Parrot Easydrive Bluetooth HandsFree Unit

	Probably the best use of Bluetooth to date is with an in-car hands-free unit. The Parrot Easydrive can be used in any car, and with any Bluetooth enabled cellphone. With no installation and no special knowledge needed to use the unit, this is a great safety and convenience aid for all drivers. Part of our series on Bluetooth - more articles listed on the right.

Wearable Bluetooth headsets necessarily involve design compromises.

But here's an in-car handsfree kit completely free of compromises, and full of functionality. Strongly recommended for all people who have a Bluetooth phone.

And, if you don't yet have a Bluetooth phone, the convenience of this unit might persuade you to upgrade.

What you Get

The Parrot Easydrive Bluetooth Handsfree Kit comes in an easily opened plastic display pack. Inside are instructions, the main unit (which includes the speaker - at the bottom of the illustration above), and an extension control box (which includes the microphone - shown at the top of the illustration above). Also included is a second faceplate (choose between a clear or a black colored faceplate on the main unit) and a couple of cable ties to help route the wiring between the main unit and the control box.

The speaker unit simply plugs into the car's cigarette lighter. It measures a maximum of 4½" x 2¼" x 2¼", and the smaller microphone/control box is about 2½" x 2" x 1". Altogether, the system weighs about 4 ounces.

The control box/microphone connects via a short two foot cable to the main unit. The cable is hard wired into the main unit and connects via a mini-USB type connector to the control box. A benefit of having the cable hard-wired into the main unit is that you won't lose the cable.

The compact size and light weight of this system make it ideal for taking with you when traveling - simply plug it into any car to enjoy its full functionality. Or, if you have several cars and don't want to buy a unit for each car, swap the unit between your own cars.

The unit sells for about $120 and has a one year warranty.

Compatibility

The Easydrive unit is compliant with the Bluetooth 1.1 specification, which makes it compatible with most other Bluetooth devices.

Unlike some earlier inferior model Bluetooth products, the Easydrive contains profiles for both headset and hands-free usage, and so will work with just about every Bluetooth equipped cell phone out there (some cell phones have one mode, some the other).

To use some of its advanced features, such as the 'Magic Words' (see below) your phone will also need to have the 'Object Push' Bluetooth profile - this is not quite so common, especially on older Bluetooth phones, but will become increasingly common in the future.

The unit can be paired with up to five different phones simultaneously.

Configuring the Easydrive to work with your Phone(s)

The Easydrive has a manual (in six languages). The English section is 14 small pages, and is not without its occasional puzzlement.

For example, at the end of the section, you are invited to contact Parrot's hotline for support, and even advised its hours of operation (Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm CET). But there's no number given - to find this out, you have to visit their website. The number (in Paris, France) is +33 (0)1 4803-6069.

And the section on adding 'voiceprints' for people's names doesn't actually tell you how to do this - you have to go to their website and find out how from the materials there. This is strange because, once you find them online, the actual instructions are short and concise.

Configuring the Easydrive to work with your mobile phone is tremendously simple. Unlike many headsets, there is no need to do anything special to the unit to switch it into pairing mode.

Simply use your phone to find the new Bluetooth device and pair with it through the phone (the Easydrive's pairing code is 1234). You'll have instructions on how to do this with your phone; in addition, there are careful step by step instructions for most Bluetooth capable phones available on the Parrot website.

Using the Easydrive

Get into your car, with your cell phone somewhere in the car as well. The phone and Easydrive automatically link up. Any incoming calls will now ring through the Easydrive unit, without you needing to make any changes to the phone at all.

To place a call, you can either use the last number redial or the voice activated dialing features of the Easydrive, or you can use your phone's keypad to dial the number and then speak to the other person through the Easydrive device.

When you get out of your car, your phone automatically switches back to normal operation, until such time as you return to your car.

There's nothing to remember. Nothing to adjust or program. You act totally normally, leaving everything to your phone and the Easydrive unit to do automatically on your behalf.

This is surely the ultimate in phone convenience.

Magic Words

This is a great feature, but will only work with some cell phones. If your cell phone supports the 'Object Push' Bluetooth profile, it will work with this feature.

With Magic Words enabled, you record a series of key commands and then any time you say one of these commands, the phone will respond accordingly. Commands can be used to answer a call, redial, hang up, and perform various other functions.

In addition to these 'magic words' you can also record the names of people you want to call (and who call you). Then, if you want to make a call, you can simply command the unit by voice to call the person you want to speak with, and if an incoming call comes from that person, the unit will play the person's name to you so you know who it is.

The name recordings work for all phones, whether or not they have the Object Push capability. I haven't made much use of that myself, because I can't always remember the recorded names for people in my phone directory. If I really disciplined myself to be consistent with how I named each person then it would probably be much better, or perhaps I can simply create multiple entries for each person using different voice labels (eg William Smith and Bill Smith).

Obviously, using spoken commands rather than needing to take your eyes and hands off the car's wheel to control your phone is the ultimate in safe hands-free operation. The Easydrive unit has a well developed set of such features.

Sound Quality

Of course the person you're speaking with will notice you're using some type of speaker phone, but in general, sound quality is perfectly good, and the unit has digital signal processing that results in background noise reduction, making it more practical to have a conversation while driving in a noisy environment.

The Easydrive has a volume control so you can adjust the incoming volume as it suits you.

The unit operates in full duplex mode - both you and the other person can talk at the same time, just like a regular conversation.

The unit is very good at echo cancellation - in testing, we placed the microphone close to the speaker to see what would happen, and while the person at the other end of the phone reported some echo, the level wasn't judged to be impossible.

For best results, the closer the microphone/control box is to your mouth, the better the sound quality will be for the person you're speaking to.

Swapping Between Cars

One of the most appealing features of the Easydrive is that it simply plugs into any car's cigarette lighter and instantly starts working. So if you are traveling with a rental car, you can take the Easydrive with you (don't leave it behind at the end of your rental!) and if you have two or more cars at home, you can again deploy the Easydrive in whichever car you're currently using.

There is one slight complicating factor, but this complication is easily resolved. In addition to plugging the main unit (containing the speaker) into the lighter, you also need to mount the control box (containing the microphone) somewhere in the car. The control box has a small piece of adhesive tape on its back to allow it to be stuck wherever you want, but this will quickly lose its stickiness. I've replaced this with a small piece of velcro (the loop half) and then I place a small velcro dot (the hook half) in each car where I want the control unit/microphone to be located.

This makes it very easy to remove both the speaker unit and the microphone unit when swapping cars, and because the velcro tab on the microphone unit is the soft loop part, it is soft and easy to carry.

Other Comments and Considerations

There are two control buttons on the control box plus a scroll wheel that has a push-in 'click' function as well.

The left button, with a green handset printed on it, is your 'answer/place call/yes' button, and the right button, with a red handset printed on it, is your 'hang up' button. This is easy to understand and remember, and sufficiently intuitively simple that you don't need to refresh your memory with the product manual if it is a while since you last used the unit.

The scroll wheel is used to work through the various menus to configure the phone. Menus have voice prompting (in your choice of six different languages).

The Easydrive does not have an on/off switch, but relies instead on your car's cigarette lighter being switched on and off by the ignition switch. If your car's cigarette lighter stays on all the time, you would want to unplug the Easydrive when the car will not be used for more than a day or two - the current drain on the unit is not a lot (max of 300 mA and less on standby) but if your battery is only half charged and you then leave the car unattended for a week, the power taken by the unit could be enough to flatten the battery.

The unit does not hinge or pivot between the 'plug into the lighter' part and the main speaker/microphone/control unit part. This may pose problems in some vehicles, depending on their layout. A simple hinge between the two parts of the unit would make it much more universal.

The manufacturer - Parrot in France - has a helpful website with copies of manuals and other support materials.

There is no mute function, although this could be achieved by transferring the call back to your phone and muting it there.

The unit supports call 'flashing' - eg, to answer a call waiting call, by simply briefly pressing the green button.

One of the special features of this unit is that it is software upgradeable. From time to time Parrot may add new features and capabilities, enhancing the unit to match the evolving Bluetooth standard. You can download new firmware from their website, and then transfer it from a Bluetooth equipped computer (USB Bluetooth dongles are becoming very inexpensive these days) to the unit wirelessly.

Legal Issues

If you live in a state or country where it is illegal to hold your phone and have a conversation with it while driving, you should consider one of these as the best way to legally use your phone hands-free.

And even if you live in a region where it remains legal to use your phone while driving, increasingly, lawsuits are being filed against drivers who have accidents while on the phone, asserting that the drivers were prima facie inattentive (the injured party can subpoena your cell phone records to prove you were on the phone at the time the accident occured).

A hands free kit, such as this, might save your life, or, less dramatically, might save you from a major lawsuit.

Cost and Where to Buy

The unit seems to be generally priced for about $120 or a little less at present (June 05). A Froogle search for Easydrive shows companies selling it.

Comparison

The Easydrive is noticeably better than its predecessor, the DriveBlue. It has more functions and better sound quality, and is more user friendly.

See also our review of Parrot's CK3000 hard-wired car hands-free kit and a discussion on that page of the pluses and minuses of the two different units and approaches to in-car hands-free units.

Summary

This unit is easy to install (just plug in to your car's lighter!), and easy to use (no need to open its manual for most people). It works well and provides a very valuable convenience for people who wish to use their phones in the car.

Because it is portable, you can use it in any car, getting full value out of it, and for sure, you'll quickly find you never want to be in a car without it.

Parrot DriveBlue Bluetooth HandsFree Unit

Wearable Bluetooth headsets necessarily involve some design compromises.

But here's an in-car handsfree kit completely free of compromises, and full of functionality. Strongly recommended for all people who have a Bluetooth phone. And, if you don't yet have a Bluetooth phone, the convenience of this unit might persuade you to upgrade.

Note : The DriveBlue has been largely superseded by the new (released 16 May 2005) Easydrive unit - similar but better than the Drive Blue.

What you Get

The Parrot DriveBlue unit comes packed in a plastic display pack. Inside are instructions, the unit, and an extension microphone.

The unit itself simply plugs into the car's cigarette lighter. It measures a maximum of 5½" x 2½" x 1", and weights about 3 ounces.

Its compact size and light weight make it ideal for taking with you when traveling - simply plug it into any rental car to enjoy its full functionality. Or, if you have several cars and don't want to buy a unit for each car, swap the unit between your own cars.

Of course, if using the DriveBlue in a rental car, you'll have to remember to remove it when returning the car! The automatic and unobtrusive nature of the unit might make this difficult.

The unit sells for $100-130 and has a one year warranty.

Compatibility

The DriveBlue unit is compatible with the Bluetooth 1.1 specification, which makes it compatible with most other Bluetooth devices.

Unlike some earlier inferior model Bluetooth products, the DriveBlue contains profiles for both headset and hands-free usage, and so will work with just about every cell phone out there.

The unit can be paired with three different phones simultaneously.

Configuring the DriveBlue to work with your Phone(s)

This is tremendously simple. Unlike many headsets, there is no need to do anything special to the DriveBlue itself to switch it into pairing mode.

Simply use your phone to find the new Bluetooth device and pair with it through the phone (the DriveBlue's pairing code is 1234). You'll have instructions on how to do this with your phone; in addition, there are careful step by step instructions included with the unit for most Bluetooth capable phones.

Using the DriveBlue

Get into your car, with your cell phone somewhere in the car as well. The phone and DriveBlue automatically link up. Any incoming calls will now ring through the DriveBlue unit, without you needing to make any changes to the phone at all.

To place a call, you can either use the last number redial or the voice activated dialing features of the DriveBlue, or you can use your phone's keypad to dial the number and then speak to the other person through the DriveBlue device.

When you get out of your car, your phone automatically switches back to normal operation, until such time as you return to your car.

There's nothing to remember. Nothing to adjust or program. You act totally normally, leaving everything to your phone and the DriveBlue unit to do automatically on your behalf.

This is surely the ultimate in phone convenience.

Sound Quality

Of course the person you're speaking with will notice you're using some type of speaker phone, but in general, sound quality is perfectly good, and the unit has digital signal processing that results in background noise reduction, making it more practical to have a conversation while driving in a noisy environment.

The DriveBlue has a volume control so you can adjust the incoming volume as it suits you.

For best results, you'll want to use the supplied microphone extension. This has a microphone and velcro mount at one end of a 10' cord, and a plug at the other end. Because of the velcro mount, you can easily transfer the extension microphone to other vehicles too - kudos to DriveBlue for thinking of this.

If you're using the built-in microphone, the unit works in simplex mode - that is, either you can talk, or the other person can talk, but both of you can't be talking simultaneously. This cuts down on the echo problems that might otherwise occur. The simplex circuitry gives you 'override' capability - if both of you are talking, then the unit will cause your conversation to be sent to the other person in preference to their conversation being sent to you.

When you plug in the extension microphone, the unit switches to full duplex mode and both you and the other person can talk at the same time, just like a regular conversation.

The unit is very good at echo cancellation - in testing, we placed the microphone close to the speaker to see what would happen, and while the person at the other end of the phone reported some echo, the level wasn't judged to be impossible.

Other Comments and Considerations

There are two control buttons on the unit. One, with a green handset printed on it, is your 'answer/place call/yes' button, and the other, with a red handset printed on it, is your 'hang up' button. This is easy to understand and remember, and sufficiently intuitively simple that you don't need to refresh your memory with the product manual if it is a while since you last used the unit.

The DriveBlue does not have an on/off switch, but relies instead on your car's cigarette lighter being switched on and off by the ignition switch. If your car's cigarette lighter stays on all the time, you would want to unplug the DriveBlue when the car will not be used for more than a day or two - the current drain on the unit is not a lot (max of 300 mA and less on standby) but if your battery is only half charged and you then leave the car unattended for a week, the power taken by the DriveBlue unit could be enough to flatten the battery.

The unit does not hinge or pivot between the 'plug into the lighter' part and the main speaker/microphone/control unit part. This may pose problems in some vehicles, depending on their layout. A simple hinge between the two parts of the unit would make it much more universal.

The manufacturer - Parrot in France - has a helpful website with copies of manuals and other support materials.

There is no mute function, although this could be achieved by transferring the call back to your phone and muting it there.

The unit supports call 'flashing' - eg, to answer a call waiting call, by simply briefly pressing the green button.

Legal Issues

If you live in a state or country where it is illegal to hold your phone and have a conversation with it while driving, you should consider one of these as the best way to legally use your phone hands-free.

And even if you live in a region where it remains legal to use your phone while driving, increasingly, lawsuits are being filed against drivers who have accidents while on the phone, asserting that the drivers were prima facie inattentive.

A hands free kit, such as this, might save your life, or, less dramatically, might save you from a major lawsuit.

Cost and Where to Buy

The unit has a recommended retail price of $129, but can be found for less on some websites. Pro Travel Gear - the manufacturer of the Plane Quiet headphones, sell the unit for $99 on their website, and offer Travel Insider readers a 5% discount if you quote the discount code travelinsider when completing your purchase.

Comparison

See also our review of Parrot's CK3000 hard-wired car hands-free kit and a discussion on that page of the pluses and minuses of the two different units and approaches to in-car hands-free units.

Summary

This unit is easy to install (just plug in to your car's lighter!), and easy to use (no need to open its manual for most people). It works well and provides a very valuable convenience for people who wish to use their phones in the car.

Because it is portable, you can use it in any car, getting full value out of it, and for sure, you'll quickly find you never want to be in a car without it.

JBL Bluetooth Headphones for iPod

When it comes to Bluetooth headphones everyone has its own preferences and one of the variables that we have to consider when buy a new set is the type of headphones. Do we want the smaller ones or the larger one? The manufacturers have made a choice for us by distributing mainly the smaller ones because of their convenience for outdoor (read running) usage.

However if you prefer a pair of larger Bluetooth headphones JBL has created a model for you. It�s the Reference Series 610 that is designed with an ear cup (plus some more to cover completely the ear) size and uses leather to provide the maximum comfort.

Using the Bluetooth connection the Reference Series 610 can be paired with any device that supports this standard like, for example, laptops, phones, and iPods. One of the earcups has a power switch while the other contains usual the controls to adjust volume, select tracks, and play or pause the music.

If for some reason you do not want to use the Bluetooth connection JBL has included a 1.75 cable to connect the Reference Series 610 headphones to any devices you want. The retail box also contains two types of jack adapters for headphones: �� and airplane.

JBL equipped the headphones with a rechargeable battery that can be connected to the wall using the universal battery charged included in the box.

The price has been set to $199.95 and JBL has also announced that this Bluetooth headphone will be on sale starting from November and will be available in two different versions: black and white.

Bluetooth allows Iraq war wounded to walk again

The way we use and employ technology has changed considerably over the past few years. Innovation is the keyword today, and here is an example of innovation being put up for human use.

A wounded Iraq war veteran is able to walk again, using artificial legs fitted with Bluetooth technology.

Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua Bleill, whose legs were mutilated when a bomb exploded under his vehicle in Iraq on October 26, 2006, has been provided with a set of prosthetic legs which use Bluetooth to communicate with each other to function.


Bleill has several stitches in his abdomen, and a 6-inch screw is holding his pelvis together. Bluetooth has turned his bane to boon, and has now enabled him to walk again.

Parrot CK3000 Bluetooth HandsFree Unit

Do you want to have a removable, plug into the cigarette lighter type in-car hands-free kit, or would you prefer a hardwired system like this?

Obviously the permanently installed unit can only be used in one car. But - and as you might also have guessed, in the one car in which it is installed, it will give you much better sound quality than a cigarette lighter driven accessory.

What you Get

The Parrot CK3000 unit comes packed in a box, containing a lot of wiring harnesses and adapters, plus the user control unit, the main box, and the remote microphone. Helpful instructions for your installer make his job easy (and thereby reduce your installation cost) and an excellent manual make it easy for you to quickly become familiar with this wonderful device.

The unit sells for $200-230 and has a one year warranty.

Compatibility

The CK3000 unit is compatible with the Bluetooth 1.1 specification, which makes it compatible with most other Bluetooth devices.

Unlike some earlier inferior model Bluetooth products, the Parrot CK3000 contains profiles for both headset and hands-free usage, and so will work with just about every cell phone out there.

The unit can be paired with three different phones simultaneously.

Configuring the CK3000 to work with your Phone(s)

This is tremendously simple. Unlike many headsets, there is no need to do anything special to the CK3000 itself to switch it into pairing mode.

Simply use your phone to find the new Bluetooth device and pair with it through the phone, using the password 1234. You'll have instructions on how to do this with your phone; in addition, there are careful step by step instructions included with the unit for most Bluetooth capable phones.

Using the CK3000

Get into your car, with your cell phone somewhere in the car as well. The phone and CK3000 automatically link up. You'll hear a short confirming beep from your speakers after the devices have synchronized. Any incoming calls will now ring through the CK3000 unit and your car's speakers, without you needing to make any changes to the phone at all.

To place a call, you can either use the last number redial or the voice activated dialing features of the CK3000, or you can use your phone's keypad to dial the number and then speak to the other person through the CK3000.

When you get out of your car, your phone automatically switches back to normal operation, until such time as you return to your car.

My favorite feature is that when you are using your phone, this unit automatically mutes your sound system. And as soon as you've finished using the phone, the sound system switches back on again.

There's nothing to remember. Nothing to adjust or program. You act totally normally, leaving everything to your phone and the CK3000 unit to do automatically on your behalf.

This is surely the ultimate in phone convenience.

Sound Quality

Of course the person you're speaking with will notice you're using some type of speaker phone, but in general, sound quality is very good, and the unit has digital signal processing that results in background noise reduction, making it practical to have a conversation while driving in a noisy environment.

The CK3000 has no volume control and instead accepts commands from the volume control on your phone.

The unit supports full duplex conversation - both you and the other person can be talking simultaneously, and has very little echo.

Other Comments and Considerations

It cost me another $200 to have the CK3000 professionally installed into my 1995 Jaguar XJS. The unit comes with standard wiring harnesses to speed up and simplify the installation into newer less exotic cars, and so the chances are your installation cost will be less than mine.

There are two illuminated buttons on the control unit. One, with a green handset printed on it, is your 'answer/place call/yes' button, and the other, with a red handset printed on it, is your 'hang up' button. This is easy to understand and remember, and sufficiently intuitively simple that you don't need to refresh your memory with the product manual if it is a while since you last used the unit.

The CK3000 does not have an on/off switch, but is instead hard-wired into the ignition. When you turn your ignition on, the CK3000 comes on, and when you turn it, it also turns off. This is fine, but I chose to add a separate on/off switch to my unit, so I can manually turn it off if for some reason I don't want it to be on. The cost of adding the manual on/off switch is minimal, and the extra flexibility seemed to be well worth this minor addition. You might want to consider doing the same thing.

The unit does not need your radio/stereo system to be turned on to work. I loved the way it automatically muted the sound system whenever there was a call in progress, although I was not quite so pleased that any time you even touched the phone's keypad - eg, just to look up a number, it would immediately mute the sound system. I'd prefer it to only mute the sound system when actual calls were active.

The manufacturer - Parrot in France - has a helpful website with copies of manuals and other support materials.

There is no mute function, although this could be achieved by transferring the call back to your phone and muting it there.

The unit supports call 'flashing' - eg, to answer a call waiting call, by simply briefly pressing the green button.

Legal Issues

If you live in a state or country where it is illegal to hold your phone and have a conversation with it while driving, you should consider one of these as the best way to legally use your phone hands-free.

And even if you live in a region where it remains legal to use your phone while driving, increasingly, lawsuits are being filed against drivers who have accidents while on the phone, asserting that the drivers were prima facie inattentive.

A hands free kit, such as this, might save your life, or, less dramatically, might save you from a major lawsuit.

Technological Obsolescence?

If you're spending $200 on one of these units, and probably that much again to have a professional installer fit the CK3000 into your car, you want to be sure your investment is protected for an extended time.

Bluetooth capabilities are rapidly evolving, and today's equipment will likely not be able to handle new features in future Bluetooth gear.

Parrot have already thought of this. The unit can have its firmware (operating system) flashed with a newer version, as and when any future enhancements might be released, or in the event that new phones come out in the future that offer extra features that the CK3000 could take advantage of.

This is a wonderful convenience and gives you the confidence you'll need to invest in this unit.

An Investment

High end cars are now starting to offer Bluetooth kits as options, and for sure, over the next few years, this capability will become more common and will move down into mid level cars as well.

It is possible that having a high quality built-in Bluetooth hands-free kit in your car might add to its resale value, and certainly will add to its desirability.

Cost and Where to Buy

The unit has a recommended retail price of $229, but can be found for less on some websites. Pro Travel Gear - the manufacturers of the Plane Quiet headphones, sell the unit for $199 on their website, and offer Travel Insider readers a 5% discount if you quote the discount code travelinsider when completing your purchase.

Comparison

See also our review of Parrot's DriveBlue plug-in car hands-free kit and the new Easydrive Bluetooth hands-free kit that has now replaced the DriveBlue.

The CK3000 has several advantages compared to the DriveBlue. It gives better sound quality to you, and probably to the person you are speaking with as well. The sound quality difference is not so noticeable with the Easydrive.

Because it is hard wired in to your car, there is nothing to 'go wrong' or to be forgotten. It is also unobtrusive - all a person sees is the very small little control unit, which measures only 1½" x 1" x ½", and so is not likely to attract the attention of any car thieves.

It automatically mutes your car's sound system for calls.

On the other hand, the DriveBlue and Easydrive are portable, enabling you to use them in more than one vehicle. They are also cheaper to purchase, and have no installation cost associated with them.

Summary

This unit is very easy to operate, and provides an excellent convenience for people wishing to use their phone while in the car. Sound quality is good.

Ety-Com Hands-Free Noise Isolating Headset

Traditional cell phone headsets suffer from a major problem. Because the microphone is located a long way from your mouth, your speech is not heard as clearly by the microphone, while noises around you are - relatively speaking - heard much more clearly.

Etymotic Research's Ety-Com headset addresses the problem of noise interfering with a phone conversation in three ways. Firstly, its earpiece passively blocks out the noise around you, making it easier for you to hear what the other person is saying.

Secondly, its microphone is closer to your mouth so hears more of your voice and comparatively less of sounds around you. Thirdly, it features dual microphone noise cancelling technology so as to further reduce the background noise for the person at the other end of the conversation.

The net result is a much better experience for both you and the person you're talking with.

What You Get

The Ety-Com headset from Etymotic Research comes in a small plastic display case. Small is a consistent theme with this headset - indeed, when I opened up the little plastic container, the bulkiest item inside seemed to be the folded up warranty card!

At first I thought they'd left out the headset, but opening up a small thin carry pouch (3" x 3" x ½") revealed the headset inside.

It is tiny and lightweight. The headset has an ear piece that sticks into your ear, about 1" long; and then at right angles to that, a bendable arm about 4¼" long runs down to the microphone.

The in-ear weight of the unit is a negligible 0.2 ounces, with most of the weight at the top in your ear. In comparison, the Boom headset weighs 0.7 ounces - okay, so that's no great weight either, but it is 3.5 times heavier. The Boom also has its weight distributed all the way down its boom, making it even heavier feeling on your ear than just the weight difference along would imply (due to leverage).

The headset comes with one foam and four different sizes of flanged soft rubber earpieces so you can choose the style and size of earpiece that best suits your ear. It is important that the headset is sealed into your ear because this is the way it blocks out the noise around you, by creating a physical noise barrier. This also means that the headset is less likely to fall out while in use.

Also included in the small little pouch is a replacement filter that goes inside the earpiece and a tool to use when replacing this filter. The filters are liable to get blocked with ear-wax after repeated use and may need to be occasionally replaced.

The plastic pouch has a zip sealed inner compartment that can be used for storing the very small (3/16" x 1/32") filter and tool, and the main compartment that - in theory - can hold the headset. Unfortunately, when the headset arm is bent to fit your face, it won't fit in the pouch.

A simple to understand user manual and a warranty card complete the kit. The unit does not need batteries.

You get a 90 day warranty, extendible to one year if you send in the warranty card. There is no provision for registering online.

Etymotic Research offers a generous 30 day return if you decide you are not satisfied with any of their products.

Description

The Ety-Com headset is a masterpiece of lightweight design and construction. It looks clean and neat and is easy to mount on/in your ear and easy to position the microphone arm close to your mouth.

The cord from the headset to the plug is 46" long. This is short, but not too short, and is probably exactly right so as to avoid unnecessary lengths of cord getting tangled.

The plug at the end is a standard design 2.5mm 3 conductor plug. Adapters are available to fit phones that use non-standard connectors.

The headset can be worn on either ear, with no need to reconfigure or flip anything over. Just plug it in whichever ear you wish and it will work fine.

Functionality

Because the headset is held in your ear purely by the strength of its friction fit against your ear canal, it is important that it be placed securely in your ear, and then you absolutely must clip the cord to your shirt collar or somewhere near-by so the cord doesn't tug at the headset.

The user manual gives instructions on how to insert the headset into your ear. You should pull the top lobe of your ear upward and outward, then stick the headset in so that the eartip seals 'deeply and comfortably' (for some of us these words are mutually exclusive!) in the ear canal. This is a difficult two handed operation, and some of us will want to be able to quickly shove the headset in our ear when answering or making a call, rather than permanently wearing the headset for hours at a time.

What the manual did not sufficiently stress is to exercise extreme caution when removing the headset! The first time I removed it, I simply tugged at the headset and pulled it straight out of my ear. The low pressure vacuum caused by pulling the sealed eartip out of my ear was very painful.

I decided I preferred using the foam rather than the flanged rubber earplug design. I found it easier to stuff into my ear and to pull out again.

The inside the ear fit is necessary not only to hold the headset in place but also to block outside noise so you can clearly hear the other side of the conversation. Some people find wearing things inside their ears uncomfortable, whereas many other people don't object at all.

It is important to keep the microphone close to your mouth - Etymotic Research recommends within half an inch. The closer it is to your mouth, the bigger the relative difference it detects between your voice and the background noise. To my surprise, I wasn't able to get the microphone as close as they recommend - maybe I have a long face, but the arm holding the microphone wouldn't get closer than an inch or so. It is possible that with a more careful series of bending the arm each time I put it on my head, I might get it closer to my mouth, but in my 'real world' testing I couldn't achieve this.

Comfort wise, the light weight makes the unit very easy to wear. There is no sensation of weight, just a feeling of blockage in your ear. It is great to wear while walking around and you're much less aware of its presence than you are with the heavier Boom headset. I even managed to run a short distance with the headset plugged into my ear with no problem at all. I did notice that the headset would slowly and slightly move so that the microphone arm was slowly dropping lower and lower alongside my face and further from my mouth, but this only happens over an extended time.

I could wear the unit for over an hour with no discomfort and even managed to eat a meal without having the microphone get in the way of my fork and food. It was slightly strange eating with something in my ear - it caused strange sounds while chewing, and my ear felt blocked (as of course it was).

It is possible to use this headset while wearing glasses and/or a hat, and due to its small size, it is easy to carry in a pocket when not in your ear.

Compatibility with Phones

I mentioned in my review of The Boom that it had problems working properly with my Nokia 3650. Strangely, the Ety-Com unit also had problems with the 3650, but worked perfectly well with a Motorola phone. With Nokia phones having an estimated 50% share of the market, it is regrettable that the Ety-Com doesn't work reliably with these phones.

Alas, cell phone manufacturers seem unable to agree on sharing a universal type of plug/socket for headsets, and neither my Sony Ericsson nor Siemens phones would accept the type of 'standard' plug that both The Boom and Ety-Com headsets use, but adaptors for these and many other phones are available for about $13 each.

The headset can also be used with most models of cordless phones and desk phones. If the phone has the same sized jack, it may work, and we understand it does work with some models of Sony and Panasonic phones, although it didn't work with a Radio Shack desk phone we have here (very bad sound quality, probably due to mismatched impedances).

Replacement/Consumable Parts

Excuse the discussion on messy aspects of human physiology, but if you are sticking things far into your ear, you are likely to get some amount of ear wax transferring to the outside and even into the inside of the earplug that you're sticking in your ear. Some people's ears create more wax than others, and before too long, your headset is probably going to start to look somewhat unsightly and dirty.

It is possible to replace the outside foam or rubber part of the ear plug, and Etymotic Research sell spares - five pairs (ie ten units) of the flanged eartips for $14, or three pairs of the foam eartips, also for $14.

There is another piece you may need to occasionally replace as well - a 'filter' that is inside the earplug. Ear wax will travel down the sound tube and eventually block this filter. New filters are $2.50 each (packs of six for $15).

Testing

The sound quality of the Ety-Com headset was excellent. I could clearly hear incoming calls in any environment, and the people at the other end of the call could usually hear me clearly, too.

I compared the Ety-Com unit with The Boom, with a regular headset with a microphone halfway down the cord, and with using a Motorola V66i cell phone by itself with no external headset.

As can be seen in the summary table below, the Ety-Com unit was best for the Ety-Com user, and scored second best for the person listening at the other end of the call.

The Boom clearly gave the best results for the person listening at the other end of the phone, but also gave the worst results (by a small margin) for the person actually using the headset.

Which is more important to you? To be able to clearly hear what the other person is saying, or for the other person to clearly hear what you are saying?

For most people, the Ety-Com unit will be the best overall solution, offering improved performance (compared to no headset or a generic headset) for both listening and talking, and at a moderate price point.

Headset Cell Phone User listening to incoming call Remote Phone Caller listening to cell phone call Cost No Headset Poor, lots of interference from ambient noise Lots of noise interfering with hearing the person $0 Regular headset Similar to using no headset Even more noise. Worst of the four options. $10 The Boom Volume was lower than direct from phone, no blocking of ambient noise. Worst of the four options. Conversation was heard clearly and loudly, with very little background hoise. Best of the four options. $150 Ety-Com Call was loud and clear, ambient noise was blocked out. Best of the four options. Conversation was not as clear as with The Boom. Background noise was much less than with regular or no headset, but not as good as The Boom. $70

Other Issues

Like most headsets, the Ety-Com has no volume control, but of course this is not necessary - you can use the volume control on the phone to adjust the sound level in your ear.

It also does not have a 'control' button. Many of the better headsets (and even some of the cheapest) have a button somewhere on them. You can press this button to answer an incoming call, or to activate the phone's voice command capability so as to place calls, or for various other functions, depending on the make/model of your phone.

Summary and Recommendation

The Ety-Com headset provides valuable noise reduction both to help you hear your caller clearly, and also to make it easier for your caller to hear you. The unit appears to be well designed and manufactured and is easy to use, but may not work with Nokia phones.

At $69, the headset is very fairly priced. It is available direct from the manufacturer, Etymotic Research, or from various retail and online stores.

Using a headset with your cell phone is sensible and (if in a car) safer than holding the phone to your ear. It may also cut down on any radiation danger, because the phone is further away from your brain.

The Ety-Com headset costs only a little more than a generic headset, and offers much improved functionality. Recommended, and with a generous 30 day return policy, it is a no-risk product you owe it to yourself to try.

The Boom Noise Canceling Headset

This amazing device solves four needs for cell phone users.

Firstly, it is a high quality headset that can be used for greater safety or convenience - for example, when you're driving.

Secondly, it enables you to use your phone in a 'high noise' environment - you can speak quietly, even when you're surrounded by loud sounds, and still be heard clearly by the person you're speaking with.

Thirdly, you can have a private conversation in a public place - simply speak in a very low voice into The Boom and the people around you won't hear what you're saying, even though the person at the other end of the phone will hear you perfectly normally.

Fourthly, it keeps the phone away from your head and reduces your exposure to the radiation that some experts believe may be harmful.

What You Get

The Boom comes carefully protected in a well padded box. Two different adapters to fit most cell phones - a four ring connector for Nokia phones and a three ring connector for most other phones.

If you need a different type of adapter (eg a flat adapter for a Siemens phone), this will be sent to you free of charge.

In addition, three replaceable windshields are also included, a 'Quick Start' guide, a manual and a one year warranty form. There is no need to register for the warranty coverage, and the unit does not need batteries to operate.

Description

The Boom headset is in two main pieces that are joined together by magnets, making it easy to separate and rejoin them any number of times. One piece is the ear mounting clip, and the second piece is the actual ear piece speaker, the boom arm, and microphone.

Not shown in the picture above is the connecting cord that runs from the earpiece down to a lapel clip and then to a connector. The cord length is short, but not too short, and is probably exactly right so as to avoid unnecessary lengths of cord getting in the way.

Everything is made from some type of semi-flexible material, so you can bend it all to fit the physiology of your own ear and head. The boom arm tilts and swivels and also can go up and down on the vertical post to which it is mounted, giving considerable flexibility to ensure that the earpiece and microphone can be correctly located for almost any size and shape of user.

The piece sticking out the back of the ear mounting clip is not an antenna. It is a support 'counterbalance' that presses lightly against the side of your head, giving the headset some stability.

The headset weights about 0.7 ounces. This sounds very light, but it feels quite heavy, especially because much of its weight is at the end of the rigid boom (the microphone assembly). The headset can wobble a bit on your head, and at first it feels insecure, but this is more an illusion than a reality. I have worn my headset for several hours, including a vigorous outdoors hike and bending over and assuming other strange positions, without having the headset fall off.

The headset can be worn on either ear, simply by flipping over the earclip/boom connector.

Functionality

At $150 - more than the cost of many cell phones, and twenty times the cost of the cheapest discounted headsets, you'll have high expectations for how well this headset should work for you.

I used my headset for several days with both my Nokia 3650 and also my Motorola V66i. I had some strange problems when using it with my 3650 - sometimes there was an added echo of my voice in the earpiece, and sometimes the sound of the caller's voice was distorted. The manufacturer advised that this is a known issue that has been resolved in the latest build level, and is replacing my earlier unit with a new one accordingly.

The sound quality through the Motorola V66i was always consistently good.

And, at all times, the person I was speaking with could hear me clearly and distinctly.

Now for the amazing element of this headset, and the reason you'd spend $150 to purchase it rather than a regular headset - its performance in high noise environments.

I surrounded myself with several different noise sources, making a confused jumble of different sounds in the background, and spoke to several people in test calls, switching between using the phone by itself, using the phone with a regular Sony headset, and with The Boom. I found myself unconsciously wanting to speak loudly - so as to hear myself! - but forced myself to speak at the same volume as I would in a quiet room, and as if the other person was beside me, rather than at the other end of the phone. This was surprisingly difficult.

I spoke at the same volume in all three situations, but the people I was testing with always accused me of speaking more loudly when I was using The Boom and of turning down the noise volume. This was not so - it was merely the amazing effectiveness of The Boom at work. When speaking so quietly that I felt uncomfortable (because of the noise around me) the person at the other end of the phone could hear me perfectly clearly, and the noise around me was not nearly so bothersome to them as it was to me.

Clearly, The Boom works exactly as advertised. And, in the next section, you have a chance to hear it for yourself.

Hear it for Yourself!

Here is an incredible example of The Boom actually being used. You can hear the before and after comparison of what a conversation sounds like in a noisy environment.

Try this example out (you'll of course need speakers on your PC) and then you're sure to be sold on the effectiveness of this headset.

How it Works

The unit has two microphones. The mouthpiece is designed so that all your voice sounds go into one microphone, which also hears some of the ambient noises around you. The second microphone is positioned so that it picks up all the ambient noise but none of your voice.

Electronics within the unit 'subtract' the ambient noise that the second microphone has detected from the mix of noise and voice that the first microphone has picked up. The net result then is a signal that is almost completely voice only, with most of the ambient noise cancelled out.

Other Issues

Like most headsets, it has no volume control, but of course this is not necessary - you can use the volume control on the phone to adjust the sound level in your ear.

One notable omission, however, is a 'control' button. Many of the better headsets have a button somewhere on them. You can press this button to answer an incoming call, or to activate the phone's voice command capability so as to place calls, or for various other functions, depending on the make/model of your phone. It is disappointing that this $150 headset doesn't have this convenient feature which can be found on some of the very cheapest headsets.

The manufacturer advises that they do have cordsets with a control button that is compatible with Nokia phones, and they'll ship one of those free on request. They said that compatibility problems made it impractical to come up with some type of universal control button that would work with all other headsets.

It seems to be important to keep the microphone close to your mouth - they recommend within one inch. Of course, the closer it is to your mouth, the bigger the relative difference it detects between your voice and the background noise.

The counterbalance arm that sticks up behind your ear makes it difficult to use the Boom while wearing a cap/hat.

When not wearing the headset, it is difficult to stuff it into a pocket to carry it around - it takes up more space than a normal micro sized headset, and the bendable parts of course get bent and need to be re-bent into the shape that best suits you. It did take me a while to become proficient at quickly putting the headset on and taking it off again, but now this is almost automatic, so having to rebend parts of it each time doesn't bother me at all.

The Boom can also be used as a headset with a regular telephone as well. If you're in a noisy office, this might be very helpful. You can order adapters for, eg, Plantronics headset units, and these are sold for $15 each.

After an hour or two of continually wearing The Boom, my ear became a bit uncomfortable and I needed to remove it for a break.

Summary and Recommendation

At $150, this headset is not cheap, and also feels more heavy and cumbersome than most other headsets. Accordingly, few people will choose to purchase it as an 'ordinary' headset for ordinary usage.

But if you're wanting a headset that you can use in a noisy environment, or if you want to be able to speak very quietly into your phone for greater privacy in any environment, then this headset is definitely your best choice.

It is sold through Pro Travel Gear (the same people that created the wonderful Plane Quiet headphones), and if you enter the code 'travelinsider' (without the quotes) into their coupon box, you'll get a 5% discount. They also offer a 30 day return policy (15% restocking fee) which makes it easy for you to realistically try the headset yourself.

Everyone should use a headset with their cellphone, whenever possible. Whether you need The Boom, or an ordinary headset, is your choice, but do ensure you have a headset of some type.