Just picked up my Apple Bluetooth Headset! *Pics AND Actual Audio Review*

villanova329 · 11:46 PM

Most of the Bay Area, if not didn't have any shipments, are completely sold out of this. It was a complete surprise release and I got the last one. Unboxing pictures to come within the hour.

Mood: Happy and worried, don't know how this will stand up to the Jawbone.

UPDATE: AUDIO REVIEW ADDED, download here, do it fast cause bandwidth might be problem. I sound nervous so dont mind my stuttering; remember, I did this for you guys=)

http://public.box.net/novabox

Quick written review several posts down.

boss1 · Jul 23, 2007, 10:09 PM

nice, Id like to know how it stacks up against the jawbone also, I just picked a jawbone up a few days ago but I might return it for the apple one.

gr8tfly · Jul 23, 2007, 10:17 PM

Two stores I contacted were sold out.

Gonna try again tomorrow.

Looking forward to "hearing" some audio quality reports, though I suspect they'll be fine.

villanova329 · Jul 23, 2007, 10:20 PM

Pics!

villanova329 · Jul 23, 2007, 10:20 PM

Pics (part 2)

Schmoe0013 · Jul 23, 2007, 10:21 PM

It's HUGE!!! (as the donald would say)

SUPERSTEVE9219 · Jul 23, 2007, 10:22 PM

so how does it work!?! Compared to the jawbone

villanova329 · Jul 23, 2007, 10:23 PM

Pics (part 3)

Oh.... one piece of news...

They brought back the foam earbud covers, they come with two black ones. I thought they were done with those. Guess they need to study another thousand ears to maybe get this one right.

Charging it as we speak... I'll have a review up with an hour or so

lilnyc · Jul 23, 2007, 10:27 PM

Thanks for sharing the pics. I am underwhelmed by its design. I ordered it, then canceled my order b/c there's no info (yet) nor selling point. I look forward to your review.

docc · Jul 23, 2007, 10:46 PM

Why? Why? Why?

Why on earth would someone pay $129 + taxes for this thing? No DSP and no caller ID and yet they have the nerve to charge this much for it? Just pay the same price for a Jawbone and you wouldn't look back.

I love my iPhone but there is no way on earth i would buy this piece of crap. Just goes to show that not everything out of the Apple stables is great.

villanova329 · 11:07 PM

Update: Audio reviews added, don't know how the site will handle the bandwidth

http://public.box.net/novabox

Sobe · Jul 23, 2007, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by docc

Why? Why? Why?

Why on earth would someone pay $129 + taxes for this thing? No DSP and no caller ID and yet they have the nerve to charge this much for it? Just pay the same price for a Jawbone and you wouldn't look back.

I love my iPhone but there is no way on earth i would buy this piece of crap. Just goes to show that not everything out of the Apple stables is great.

let the man enjoy his headset for crying out loud.

nospleen · Jul 23, 2007, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by docc

Why? Why? Why?

Why on earth would someone pay $129 + taxes for this thing? No DSP and no caller ID and yet they have the nerve to charge this much for it? Just pay the same price for a Jawbone and you wouldn't look back.

I love my iPhone but there is no way on earth i would buy this piece of crap. Just goes to show that not everything out of the Apple stables is great.

You have to admit the dock looks cool though!

Looking forward to the review, I am going to pick mine up in the next few days.

drater · Jul 23, 2007, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by docc

Why? Why? Why?

Why on earth would someone pay $129 + taxes for this thing? No DSP and no caller ID and yet they have the nerve to charge this much for it? Just pay the same price for a Jawbone and you wouldn't look back.

I love my iPhone but there is no way on earth i would buy this piece of crap. Just goes to show that not everything out of the Apple stables is great.

The Jawbone is 10 bucks less, but doesn't come with a dock. does NOT have caller ID like you stated up there. I'd like to see reviews on it before I make up my mind. I understand the price is a little high...but if you EVER criticize Apple again I will take you down...DOWN TO CHINA TOWN! ((insert sarcastic voice here))

...but seriously, I'm waiting for reviews

villanova329 · 12:51 AM

Alright guys, I'm done being generous for the evening, its time to relax=)

I added the audio files to a public box.net thing I have, if you download it and host it that would be great, I know the bandwidth will die soon.

I'll let it charge while I go eat dinner, but enjoy the pictures and my audio review.

Honestly, I'm not too pleased with audio quality, but I have yet to try it on my iPhone. I did find something neat though! There are two battery indicators for charging the earpiece, one is an LED on the earpiece itself.... guess where the other one is? =)

QUICK REVIEW:

- I re-did my voicemail using the earpiece, and the playback quality was great
- The foam earbud covers are back, the set comes with two
- It uses the standard "0000" code to pair
- Volume is controlled via the iPhone or handset used
- First call made: Friend told me he did not know I was using an earpiece, did hear some background, but said it sound just like how I usually sound without using an earpiece
- I shook my head from side to side (almost felt like passing out), and it stayed put. It moved around but it still stayed in my ear. To further test it, I did one set of skipping a rope (my favorite cardio workout) while wearing it, and it stayed in my ear. So far, impressed with the fit, but this thing is too light, I might forget I even have it on.
- The fit feels just like the stock headphones, and a little smoother than the old generation iPod headphones
- The magsafe feature is not as strong as you would expect from the MacBook/MBP kind. Rather you just feel a tiny pull but its not strong enough to yank it from your hand like the original magsafe
- I'm wishing Apple would have included an optional earloop to add more security to your ear, but hey we can't have everything we want.
- This thing is tiny
- I love now having 3 charging methods for my iPhone: standard cable, travel cable, and now iPhone/earpiece dock
- I have a pretty chubby face, and that is an obstacle for a lot of earpieces I've tried because it increases the distance. This earpiece catches my voice despite the distance from my mouth and the earpiece
- I did not have to raise my voice to be heard
- When receiving a call, the ringtone inside the earpiece is just some funky digital sound ring, like your typical bluetooth earpiece ringtone, nothing fancy

COMPARED TO THE JAWBONE
- Feels much lighter, almost to the point you'll forget its there
- What I hear sounds pretty much the same
- Of course, Jawbone has noise cancelling feature, this does not
- Made two calls, so far my friends can't even tell I'm on an earpiece; sounds just like I'm just using the handset
- Apple one cost $10 more
- Jawbone automatically sets volume, but you can also change it through the handset. With Apple earpiece, no mix up... all volume is controlled through the handset/iPhone

note235 · Jul 23, 2007, 11:19 PM

nice
looks really nice
hmm this or jawbone?

D1G1T4L · Jul 23, 2007, 11:23 PM

Looks nice but how well does it stay in your ear?

If it is anything like the standard apple earbuds it won't work for me as they fall out with ease.

Thanks for the pics! Just need a fit review.

lilnyc · Jul 23, 2007, 11:23 PM

Thanks again for sharing. This was nice of you.

acarney · Jul 23, 2007, 11:27 PM

What I worry about is the pops and cracks I hear and a little of the digital sounding bits. I can’t tell if that’s problems with recording this, poor AT&T signal while doing this test, or if it’s the iPhone headset. Other then that the audio seems pretty good, about as good as the phone I would think and while the background sound is picked up really well (that could be bad) the voice is still always slightly louder and probably understandable under most conditions where you would want to make a call. (I.E. not a club or concert)

Ah, I hear now that it’s connected right to MacBook Pro, hmmm, it also seems that a lot of the audio problems is while moving, maybe wind noise or problems with Bluetooth.

I’ll have to listen to some JawBone ones, all that damn “Military Grade Noise Canceling” PR talk makes me really want it, but maybe it’s just PR and not really all that fancy. God I want an extra dock and a single charge option for iPhone and a headset so bad, but fancy pants noise canceling might be sweet…

tdhurst · Jul 23, 2007, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by docc

Why? Why? Why?

Why on earth would someone pay $129 + taxes for this thing? No DSP and no caller ID and yet they have the nerve to charge this much for it? Just pay the same price for a Jawbone and you wouldn't look back.

I love my iPhone but there is no way on earth i would buy this piece of crap. Just goes to show that not everything out of the Apple stables is great.

Do you even have one? No? Shut up then.

bman17 · Jul 23, 2007, 11:32 PM

I got mine today also. It was a fluke I happened into the Chicago Michigan Ave store and they had 4 left behind the counter.

I have used it now a couple of times. The call quality is pretty good. The person on the other end had no idea that I was on it. As for my end I was able to hear the person well, but there did seem to be a very low hiss. this may just be the room I was in I will have to see how it does in several environments.

I love the fact that you just charge it on the base for the first time and with out human interaction it auto-magically pairs with you phone.

The absolute best feature though (I can't remember seeing this even listed) is it works just like the mag-safe on the macbooks. In the dock or the travel cord it quickly and magnetically clings into place. WAY COOL!!!! Very well thought out. Also, I found that you can not only plug the travel cord into your laptop but it also plugs into the IPhone AC adapter and the Griffen cigarette lighter USB adapter. Very functional.

When you figure in the new dock plus the travel cable, the price does not seem as bad.

D1G1T4L · Jul 23, 2007, 11:35 PM

Ok guys how about a fit review? How well does it fit in your ear?

Does it have the same feel as the stock iPhone earbuds? It appears to be larger.

Does is slip down? Would driving in a truck on unpaved road cause a problem?

docc · Jul 23, 2007, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drater

The Jawbone is 10 bucks less, but doesn't come with a dock. does NOT have caller ID like you stated up there. I'd like to see reviews on it before I make up my mind. I understand the price is a little high...but if you EVER criticize Apple again I will take you down...DOWN TO CHINA TOWN! ((insert sarcastic voice here))

...but seriously, I'm waiting for reviews

Point taken

I hope the OP enjoys his new toy.

villanova329 · Jul 23, 2007, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D1G1T4L

Ok guys how about a fit review? How well does it fit in your ear?

Does it have the same feel as the stock iPhone earbuds? It appears to be larger.

Does is slip down? Would driving in a truck on unpaved road cause a problem?

I posted a fit review a few posts ago, sorry I was doing some updating=)

docc · Jul 23, 2007, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by appleretailguy

Do you even have one? No? Shut up then.

Errr...whats crawled up your ****? Chill dude. Have a beer on me

Jul 23, 2007, 09:59 PM	#1
villanova329 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California	Just picked up my Apple Bluetooth Headset! Pics AND Actual Audio Review Most of the Bay Area, if not didn't have any shipments, are completely sold out of this. It was a complete surprise release and I got the last one. Unboxing pictures to come within the hour. Mood: Happy and worried, don't know how this will stand up to the Jawbone. UPDATE: AUDIO REVIEW ADDED, download here, do it fast cause bandwidth might be problem. I sound nervous so dont mind my stuttering; remember, I did this for you guys=) http://public.box.net/novabox Quick written review several posts down. __________________ Unibody MacBook \| Blackberry Tour Last edited by villanova329 : Jul 23, 2007 at 11:46 PM.

Jul 23, 2007, 10:17 PM	#3
gr8tfly macrumors 68040 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 119W 34N	Two stores I contacted were sold out. Gonna try again tomorrow. Looking forward to "hearing" some audio quality reports, though I suspect they'll be fine. __________________ Macs from 1984 to 17" UB MBP, from Newton to iPhone 3G S⃣ , iPods, and tv.

Jul 23, 2007, 10:20 PM	#4
villanova329 Thread Starter macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California	Pics! Attached Thumbnails __________________ Unibody MacBook \| Blackberry Tour

Jul 23, 2007, 10:20 PM	#5
villanova329 Thread Starter macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California	Pics (part 2) Attached Thumbnails __________________ Unibody MacBook \| Blackberry Tour

Jul 23, 2007, 10:23 PM	#8
villanova329 Thread Starter macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California	Pics (part 3) Oh.... one piece of news... They brought back the foam earbud covers, they come with two black ones. I thought they were done with those. Guess they need to study another thousand ears to maybe get this one right. Charging it as we speak... I'll have a review up with an hour or so Attached Thumbnails __________________ Unibody MacBook \| Blackberry Tour

Jul 23, 2007, 10:09 PM	#2
boss1 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2007	nice, Id like to know how it stacks up against the jawbone also, I just picked a jawbone up a few days ago but I might return it for the apple one.

Jul 23, 2007, 10:21 PM	#6
Schmoe0013 macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Minneapolis, USA	It's HUGE!!! (as the donald would say)

Jul 23, 2007, 10:22 PM	#7
SUPERSTEVE9219 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Apr 2007	so how does it work!?! Compared to the jawbone

Jul 23, 2007, 10:27 PM	#9
lilnyc macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2007	Thanks for sharing the pics. I am underwhelmed by its design. I ordered it, then canceled my order b/c there's no info (yet) nor selling point. I look forward to your review.

Jul 23, 2007, 10:46 PM	#10
docc macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Miami	Why? Why? Why? Why on earth would someone pay $129 + taxes for this thing? No DSP and no caller ID and yet they have the nerve to charge this much for it? Just pay the same price for a Jawbone and you wouldn't look back. I love my iPhone but there is no way on earth i would buy this piece of crap. Just goes to show that not everything out of the Apple stables is great.

Jul 23, 2007, 10:58 PM	#11
villanova329 Thread Starter macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California	Update: Audio reviews added, don't know how the site will handle the bandwidth http://public.box.net/novabox __________________ Unibody MacBook \| Blackberry Tour Last edited by villanova329 : Jul 23, 2007 at 11:07 PM.

Jul 23, 2007, 11:13 PM	#15
villanova329 Thread Starter macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California	Alright guys, I'm done being generous for the evening, its time to relax=) I added the audio files to a public box.net thing I have, if you download it and host it that would be great, I know the bandwidth will die soon. I'll let it charge while I go eat dinner, but enjoy the pictures and my audio review. Honestly, I'm not too pleased with audio quality, but I have yet to try it on my iPhone. I did find something neat though! There are two battery indicators for charging the earpiece, one is an LED on the earpiece itself.... guess where the other one is? =) QUICK REVIEW: - I re-did my voicemail using the earpiece, and the playback quality was great - The foam earbud covers are back, the set comes with two - It uses the standard "0000" code to pair - Volume is controlled via the iPhone or handset used - First call made: Friend told me he did not know I was using an earpiece, did hear some background, but said it sound just like how I usually sound without using an earpiece - I shook my head from side to side (almost felt like passing out), and it stayed put. It moved around but it still stayed in my ear. To further test it, I did one set of skipping a rope (my favorite cardio workout) while wearing it, and it stayed in my ear. So far, impressed with the fit, but this thing is too light, I might forget I even have it on. - The fit feels just like the stock headphones, and a little smoother than the old generation iPod headphones - The magsafe feature is not as strong as you would expect from the MacBook/MBP kind. Rather you just feel a tiny pull but its not strong enough to yank it from your hand like the original magsafe - I'm wishing Apple would have included an optional earloop to add more security to your ear, but hey we can't have everything we want. - This thing is tiny - I love now having 3 charging methods for my iPhone: standard cable, travel cable, and now iPhone/earpiece dock - I have a pretty chubby face, and that is an obstacle for a lot of earpieces I've tried because it increases the distance. This earpiece catches my voice despite the distance from my mouth and the earpiece - I did not have to raise my voice to be heard - When receiving a call, the ringtone inside the earpiece is just some funky digital sound ring, like your typical bluetooth earpiece ringtone, nothing fancy COMPARED TO THE JAWBONE - Feels much lighter, almost to the point you'll forget its there - What I hear sounds pretty much the same - Of course, Jawbone has noise cancelling feature, this does not - Made two calls, so far my friends can't even tell I'm on an earpiece; sounds just like I'm just using the handset - Apple one cost $10 more - Jawbone automatically sets volume, but you can also change it through the handset. With Apple earpiece, no mix up... all volume is controlled through the handset/iPhone Attached Thumbnails __________________ Unibody MacBook \| Blackberry Tour Last edited by villanova329 : Jul 24, 2007 at 12:51 AM.

Jul 23, 2007, 11:19 PM	#16
note235 macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2007	nice looks really nice hmm this or jawbone?

Jul 23, 2007, 11:23 PM	#17
D1G1T4L macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC	Looks nice but how well does it stay in your ear? If it is anything like the standard apple earbuds it won't work for me as they fall out with ease. Thanks for the pics! Just need a fit review.

Jul 23, 2007, 11:27 PM	#19
acarney macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2007	What I worry about is the pops and cracks I hear and a little of the digital sounding bits. I can’t tell if that’s problems with recording this, poor AT&T signal while doing this test, or if it’s the iPhone headset. Other then that the audio seems pretty good, about as good as the phone I would think and while the background sound is picked up really well (that could be bad) the voice is still always slightly louder and probably understandable under most conditions where you would want to make a call. (I.E. not a club or concert) Ah, I hear now that it’s connected right to MacBook Pro, hmmm, it also seems that a lot of the audio problems is while moving, maybe wind noise or problems with Bluetooth. I’ll have to listen to some JawBone ones, all that damn “Military Grade Noise Canceling” PR talk makes me really want it, but maybe it’s just PR and not really all that fancy. God I want an extra dock and a single charge option for iPhone and a headset so bad, but fancy pants noise canceling might be sweet…

Jul 23, 2007, 11:32 PM	#21
bman17 macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2007	Love the headset!!! I got mine today also. It was a fluke I happened into the Chicago Michigan Ave store and they had 4 left behind the counter. I have used it now a couple of times. The call quality is pretty good. The person on the other end had no idea that I was on it. As for my end I was able to hear the person well, but there did seem to be a very low hiss. this may just be the room I was in I will have to see how it does in several environments. I love the fact that you just charge it on the base for the first time and with out human interaction it auto-magically pairs with you phone. The absolute best feature though (I can't remember seeing this even listed) is it works just like the mag-safe on the macbooks. In the dock or the travel cord it quickly and magnetically clings into place. WAY COOL!!!! Very well thought out. Also, I found that you can not only plug the travel cord into your laptop but it also plugs into the IPhone AC adapter and the Griffen cigarette lighter USB adapter. Very functional. When you figure in the new dock plus the travel cable, the price does not seem as bad.

Jul 23, 2007, 11:35 PM	#22
D1G1T4L macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC	Ok guys how about a fit review? How well does it fit in your ear? Does it have the same feel as the stock iPhone earbuds? It appears to be larger. Does is slip down? Would driving in a truck on unpaved road cause a problem?

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode