Jabra BT530 Bluetooth Headset with USB product reviews

I am no stranger to headsets of all varities... wired and wireless, PC and cellular... and having tried another Jabra unit recently I was wondering if this one was going to have issues with the shape of my ear... not that it's overly unusual, but even slight difference can prove uncomfortable. So, when this unit arrived I was quick to unpack it and get it charging. First impression worthy of comment: This unit needs a charger stand. The socket is in the back of the unit, and can be a tad fiddly to get seated properly without pushing any of the buttons accidentally.

Second comment: A better method of on/off switch would be a good move, as this one is not only small and located on the underside of the headset, but it's awfully stiff and difficult to move from one position to another... so basically I left it turned on throughout the entire testing phase. This had the unfortunate side-effect of me missing a few calls because my phone was on silent, and the headset was in the car... out of *my* reach, but well within range for the phone to divert calls to it. As tricky as a timed-press power switch can be, it is at least very convenient. On the flip-side, in an office or call centre situation, having the headset on all the time is not an issue in the least, but a recharging docking stand would definitely be more convenient.

As for effectiveness, well, this unit has a shorter boom - it basically sticks our about 4cm from the front of your ear, putting the mic itself just below the back corner of your eye - yet it is surprisingly good at picking up your voice even when you are talking quietly. One must curb the impulse to talk too loudly though, because the unit seems to cut out louder noises, including the booming of a burly lad yelling at himself as he walks around town attracting stares. This is a somewhat unexpected side-effect of the excellent technology that determines what noises are made by you, and what are 'outside' noises to be cancelled out. I assume it is programmed to think that the wearer won't be yelling constantly, so tunes it out as 'background clutter'.

Comfort is actually very high for me. The U-shaped clip, that adjusts for left or right ear wearing, sits very comfortably over my ear, and better yet, doesn't interfere with my glasses at all, esuring maximum comfort despite many hours of non-stop wearing. This is a major factor for those who will use it as part of their daily work, such as project co-ordinators, team managers, or call centre staff.

Recharging, though fiddly, is very rapid. It was enough, after a day of moderate usage, to plug it in for half an hour or so to top the battery up again and ensure constant availability. Full charge from flat-zero takes only about 2 hours apparently. I attempted to run the unit utterly flat... but honestly, the accountants said I wasn't allowed to run up the cellular bills to do it. If used attached to an integrated phone system, VoIP system, or some other flat-rate phone plan system, I am sure you would still be hard pressed to drain it in a single day of normal usage. Even when I had this unit patched into the VoIP system, it was difficult to drain the battery down to 'alarm' levels. That's what you get when it has a battery life of over 5 hours full-on usage, and standby of around 250 hours.

Overall, this is another excellent unit, well worth considering for those who have the need, or desire, for something relatively discrete, comfortable and highly effective. More tidy and less 'escapee borg' looking than some other units on the market, the features are enough to warrant investigation, the functionality is certainly right at the front of the pack, and the style is pretty unmistakable.