Anyone care to recommend a Bluetooth Earpiece?

The title says it all. I'm breaking down and getting one. I've avoided the cyborg look for as long as I can. Suggestions? Models to avoid?

It kind of depends on the brand of your cell phone. Some work better with one brand than another. My motorola phones work ok with Jabra headsets, but they work much better with motorola branded ones.

Plantronics Discovery 655 is the unit I'm using. When I bought it several months ago it was rated #1. Now there are several others, with a slightly higher rating like Aliph.
But the Aliph units are all over the ear. I personally like the in the ear headsets and the 655 is the best of the lot. I also comes with an over the ear loop for those that want that. This unit sits in your ear and doesn't move around or come out. Clarity is superb.
I like the options is comes with.
, the Discovery 655 comes with a selection of charging options. With the first option, you slip the headset into a carrying case, which then connects to the wall charger. Though you must use the carrying case for the wall charger, it's very small and it even has a little clip on the back to attach to your shirt pocket. Also, if the headset is in the case when a call is received, it will vibrate, letting you know there's an incoming call. When you take the headset out of the case, it will automatically answer the call without you having to reach for your cell phone as well. We found this to be an especially useful feature when your cell phone isn't as easily accessible, such as if it's in your pocket or backpack.

There are also other charging options made specifically for those constantly on the go. There is a small tube that can be attached to both the carrying case and an included USB cable, so you can easily charge your headset with your computer. Finally, there's an ingenious cylindrical charger that you can insert a AAA battery in, attach it to the carrying case, and charge your headset without the need for a wall charger. The Discovery 655 even comes with the AAA battery included in the package but I found mine to be dead.
I am happy with it. The little thing is amazing. I ordered mine on-line at Newegg, which had the lowest price, $80 shipped.

CNET review
http://reviews.cnet.com/Plantronic_...dset/4505-12523_7-32030123.html?tag=pdtl-list

Newegg"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0&Description=plantronics+655+headset&x=0&y=0

woot-off has/had one for $20.00 shipped. woot.com, refurbished, dont know what that means, your ears may not be the first to plug in.

I use a Bluespoon AX2. Very small and good sound.

senecaripple said:

woot-off has/had one for $20.00 shipped. woot.com, refurbished, dont know what that means, your ears may not be the first to plug in.

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There have been a couple during this past woot-off. They're gone, as of two minutes ago, however. You can get an open box Jabra BT125 for dirt cheap, on eBay. I just got one for $11, shipped. It's all sealed up in the box, complete with everything, just like new. There are a bunch on there.


Edit: I just tried my $11 ($6.01, before shipping) Jabra, last night, and it works great! It's very clear.

Plantronics Voyager 510

I've got one of these I use with my Sony cell phone. Very comfortable, not quite as Borg looking as a lot of others. Excellent battery life, quite clear, no problems with it. I don't have it stuck in my head 24/7, just occasionally when I'm expecting a call or when walking to dog and talking to Mom...

Whoa! Just looked it up on Newegg and they have it for $45! Granted, I've had mine a while, but that seems like a really good price.

I also like Jabra products... Just ordered my second one from Kiadomain.com

Here's a review of the mentioned Aliph. It's supposed to have the best sound quality in the world right now.

I have 3 different styles. I'm always looking for one that is "just right". I picked up the Bluespoon Spider from radio shack this week. It's on sale for $49 ($39 after rebate).

I bought it as a stereo headset for my MP3 player. It works with my Palm Pilot as well as with my LG 8300. The sound quality is quite good.

It also acts as a cell phone headset. It's nice to have both ears covered in a high noise environment. The sound quality of the microphone is as good or better than my Motorola hs850.

I can listen to my cell phone's MP3 player with the spider. I can't with the Moto.


Daniel
P.S. The Palm T|X has bluetooth, but needed an after market driver to access the stereo headset,

I have a Logitech Freedom... works great, good soundquality, comfy to wear because it is on your ear instead of in your ear. it is fairly windproof and batterylife is decent too... only drawback I found so far is that it has the tendency to turn on by itself when its in my pack. Also, it was the cheapest available (in brick & mortar store) at the time I bought it. Tested it on 3 phones (Sony-Ericsson T630, Motorola V3, Samsung E530) a pda (HP Ipaq HX4700) and my PC, so far it has shown no compatibility issues with any device.

It sounds like you guys are saying that the In-the-ear models are more comfy than over-the-ear? That's opposite of what I expected. If it matters, the phone is a Verizon Smartphone/PDA.

I *think* I would like to be able to hear some ambient sounds rather than completely blocking them out (you know, things like oncoming trains, ambulance sirens, etc.) Do the OTE models do a little better in this regard?

The main reason I'm looking at the Bluetooth stuff is because the volume level on my cell is inadequate.

I'm a big fan of the Plantronics stuff myself. Have had good experiences with Jabra but have not tried their Bluetooth headsets.

Bloodnut said:

It sounds like you guys are saying that the In-the-ear models are more comfy than over-the-ear? That's opposite of what I expected.

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As I said in my previous post, I find over the ear more comfy than in the ear...

Gotta put a plug in for one that you'll have to find used or NOS, the Sony-Ericcson HBH-300.

I also have a Motorola HS-850 and it frankly sounds horrible on outgoing voice under almost any condition. When it's "good", it's bad... and when it's "bad", it's garbage.

The HBH-300 is huge by today's standards, but that's a good part of what makes it work so well. I needed a headset that lets me be clearly understood from a soft-top Jeep at highway+ speeds, and there is absolutely NO dsp substitute for proper mic placement and noise-cancelling mic design. I've yet to hear a dsp headset I consider up to the task. No matter how "cute" they get, if the person on the other end has trouble understanding you, that fancy headset is just an expensive fashion toy. I use it for business, so that would be bad.

Of course, this means clear communications are more important to me than whether or not I look like a geek!

Howard Forums has a section on Bluetooth that I think you would find very useful: http://howardforums.com

This headset sucks!!!! It was the BT250v and delived good battery run time but really bad "out" audio. I have contacted Jabra twice without an answer. For some reason, I just bought a BT5020 from Jabra (glutton for punishment!!) and if this doens't do it will order a Jawbone. I have seen and played with one at work and it is nice. The reason I held off was because the metal "loops" that go over the ear are fragile. My co-worked broke all of the fittings just using it!! She is a 50+ yr old woman who is gentle on it but the fit just didn't cut it for her. The sound quality is AMAZING! We tested it with my Vornado fan on high aimed at her and I walked into another room and you could barely hear the fan!! A+++ desing... F for those stupid metal loops LOL

Manzerick said:

I also like Jabra products... Just ordered my second one from Kiadomain.com

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I bought the clearance motorola that uses AAAs and like it quite a bit.

I second the Jawbone suggestion. Head next to a thumping stereo, and you can both hear and be heard perfectly. Amazing stuff. I'll be fine on the phone when using power tools or whatever now, as well as when driving. :thumbsup: (Thanks darling!)

Plantronics Voyager 855 Bluetooth headset is what have and enjoy:thumbsup::twothumbs