AnyMal
Lifer
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Anyone has any experience with these? Thinking of picking one up.
Update 7/15. My order came in yesterday and I had a chance to play with this little gizmo.
First, props to Buy.com, it only took three days from the date of my order to receive the package.
Intial impression: Iogear Bluetooth headset comes packaged in a blister pack we all love to hate. Thankfully, the back edge is perforated, so no scissors or knife were required to open this package (no cuts or bruises 😉) Inside you'll find the headset itself, English as well as French (!) user manuals, AC charger, USB charger (very nice touch), ear hook, lanyard loop, and a pair of foam ear pads.
The headset itself feels light yet sturdy. While made entirely of plastic, it doesn't have the cheap "generic" feel. Overall fit and finish can be rated as "good" to "very good".
The button layout is very simple and straight forward, as there are only three buttons in all. Multifunction button located to the rear of the headset (to set up your headset and to answer/terminate calls), and volume up/down buttons located on either bottom or top edge of the headset depending on which ear you will be using it on.
In the middle there are two LED status lights. When connected to either AC or USB charger, red LED will come on to indicate that headset is charging, it will shut off automatically when headset is full y charged. There is also a blue LED which will let you know if your headset is on or off.
Set-up: The first thing I did was charge the headset. To my delight, it only took about 90 minutes to fully charge it. Now it was the time to test it in action. Provided user manual walked me through the process on the first try and I was able to pair the headset with my phone (Nokia 6230 running on Cingular network). Note that the actual set-up procedure will vary depending on the make/model of your phone, however, I do not expect it to be overly complicated. Overall, I was up and running in less then a minute.
Performance: Once you have your headset paired with the phone you can begin using it right away. When your phone receives the call, it will route the ring to the headset, all you do is press the multifunction button and that's it. Once you're done with the call, simply press the multifunction button again to hang up.
I tested the range and found (as expected) that for the best reception you should remain within 3 feet of the phone. I was able to sustain the signal at up to 10 feet away with reasonable clarity, however the sound became increasingly distorted and the signal was lost completely at about 15 feet.
Comfort: The include earloop allows you to use the headset on either ear. I found that using it on the right ear gives me the most "natural" access to volume up/down buttons since they would be located at the top. The earhook itself is flexible, yet feels sturdy enough to last a good while. It's coated with some soft substance which provides for reasonably comfortable wear.
Complaints: The only complaint I have thus far is the blue status LED. When headset is on, it will flash in three-flash bursts every six seconds. The LED itself is very bright, which some may find annoying while driving at night. It provided enough light to illuminate inside of my car, which did bother me somewhat.
Bottom line: At $30.00 (including shipping) Iogear headset is hard (if not impolssible) to beat. Aside from the annoying LED, I like everything about this little gizmo. Easy and straightfoward set-up, compact size, inclusion of nice extras (USB charger and the lanyard loop), plus a wallet-pleasing price should appeal to just about anyone. If you own a Bluetoot enabled cell phone, you should definitely check out this headset.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
Anyone has any experience with these? Thinking of picking one up.
Update 7/15. My order came in yesterday and I had a chance to play with this little gizmo.
First, props to Buy.com, it only took three days from the date of my order to receive the package.
Intial impression: Iogear Bluetooth headset comes packaged in a blister pack we all love to hate. Thankfully, the back edge is perforated, so no scissors or knife were required to open this package (no cuts or bruises 😉) Inside you'll find the headset itself, English as well as French (!) user manuals, AC charger, USB charger (very nice touch), ear hook, lanyard loop, and a pair of foam ear pads.
The headset itself feels light yet sturdy. While made entirely of plastic, it doesn't have the cheap "generic" feel. Overall fit and finish can be rated as "good" to "very good".
The button layout is very simple and straight forward, as there are only three buttons in all. Multifunction button located to the rear of the headset (to set up your headset and to answer/terminate calls), and volume up/down buttons located on either bottom or top edge of the headset depending on which ear you will be using it on.
In the middle there are two LED status lights. When connected to either AC or USB charger, red LED will come on to indicate that headset is charging, it will shut off automatically when headset is full y charged. There is also a blue LED which will let you know if your headset is on or off.
Set-up: The first thing I did was charge the headset. To my delight, it only took about 90 minutes to fully charge it. Now it was the time to test it in action. Provided user manual walked me through the process on the first try and I was able to pair the headset with my phone (Nokia 6230 running on Cingular network). Note that the actual set-up procedure will vary depending on the make/model of your phone, however, I do not expect it to be overly complicated. Overall, I was up and running in less then a minute.
Performance: Once you have your headset paired with the phone you can begin using it right away. When your phone receives the call, it will route the ring to the headset, all you do is press the multifunction button and that's it. Once you're done with the call, simply press the multifunction button again to hang up.
I tested the range and found (as expected) that for the best reception you should remain within 3 feet of the phone. I was able to sustain the signal at up to 10 feet away with reasonable clarity, however the sound became increasingly distorted and the signal was lost completely at about 15 feet.
Comfort: The include earloop allows you to use the headset on either ear. I found that using it on the right ear gives me the most "natural" access to volume up/down buttons since they would be located at the top. The earhook itself is flexible, yet feels sturdy enough to last a good while. It's coated with some soft substance which provides for reasonably comfortable wear.
Complaints: The only complaint I have thus far is the blue status LED. When headset is on, it will flash in three-flash bursts every six seconds. The LED itself is very bright, which some may find annoying while driving at night. It provided enough light to illuminate inside of my car, which did bother me somewhat.
Bottom line: At $30.00 (including shipping) Iogear headset is hard (if not impolssible) to beat. Aside from the annoying LED, I like everything about this little gizmo. Easy and straightfoward set-up, compact size, inclusion of nice extras (USB charger and the lanyard loop), plus a wallet-pleasing price should appeal to just about anyone. If you own a Bluetoot enabled cell phone, you should definitely check out this headset.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
