Mini-review: Jabra JX10, Treo, Plantronics 640 - Treo Forums

kabeyun · 01-23-2006, 01:25 PM

I finally dove in & bought a BT headset. Actually, I bought three and returned the two I didn't like (non-destructive packaging for all 3 helped). The three finalists after lots of research were the:

Jabra JX10
Plantronics Discovery 640
Treo BT headset

These were chosen primarily because they're the most compatible with the Treo 650's phone functions, and generally unobtrusive in size. Thorough reviews are found elsewhere, but I thought the Everythingtreo community might like a brief head-to-head comparison of these top 3 headsets.

First, let me say that I considered & rejected the Bluespoon AX, the Scala 500, & the Sony Ericsson HBH 662 because they don't support call waiting swap from the headset. Also note that with the Treo 650, the Sony's caller ID function only displays the number, limiting its usefulness in my eyes.

Ease of set-up:
Simple, and equal. Essentially common steps to pair them to the Treo: charge a bit, power-on, and hold the button until the light stays on. My Treo found each without a problem. I paired them as Trusted Devices, entering the "0000" passkey, to minimize hassle re-pairing when going back & forth among them.

Ease of use:
Also simple and equal. They all auto-paired on incoming calls (although the first call took a few seconds) and all answered by pressing the multi-function button. Minimal delays to connect.

Fit/comfort:
There seem to be 3 types of fit for headsets: A=in the ear, B=sort-of in the ear, and C=against the ear. The Plantronics is clearly A, the Jabra wants to be A but is really B, and the Treo wants to B but is really C. For me the Plantronics was the winner, although it took a while for me to figure out how to properly stuff the silicone earpiece in my ear. The unit is so small and light (the lightest of all, actually) that you're not supposed to need an ear loop: just put it in your ear. But it came with an optional loop, and i feel more secure with it on. No biggie. The main advantage of type A headsets is sound; the earplug muffles ambient sound in that ear and received sound is so clear that the Plantronics was the only headset on which I actually had to turn down the volume. The Jabra's shallower ear plug wasn't deep enough to really fit in my ear, forcing me to either jam it in uncomfortably, or let it hang (loosely!) from the ear loop. The larger, heavier Treo had a comfortable loop, but also felt too loose and would flop a bit if I turned my head quickly.
Concessions: 1. Others' ear shapes may work better with the Jabra, 2. Prolonged use could conceivable make the Plantronics a little uncomfortable (but it does come with 3 changeable sizes of ear plug).
Note: all 3 can be switched for left-eared users. The Plantronics does this best, simply by rotating the ear plug. The Treo's and Jabra's ear loops are removed, reversed, & reattached. The Jabra's loops attachment is elegant but a bit flimsy. The Treo's loop is a friction fit pin that theoretically could slide off over time.

Functions:
The Treo & Jabra both support all phone functions. The Plantronics doesn't support redial from the headset. I'll live. Especially since I primarily use it in my car, where I have the Treo easily accessible in a ProClip anyway.

Incoming sound:
As noted above, the Plantronics sounded the best. The Jabra was actually the weakest, and the highest volume setting wasn't quite enough. (Lack of) snug fit may have been a factor.

Outgoing sound:
I called my wife and then a friend under similar conditions with Treo two unobstructed feet away. According to the recipients, the Plantronics and the Treo sounded clear and about as good as the Treo handset itself. The Jabra sounded a little tinny & distant. This may be due to Jabra's proprietary noise control going overboard, or the fact that it's mike is farthest away from your mouth. They all blipped out for an occasional sub-second once or twice. To the recipient, it sounded like I had a call-waiting coming in. Interestingly, this decreased with use.

Battery life:
The Plantronics supposedly has the poorest battery life at standby/talk of 3d/5h. As a low-to-moderate demand user, I don't care. I charge it up at home every other day anyway. Plus, see "Accessories" below.

Accessories:
Treo: none. Jabra: a groovily aesthetic charging stand and a USB charging cable (handy in some cases). Plantronics: a hard case with a host of adapters to charge from a Nokia, Siemens, Motorola or Sony Ericsson phone charger. I'll probably lose them all (not that I care, since my phone is obviously a Treo!). The Plantronics charges in a sleeve which clips to the AC adapter or to those phone adapter nubbins. For the geeks out there, it's also has a pen clip for your pocket. However, on truly useful attachment is a AAA battery holder that can also clip to the end of the sleeve, and can fully charge the headset 3 times off 1 battery. This I keep in my car. In fact, for me it's much better to have a battery boost available than to make a 12V socket available in the car (my 2 are already occupied!).

Price:
The Jabra JX10 is roughly twice as expensive as the other 2. IMO, you're paying a designer's glitz, and it's unjustifiable. I bought it the Plantronics online, accessories & battery included, for $79. A little steeper than the Treo, but not by much.

Summary:
For fit, field battery charge option, ergonimics, value, and, most importantly, duplex sound, the Plantronics Discovery 640 is the winner. There are a bunch of photos of it & its accessories here. I can't imagine doing better from another headset, which would be larger, heavier, harder to hear, harder to use, or able to startle the crap out of me by suddenly vibrating against my head.
Note: I didn't try voice-dialing from any headset. I don't even have my voice dialing software installed. Bluetooth-activated voice dialing isn't a supported function, anyway. Anyone's welcome to try. I may - later.

Cheers,

-K

Mr Jerome · 01-25-2006, 10:37 PM

I have tried a few BT headsets, first the Motorola HS850 two times if the first time wasn't enough, the crackling, gurgling & static was way too much for me.
Then a Jabra 350v works great but has low volume, especially if the car windows are down and the radio is on.
Finally after careful consideration the Plantronics Discovery 640 is perfect for me, loud volume, so loud it will burst your eardrum on the highest setting. Not to mention that I forgot it was in my ear because it's so light. I thought the in your ear plug was going to irritate me but to my surprise the gel plugs is genius.
The Plantronics Discovery 640 is awesome.

kabeyun · 01-26-2006, 04:38 PM

I have installed the current version of VoiceIt Tech's current product, VoiceDialIt 1.1.0.

Pressing the Plantronics button (sometimes) activates listening mode, but unfortunately anything detected by the software is detected through the Treo's microphone, not the headset.

Still happy with the Discovery 640.

-K

jowille · 02-02-2006, 02:29 PM

I just got the Jabra Jx10, and love it! it seems plenty loud, much louder than my Treo headset. I've also tried the Moto 850 which was terrible with the Treo 650. So far so good with the JX10, I think this one is a keeper.

Kreth · 02-08-2006, 08:21 AM

I have a Jabra BT 150. It seems to work pretty well in handsfree, although it's not listed at Palm's site.

Tracy · 02-08-2006, 11:59 AM

I have had the Jabra BT250v for 4 days now and I'm taking it back to the store I bought it from. I like the way it stays in my ear but it has so much static. I am on the phone all day and most of the time I end up taking it out because my clients get annoyed.

I think I'm going to order the Plantronics Discovery 640. The reviews I've read have all been good.

Miller · 03-29-2006, 04:29 PM

Alrighty then....here come my 11cents worth on the issue....

I used to have a Jabra 250BT. I really liked the way it worked. The sound was loud enough and the comfort and fit were very good. However, it never did vibrate when a call came in like it was supposed to. Then, it started to lose power after only 1 use or so. That's the reason I started to look at a different option and read the reviews on both the Treo and Plantronics 640.

First, I got the Plantronics 640. The sound quality is very good and I have no problems with the amount of talk time and standby time after one charge (you get extra time if you charge it with a AAA battery charger that's included). For my ear, I am still not sure which earpiece is the best fit. It comes with 3 sizes, depending on your ear size. The mid size is about the closest I come to a perfect fit, but it's far from perfect. As for the sound being so loud it'll blow my eardrum out, no. I haven't experienced that. It's loud enough but I haven't found I have to turn the volume down from the highest setting.

Since I wasn't sure of the fit, I tried theTreo headset. I've used it 2 days and am sending it back. What a piece of "junque". It fits with a loop around your ear and the headset itself sits against your ear, not in your ear. Two problems with that...one being it flops around like it's going to fall off your head and two, that the sound is so soft it's hard to hear the person on the other end. Maybe if I press the Treo headset to my ear while I'm trying to listen I can hear, but otherwise, forget it....

I've decided the fit of the mid size earpice for the Plantronics 640 is a decent enough fit to stick with it. I'd recommend trying each size of the earpieces and when you find one that fits, stick with it. The sound is far and away better than the Treo and looks and feels like you'd expect out of an $89 headset. If you're looking to buy the Treo headset, my opinion is that you'd be just as well off throwing $60 in the toilet and saving yourself the time and shipping costs.......

chris · 04-07-2006, 05:04 PM

I'd like to invite all of you to share your opinions in the new Customer Reviews section. (even if it means copy and pasting

) . So much gets written in the forums about specific products and I'm afraid that sometimes it gets lost deep in threads or people are unable to locate it via the search tool. The forums will still be an ideal place to discuss experiences, etc, but I think the new section will 'tidy things up' and provide a valuable resource.

Thanks!
Chris

kabeyun · 04-10-2006, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris

I'd like to invite all of you to share your opinions in the new Customer Reviews section. (even if it means copy and pasting

) . So much gets written in the forums about specific products and I'm afraid that sometimes it gets lost deep in threads or people are unable to locate it via the search tool. The forums will still be an ideal place to discuss experiences, etc, but I think the new section will 'tidy things up' and provide a valuable resource.

Thanks!
Chris

Ever the obedient team player, I've done as requested. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the xtdratings engine isn't HTML-savvy. As a result, my cut 'n' pasted review (from here) is marred by a bunch of unexpressed HTML tags. Not editable either. Sorry 'bout that.

-K

chris · 04-10-2006, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Ever the obedient team player, I've done as requested. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the xtdratings engine isn't HTML-savvy. As a result, my cut 'n' pasted review (from here) is marred by a bunch of unexpressed HTML tags. Not editable either. Sorry 'bout that.

You just helped me find the first bug. You shouldn't have been able to add a new page -- but rather comment on existing pages. I had to delete your page and remove that feature. If you have the time, just select the individual products -- enter your rankings and paste the text from the forums regarding that individual review.

I'm surprised you cannot edit your entry? Hmmmm...

Chris