3-Way Bluetooth Headset Comparison Audio   Page 1

Reviewer: RWL Staff Article Publish Date: 5/6/2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

    As most of you are well aware of a little over a month ago we started reviewing Bluetooth compatible products for use at home, inside the car or generally on the go. Since then many of you proposed that we should not be doing single reviews of such devices so they can know what to expect in terms of audio quality, battery life and features in general between several units currently available in the market. So to that end today we bring you a small comparison of three of the markets top Bluetooth enabled headsets by the three top manufacturers in the field namely Jabra, Plantronics and BlueAnt.

 

 

ABOUT JABRA

 

    It’s a hands-free future, whether you’re talking to your friends, listening to your music, or conducting business in the office or in a contact center. And GN, led by the Jabra brand, continues to build on its standing as one of the world’s leading and fastest growing suppliers of headset solutions. It all started in 1869, in Copenhagen, when the Great Northern Telegraph Company, later GN Store Nord, opened its doors with the idea of uniting the trading capitals of Europe and Asia by stringing telegraph cables across the continents and under the seas. In 1987 GN Netcom (now GN) was founded under the GN Store Nord umbrella. Since launching its first headset, Stetomike, the company has launched and marketed a long list of innovative headset solutions. In 2000 GN launched the world’s first mobile Bluetooth headset establishing its position as a global innovator in personal communications. This was also the year when GN strengthened its position as a leading global provider of communications solutions by acquiring the Jabra Corporation, a corporation founded in San Diego in 1993 with the purpose of exploring the vast possibilities of hands-free communication.

 

 

ABOUT PLANTRONICS

 

    From the day two airline pilots working in a garage set out to invent a new kind of aviation headset until today, we have considered breakthroughs in audio technology as our daily business. We pioneered the lightweight headset, the mobile headset, noise-canceling technology and the personal speakerphone, always driven by a single obsession: remove the barriers to simply smarter communications. The result? Our products are used by everyone from pilots, astronauts, and 911 emergency workers to 100% of the Fortune 100. From friends conversing across the globe, to mobile professionals doing business on the road, to contact centers and executive offices, Plantronics is the choice for everyone united by digital technology and the human need to communicate. Plantronics is a publicly held company (NYSE: PLT) headquartered in Santa Cruz, California with offices in 20 countries, including major facilities in China, England, Mexico, and the Netherlands. Our products are sold and supported through a worldwide network of Plantronics partners, including resellers, systems integrators, retailers and mobile carriers. And a half a century later, we are striving every day to deliver simply smarter communications with innovative design and technology.

 

 

ABOUT BLUEANT

 

    Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and with offices in London and Silicon Valley, BlueAnt Wireless is a market leading designer and distributor of Bluetooth devices and accessories. We pride ourselves on developing high-performance, cutting-edge products that are easy to use and work straight out of the box. With a BlueAnt device you simply connect. Our technology teaches you how to use your device, without the need to read a complicated manual, leaving you free to get on with your life. Our current product range includes the world's first true handsfree Bluetooth car speakerphone, and a Bluetooth headset with the best wind noise reduction of any headset on the market. Our devices also feature advanced multipoint and text to speech technology, seamless integration with information services and A2DP streaming of audio from compatible devices. We aim to simplify every aspect of your mobile communications experience by giving you best-in-class noise cancellation and voice isolation, as well as innovative voice control features. We are so confident in our products that we offer a full two year warranty and provide unprecedented customer service. If you have a problem getting your BlueAnt product working, give us a call and one of our team members will talk you through any difficulty you may have.

 

 

    All three companies are the best ones in the field and so their current high-end Bluetooth headsets can't be anything less than very good. However as you will also see later on each unit has its ups and downs and so according to what usage you want and your genre (yes that too matters) one is more suited than the other. Needless to say that testing something that can't be benchmarked automatically means that our conclusion/opinion may not agree with yours and although we always do our best to double and even triple check our results this is just how things are. Also be sure to expect many more comparisons just like this one since luckily for all of us technology never really stays the same.