Review: Jabra JX10 Bluetooth Headset
Jabra is a well known manufacturer of Bluetooth headsets and from a design aspect their latest heasdset, the JX10, is a major departure from previous models. Jabra contracted Danish designer Jacob Jensen to create the JX10. His philosophy is that “products we use can contain a quiet beauty“. His works include a two decade stint with Bang and Olufsen. Suffice to say, his credentials for product design speak for themselves.
Packaging: What’s In the JX-10 Box
When I received the JX10, the box reminded me of the Mac OS X box.
Designers use Macs and Apple is no stranger to creating products that excel
in both form and function. In contrast to other Bluetooth headsets which include
a littany of product features, the JX10 box simply read, “Jabra JX10 –
Bluetooth headset for mobile phones. Design by Jacob Jensen.”
What’s Inside The Box
Here’s what I found inside:
- Jabra JX10 headset with internal battery charger
- Desktop charging cradle
- AC power supply
- Carrying pouch
- USB cable
- User manual
Multiple Charging Options
The Jabra comes with multiple options for charging the JX10. Most bluetooth headsets come
with a standard AC Adapter, but the inclusion of a USB Charging Cradle was a nice addition. The cable
length was very short. Some will find this a good thing as it’s one less long cable hooked up to your PC or Mac.
This cable would be useful for road warriors – allowing them to charge the JX10 from their laptop during flights, on
the train and so forth. It also makes it easy to pack into a laptop case. If you have USB ports on the back of your home
computer, it renders the dock useless without some type of USB extension cable. I have options to plug-in to my monitor
and keyboard, so it’s a non-issue for me. Those without this type of USB access should take notice.
The Jabra JX10 also comes with a pouch case. I don’t see this as being very useful. If you did use the pouch, it
would be difficult to have quick access to your Bluetooth headset when a call comes in.
Get Charged
The manual recommends charging the JX-10 before use. I immediately tried to use the USB cable, but the Jabra charging
indicator did not illuminate. I switched to a standard wall jack using the include AC adapter and the unit was completely charged overnight. Once it had a charge, connecting to the USB dock also charged the JX10.
Pairing JX-10 With Treo
For the review, I tested the Jabra JX10 with the Palm Treo 700w. The pairing process was no different than with other
Bluetooth products. On the Treo 700, I entered Settings > Connections Tab > Bluetooth and
then selected Devices tab. From here, I selected New Partnership to add the Jabra JX10. To get the Jabra JX10
into pairing mode, there is a tiny button on the back of the headset. Initiating pairing mode on the Jabra JX10 was easy enough. After entering the Passkey
of ‘0000’, the Jabra JX10 was communicating with the Treo. Pairing the JX10 with the Treo was as suspected – an easy process.
Call Quality and Communication
Calls transfered quickly to the headset from the Treo. When making calls, the Jabra connected in less than a second. A short tone indicates
communication between the devices. When testing Bluetooth headsets, I call a few people and ask them “how do I sound”. The popular consensus was that
my voice sounded very clear on the other end of calls. Some commented the Jabra JX10 sounded better than my everyday headset (Sony Ericsson HBH-660 – See Review which I wrote, “my voice was clear and often compared to that of a land line“). Callers were clear, but I did notice some very slight crackle with the volume set at maximum. This occured when the caller raised their voice. Dialing down the volume one level removed any issues. Callers were clear and the volume was more than sufficient.
Usability
The Jabra headset is very lightweight and has a comfortable feel. The speaker projects ever so slightly into your ear, but it’s not an "in-ear" headset like the Plantronics 640. At no time does the speaker portion enter your ear canal. Operating the Jabra was easy and intuitive. The answer/disconnect button is easily accessed by using your index finger and thumb. Volume buttons are at the top of the headset. The + volume is at the bottom, while the – volume is at the top. Easy enough to get accustomed to, but seems backward. You attach the headset using a earhook. I found the process of placing the headset around my ear to be a bit awkward. While the Sony Ericsson is twice the size of the Jabra, you simply flip the earhook away from the headset and attach to your ear. With the Jabra JX10, you have to slightly bend the earhook to wear the headset. Like most headsets, the earhook portion snaps in/out of place on the JX10 allowing you to wear on your left or right ear. I wouldn’t say that I’m particularly rough with my Bluetooth headsets, but I often carry them in my pants or shirt pocket. On more than one occasion, the earhook would snap off either while grabbing the headset or by shuffling around in my pocket. I found this inconvenient, because I found it difficult to quickly attach it. If I was able to quickly attach it, there were a few times where it was more suited for my left ear. This is not the type of process you want to go through when you’d like to answer a call before it goes to voicemail. For me, it also raised concerns of durability ‘down the road’.
Overall
The Jabra JX10 is an attractive, light-weight Bluetooth headset that provides very good call quality in a small package. The addition of a dock is convenient for charging and keeping track of the headset. If you’re the type that carries your headset in your pocket, then you might find yourself frustrated with the earclip. In terms of voice quality, it’s hard to fault the JX10. Although priced higher than most headsets, it does come with an attractive package of accessories. I would have liked to see a car charger, as that might offer more utility than the dock.
The Jabra JX10 retails for $119.95.
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