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Product: Bluetooth headset
Developer: Aliph
Minimum Requirements: Bluetooth compatible phone
Price: $129.99
Availability: Now

A bluetooth headset is a bluetooth headset is a bluetooth headset.  If that were true, everyone would have an oversized silver piece of plastic lodged in their ear despite the fact that it refuses to work on a consistent basis.  When it does work, the sound is terrible.  Not so with Aliph’s Jawbone 2.  It’s a superb little piece of design that’s not only good looking, it’s more functional than any other headset on the market.

I know that’s a tall claim, but if you aren’t familiar with the Jawbone headsets let me explain why they are so amazing.  Aliph uses amazing technology to actually identify and filter out background noise from your conversation. Well, that’s not completely true; the sound doesn’t have to be background. In fact, I’ve tested it with music so loud that I couldn’t even hear myself, but somehow the person I was talking to could hear me say, “Can you hear me now?... Gooooood… Because I can’t!”

How does it work?  I’m not completely sure to be honest, but I’m glad that it does.  The headset itself only has two buttons and two lights, none of which are apparent by quick inspection.  The big button is on the side that faces away from your head; it controls power on, off, answer, hang up etc.  But there’s another button.  It’s called the Noise Assassin button.  It basically employs ninjas to reduce any noise that isn’t your voice.  I tried to take a picture of this, but as we all know, ninjas (or at least ones worth paying) are impossible to photograph as a result of them being continuously not visible.  You’ll just have to trust me on this one.

Well, me and that white nub sticking out the back of the headset.  It’s called a Voice Activity Sensor.  In order for the Jawbone to eliminate other sounds, it has to be able to tell what’s you and what’s not. The nub is how it manages to do that. This little sensor sits on your face like a blackhead in reverse and picks up on the vibrations coming from the bones in your face.  The more firm it is on your face, the better the headset will be able to kill other sounds. Sorry, I meant ninjas. The better the ninjas will be able to kill other sounds.

The version reviewed here is the second version, and is actually a bit smaller than the original.  It can be used with or without an ear loop.  I don’t think the ear loop is necessary, but it’s nice to have just in case you’re worried about dropping an expensive piece of equipment.  There are several different ear tip fittings: 3 sizes in 2 different styles.  I went with the one that’s meant to be used without a loop, and then I put the newfangled leather ear loop on the headset just because.  It looks nice, and functions amazingly well.

Even the charger is fun.  It’s similar to how Apple’s Bluetooth Headset charges.  The headset has a magnet that attaches to the adapter, so only surface contact is necessary; there are no plugs to insert or anything funny like that.  Plus, it’s actually a USB cable, so it will be more than happy to suck power from your Mac instead of the wall.

The only real issues I had with the device were mostly regarding the button placements.  The two buttons basically take up the entire outside portion of the headset.  It’s hot a huge deal, but if you don’t wear the device, but keep it powered on, it’s difficult to attach it to your ear without either answering the call too early or accidentally hanging up.  You could, of course just wear it; it’s not fatiguing at all.  I wish the indicator light was also in a different place. It’s right in the middle of the big button.  You have to press and hold this button to turn it on, but your finger covers the light, so you just have to trust that you’ve held it long enough.  Again, you could just wear it and listen for the tone, but that’s too easy.  I also wish there was a way for the iPhone to gauge the battery, but that’s not unique to the Jawbone 2.  I just miss my Apple Bluetooth Headset, that’s all.

Overall, this is by far the best bluetooth headset I’ve had the pleasure of personally testing out.  I highly recommend the Jawbone 2 over any other headset on the market because of its amazing ability to cut out everything but your voice while in a noisy environment.  The battery life is sufficient, and it’s more stylish than the original since they’ve slimmed it down. They now offer it in numerous colors, too, but why would you want anything other than black?  By the way, you can find this headset for far cheaper if you do a little searching online, which you should do…right now.