Ratings:

With many Bluetooth headsets eclipsing the $100 mark, the Cardo Scala 500 is moderately priced, compatible with both the Treo 650/700w and supports the Bluetooth 1.2 standard.

Out of the box

The Scala 500 comes packaged with the following:

• Ear hook
• Carry sleeve
• Lanyard for carry sleeve
• Plastic post (for lanyard) to plug into charger port
• Universal travel charger
• Multi language manual on mini-CD
• VersaClip for attaching to glasses/sunglasses
• Quick start guide

Set-up

Set-up for the Scala 500 is fairly simple. You can choose from a standard ear hook, or the VersaClip, which allows attachment to eyeglasses or sunglasses. The VersaClip gives a solid enough attachment for normal use, but I would be concerned about it coming unclipped with a lot of head movement. Both attachments have a post which pushes through a channel in the body of the headset. I found that the headset can be easily be slipped on one-handed using the ear hook, but the VersaClip requires a bit more planning.

The Scala 500 also comes with two options for carrying the headset when not in use. The carry sleeve is a nice feature. It can be clipped to the belt or a pocket, or attached to the lanyard. The headset snaps securely into the sleeve. There is also a plastic post, which can be attached to the lanyard and plugged into the headset's charger port for carry. This seems a less secure way to carry the headset, especially after a bit of wear. Cardo claims 9 hours of talk time, and 7 days of standby time on a full charge. It took about 4 hours to fully charge the headset initially. I consider myself an average cell phone user in terms of talk time, and I have only had to charge the unit once in the first week.

Controls

The Scala 500 has two controls. There is a large button on the face of the headset, which is used for answering calls, redial, and call rejection. There is also a Multi-function Wheel on the end of the headset opposite the microphone. This is used for volume adjustment, mute, call waiting, and to put the headset in pairing mode.

Pairing

As with most Bluetooth headsets, pairing of the Scala 500 is fairly simple. You press and hold the MFW until the red and blue LEDs on the face of the unit begin flashing alternately. The pairing process on the Treo 650 has been described in detail elsewhere so I won't go into it, but once I entered the Handsfree Setup wizard on my Treo, it found the Scala 500 within about 5 seconds. The Scala 500 uses the standard passkey of four zeroes.

Making and Receiving Calls

Once paired, I found that on outbound calls, the call gets transferred to the Scala 500 either on the first or second ring. On inbound calls, the headset usually picks up the call in the middle of the first ring. Rather than the standard beep of many other headsets, the Scala 500 plays a series of tones that reminds me of the theme from The Twilight Zone.

Inbound calls are answered by tapping the button on the face of the headset. Alternately, you can press and hold the button to reject a call. The mic can be muted by tapping the Multi-function Wheel, but I found that in practice, it can be tricky to push the Multi-function Wheel straight in rather than up or down (which adjusts the volume).

Sound Quality

Sound quality is very good, both inbound and outbound. Most people didn't realize that I was using a headset until I told them. The earpiece rests against the outside of the ear canal, so sound was good, without being overpowering. Some may prefer an in-ear solution, they tend to become uncomfortable for me after a short while.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Carry sleeve included
• Good sound quality

Cons:

• Multi-function wheel can be difficult to use

Overview

The Scala 500 offers very good sound quality, comfortable fit and calls transferred quickly to the headset on the Treo. The Multi-function Wheel, used to mute the mic, can be tricky to use. As a mid-priced headset, the Cardo Scala performed well and the included accessories (carry case and lanyard) which come standard were a nice bonus.

The Cardo Scala 500 retails for $49.95.