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Speak with hands free: 2 new headsets
Every now and then, Jabra comes out with a design or a feature that makes its headsets stand out. The company is a world leader in wireless solutions, known for its extensive range of hands-free equipment for mobile phones, contact centres and offices. Here, we check out two of the company's latest products...
Jabra Stone
Price: Rs 9,500
The latest Bluetooth pair, the Jabra Stone, rises above the crowd. Measuring 1.5 inches in width and 1.75 inches in length, the headset sits snugly on the ear.
We were bowled over by the shape of the Stone - it has no extended boom (the piece that extends from the ear to the mouth). Unlike the Plantronics Voyager headset that has an extended speaker end inching up to the cheek, the Stone features incredible phonics and noise elimination technique, eliminating the need for the boom.
On the headset, there are touch-sensitive volume controls that are easy to get used to and a single button that both answers and ends calls. The sound quality is pretty good.
The headset can also stream music from A2DP-compatible mobile phones. Just like other Jabra headsets, the Stone features noise cancellation technology using two microphones - one that picks up your voice and another that picks up ambient noise and then cancels it out. Click NEXT to read on further. . .
Speak with hands free: 2 new headsets
Also unique to the Stone is the little charger unit into which the earpiece fits. When not in use, the headset can be stored in a portable base, which charges it on the go. This portable charging can keep the headsets charged for up to seven hours.
If you are looking for both looks and audio performance and have Rs 9,500 to spare, then you will be happy with Jabra Stone.
ProsCons
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Speak with hands free: 2 new headsets
Jabra Halo
Price: Rs 6,000 (approximately)
Another worthy wireless headphone from Jabra is the Halo. Designed to work with devices such as Bluetooth-enabled computers and mobile phones, the Halo packs in noise-canceling microphones that can be used like any Bluetooth headset.
The headset is lined with a soft felt material and sits nicely on your head. We found it comfortable to wear even for long periods of time. However, we wouldn't recommend using these while jogging or exercising.
Touchscreen controls on the Halo's right hand earpiece let you play and pause or skip backward and forward music tracks. For a wireless pair, it has a very strong midrange and pretty clean sonics.
Unlike a speaker, there really aren't any sound controls to manage bass or treble, so you are stuck with the default sound settings. Click NEXT to read further. . .
Speak with hands free: 2 new headsets
The Jabra Halo can connect to two devices at the same time. We paired it with a Dell laptop for listening to audio and the Nokia 6600 for voice calls. This functionality worked as promised without a hitch.
The device charges off a microUSB charger. A welcome feature on the Halo is the bundled 3.5mm cable that lets it work as a regular wired pair of headphones. The earpieces are extendable to accommodate differently-sized heads.
The Halo has a reasonable battery life of six hours and costs Rs 6,000 (approximately).
ProsCons
