Review: Jawbone ICON Earwear Collection Bluetooth headset

Ah, the Bluetooth headset – the kind of gadget you either love or hate. If you love them, you’ll probably have one stuck to your head 24/7. The Jawbone series of headsets from Aliph have long been considered the best of the best in Bluetooth – and rightfully so. Even in its first version back in 2006, Jawbone headsets used technology not found on any other headset.

Since then, Jawbone headsets have come a long way – and the newest generation not only improves on the sound quality, but also reduces the size of the headset. In this review, we’ll take a look at the new Jawbone ICON Suede.

Right away, the ICON headset grabs your attention – it is small, and the outer silver plastic shell is wavy. On the back of the headset is the signature bone conducting sensor, earpiece and a physical on/off switch. On the top are several microphones, and a multi-function button is on top, just above a MicroUSB charge/connection port.

Comfort is high on my list of expectations from any Bluetooth headset, and the ICON really does deliver. Inside its box is a variety of earpieces and an earloop. With these, you can fit the headset using a silicone earbud or an earbud with hook. The earbuds all come in several sizes.

Charging the headset is simple – an AC charger is included, along with a neat rigid/flexible MicroUSB cable. This allows you to charge the ICON using wall power, or your computer.

The USB cable also lets you connect the headset to your PC to use with the MyTALK suite of applications. More on that in a moment.

Sound quality is obviously just as important as comfort – and once again, the Jawbone Icon does not disappoint. Even in the nosiest environment, callers on the other end of the line commented how clear I sounded. At one point I was driving with my car window open, and the wind barely made an impact on the call quality. Of course, the more unwanted noise the headset has to cancel, the more muffled the call may become – but it beats the alternative.

The Jawbone MyTALK feature is quite brilliant. This web based application suite lets you configure settings on your headset, load new text to speech voices, and even load new Dial Apps. These apps provide instant access to frequently dialed numbers, voice dialing, 411 services and even online notation services. Blackberry users can add a battery meter. Take things even further by adding instant access to music stations like AOL Radio and you’ll extend your headset way beyond what most other brands offer.

Other features inside the headset include support for A2DP streaming music and spoken instructions – yes – the headset will read caller ID and its battery level to you. Of course, it also supports multi-point connections, allowing you to connect to more than one device at the same time.

If new features are released, the MyTALK site can even take care of firmware updates for your headset, making it futureproof.

Of course, all these neat features come at a price – the Jawbone ICON retails for $99. However, with excellent sound quality, good looks and a variety of apps and other updateable features, this may very well be the last headset you ever need.

The new Jawbone ICON Earwear collection is available in four styles. To learn more about the Jawbone headsets, to compare models, or to place an order, head on over to Jawbone.com.

Jawbone expands into portable speakers with the new Jambox

Jawbone, one of the biggest names in Bluetooth headsets recently announced their newest addition – the Jambox. The Jambox takes all the best parts of a Jawbone headset, and adds it to a portable speaker. Inside the Jambox are two acoustic drivers and a “bass radiator”.

The device supports the Jawbone MyTALK application suite, and its built in microphone lets you hold conference calls when connected to a suitable Bluetooth device.

The Jambox is available in black, blue, red or silver, and retails for $199.99. While this may seem like an insane amount of money for “just a speaker”, according to Engadget, the technology inside the Jambox was developed in part by the brains behind the amazing Soundmatters foxL which we reviewed this summer.

Bottom line is simple – you pay a lot, and you get a lot in return. The reviews of the Jambox confirm this. We hope to have our own review here on Gadling as soon as we can.

To check out the other features of the Jambox, or to order your own, head on over to the Jambox site.

Daily gear deal – Aliph Jawbone 2 Bluetooth headset for $40

Today’s daily deal is for the popular Aliph Jawbone 2 Bluetooth headset.

This noise canceling headset is considered to be one of the best options out there for making calls in a noisy environment. OF course, as with all Bluetooth products, whether or not you think the Jawbone is “pretty” is a matter of taste.

This headset normally retails for about $90, but is on sale for one day only, through deals site “dailysteals.com” for just $39.99.

Included with the Jawbone 2 headset is a charging cable and an AC adapter. Shipping is included in the purchase price.

You’ll find the deal here, just remember that when they run out of inventory, the deal is gone, and as with all one-deal-a-day sites, when the timer runs out, they will switch to a different product, so don’t wait too long to order.

Daily deal – Jawbone noise canceling Bluetooth headset for $34.95

My daily deal for today is for the Jawbone noise canceling Bluetooth headset.

This headset has always been very highly rated, and was recently upgraded to the Jawbone 2.0, which means now is the time to find good deals on the previous generation.

The headset features several noise canceling technologies, and eliminates background noise on the earpiece and microphone.

The Jawbone comes with an assortment of earpieces and earloops, making it easy to find the perfect fit.

The headset is on sale at 1saleaday, another of those sites that sells one product a day – so if you are in the market for a decent headset, don’t wait too long, or the Jawbone will be replaced by the next new item.

Included with the Jawbone is a travel charger and shipping is $4.99, making the total purchase price a tad under $40, which is not bad at all for a headset that still retails for $52 on Amazon.com.

Daily deal – Aliph Jawbone 2 Bluetooth headset for $80

My daily deal for today is for the Aliph Jawbone 2 Bluetooth headset. This headset combines a stylish look with the noise canceling features only found in Jawbone headsets.

I’ve never been a huge Bluetooth headset fan, but if you are going to wear one anyway, it might as well be a pretty one.

The Jawbone 2 headset comes complete with a USB charger, replacement ear loops and 3 different earbuds.

The headset has a manufacturer rating of 8 days standby time, or 4 hours talk time.

The MSRP of the Jawbone 2 is $139.99, but it is currently on sale at Cellhut for just $79.99 with free shipping. You will need to enter coupon code ALIP2B in order to get the shipping charges removed.

(Via Crunchgear)