycle of options
- You can turn the noise assassin off by pressing the noise assassin button for 2 seconds during a call, and another 2 seconds to switch it back on
- If you use voice dialling you initiate that by pressing the noise assassin button for 2 seconds while in standby mode and then speak the command
- Tapping the noise assassin button with a ‘triple tap’ redials the last number
- Pressing the talk button 5 times while in standby turns off the LED
- To answer an incoming call while on a call press the Talk button
Phew!!! That is a lot to remember!!! You certainly need to make sure you know what they all do before you venture out in a car, or in my case on a Harley!! I have to say that using the Jawbone2 on the Road King Classic has tested the noise assassination facility fully, and while it is certainly better than the Blue Ant Z9 (sorry guys but it is) and it is useable, it certainly doesn’t kill all the noise generated riding at 70mph, but then again it would be unrealistic to expect it to!
So there you are, a very very good product, that I am more than happy with!
Just curious why you didn’t go for the Jawbone Prime (ie 3) instead? I just bought one and there seem to be some good improvements (NoiseAssassin 2.0, some anti-wind noise stuff, backup noise cancelling without the nubbin touching your cheek, multipoint, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR).
Pretty sure the Prime was out when you ordered the 2.
I was basically forced to give up my Apple headset when everyone bar none complained they could not hear me, even if I could hear them just fine.
Price basically! Couldn’t justify spending much on something that historically I haven’t used much, and the vast majority of the time I use it I am sat at my desk so this seems to be fine. Bought an ex demo model as well to save more money!!!
The 3 does sound better though …..
I went from the Jawbone 1 (which worked well but was HUGE) to the Apple (tiny, love the dual charging cable and battery indication, but sucked) to the Prime.
It was very expensive but I do use it constantly (car/office/home)…
I hate earloops but the Jawbone fits really well with just the medium (original) earbud. The new ones with the rubber loop don’t work for me. Weird ears I guess.
I demoed the noise cancelling from the car with windows down and music going, to my lovely wife and even she, a gadget philistine, was impressed.
See now you are making me want one!!!
I hate the earloops as well. Basically what I want is a 24 like ear piece that just sits in your ear and is invisible!!!
Earloops interfere with sunglasses…gotta look cool.
I want a bone-conducting implant. Essentially a direct Bluetooth connection to my lughole…but when upgrading your earpiece requires surgery even I draw the line!
Jawbone is on twitter btw – @JawboneEarwear and quite responsive.
LOL
As a guy with pierced ears I would happliy accept a ear stuf that did the job!!!
Pingback: Bluetooth headset use plummets in the US, humanity celebrates a small victory | Chris Marshall