Cardo S-800 vs Jawbone - which is best?

After so many disappointments and headsets that offer unacceptable compromises, particularly in terms of sound quality, we've finally found two excellent headsets that have a lot to like about them, and few if any serious flaws.

The Cardo S-800 headset costs less than half the Jawbone headset, however. Do you get what you pay for - should you pay an extra $40 for the more expensive Jawbone?

Or is the newer Cardo simply better, and better value too?

For the fullest answer, you should read the respective complete reviews on both headsets, but for a quick summary of differences, the table below will help you decide which would be the better headset for you.

Feature Table

The following are what we feel to be the key features and the respective ratings of the two headsets.

If there are other aspects of the two headsets you'd like us to add to the table, don't hesitate to let us know.

Feature Cardo S-800 Aliph Jawbone Link to Full Review Cardo S-800 review Aliph Jawbone review List Price $85 $120 Street Price (Amazon) $36 $75 Warranty 1 yr non transferable 1 yr non transferable Battery life claimed (standby) 168 hrs 120 hrs Battery life claimed (talk) 8 hrs 6 hrs Headset weight 0.3 oz 0.7 oz Headset size (excluding earloop) 1.7" x 0.8" and 0.4" thick, with the earpiece protruding out another 0.5". 2.3" x 0.9" and 0.6" thick, with the earpiece protruding out another 0.5" Ease of putting on and off ear Good Poor Comfortable to wear Fair to poor without the optional loop, average to good with the loop Poor to good (very subjective) Secure on ear Yes with optional loop, no without Yes - loop is mandatory Can wear with glasses Yes with minimal difficulty Not so conveniently Standard USB charge socket Yes - micro USB No Computer USB charging cable provided Yes Yes Normal audio quality Excellent Excellent Noise cancelling Good Excellent Can pair to two devices simultaneously Yes No Effective Range Short through obstructions, about 50' direct unobstructed line of sight Short through obstructions, about 50' direct unobstructed line of sight Toll Free Support Yes, Mon - Fri No - email support only, slow responses.

Summary

The Aliph Jawbone was generally considered to be the best headset available when it was released, way back in 2006.

But since that time there have been many improvements in what is a rapidly evolving marketplace, leaving the Jawbone now with a much thinner feature set than its competitors, and only one remaining positive point - its extremely good noise cancelling.

If this is a must-have feature, then you'll probably happily spend the extra money on the Jawbone. But if it is not essential, chances are you'll find the new Cardo S-800 works as well as the Jawbone in all normal respects, and with a smaller size, lighter weight, longer battery life and lower price - well, what more need I say!