Best iPhone 5 Bluetooth headset?

I enjoy my Jawbone Era, it fits good & sounds good. I work around construction and the people who I talk to says it is still clear on hearing me.

I have also tried many BT headsets.

I am a surgeon, so I like to be able to hear who is calling announced and to make a call by just saying "answer" or hitting the thing with my shoulder to answer (cannot use my hands while in surgery).

(Rest assured , I am taking medical calls while operating, not social calls - patients are safe)

Anyway, the BlueAnt Q2 is a great headset as far as sound, voice control, etc, but I have always had problems with disconnects with my iPhones and it is a little heavy. Otherwise, it is my number one choice.

The one I use the most now is the SoundID Six. Very light, easy to push button to answer (it announces the caller ID number, but is not voice activated to answer). Two presses activates Siri. There is an app that helps with some of the settings and clarity. I use Jabra earjels and the SoundID fits nicely into one of these.

I wish there was a MotoSpeak app for the iPhone. That seems to allow a lot of voice control of the Motorola headset mentioned. Can you do any voice control with the 550?

Senseotech said:

My major question on this and any other headset is how Siri is activated. On my current piece, I have to push and hold until a distinctive tone is heard, maybe 3 seconds. If there was a set that activated Siri with a single tap, that'd be much more useful to me.

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Another suggestion would be the Motorola H19txt. One click for Siri and pretty decent audio quality via A2DP. I had the H17txt which also only required a quick button press to activate but the 19 has better audio quality and a battery meter. Nothing I've tried so far beats the Jawbone Era but this comes close and between only requiring a quick tap to activate Siri (which comes up in about a second) and how lightweight it is (you don't remember its there) it wins it's place on my ear.

Senseotech said:

If its not too much trouble, I'd be quite grateful.

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Sorry it took so long to get back but the Moto Elite Flip only requires 1 click to activate Siri.

Ho about voice activation, etc, without MotoSpeak?

skywest153 said:

I've used TONS of headsets. Some have better features than others, but at the end of the day it comes down to comfort for me. The ONLY one I have found to not give me pain when being worn (I often forget it's even there) is the latest Bose version: http://www.bose.com/controller?url=.../mobile_solutions/bluetooth_headset/index.jsp

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I second this headset. Very very comfortable.

Got my HX550 several days ago and have been using it since. Must say, this is one fine headset! Initial pairing is painless since the headset has voice prompts that literally talk you through the process. From here, turning on the headset is as simple as flipping the small boom out; the headset instantly turns on, announces that its paired, and tell you the battery level. The sound quality is amazing as well, and Siri works perfectly. The ability to do a single tap to activate Siri is great, and I'm finding it to be much more accurate than my previous Apple Bluetooth Headset, and even better than the internal iPhone mic at times.

Senseotech said:

Got my HX550 several days ago and have been using it since. Must say, this is one fine headset! Initial pairing is painless since the headset has voice prompts that literally talk you through the process. From here, turning on the headset is as simple as flipping the small boom out; the headset instantly turns on, announces that its paired, and tell you the battery level. The sound quality is amazing as well, and Siri works perfectly. The ability to do a single tap to activate Siri is great, and I'm finding it to be much more accurate than my previous Apple Bluetooth Headset, and even better than the internal iPhone mic at times.

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Any announcement of who is calling? Do you get "answer or ignore" when you get a call as well?

pocketdoc said:

Any announcement of who is calling? Do you get "answer or ignore" when you get a call as well?

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When I get a call, the headset announces the phone number (not the contact name, I'm guessing it needs software on the phone for that), and a press of the button answers, while you have to hold a volume button until the call gets rejected. The user guide states you can say "answer" or "ignore," but in my experience, it doesn't work, again probably due to software.

Senseotech said:

...The user guide states you can say "answer" or "ignore," but in my experience, it doesn't work, again probably due to software.

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The answer/ignore by voice feature is disabled by default. At least it was when I bought the hx550 the other day. To turn it on, press and hold the call button while opening the boom. This opens the settings menu. Listen to the voice prompts to toggle functions on or off. If I remember correctly the answer by voice is the last option.

I hope this helps

Almost all of the Bluetooth headsets discussed here use the older Bluetooth version 2.1 protocols, and manufacturers have been shipping these products for a couple of years without making major improvements.

In general, Bluetooth headsets are too fragile, too expensive, provide Standby and Talk Time that are too short, and audio quality that is mediocre at best.

- The iPhone 4 is a Bluetooth v2.1+EDR device, but the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 are Bluetooth v4 devices. Newer Macs are Bluetooth v4 devices too.
- The Bluetooth 4 specification was approved over a year ago.
- The Bluetooth 3 specification was approved over two years ago.

In particular, we've seen no improvement in battery life, even though the Bluetooth 4 specifications include protocols for low power operation. Once, Bluetooth headsets with eight hours of Talk Time were available (one, the Plantronics 520c, no longer is available, though I have three pretty raggedy units still in use). For the past two years, Talk Times gradually have been reduced to 4- or 5 hours (at best). The advent of ever-smaller devices with dual microphones and aggressive background noise-cancellation technology has improved audio quality somewhat — but taken a real toll on headset battery life.

When will the industry shift to Bluetooth 4 protocols for headsets (or even Bluetooth 3 models) that better match the Bluetooth 4 capabilities of the latest cell phones and computers? Why have accessory manufacturers been so slow to implement new Bluetooth technology?

iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 owners are waiting for better Bluetooth technology.

Doesn't the Motorola HX550 use Bluetooth version 3?

I am still reviewing headsets, looking at the Motoral HX 550, but also looking at the Blueant Q2 but appears old enough.

Anyone else have any personal recommendations for a Bluetooh Headset?

If you like voice prompts, the Q2 is nice. I have had some disconnect issues with the iPhone, but have not used this headset recently.

I am a surgeon, so I like to be able to work the headset easily and without hands, so I have of late been using the SoundID Six. It announces who is calling and has a big button (basically the entire surface) and two presses activates Siri.

I am surprised that there has not been any new headsets in the last year or so.

pocketdoc said:

If you like voice prompts, the Q2 is nice. I have had some disconnect issues with the iPhone, but have not used this headset recently.

I am a surgeon, so I like to be able to work the headset easily and without hands, so I have of late been using the SoundID Six. It announces who is calling and has a big button (basically the entire surface) and two presses activates Siri.

I am surprised that there has not been any new headsets in the last year or so.

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Thanks for the recommendations. I agree that they appears to be a lack of newly released headsets.

this thread still alive?

Anyway I just got my iPhone5 a week ago, was looking for an affordable Bluetooth that works well with Siri.

At first I was looking at Motorola HX550, since there are some here saying that it's awesome. While reading up reviews on Amazon, it seems like iPhone5 users also experience frequent cut-off after 2-5mins during calls. This worries me. Anyone exp it too?

Has anyone tried Plantronics M50 or M155?

I have the lg hbs 700

cuzo said:

I have the lg hbs 700

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Thanks for sharing. However I'm looking for a Bluetooth headset for calling/driving purposes. Anyone has good recommendation?

maskingtape123 said:

Thanks for sharing. However I'm looking for a Bluetooth headset for calling/driving purposes. Anyone has good recommendation?

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It does both, music and make phone calls why don't you google it before you attempt to clown someone?

The Plantronics Voyager Legend. I think one of the best BT headsets I've ever owned and I've owned my share! Just make sure you update it to the latest firmware (v.44).

cuzo said:

It does both, music and make phone calls why don't you google it before you attempt to clown someone?

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He obviously googled it since he knew they were headphones and not a headset, and it doesn't matter that it does calls too, as most locales prohibit headphones in both ears whilst driving.

No offense Cuzo, but yea I'm looking for something to use when driving, the LG doesnt seem suitable.
I'm looking at something below $50, since now Amazon has price-slashing for most headsets.
The Plantronics Voyager Pro HD are going for $49.99! Anyone tried that for iPhone5?

My Opinion

I have used most of the Bluetooth headsets mentioned, and my two favorites are Bose and Plantronics Voyager.

Bose: very good, but falls apart easily. I have gone through 3 of them, each opening up after around 2-3 months. The on/off button is very flimsy, and seems to be where the problem exists.

It is somewhat unstable in the ear.

Voyager: Very good in all areas. Only problem is, you cannot hear any of your iPhone alerts with the exception of incoming calls, when you are it is paired. Sometimes, you will hear an alert when emails or texts arrive, but not always. I can't figure this out at all.

The Voyager is also very stable in the ear, given the over-the-ear design.

The Bose has a longer range, and both get high marks for clarity. No complaints about static at all.

I am looking for a new Bluetooth for my iPhone 5, and will wait until something comes along that is better than the two of these. I can tell my Voyager is on the downside; the volume has to be increased on each call, which is why I am looking.

embee4488 said:

I have used most of the Bluetooth headsets mentioned, and my two favorites are Bose and Plantronics Voyager.

Bose: very good, but falls apart easily. I have gone through 3 of them, each opening up after around 2-3 months. The on/off button is very flimsy, and seems to be where the problem exists.

It is somewhat unstable in the ear.

Voyager: Very good in all areas. Only problem is, you cannot hear any of your iPhone alerts with the exception of incoming calls, when you are it is paired. Sometimes, you will hear an alert when emails or texts arrive, but not always. I can't figure this out at all.

The Voyager is also very stable in the ear, given the over-the-ear design.

The Bose has a longer range, and both get high marks for clarity. No complaints about static at all.

I am looking for a new Bluetooth for my iPhone 5, and will wait until something comes along that is better than the two of these. I can tell my Voyager is on the downside; the volume has to be increased on each call, which is why I am looking.

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If you liked your Voyager and you are now looking for a new headset then I highly recommend the Voyager Legend. It's fantastic! I particularly like that you can disable A2DP and not have to worry about not hearing the notifications.

Plantronics M50 - Bluetooth Headset it's a very good bluetooth headset. You can buy it from the link down, and it has a good reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IMB5NG