Aliph's Bluetooth Jawbone headset sports military-grade noise cancellation
by Darren Murph 
posted Dec 17th 2006 at 5:34AM
We've seen our fair share of Bluetooth headsets (with and without DSP), and we hold a soft spot in our heart for the hardcore, rugged devices out there that can withstand next to anything, but Aliph's Jawbone earpiece blends the best of both worlds into one fashionable piece of kit. While the firm already has a wired version on the market, this Bluetooth-enabled set rocks a silver or red color scheme, dual microphones, lightweight design, and a noise cancelling sensor that is literally military-grade. Crafted after conducting research for DARPA, the goal was "to create a mobile phone headset capable of erasing background noise," even in less-than-amicable (or safe) situations. Although there's no pricing or availability information just yet, the unit has already made its way on the Award Honorees list for CES 2007, and if you want to see this bad boy in action, be sure to continue on after the jump for a YouTube demonstration.[Via BlueTomorrow]
Filed under: Peripherals
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kom @ Dec 17th 2006 10:18AM
Good news for today.And an example excellent :)
Jon @ Dec 17th 2006 2:16PM
Cingular is carrying the Aliph Bluetooth Jawbone headset, and they will be getting in store early this week. MSRP is $119.99.
Tarasil @ Dec 17th 2006 12:36PM
I agree with you very good...:)
Camp @ Dec 17th 2006 4:07PM
Looking forward to reviews of this unit. My Nokia BH-800 is suddenly failing me.
voidref @ Dec 17th 2006 6:22PM
Isn't this the same as B&O's headset tech?
ted @ Dec 18th 2006 5:01PM
Great, now all we need is for them to combine this with your preference of over the head or behind the neck headphones and provide a2dp bluetooth. I am about to pickup a set of the Plantronics Pulsar BT haedphones. Seems to be the best option for a2dp headset with call answering capability, though bone conduction is going to beat the piss out of telescoping mic boom when it comes to voice quality. Oh well.
johnnywu @ Dec 18th 2006 8:25PM
just got mine in and i love it... it is big, but not too heavy and there are four different earbud sizes and four different ear hanger sizes but im just using the stock for now. but i on the freeway with the windows down and the caller couldnt tell. scary clear
jwu
msacks @ Dec 18th 2006 10:13PM
JWU, where did you get yours? I can't find them anywhere.
Justin Blanton @ Dec 19th 2006 9:21PM
I too am looking; any information would be appreciated.
Justin Blanton @ Dec 19th 2006 9:35PM
Scratch that. Turns out a couple of Cingular stores near me (Silicon Valley) got them in *today*. One store got one (silver) and the other store got three (dark grey?). I bought two of the darker models.
Robin @ Dec 19th 2006 10:21PM
I can confirm that Cingular is selling these. I'd call first - some stores don't seem to have them. Has anyone who has one detected dropped words/cutting in and out when the noise-cancelation feature is activated?
Gregg @ Dec 22nd 2006 9:25PM
Ok, I never do this but after seeing the article yesterday, I "ran right out and scooped one up". Firstly, you want to call first, and only Cingular stores (not authorized resellers, from what I can tell from my calls, they did not get them). I got the last one Cingular Pasadena had. Each store only got a few pieces.
As for the headset itself: firstly it is the slickest looking headset out there. Lightweight but not fragile, it feels like a solid piece of tech on your head (not something disposable or flyaway, like my Moto H700 was). Charged to full in less than two hours (ships with an empty battery), and comes with two chargers (USB and AC).
The sound quality on the other end is excellent. Coworkers, friends, even my senior citizen parents can all hear my voice with amazing clarity, and I work in a broadcast equipment room (the background din of sound in here is about 58-65 dB, so eliminating that sound is key).
The two button controls are idiot proof, with press duration determining the button function. One item to watch is that the buttons that you touch are actually surface switches over the mechanical button on the inside, so there seems to be less chance of a single raindrop on the face taking out the entire unit.
The earpiece is rubber over what appears to be eyeglass quality metal framing, and the four clips included vary just slightly enough that you may have to read the embossed size marks on the lower tip to figure out how they differ, size wise. The spring mounted swivel they set into really hugs on to the back of the ear, but doesn't irritate over long duration.
On the downside (for me anyway) is the largest earbud included is still too small for my ear (fault of my genetics, not the unit - I got a big head). The earpiece is mounted on a spring to keep tension against the ear, but in my case it lifts the earbud (slightly) out of my ear canal, so for the moment, I have to press it to the side of my head to really hear the other end. I am looking into a larger ear gel or custom ear bud that will fit. Hopefully I won't have to have anything custom molded, but that may be an option I have to pursue. I have also emailed Aliph for their feedback.
For my use, this item ranks a 4.75 out of 5. I definitely recommend the purchase.
Jawdroppin VA @ Dec 22nd 2006 5:40PM
Sweet... i got it, sounds great, really great, i've gone through 4 different headsets and my "wife" gives this one the THUMBS UP... I got the last one in stock at the cingular wireless store here in Fairfax, VA. With the style, add on earloops/ earpeice for a "COMFY" fit, very well balanced. button controls getting used to, but easy to handle. I'm getting another one for my wife when it comes it. . the red looks pretty sweet. I love companies when they think of design. I also used it with skype on my Macbook Pro.... like a glove... :)
Chelsea @ Dec 26th 2006 12:20AM
I got a jawbone as a gift, amazing! My mom got two while she was on a trip in northern California, but had to drive to two stores in order to get two of them for the both of us. It fits well on my ear. I laughed when I read on the directions that stated not to shower with it, but its so easy to forget that you have it on, and I can now see how easy it would be to make a mistake like that due to its light weight and good fit. Every person I have talked to on it has not noticed that I was not talking into my phone. I highly recommend this.
rrh @ Dec 28th 2006 12:12AM
I own a convertible and primarily drive around in it with the top down. I have owned many headsets, and none have been any good with the top down, except the jabra 250 was okay. Today I drove around with the jawbone and here are my experiences. With the top down, windows up, the radio at a reasonable listening level, 30 mph crosswinds and approaching triple digit speeds, my wife said that she could clearly hear me and I could hear her. With the windows down, she thought the background noise was too loud. Wlaking around SF today with the same windy conditions, she could hear me reasonably, but there was significant background noise. We could carry a conversation without raising our voices, though. These good experiences are a first. I have owned a bt headset since the first week they came out in San Francisco, and have owned every top of the line product... 655, a jx10, etc. This thing is great. It is not perfect, but it is definitely, by far, the very best bt headset out there!