Amazon.com Review
These days, it seems that wireless Bluetooth headsets are a dime a dozen, but Aliph's Jawbone stands apart from the pack not only due to its unique looks but also thanks to some seriously amazing noise canceling technology. Originally developed for DARPA (The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) to create a communication headset that would pick up voice in hostile environments, the Jawbone offers some of the best clarity from a Bluetooth headset we've experienced. 
Sophisticated modern industrial style meets the next step in audio technology with the Jawbone Bluetooth headset. | 
It can be worn on either ear, and you can customize your fit by choosing from one of the included earloops and earbuds. |  | The first thing you notice about this headset is its rather chunky size and cheese grater-like texturing on the exterior. Designed by Yves Behar, an award-winning industrial designer who also contributed to the design of the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child, aka the $100 Laptop), the Jawbone certainly has that iconic modern look that will be copied for years to come. It's also a bit large on the face (due to the embedded technology and speech sensor), which reminded us of Lando Calrissian's assistant, Lobot. But then there's no easy way to disguise a Bluetooth headset, and it's probably an advantage as passersby won't think you're just muttering crazily to yourself. The Jawbone can be worn on either ear, and it comes with four earloops of varying sizes to fit your lobe. Made of solid metal with a rubber cover, they're fairly comfortable around the ear. The trick, however, is getting it on over the ear, and this is the Jawbone's biggest disappointment. Because it's so stiff, you literally have to use both hands to try to slip it on over your ear. And since we don't wear our headset constantly, we missed a few calls while performing this dance. Also, the metal frame does bend (as we found after carrying it in our pocket), which can be viewed as an annoyance or as a feature--enabling you to form-fit the frame to your ear. It also comes with five ear pads of varying shapes and sizes, and we tried one of the teardrop shaped pads to secure the Jawbone inside our ear sans metal frame--it was comfortable and worked for awhile, but isn't a solution if you're moving around a lot. As with Steve Jobs, Behar is not a fan of protruding buttons. Thus, the Jawbone's two controls are hidden within the headset, requiring you to press either the front or back of the unit to answer calls, adjust volume, or turn on/off the noise cancellation function. While we've read some reviews that complained about these hidden controls, we had no problem in accessing them and appreciated their tactile response. The Jawbone also comes with a custom-fit recharging cable that can either plug into a PC's USB port or into the included wall jack. We enjoyed the flexibility of the USB charging, but wished the cable could have been a more standard USB mini-jack (for those times when you forget to bring the cable along). But the true test of the Jawbone is how its "noise shield" performed. First, a little about this technology. The Jawbone has a small piece of rubbery plastic that protrudes from the bulbous microphone and sits flush against your face, and this sensor tells the Jawbone whether or not you're speaking and can remove background noise from your ongoing speech signal. It can also dynamically adjust the volume of the incoming audio from your call. We tried the Jawbone in a number of different situations, and for the most part it worked flawlessly. Sitting at our desk with the stereo volume cranked up while playing The Chemical Brothers, our call partner was none the wiser. She didn't hear any of the music coming through, and our voice came through strong on her end. While standing on a street corner, the undulations of traffic noise never made it through to our caller, while we noticed an uptick in volume with an increase in traffic noise. However, the Jawbone wasn't perfect, as it doesn't do a great job in windy situations. Still, for the good majority of situations you'll find yourself in--from busy airports to talk-heavy coffeehouses to traffic-laden city streets--the Jawbone should perform very well, masking the surroundings to improve fidelity for you call partner as well adapting your ear volume to the surrounding environment. We just wish the ear frame was a bit more flexible. Pros:
- Amazing background noise masking capabilities--even when faced with loud, thumping music
- Outstanding adaptive volume as the environment around you changes
- Options for customizing the fit
Cons:
- Metal earloop frames are hard to quickly put on
- Non-standard USB connection is a bummer if you forget the cable at home
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Customers Reviews
2008-07-01
Radically Changed My Life!!
I bought this headset for my wife in the hopes that she would use it. I hate phones and I especially hate cell phones because they're sort of the last straw when it comes to driving distractions. Anyhow, she hated it; said it hurt her ear. (Did she try the extra ear pieces and buds? No). So, I got this corded version of the same thing last week and she wanted to trade. Whatever floats your boat . . .
I was born with a physical disability and use a wheelchair. Before that, I was on crutches. So, talking on the phone is an all-consuming thing for me and I have always hated it. I had to stop everything I was doing and just do that. God forbid someone would be bored and just want to "chat". Over the years I came to hate the phone so much that just the sound of a phone ringing would cause panic attacks. The sound quality is absolutely phenomenal on either end and it could not be simpler to use. It is so comfortable that I almost wore it into the shower the other day. This amazing little device has quite literally changed the quality of my life. I now enjoy speaking to my friends and doing business wiht it. I highly recommend it for everyone, but especially for those with disabilities that make both hands necesary for getting around. If I was a millionaire I would buy as many as possible and just hand them out to those who would benefit most.
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2008-06-26
Dave's 10sec Review- phenomenal sound, phenomenally bad fit
I've tried a half dozen BT headsets over the years, this one does indeed blow them all out of the water for outgoing audio, incoming is average, nothing to write home about, so sound gets 5 stars. Fit, or lack thereof, is around 1 star. AFAIK my ears are pretty average, not too many children laugh or point, and all other headsets have found a way to stay in there, but not the jawbone. And whoever designed the ear buds to change out with a 90 degree turn identical to the 90 degree turn you use to put the headset in your ear, well, not the best system guys, I had to use superglue to make it useable. So averages out to 3 stars, and I am looking for another headset.
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2008-06-25
Jawbone
Product is okay. I would not recommend only because of it's size. It comfortable but it does not stay in the ear well enough to hear clearly. I'm more disappointed that the product shipped to me as reconditioned units. I thought I had purchased a new unit but it did not come in the manufacturer's box. It all arrived in plastic bags.
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2008-06-21
The Jawbone is Great
The Jawbone is wonderful. It paired right away with my phone and works transparently when I'm out. I forget that I'm wearing it a lot until I hear the little tones in my ear to answer the phone.
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2008-06-18
Great Headset
This is my first bluetooth so can't compare it to others. However - overall - great sound quality majority of the time. My friends were surprised when I switched over and informed them I was speaking to them via bluetooth. I bought one as a gift for a friend and he said it sounds better than his Razor phone sound quality. Still gives occasional echos and interference noise but overall - can hear through it. Does not get 5/5 stars because buttons are hard to find and use (but not impossible).
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