INTRODUCTION
Although most smartphones nowadays feature low levels of radiation (also known as SAR) it's always good to use a Bluetooth wireless earset/headset especially since the law in many countries forbids usage of cellphones when driving without one. Now for all of you that aren't aware of SAR it stands for Specific Absorption Rate, a method which basically measures the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the human body when using a cellphone. Because this happens most manufacturers recommend holding the phone at a distance of 30mm away from your body when using it so it's very easy to understand that this isn't possible without the use of an earset/headset. I know it's been a while since i last had the chance to test a Bluetooth wireless earset/headset but during my short vacation i had plenty of time to test the latest one from Jabra called the EXTREME2.
GN Netcom, led by the Jabra brand, continues to build on its standing as one of the world’s leading and fastest growing suppliers of hands-free communications solutions. With approximately 875 employees and sales offices around the world, GN Netcom develops manufactures and markets a broad range of wireless headsets for mobile users and both wireless and corded headsets for contact center and office-based users. GN Netcom’s business activities also include its original equipment manufacturing (OEM) business to a wide range of global customers including mobile phone, PC and PDA manufacturers.
If the people over at Jabra really know how to do something is design and manufacture Bluetooth earsets and so the EXTREME2 earset has a number of impressive features including support for Bluetooth 3.0, HD wideband speaker, dual microphones with noise-blackout, DSP and simultaneous connection with up to 2 Bluetooth enabled devices. The original EXTREME Bluetooth earset by Jabra i tested roughly 2 years ago was pretty good for its price tag and size but unfortunately not on par with some more expensive units by both Jabra and other manufacturers. Because of that i couldn't help it but to wonder just what kind of performance improvements the EXTREME2 has compared to its predecessor and as you will also see (or better read) later on it has quite a few.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
Pretty much every package by Jabra allows you to take a look at the unit prior to purchasing it.
A list with the bundle contents can be found at the right side.
The main features/benefits of the EXTREME2 are listed at the left side of the box.
A product description written in 13 languages is present at the rear of the box.
Aside the EXTREME2 unit you are also getting the AC power adapter, 2 ultimate comfort eargels, 2 earhooks (one is attached to the unit), car charger, USB charger, product registration paper, warranty paper and a quick start manual.
THE EXTREME2
The EXTREME2 headset is made almost entirely from hard plastic (low weight) and measures 48mm in length, 18mm in width and 23mm in depth.
Jabra has placed their logo at the rear front of the headset.
Since the strong point of the EXTREME2 Bluetooth headset is its extreme background noise reduction technology Jabra has it written on the front.
The volume up/down button is placed at the top (much like with most Jabra headsets).
At the rear end of the headset we see the micro USB charging port.
Instead of the usual power on/off method (pressing a button for a long time) the EXTREME2 comes with an on/off switch at the bottom.
Several certification icons along with the product name and model are placed at the back of the headset.
The bundled USB charger is actually very convenient since it keeps the headset on a fixed position (vertical or horizontal) and can also be used with the car adapter.
By default the EXTREME2 has the medium sized earhook attached to it. However Jabra also bundles a large size earhook and two ultimate comfort eargels.
Once the headset is powered up for the first time a female voice will guide you through all the necessary steps to pair it with your phone.
CONCLUSION
Although i started this review roughly 20 days ago i ended up using the EXTREME2 Bluetooth headset by Jabra for a total of just over 8 days 5 of which were basically my very short holiday time. Now the first thing i noticed (and so will you) is the near-excellent audio quality so the HD wideband speaker actually works as advertised (although HD mono sound is not really possible no matter how one sees it). On the other hand the extreme noise reduction technology (noise blackout) that both microphones feature worked quite well but not exactly as advertised since people on the other end could listen to background noise such as car horns (horns however are quite loud). Of course i have yet to encounter a flawless background noise filtering technology so i didn't expect miracles there to begin with. Battery-wise Jabra claims that you can speak continuously for a total of 5.5 hours when using the EXTREME2 however even after 8 complete charges I’m still unable to pass the 5 hour mark (still 5 hours in not bad at all). Finally the 2 bundled comfort eargels are very good if you are sitting still or even if you are walking but anything more than that and i really suggest using the earhooks.
The EXTREME2 Bluetooth Headset may be one of the last devices to hit the market by Jabra but it actually doesn't cost much (quite rare for a new high end headset) and so currently you can find it for USD56.99 inside the USA (Amazon) and at around 60Euros inside the EU. True to some people even this kind of price will not sit well but let’s face it, you always get what you pay for (or at least most of the time) and so if you want crystal clear audio clarity combined with a very good background noise filtering technology then the EXTREME2 Bluetooth Headset by Jabra might be just what you've been looking for and that's why it gets our Golden Award.
PROS
- Design
- Size
- HD Wideband Speaker
- Dual-Microphones Featuring Noise Blackout Technology
- Multiuse (Simultaneous Connection With Up To 2 Devices)
- Price (For Some)
CONS
- None