Review: Plantronics BackBeat 216

Plantronics recently released a new set of stereo headsets with inline mic and I've had the opportunity to review them.  As I've mentioned in the past, high quality stereo headphones with built-in Mic seems to be a rare breed, so I'm always excited to welcome new ones to the club.

The Plantronics BackBeat 216 sells for $49 a pair which makes it almost a premium headphone but not quite.  From the design of it, it sure looks and qualifies to be considered a premium headphone but the nice thing here is that its price-point is quite affordable.  The typical bells and whistles are there, 3 different ear buds sizes, inline microphone with volume control and cloth-wrapped tangle-free cord.

I was anxious to test out these headphones because one of the advertising points printed on the front of the box is "Bass Boost Headphones" and I love my headphones with good low-frequency response rate.  Upon testing, I was a little disappointed by the Bass response, or the lack of.  Upon closer inspection, I realized the frequency range for the BackBeat 216 is 20Hz to 18500Hz as oppose to some other headsets like my V-Moda Vibe II goes both lower and higher at 12Hz to 22000Hz.  The mid to higher range frequencies are as advertised which is crystal clear.  I suspected Plantronics engineers had voice-conversations in mind since building phone/bluetooth headset is the name of their game.  The headphones do offer excellent noise shield with the size-adjustable ear buds and the audio control is great with the inline remote/mic.

Overall, I'd say this set of headset is really good if you are not looking for strong Bass (some might find too much Bass response headache inducing), at $49 MSRP, this headset gives you a lot of premium design, feel without the premium price tag. 

Aliph Jawbone Prime Headset Available Today

Aliph, maker of the popular Jawbone headsets, unveiled a brand new bluetooth headset today. The Jawbone Prime is claimed to be the best headset ever made by the company. At $129 MSRP, it places itself squarely against the new Plantronics Voyager Pro which also debuted today. Talk about stiff competition.

The new headset has a handful (or mouthful) of acronyms and features which promises all sorts of noise reduction, voice enahancement and fashion:
* Noise-Assassin 2.0 delivers better noise elimination performance
* more advance Voice Activity Sensor (VAS)
* Acoustic Voice Activity Detector (AVAD) which works as a backup to VAS
* EARCANDY colors to create a more stylish EARWEAR

I am not sure exactly what these crazy technology can do but I am very interested in real life tests. Apparently, a lot of R&D has been applied to minimize wind interference which has been causing a lot of issues amongst headsets in the wild. Hopefully I can get my hands on a review unit for you.

Jawbone PRIME Specifications
Price: $129.99 USD
Talk Time: Up to 4.5 hours
Standby Time: More than 8 days
Range: At least 33 feet (10 meters)
Charge: 80% charge in 35 minutes, 100% charge in
Weight: ~10 grams with Earbuds
~ 9 grams without Earbuds
Colors: matte black Blah Blah Black, satin brown Coffee Talk and platinum Going Platinum for Jawbone PRIME. EARCANDY comes in four colors: red Frankly SCARLET, yellow ‘YELLO!, green Drop Me A LIME and purple LILAC You Mean It
Supports Multipoint: Pairs with up to 8 devices, 2 simultaneous connections
Supports Bluetooth®: 1.1, 1.2, 2.0, 2.1 + EDR
Available: 5/2/2009

Plantronics Voyager Pro Pictures Now Out

According to Engadget and thanks to Best Buy as well as a couple of fellas finding this over the weekend, the long awaited Plantronics headset Voyager Pro is finally uncovered. For weeks, Plantronics has been trying to use a sneak preview website as part of its viral strategy (hey, if you didn't know, we are doing a giveaway for two of these bad boys, hurry!). They were only revealing pieces of the pictures until 4/23/2009 launch date. It looks like the cat is out of the bag now. Looks pretty good. Now try to win one of the two from my blog by going here!

Review: V-MODA Vibe DUO Headphones BASS Powerhouse!

[Update: 7/22/2009 Just got an email from V-Moda saying they are shipping out a replacement order for my defective headphones. V-Moda is a standup company and I would vouch for their

[Update: 7/7/2009 My Vibe Duo headphone started to having problems with the left ear bud cutting in and out; the behavior is strange because it would do it randomly, w/o any tugging or pulling or the cords. Feels like some sort of short; I'm going to see how V-MODA is going to handle my request seeing that my unit is a review, never-the-less, only lasted 4 months of light usage]

Few weeks ago, I did a review on V-MODA’s latest creation, the Vibe II stereo headphone with mic and I liked it a lot. But in the back of my mind, I’ve always wondered how it differs from the Vibe Duo (the original headphones that made V-MODA popular). Well, wonder no more, I have gotten a hold of a pair of Vibe Duo for a follow-up review.

BASS Powerhouse! V-MODA Vibe Duo

I’ll start the review by saying that the V-MODA Vibe Duo is an incredible set of headphones especially if you enjoy low frequencies. It has the best BASS response than any other headphones I have tested. Its full and rich with sounds as if you are having a dance club in your head. I love it! Other frequencies are decent but I believe the engineers at V-MODA tuned this headset to amplify it's BASS range (versus the newer Vibe II which has a sharp sound across the entire frequency band at the cost of weaker BASS response). Therefore, depending on your musical preference, you should choose between the Vibe Duo (for R&B, Rap, Dance) or Vibe II (Classical, Rock, Jazz, etc.).

Design - The Vibe Duo design is very elegant. I always liked its anodized-aluminum finish (in three colors: red, black and silver). The cords are enclosed in a nylon-cloth material which is soft and sturdy (and stain proof). V-MODA is always good about its in-ear design. It rests in your ear canals comfortably since they offer 2 sets of three bud sizes to swap out. Having that second set of ear buds is a very good touch incase you lose one of the sizes which has happened to me in the past on a Sony headset.

The built-in mic is great (and a must!) because as I mentioned in my prior reviews, its is very difficult to find premium headphones with mic integration. I find the conversations clear as any other high quality headset and the inline control (answer/end call) is very handy for when your iPhone is in your pocket.

Vibe Duo vs. Vibe II (the newer contender)
This review is actually taking place in reverse since I’ve reviewed the newer V-MODA Vibe II only recently. What was interesting for me is to be able to easily spot the areas where the new Vibe II has improved over the already-very-good Vibe Duo. Here is what I have noticed:

* Overall, the Vibe II feels more refined and ruggedized headphones compared to the Vibe Duo
* Cords on the Vibe II is thicker and uses Teflon as material
* More steel can be found on the Vibe II for a heavier-duty feel (around the ear buds, inline control) compared to the plastic parts used on the Vibe Duo
* Note! The first three points are purely speculations, I am not sure if one is actually more sturdy than the other, both are very well engineered in my book
* Vibe Duo is better suited for BASS, lots of it… I smile like a teenager with a fancy car stereo system when listening
* Vibe II has been tuned to project a very sharp and clear sound over it’s entire frequency range (less intense BASS)

Conclusion: I really like the Vibe Duo, even more than Vibe II

The Vibe Duo is an amazing set of stereo headphones with microphone. The design alone is enough to tell you the story. While the newer Vibe II(MSRP $119) is a bit more refined and ruggedized, the Vibe Duo still holds its own in terms of sturdiness and performance and can be picked up with a bit of discount $80 on Amazon.com. If you like your Music with a strong flare in the low frequency range, look no further, the Vibe Duo is hands down the best for your iPhone. Which is why I really like this set.

If you are just looking for a set of V-MODA headphone w/o mic (for MP3 players or iPods), you can pick up the V-MODA Vibe for about $50 on Amazon.com or wait for the up and coming V-MODA AVC line featuring the VoiceOver support on new iPod Shuffle.

Special thanks to Kat K. at formulaPR for arranging the review units.

Review: Official Sony PS3 Bluetooth Headset

I posted a quick and random note regarding to my PS3 headset two days ago when I first got it. The fact that I ordered it from Amazon.com at 9PM on Thanksgiving Day and received it in less than 48 hours via free shipping has given me so much joy that I could hardly contain myself then. Given the fact that my mind was mainly focused on playing Resistance 2 with the remainder of my weekend with friends. I owe it to my readers to provide a thorough review of this headset, so here it is.

Cost and packaging variations:
* Official Sony Playstation 3 Bluetooth Headset sells for $49.99 stand alone from Amazon
* It also comes with Socom: Confrontation bundle selling for $59.99
I purchased the SOCOM bundle because the standalone for both items add up to $90 ($39.99+$49.99). I intend to sell the game for $20-$30 so it can bring my cost of the headset down to $30. Just a little inner eBay business man in me :) I would have kept the game if it received a higher rating, most say it was incompletely designed.

Hardware Design and Quality:
My rule of thumb with brands like Sony, Microsoft and Apple hardware are, if you can afford the little extra price they ask for, get it. Third party maker could come up with similar items but often falls a little short in terms of the intended feature. Same rule applies to this headset. For starter, it comes with a cradle for charging; it also turns your headset into a desktop mic while charging (in the event you ran out of power). This headset is the only one I know which has a large mute button on the side incase you want to carry on a conversation with others during a game. As far as fitment goes, I find it a little lose. I was hoping it would have a in-ear design so it can also filter out ambient noise for me. Sony designed this headset with clarity in mind. I was told it has two mics in it and some type of noise cancellation technology. When surveyed, most players I met online say my headset is crystal clear, similar to USB type headset. This could also because Sony has a HQ (high quality mode) that can be engaged if you paired your headphone via the mini USB cable at the back of the head set. There were no instructions in the SOCOM bundle, so you can pickup a PDF manual here. Overall, I am very pleased with this headphone's built quality along with its cradle.

Pairing
Pairing this headset could get much easier. So long as you hookup the mini USB cable to the back of the headset itself (not the cradle, I missed this point in the beginning). With this method, your PS3 will recognize the headset and engage in the previously mentioned HQ mode. It also will show User Action Indicator alert onscreen (aka UAI) whenever you do something to your headset. This, to me, is the best part of the headset, with UAI, you always know the status of your connection, volume, charging state, etc. The headset can otherwise be paired as any other bluetooth device, by holding down the power button for more than 10 seconds, the green and red led will flash alternatively to get into discovery mode. It can be used with any other device such as your mobile phone.

Wearing
Wearing the headset is easy, you just have to rotate the hook to swing around your ear lobe. I noticed if I rotate it snug, I would feel a little cramp over a short period of time. I think it was intended to be losely hung over your ear so no large movements while wearing this thing. I probably would find it unacceptable if I am always using this on the go as I would look for something more snug and comfortable, but then I'd be looking at something else, like this Plantronic 925.

Conclusion: I am very pleased with this headset and glad I decided to go with this one for my PS3. It is designed by Sony with gaming and quality in mind. If only the ear piece has an in ear design like my normal headphones, we'd have perfection.

UPDATE on charging: I always find PS3 accesories charging solution quite annoying. It assumes you charge your USB devices (controller, headset) while playing which is an oxy-moron. Since I know this headset can be charged via Desktop USB, I dusted off a couple of USB chargers for my BlackBerry and G1 phone and both seems to be working. The BlackBerry charger is my favorite since the output rating is 5V DC @ 0.5A which from my gathering, is what a default computer USB's power rating goes. The G1 USB charger is rated at 5V DC @ 0.75A, this worked as well but I am not sure if its a good or bad thing. Since I am no electrical engineer, I can't explain if either one is a good thing, what I do know is if I tried connecting my PS3 controller to either charger, nothing happens, so electronic devices with mini-USB ports probably have some kind of circuit inside to regulate and prevent wrong charging input rating. Again, this is just what I have been using as a charging solution, do so at your own risk.
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Sony PS3 Official Bluetooth Headset

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I've lined up a group of friends to go online and play with Resistance 2; absolutely amazing game. However, with 4 to 5 friends at once, I had a hard time strategizing with them with just one or two mobile phones. So on Thursday night (night of Thanksgiving), I placed an order on Amazon for a SOCOM: Confrontation bundle which includes the official Sony PS3 headset (game itself is $39, Bundle package is $59, Headset itself would have been $49 alone). Overall, for $59, I got a game and a Sony official headset which has been receiving positive reviews.

Today, Saturday, less than 48 hours later, Amazon shipped out the package and I actually received it! Needless to say, I was stoked. The package in the game doesn't have any instructions to the headset. After researching online, I found an archive of the Sony Gaming Manuals here and the Bluetooth Headset instructions are here.

This thing is so easy to use, simply plug the actual mini-USB cable to the headset itself (top of headset, not the cradle) and it will auto pair with your PS3. When connected to Cradle, it works as a USB Mic (just by turning it on). I am asking friends to hookup their own bluetooth headsets now to take our gaming to a new level.

Review: Griffin’s Tune Buds Mobile

I’ve been looking for a pair of 3.5mm stereo headphones with in-line mic for quite some time. I wanted something with value & performance and willing to go up to $50. There are some serious contenders when it comes to headphones but to require built-in mic and set a cap at $50, this is where it filters down to zero. While most multimedia phones come with OEM stereo headphones/mic (ie. Nokia N95 and iPhone) the quality is just not quite what I am looking for.

Background: For a long time, I’ve been pretty satisfied pairing up a set of Sony Fontopia (EX51LP)with my classic iPods. They have a good in-ear design, sounds great and is very good value for the performance (Amazon.com has them for $20, MSRP $35). If only the Fontopia is available with an inline mic.

Griffin Tune Buds Mobile: Griffin Technology decided to get into the game with their Tune Buds Mobile. It offers in-ear design which is something I must have for plane rides to block out ambient noise and a built-in mic to take calls. The 3.5mm jack design is slim to fit the poorly designed first generation iPhones. It, of course, will work with any smart phones with a 3.5mm jack. The built quality is decent, with a nylon-woven-braided material to cover the cords. The cords length are no different than any standard headphones, however, I do miss the Fontopia’s wrap-around-neck design where the right ear bud is a little longer and sits behind my neck instead of hanging in front of my chest. I like the black finish as it matches up quite nicely with my iPhone using a black protector (ClearBoost). The glossy finish on the buds tops off the Darth Vader style I am going after. At $39.99 MSRP (some vendors on Amazon has it for $30), this product fits all of my search criteria, so it looks like we have a potential winner here.

Performance: The sound quality is good; the bass is low and the highs are crystal clear. The in-ear design is important to block out ambient noise which heightens the music playback fidelity. The package comes with three sets of bud adaptors (small, medium and large). By default, it has the medium size installed, while inserting the buds to my ear, I can ear some funny rubbing noise which I believe comes from where the rubber adaptors rubbing against the base of the buds. No harm here, just something I have to get used to. I like the nylon-woven-braided cords; it feels more industrial and being black, it obviously hides dirt and stain marks better than the white/rubbery cords I am used to. The high sensitivity mic worked as promised with a button in the cord which lets me receive calls at will. I noticed I have to hold the mic unit closer to my cheeks or turn my head towards it to provide a better sound for my recipients. This could just be me as I am not known to be a loudmouth while speaking on phones in public.

Conclusion: I find Griffin’s new Tune Buds Mobile a very good alternative to OEM headphones providing high quality sound range and a built-in mic. In this price range, there isn’t anything on the market so I would recommend this earphones for those interested in something better than what your phone comes with. As for me, I refuse to use Bluetooth Headsets, simply because they are counter-productive, both the Bluetooth headset and device will end up draining battery faster than what I would like. That said, these headphones are great for mobile warriors, the package even comes with a little carrying pouch to protect your investment on the go.

Jawbone II Bluetooth Headset - $97 shipped

Saw this offer from a couple of popular tech bargain sites. The Jawbone II (one of the best bluetooth wireless headset) can be had for $97 shipped via 2-day shipping from your friendly AT&T Wireless online store. Grab them while they last!

Griffin Brings Non-Bluetooth Alternative Headset Solutions

As I've mentioned from my other blog, WittyMarketing, the California driving law banning the use of handset while driving is starting to pickup some national attention. Mobile community is taking the initiative to make driving safer by producing more hands free solutions. Personally, I've never been a big fan of bluetooth headsets, largely because I find this solution more of a problem when it comes to draining my mobile phone and the need to keep it charged.

I've always preferred stereo headphones with built-in mic; most phones like the HTC 8525, Nokia N95 and iPhone usually comes with a set, quality, however is arguable. Griffin just announced two products that will help you in this area: 1). Griffin TuneBuds Mobile (not to be mixed with the standard TuneBuds), a pair of high quality headphones designed to fit better on your ears and offers an inline mic, 2). Griffin SmartTalk is a cool solution if you've already invested in a nice set of headphones. Its a simple inline mic and adaptor that lets you plug in your own headphones. Great for those that have invested in an expensive pair of Bose or Shure headphones.

I will try to get my hands on both to provide a full-on review, stay tuned!

Tip: Generally speaking, a headset with built-in mic would have a third black ring on the male plug, see both images above!!!