Posted by ipXpert
Well,
The good:
Comfortable
Easy to pair with my t68i
The bad:
Sound on my end had too much static and seemed to cut in and out.
Sound on the receivers end was poor due to my voice being too low.
15-20 feet from phone is as far as you will get before bond is lost.
I will do more testing in the morning but as of now I think this unit is going back to Jabra.*Looks like a BlueSpoon might be in my future.
_________________
[ This Message was edited by: ipXpert on 2002-10-11 07:23 ]
Posted by johnnie
My signature can tell you everything
Posted by marcus
Ip,did it sound bad even if you are close to your phone? Where did you buy yours? Is that the bt200 model? Pls send me more details jgotinga@yahoo.comI'm really on the verge of getting one and your review would be very important to me:)
Posted by sgilboy
i got mine from MobilePlanet yesterday.. its super comfortable to wear, mine sounds fine, i haven't really tested the range yet, but from the few conversations i had on it last night, it's well worth the $100
Posted by marcus
Does ths mean that \"ipxperts\" JABRA is probably defective? Are u sure there werent no static on the background or choppy reception? Please test the distance:) also the voice commands and voice dial feature.How long did it take b4 it got to u? And how did u pay 4 it?( Cheque,Card,Cash on delivery)?Thanks!
Posted by ipXpert
I placed a couple of calls in the car this morning and they sounded good on my end. The person I called said that my voice was still a bit low. I also drive a loud truck and that is what I am in most of the time. I will do some test calls in it and let you know how it sounds. *I will test the voice commands later on tonight when I have time to set it up.
[ This Message was edited by: ipXpert on 2002-10-11 17:26 ]
Posted by drsecure
Mine is in route, so for those that have it in hand,
(1) does it work well with t68i
(2) does it announce incomming call
(3) do voice commands work (so there is no need to use controls on device)
Posted by sgilboy
got mine yesterday, i like it a lot!
works great with my 68m, sound is a tad scratchy, but well well worth the $100
Posted by ipXpert
The last two days it has sounded better than the first day I tested it. Sometimes though I get a lot of static/chop when the phone is in my pant pocket. For 99.00 its not bad but I still think that the BSpoon might be better. Hopefully someone in SoCal will get a BS so we can compare.
Posted by marcus
Ipxpert,Do the voice commands work?Hows the fit? Does it look good when ur wearing it? Or does it make u look like an operator? What does your friend say about it? Please let me know coz a frnd o mine will b going there on tuesday and i'll ask her to get me one. Where can she get one if she'll b staying in new york? How long does it take if rhe will order it on-line? Thanks in advance!
Posted by ipXpert
The voice commands do work but I have not been able to get the "Magic Word" to work. I dont know if BT headsets have that capability. It doesnt look too bad on. The general public though does look at you kind of funny at first. For the money this headset is turning out to be an ok deal. I am now trying to justify spending almost 3x the price for the BlueSpoon, especialy since I have not used one of them yet. I would like to do a side by side comparison of the Jabra Freespeak and the Bluespoon.
*As for functionality, you realy need to have some kind of line of sight between you and the Jabra to get a good clear sound. I used it in my very noisy Toyota Landcruiser FJ60 and the person I called said it sounded good. I can't figure out why it was funcioning so poorly the fist day but it seems to work better now. I did get a bit frustrated when I had to take my phone out of my front pocket to get a good connection between the headset and the t68i.
I got mine from www.jabra.com and they use www.mobileplanet.com to complete the actual sale.
If anyone has been able to get the Magic Word to work with this headset, please let me know.
Thanks,
Posted by marcus
How long does it take them to deliver if u order it on-line? -does it sound bad when your phone is your shirt pocket?
Posted by ipXpert
Shirt pocket works well. I dont know how long yours will take since I preordered mine.
Posted by jnonhoffzieg
Interesting that you have problems with the headset in your pants pocket. I wonder if this is inherent to all
Posted by marcus
I already asked my friend to purchuse one for me on-line because she's in the US right now.
How long do (FreeSpeak)your batteries last?
Does it fit perfectly on your ear?
Is that mini-gel comfortable or does it feel like you've got a finger in your ear?
I really appreciate all your feedbacks:) and i sure as hell am already excited to get mine.
Posted by drsecure
Got mine, real nice fit. Some observations.
(1) I keep mine my t68i in a backpack and works just fine, not static
(2) Voice commands work, need to say them 2 times (most of the times, could just be my voice)
(3) Magic word does not work
(4) Standby battery last 2-3 days
(5) talk time is over 2 hrs as I was on a call that long and it still has power left
(6) Can use it in either ear
(7) Controls on ear piece are easy to get to and use
Posted by Liquid-R1
Just got a sample today... I've been comparing to my HBH-30.... Here are a couple quick oberservations that I noticed...
Likes:
- MUCH more comfortable that the HBH-30... The SE seems to hurt the outer part of my ear after extended use... I don't have that problem w/ the Jabra...
- Isn't as obtrusive as the SE... The SE really sticks out esp. w/ the boom mic, not as bad with the Jabra...
- Less expensive... I believe the Jabra retails at about 99.99 while the HBH-30 was $130.00
Dislikes:
- When connecting up with the phone, the SE has a continious beep as it links up to the phone... The Jabra only beeps once to initiate, then again once it's sync'd. But, the 5-10 seconds it takes to link, the Jabra has dead silence... It's like calling someone and getting no ring tone... You're not really sure if it went through...
- The volume control is independant of the vol. control on the phone... Please note, I am using a T68i, so it may be different for other phones... So, on the SE, the volume 1-8 can be controlled via the phone OR the headset... They are linked together... The Jabra is separate, so the headset does NOT control the phone volume... Just it's own...
- No Mic Mute on headset... On the SE, I can press both volume buttons at the same time at turn off the mic... Really useful for talking smack about the person you on the phone with without them knowing.. =) Can't do that on the Jabra...
- Fit and Finish not the greatest versus the SE... The part that covers the mic on mine seems slapped on...
Other from those points, to me they are about the same... I haven't tested the range on the Jabra yet, but I must say that the SE wasn't the greatest... For now though, I really do like the Jabra a little better... Even without the features I liked on the SE, the comfort is the most important thing to me... The SE hurts my ear for extended periods of time while the Jabra feels fine... I think I'll stick to the Jabra for now...
Posted by jmpage2
My impressions.
I got my unit today and just had a couple of hours to try it out after charging it.
Pairing with the T68i was a breeze. The headset is an easy fit on either ear (a nice feature). I have worn literally dozens of headsets, and found this to be the most comfortable one I have ever used. In my case it seemed to fit much better on my right ear. Not easy to put on with one hand though, as the little ear gel is free to swivel around and it can get away from you very easily if you are driving, etc. It's very light and the buttons are fairly easy to run with it on your ear.
Not sure if I like how it looks... I strongly suspect that until people see more of these devices they will assume that it is a hearing aid and might yell when talking to you. The microphone part of the unit also has a, hmmm... how shall we say, phallic look to it? It's one part of the design I am not impressed with.
Called several friends and they all said the sound quality was very good... none of them knew I was on a headset till I told them... they all said they were surprised it was a headset. On my end the sound quality was quite excellent, even at the middle volume setting.
Haven't had a chance to test battery life, but honestly 3 hrs of talk time a day and 96 hrs of standby should be more than sufficient for my use. I don't mind charging every day.
But life is not perfect in Freespeak land, there are a few probs with it. Voice command seem hindered by a timing bug between the freespeak and the T68i, which never is able to hear the spoken name on the first time. The headset will beep for the name, and the T68i will prompt for the name a second before the headset cuts off. The second name querry almost always seems to work (the headset re-prompts for the name and is in synch with the phone the 2nd time).
the little holster clip/charger combo is a little flaky... its difficult to get it in or out of there without hitting the buttons, I also wasn't too happy with how big it was on a belt clip. Fortunately the unit is very compact and fits in a jeans pocket very nicely... just takes a few more rings to get it out ofa pocket before the cell covers to voicemail.
If anyone has any tips for this with the T68i I would love to hear them. As it is I am VERY satisfied with how well this unit works, especially for the $97 (shipped).
A bluespoon might still be in my future, but only when they offer something substantial over the freespeak (sorry guys, longer battery life and a slightly smaller footprint are not reasons enough to spend almost 3X the money). The jaw mic would make the BS worth it, but right now with the standard mic, I don't see how it's worth the extra cost.
Posted by marcus
Question:
Does the Jabra BT200 stay put on your ear even if you shake your head or does it feel like it's gonna fall?
Posted by jmpage2
It is very secure once you have it seated properly.
Posted by GregB
How comfortable is the freespeak to wear with glasses. Not necessarily specs (ie ones with a hook that loops behind the ear) but sunglasses (with a perfectly straight arm)
Also, anyone tried using a freespeak while riding a pedal bike? Is wind noise a problem?
Posted by jmpage2
I wear it with a pair of Revo Pythons and don't find that it is a problem. Sunglasses with really thick arms (which seem to be more popular these days) would probably be a problem.
If I wore glasses regularly I would probably get a BS since it does not touch the outer ear at all.
Posted by geoffreyw
I just got my FreeSpeak and when i get more than 5 feet away from it, it breaks up really bad. I am using a T68i and I used the record on the phone to test it. I can hear pretty well all the way up to about 20 feet but i sound like darth vader. What gives.
Also, i noticed that if you wait until the second beep, the voice commands work great.
[ This Message was edited by: geoffreyw on 2002-10-25 03:53 ]
Posted by geoffreyw
One more question. I just received a phone call and the phone did not ring. I heard the voice command repeated twice but no ring. While this is not a problem when you have the headset on, it would be nice if both the phone and the headset would let you know that a call is coming in. Anybvody know how to change this?
Posted by jmpage2
When my headset is connected I do hear the ring. You might have to change ring under the profile for headset as I believe when the phone gets the call and routs it to the Jabra it uses this profile.
I also have mine set up to "always ask" for answer options under bluetooth... this way when a call comes in I have the choice of answering on EITHER the handset or the headset. Very handy.
Posted by Darrenk
I just have one quick question, does he headset actually ring out loud or does it just ring in the ear? The reason I ask is because I may leave my phone in my briefcase and the headset in my pocket. This means I can't hear my phone ring.
Posted by geoffreyw
DarrenK> just rings in the ear
Jmpage2> what profile are you talking about? I have a port-h-free profile but that has ringers and vibration setup as well. I get no vibration or ringing in the phone. I am going to call Tech support later and see if they can help me
Posted by jmpage2
I wouldn't bother calling Jabra as they have no control over the ring behavior.
What FW version is the T68i? I remember something about the bluetooth behavior with headsets being improved in later versions.
Posted by darex
I think the Jabra Freespeak is AWESOME!
I have never liked hands-free devices before now (between the wire and having my old phone T28 upside down in my pocket, etc...).
I've only had mine 3 days, but I think it's one of the coolest things I've ever purchased.
The first night, I spoke with a friend while walking around a store (Target), and at the end of the long conversation, I revealed to her that not only was I on a hands-free headset, but a cordless one! She couldn't believe it had no idea.
In my mind, this unit is perfect. I can't imagine what more anyone could ask for.
It's light, comfortable, looks great, holds a charge for 4 days, or 4 hours (talking), it syncs with the phone instantly, and permanently, and works beautifully.
The activation of the voice commands sounds a bit messed up until you get used to it, but it does work, and it works very well.
I can answer or not answer with voice commands, and dial out -- never fails. When you hit the button, you first hear a Jabra beep, then some other kind of "messed-up sounding" beep, then the actual t68i voice dial beep. You have to wait for the REAL t68i beep before you issue your command, but if you do, it does work just fine. There's a 2-second delay or so until the "real" beep is sounded.
Note, Jabra recommends you record all your voice commands via the headset for maximum clarity and accuracy, and that makes sense. It probably explains any failures in accuracy that others have found. Where and how did they record their voice labels?
This headset works beyond my expectations, and is far and away the cheapest option out there.
It also draws much attention. Everyone wants to know what it is. They think it's a hearing aid, but it has that cool bright blue LED flashing, plus the boom mike. When you tell them it's a wireless headset, they often don't believe it. They also don't believe how light it is, and they have the hardest time believing it's only $99.
I know there are always some people who denounce everything, but I honestly can't believe anyone could hate this unit for how it performs and lives up to every aspect of its billing.
It's also rock-solid on your ear (you have to play with the positon of the gel to get it right for YOUR ear, but once you do, you could do summersaults and handstands and it won't come off. it's very comfortable too, because it's thin and so light.
I suspect that those that complained of static or weak signals are trying to test the limitations of the bluetooth range. If the phone is within reaching distance of you (on your desk, in your pocket, or backpack), it's a great-sounding connection. If you're across the room, it may not be, but Bluetooth is not designed for you to be in another room or across the hall. 30m is not that far, and unless it's a line-of-sight 30M, it will be much less for any scenario.
5 Stars!!!
David
Posted by pauly
All, I have read all the posts and agree with most of the comments good and bad. I got mine 10-18-02 at Fry's in Dallas. They had just gotten them in that day. I have been hot on the trail of the Jabra since I first read about it a few weeks ago. I have to say that I was very eager to give it high marks. I also must tell you that I got it with the intention of giving it a "try" and taking it back if I wasn't satisfied. I think I am going to take it back!
Likes: I agree with all that like the fit. It is great. It fits snug into the ear and the sound is very acceptable. There are times that it will really get wedged down in your ear and you can't hear anything out of that ear if you are not on a call, but I have found that it in fact IS pretty easy to put on even with one hand. You must first put the ear gel in place and the rest kind of follows. Too hard to describe but trust me, it can be done with one hand easily.
The voice command DO work just fine. As one post already mentioned, you must wait past the first jabra beep to the t68i beep. Very infrequently have I had to say a name more than once for the phone to recognize it. Even ones that I recorded from the phone work well from the Jabra. I have even used it in crowded, pretty noisy places and it has performed well.
The looks of this baby are great. It is sleek, and stay close in to your face. It very much looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. It is as futuristic looking as Captain Kirks communicator was in Star Trek... REALLY. The blue flashin led's are very sexy too. It does draw attention. If you like this then that is a good thing. At least with the cabled earbuds people knew you had some kind of phone somewhere on your body. Now with no wires and an earpiece that looks like you are in the secret service or something, people don't know how to react to you. That is pretty cool though if you ask me.
OK for my major dislike. And I must say that I have not had any other bluetooth headset before so I don't know if this is all of them or just the Jabra... when my t68i is in my front right pocket, and the Jabra is in my right ear, I will pretty regulary get a wierd "bluetooth" static. I say it that way because it is not normal "static". It is kind of a wierd popping, cutting out sort of phenonenon. If I kind of lean my body forward just a bit and to the right, it gets much better. If I put the phone in my left pocket, well thats just all there is to it. Very bad signal. Popping and cutting out and all. On the other hand, if I put it out on my desk standing upright, I can almost walk all around the room and get a pretty clear signal. BTW, that is pretty cool. My main point of contention is the right ear right front pocket thing... and it is for that reason that I am going to take it back. I wonder if any of you are experiencing the same performance. Also one other tidbit. Although I have not charged it that many times, I have charged it the 8 nights that I have had it and the cutting out seems to be a little worse late in the day. I generally talk about an hour on it a day, maybe a little more. I don't know if maybe that has something to do with it.
I also must admit one other thing. I really want a Bluespoon Panther SO BAD I can taste it. I think I am going to try and convince my wife into letting me fork over the $$ for the BS. And I hope that it works better than the Jabra. I will say however, that the Jabra is by far the best deal for the $. It is way cheaper than any of the rest.
Please feel free to ask as I have made many other observations that I have not shared here.
[ This Message was edited by: pauly on 2002-10-27 04:31 ]
[ This Message was edited by: pauly on 2002-10-27 04:33 ]
Posted by jmpage2
Well, the bluespoon Panther does look nice, but since the "static" that you are describing is a result of slight interference between the handset and the headset I wouldn't be surprised if you get the same thing.
I wear my T68i clipped to my belt most of the time and have only had a static problem once. I charged the battery and the problem went away.
Also, the BS panther will not even go into production till week 2 of November and then good luck getting one before next year... seriously... the only way you are going to get one even 30 days after it is being produced is to order it from Pilcon and pay something ridiculous like $350 with shipping.
For me the Jabra is great... it's cheap, comfortable, sounds great 95% of the time, did I mention it's cheap?
The killer app for these types of things is the jaw-mic idea that BS was supposed to ship with, when bluespoon with dual mic come out in the US for something like $200 then I will replace my freespeak. I don't plan on this happening for about a year.
Posted by geoffreyw
I cant really say i find the blue leds to be sexy but to each there own
Posted by darex
I agree with the previous post.
You people seem ridiculously picky.
The Jabra Freespeak does everything it promises, and does it well. It's comfortable, and easy to live with.
What more could anyone want?
How much better could the Blue Spoon, or Pather be?
Personally, I'm 100% satisfied with my $99 purchase. It's one of the most satisfactory electronics purchases I've ever made ... period.
David
Posted by roland harvey
Guys
You can get the BS Panther now at www.expansys.com.
I also get the static occasionally on my BS Special Edition (Blue one).
Regards
Roland
Posted by JamesAC
pauly,
I'm awaiting the immenent arrival of my Bluespoon. I talked a friend into an early Fry's arrival of the Jabra but talked myself into waiting for the BS..I've just been waiting too many months to give up now.
James
Posted by johnnie
What the Fu*k is happen with me today
Posted by airevolt
Posted by GregB
At last, got my hands on a Freespeak this morning. I had been holding out for a Bluespoon, but once I realised (a) that the jawbone mic was a long way off; (b) that the cost was very much more than the Freespeak, I changed tack and went for the Freespeak.
So... I'm chuffed! Worked straight out of the box (subject to one point - see below if you're not in the USA), and the default settings are just what I'd want. Voice dialling can be a bit hit-and-miss (even allowing for the two-beep delay), but then voice dialling with my handset alone was always a bit hit-and-miss as well, so maybe it's got something to do with my voice.
Signal strength can vary a bit, but moving the phone around soon sorts that.
The only downside was the charger. I'm in the UK and bought one from the US. Up to now, everything electrical that I've bought from the US that has a plug with built in transformer has had a transformer rated to take up to 240v. Not this one - the max input is 120v. So that meant getting a little variable output transformer plug plus adapter plugs from the local electrical shop - not a big deal (and about £15), but worth bearing in mind if you're in the UK and getting one of these shipped over. BTW, the only place I could find outside the US that sells them at the moment is in France (so possibly the charger problem would still be there), but I was told by Jabra that UK release would be "very soon" at GBP80.
Posted by marcus
I'll be receiving my Jabra next week when my friend comes back from the states. I can hardly wait to test it.
Just a few questions to those who have them already:
- How long do you have to charge it for the time? is it like a mobile phone that requires 8hours or so?
- Does it have a nice box?
- Does it look big?
Posted by GregB
-> Marcus
- 3 hours according to the manual; 3.5 in real life for the first charge. Had mine a week and only needed to give it a top-up in that time
- Nothing great about the box (not quite sure why that matters??)
- Doesn't look or feel big
Saw a poster in the window of CPW in London yesterday advertising Freespeaks at GBP 79.99. Didn't have any in the shop though... The combination of the product and that price makes me think that Jabra could be the company cleaning up on the pre-Christmas headset market this year ... we'll see...
Posted by ipXpert
Hello All,
First to get mine and first to die. My Jabra took a crap. It will not charge now. I called Jabra and they said I could get a new one, but get this...They dont have any right now so I will have to wait for another 30 days to get my new unit. Do any of you know if there are any retailers in Southern California that have the Jabra in stock?
Posted by shithappens
gee weez!!
I'm still waiting for it to hit the shores of M'sia...called the agent in S'pore and wuz told it'll be here by Dec.....dang!! it's gonna be a long wait....but a worthwhile one!!
Posted by marcus
My JABRA will be here on Thursday:) cant wait to try it out!
Just wanna ask those who already have threirs; what profile do you use? another question; is the JABRA longer than the T68?
Posted by marcus
Got my Jabra and its damn beautiful!
How do I assign voice commands using it?
Posted by GregB
Assigning voice commands is not altogether obvious - you go through the usual steps of assigning them on the phone, then just before or after the phone prompts you for the name, hit the top button on the Jabra. The Jabra then links to the phone and you'll hear the "beep" in your ear to cue you in provide the voice command. If it works, you'll hear it back through the headset.
Getting the caller's name announced in your ear is hit & miss - sometimes it works and sometimes not (at least with R2E on the phone).
Posted by coulterjohnson
The only thing I don't like about the Jabra, is that I can not have 2 things paired to it... What headsets can?
Coulter
http://www.bluetoothguide.com
Posted by marcus
What should my settings be in the headset and bluetooth menu? Should the bluetooth be on all the time or just on automatic? Sometimes i cant seem to answer a call on automatic operating mode of the bluetooth on the phone. Thanks
Posted by adhaptic
i got mine. to IPXPERT, re: so. cal. retailers - call up Fry's in Burbank; that's where i bought it, and they had three in stock, even though it looked like all three had been opened, touched, returned, and taped back together - i made sure to rip some of the packaging up on mine just so that they wouldn't resell it to some poor sap if i broke it and brought it back.
long and short: i'm satisfied, but especially for aesthetic reasons of design and function. i love the whole blue LED thing. the masses have been spoonfed a diet of red and green diode far too long. plus, the aesthetics of a wireless connection promote emotional well-being like i'd never imagined. the problem comes in with the sound: i have the same problem with the bluetooth static at distances way shorter than expected. i keep my t68i in its holster dangling from my right front pocket. i wear the jabra in my left ear. a distance of maybe 36", a far cry from the 30' of bluetooth claims. i hate to think that i have to take the phone out and hold it up near my head just to prevent static. maybe i have a defective model? can anyone out there keep clear connections at longer ranges (even pocket range?). when i'm in the car, i actually have to keep the phone on my lap in order to remain static-free.
as for putting it on my ear the quickest way possible when the phone is ringing (it rings both in the jabra and the phone, BTW), the technique is this:
-hold the jabra in the palm of your hand, mic curving out to your pinky
-spread your fingers wide to start
-put your 2nd and 3rd finger on the right of the ear bud
-put your thumb to the left of the ear bud (behind the hook, not over the body), so you're holding just the bud with three fingers
-take your pinky and put it on the mic piece, using that position to spread apart the mic arm and the ear piece, to make a space for your ear to go in
-slip the jabra over your ear, jam the ear bud gel in your canal, let the mic piece come up under your earlobe
-commence jabracizing
the thing is ultra-comfy on your ear, and unobtrusive, due to its position on your face. the sound-conducting ear gel works great for letting outside sounds in when you're not talking, but conducting the phone sound directly into your ear.
i'm gonna keep it and evaluate at my 30 day return window whether the things has met my expectations.
hope this helps.
Posted by savesato
Ok got mine on friday and i agree with pretty much with whats been said.
However i am having a few problems;
*the blue light never turns off whilst charging to indicate its ready - no matter how long i leave it charging for. I leave it charging overnight but in the morning the light is still on
*how do you set voice commands up using the jabra, i followed the instructions earlier in the post but all this does is crash my phone whilst the name i just said is repeated in my ear until i remove the phones battery!
*why cant i have the caller name instead of a ring in my ear? my phone has 1 ring tone and the jabra a completely different tone but no caller name (and it is turned on under the profile menu)?
anybody any ideas?
otherwise a great headset
Posted by marcus
I've been toying with my Jabra over the weekend, and I've no regrets whatsoever! It's really great and performs perfectly. Lives up to everything it's suppose to be! It's very light and extremely comfortable, you'll forget your wearing it after a few minutes. The mini-gel works really great. Conversations are crystal clear! The design is very stylish.( cant imagine myself wearing one of those operator type headsets from SE )
I guess I was lucky to have gotten one that works perfectly. I only get static when I'm beyond 10 feet.( I'm still using R2bo25. I believe it has a BT problem but that can be solved after upgrading which I plan to do next week )
I've finally figured out a way to wear it with just one hand. It is possible, and takes only a little practice. Just put the minigel end in your ear cannal first and then the body over your ear and the rest follows. Dont follow what the manual says.
The voice commands and voice dialling works perfect. Pairing was a breeze. Charging takes only 2hours and i havent recharge it since friday which is like 3days ago. still no signs of low battery. (how i wish the battery on my t68m was like this.)
Bottomline...I'm glad I didnt go for the SE headsets.
[ This Message was edited by: MARCUS on 2002-11-19 07:45 ]
[ This Message was edited by: marcus on 2002-11-26 05:08 ]