REALLY GOOD Bluetooth headset recomendation???

[spectrrr]

I call internationally on calling cards A LOT (gv to those countries is 2x more expensive). Because of the calling card, sound quality and volume already takes a hit. Translation from a non-native language is more difficult over the phone, and damned near impossible for me if I can't hear them CLEARLY and LOUDLY. Same goes for the party at the other end if my microphone is sub-par.

Can anyone recommend a bluetooth headset that works well with the droid and has AMAZING call clarity, quality, and good volume? Aesthetics are unimportant, I don't care what it looks like or how big it is. It just need to sound loud, clear, and have a good mic. It also needs to be comfortable because it will get used 1-2 hours EVERY day.

Bonus points if its stereo and supports A2DP audio, as getting one of those for music listening is also on the shopping list... but I'm perfectly willing to get two separate units if I need to.

 

[chiefvelo]

Give the new plantronics voyager pro a try. it seems loud and sound is pretty clear. it huge compaired to most but did get a top rating this summer. I recently returned a Jawbone prime as the battery only was lasting about 2 hrs of use. The out going sound was very good but the volume was not that loud on the droid or some of the Blackberrys. Verizon has a good discount 25% if you ask and you can return in with in 30 days if it doesnt do what you need.
good luck

 

[clos1084]

Voyager Pro gets my recommendation as well

 

[balow]

JABRA bt8040 is my favorite so far, loud, clear, great range,comfy, no complaints from people on the other end and a2dp included as well.

 

[mplevy]

I'd also look at the Voyager Pro. I have the Voyager 510 with desk base (to connect to a landline phone) and have ZERO complaints. I use it with the Droid as well, VERY clear and I can use it inside a datacenter (LOTS of noise) and can still hear the other person, and they can hear me. I can only imagine the newer one is an upgrade.

I'm looking at the Jaybird JB-200-01 for stereo bluetooth for exercising.

 

[dmm]

Good advice, the plantronics voyager pro has the best sound quality by far of all the bluetooth headsets I've tried. The aesthetics aren't nearly as appealing as other headsets such as the Jawbone, but at least people can hear me. I find the fit comfortable and secure as well.

 

[FatedDistress]

Jawbone Prime has excellent clarity and noise cancelling technology but lacks volume or Motorola Endeavor HX1 has it all, an excellent bluetooth, I use the HX1 and it is the best I have used!


Plantronics 975 is also a good one.

Make sure you also change the call quality settings on your droid in order to get the best sound out of a call. To do so follow these steps.

Dial ##7764726,
then enter password 000000 in the SVC field,
then select vocode,
then choose EVRC-B instead of just EVRC, click apply, retart your phone and you are good to go,

this gives you better call quality but is not selected from factory because it uses more data and verizon does not want their network to overload with people using a lot of data

 

[FatedDistress]

Give the new plantronics voyager pro a try. it seems loud and sound is pretty clear. it huge compaired to most but did get a top rating this summer. I recently returned a Jawbone prime as the battery only was lasting about 2 hrs of use. The out going sound was very good but the volume was not that loud on the droid or some of the Blackberrys. Verizon has a good discount 25% if you ask and you can return in with in 30 days if it doesnt do what you need.
good luck

Not everyone gets 25%, only if you have a discount with your employer or you are a VIP customer.
And most locations do not allow ear pieces to be returned because of sanitary purposes they cannot re-sell it.

 

[rolue]

Voyager Pro

 

[spectrrr]

Thanks for all the input guys! Voyager Pro seems to be getting a hell of a resounding recommendation! I'll definately be looking at that one very closely, along with all the ones mentioned here Thanks!

 

[dnoonan]

I'll add my vote for Voyager Pro...I tried the Jawbone Prime, because of its smaller profile, but I couldn't make the d#mn thing stay in contact with my face...a shame, because its a cool looking deal...but function beats form.

 

[PetiePal]

Plantronics Voyager Pro is 5thed by me.

Also I have the Jawbone 2 and I love it.

 

[les017]

Plantronics 975 so far has the clearest and most natural sound quality of any small headset I have ever used.

 

[PetiePal]

The real pro of the Discovery 925 and 975 is that it comes with an awesome little case that has a Li-Ion battery built in. You can get about 3 full charges out of it while on the go making your charge time about 4 uses!

 

[spectrrr]

ok, so here's a question... everybody loves the Plantronics.... What about this guy? Ever heard of "theBoom" ??
theBoom - the Best Noise Canceling Headset: theBoom "O"
theBoom - the Best Noise Canceling Headset: theBoom V4

There's some damned impressive sound demo's on the side, and I like the non-DSP approach to fixing the noise problem.
Has anyone ever used this thing? Anyone even heard of it? Granted its a bit more than the Plantronics... but whats a few bucks more if it means communicating clearly with one's fiance

(and yeah, I know it's not bluetooth, thats what this little $50 adapter is for, which incidentally also solves my A2DP music headset problem as well

Music Stereo Bluetooth Headset - A2DP + AVRCP Profiles - eBay (item 270499337838 end time Jan-09-10 07:02:35 PST) )

 

[Turtledroid]

Since aesthetics are not the important factor, and call clarity and quality is, especially loud clarity and quality, after going through more Bluetooth headsets than I care to admit, I found the Blue Parrott B250-XT Headset pretty much blows everything else out of the water. I've tried 'em all, Jawbone, Motorola, Plantronics, more than 2 dozen over the years. I got tired of being able to hear others but them not being able to hear or understand me, or they can hear and understand me fine but I couldn't hear them, or the ones that seems to work best ended up being painful to wear after extended periods.

With the B250-XT I have to turn the volume down quite a bit, which is a refreshing change from always wanting just one more higher volume setting on most other headsets. The noise canceling is unreal, it's made for truckers, and sounds to those on the other end line I'm on a landline even when driving or standing next to a very noisy idling truck engine. I wear the headset 8-10 hours a day without fatigue. It's got 16 hours of talk time, 170 standby, and a user-replaceable Lion battery that costs only $10.

Read the reviews at Amazon.com

It's big, cumbersome, ugly, definitely not kewl looking, you look like a dork walking around with it on (then again, people wearing Jawbones and other earbuds are pretty dorky looking, too ). But the bottom line is - it works.

 

[spectrrr]

Since aesthetics are not the important factor, and call clarity and quality is, especially loud clarity and quality, after going through more Bluetooth headsets than I care to admit, I found the Blue Parrott B250-XT Headset pretty much blows everything else out of the water. I've tried 'em all, Jawbone, Motorola, Plantronics, more than 2 dozen over the years. I got tired of being able to hear others but them not being able to hear or understand me, or they can hear and understand me fine but I couldn't hear them, or the ones that seems to work best ended up being painful to wear after extended periods.

With the B250-XT I have to turn the volume down quite a bit, which is a refreshing change from always wanting just one more higher volume setting on most other headsets. The noise canceling is unreal, it's made for truckers, and sounds to those on the other end line I'm on a landline even when driving or standing next to a very noisy idling truck engine. I wear the headset 8-10 hours a day without fatigue. It's got 16 hours of talk time, 170 standby, and a user-replaceable Lion battery that costs only $10.

Read the reviews at Amazon.com

It's big, cumbersome, ugly, definitely not kewl looking, you look like a dork walking around with it on (then again, people wearing Jawbones and other earbuds are pretty dorky looking, too ). But the bottom line is - it works.

awww, thanks, just when I thought I knew what I was getting you had to come along and throw a monkey wrench into things!!! Now I'm back to undecided... looks pretty cool! Almost half the price too.... A VERY strong contender..... HRrrmmmmm....
(hahaha, and yeah, you're right, thing is UGLY AS HELL... but I don't care! )

what about this one from BlueParrott?
http://www.blueparrott.com/products/xpressway.htm
seems like it might solve the visual appeal part (event though that is not all that important, still.. why not if you can?)

 

[NowVoyager]

Your criteria says you desire Bluetooth. Were it not for that, The Boom is the ONLY choice. The Boom is a Military-grade headset. It has no peers. Where it separates itself from the field is 1. Voice recognition and 2. Noise cancellation. It shows its muscle out of doors...especially in windy conditions...The Boom is stone quiet while some of the Plantronics models and other sets sound as if you're in a wind tunnel.

With The Boom for example, I had a neighbor with two barking dogs...a Pit Bull and a Doberman. None of my callers heard these dogs barking...and they sounded to me as if they were in my house!

You might take a hit for the Call Center look of the over-the-head headset. Not to worry, for aesthetics (If you have deep pockets) - go with the "in-the-ear" or the around-the-back of the head model of The Boom http://www.theboom.com/v/theboome.html. It is called The Boom because of the positioning of the mic stem.

Again, it has no peers. These puppies are used on the trading floor of Wall Street! Need I say more? theBoom - the Best Noise Canceling Headset: Wall Street and theBoom

If you MUST have Bluetooth, then the Voyager takes it. The Jawbone Prime is fantastic but it MUST rest against your face to work best. I had problems with this one fitting against my face properly. But if QUIET is your main concern, there is but one choice...The Boom is the bomb!!!

Over the years I've had: Motorola H series; Plantronics 665 and previous Old School Voyager; Jawbone; Not a step-child among them, LOL

 

[spectrrr]

Your criteria says you desire Bluetooth. Were it not for that, The Boom is the ONLY choice. The Boom is a Military-grade headset. It has no peers. Where it separates itself from the field is 1. Voice recognition and 2. Noise cancellation. It shows its muscle out of doors...especially in windy conditions...The Boom is stone quiet while some of the Plantronics models and other sets sound as if you're in a wind tunnel.

With The Boom for example, I had a neighbor with two barking dogs...a Pit Bull and a Doberman. None of my callers heard these dogs barking...and they sounded to me as if they were in my house!

You might take a hit for the Call Center look of the over-the-head headset. Not to worry, for aesthetics (If you have deep pockets) - go with the "in-the-ear" or the around-the-back of the head model of The Boom theBoom - the Best Noise Canceling Headset: theBoom "E". It is called The Boom because of the positioning of the mic stem.

Again, it has no peers. These puppies are used on the trading floor of Wall Street! Need I say more? theBoom - the Best Noise Canceling Headset: Wall Street and theBoom

If you MUST have Bluetooth, then the Voyager takes it. The Jawbone Prime is fantastic but it MUST rest against your face to work best. I had problems with this one fitting against my face properly. But if QUIET is your main concern, there is but one choice...The Boom is the bomb!!!

Over the years I've had: Motorola H series; Plantronics 665 and previous Old School Voyager; Jawbone; Not a step-child among them, LOL

AWESOME, good to hear from someone who has used it. Bluetooth is wanted.. but less important, and there's ways around the bluetooth pickle, headset itself is much more important.

perchance, what model did you use? I was looking at the theBoom V4 (more budget friendly) and still aesthetically pleasing, but I have a long and bad history with "in-ear" headsets, so I 'm VERY curious about the comfort of it...

 

[NowVoyager]

AWESOME, good to hear from someone who has used it. Bluetooth is wanted.. but less important, and there's ways around the bluetooth pickle, headset itself is much more important.

perchance, what model did you use? I was looking at the theBoom V4 (more budget friendly) and still aesthetically pleasing, but I have a long and bad history with "in-ear" headsets, so I 'm VERY curious about the comfort of it...

I went with the over the head model because I used the set both at home and for my mobile. LOL - That is why I said that "you might take a hit for the over the head model" - because it's *so* Call Center-ish, LOL

But to this day, my call quality on The Boom is bar none. I thought that my Jawbone was going to be the same caliber but I had problems not only with it resting against my face but also in getting a comfortable fit in my ear. My ears are small and even the smallest adapter was too large. I still use it from time to time but I got some after market ear gels to replace the ones that came with the unit which fit better. I still get people saying that they have trouble hearing me with my Jawbone. I *never* get that with The Boom.

I have worn the over-the-head model for over six hours in one sitting, with no complaints. I also tested the behind-the-head "Rolls Royce" model, as I call it - while I was purchasing the set I got. That behind-the-head model is sweeeeet. It is pretty much weight-less. I think the most popular one is that little over the ear set. If I had it to do over again, I'd get that one since it's the same price as the ones I purchased.

Call and speak with them and ask questions. They are *very* nice over at Ume. They have some uber-techie headphones too but they are "off the richter" in terms of price...but well worth it in their ability. You can read on their website about how law enforcement uses the headphones to stay in touch during (very loud) shooting practice, etc.

 

[Turtledroid]

what about this one from BlueParrott?
Products - VXI Parrott B250-XT Headset
seems like it might solve the visual appeal part (event though that is not all that important, still.. why not if you can?)

It's new enough that I haven't tried it, which is why I forgot to even mention it, but it's based on the B250-XT, I know that. It's just the less dorky looking of the two. When I got mine the Xpressway wasn't out yet, otherwise I probably would have gotten that one.

I've tried The Boom E (and the aviator model), and it's pretty awesome, but it's not Bluetooth. And it's pricey. The Blue Parrot gave me the same performance, plus Bluetooth, at 1/3 of the price. If The Boom has Bluetooth I'd be all over it, regardless of its high price tag. But I want wireless, and the Blue Parrot performs very well.

I also have the new Nokia BH-905 Buetooth Stereo Headphones, which is also Bluetooth. Main thing is it has great stereo audio, and is a noise canceling headset (for noisy trucks, airplanes, etc.). I use it primarily for listening to music from the computer and the Droid, as well as for the audio from downloaded TV shows and movies on the laptop. When I'm not driving, it works quite well as a Bluetooth headset for the Droid phone calls. Not nearly as good as the Blue Parrot, but good enough for when I'm sitting still (I drive a truck). If sitting still and watching a movie or something, I'll take a call right on the Nokia, but I wouldn't want it as my primary headset, and I certainly wouldn't drive down the road with a stereo headset on. Otherwise I'll take the call on the Blue Parrot.

 

[powrful1]

You know you can simply plug in any wired stereo headphones and hear a call, and your voice is transmitted through the phone, it will also recognize wired headsets.