Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset Review

*** You can now purchase the Aliph Jawbone from Amazon.com.

San Francisco-based Aliph’s next-generation Jawbone Bluetooth headset delivers unmatched sound quality to its user and the person he or she is talking with, making it a must-have product for anyone who depends on mobile communications. Stand next to a running lawnmower, a faucet or a sizzling sauté pan; walk down a noisy street side or leave the music playing in the background while you drive down the expressway – it just won’t matter. Your voice will sound clear to the person you’re talking with, that person’s voice will be intelligible to you and background noise will be irrelevant to your conversation.

Jawbone’s sound technology was optimized for The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. Department of Defense’s research and development agency, to maximize communications clarity in the most hostile conditions. We imagine gunfire and helicopter-rotor noise wouldn’t be an acceptable distraction for critical war-zone conversations. It’s a good thing that the Jawbone’s voice activity sensor technology can identify precisely when its user is speaking and separate his or her voice from background noise.

In our experience sound quality doesn’t always come first with Bluetooth headset design. Don’t get us wrong, we’ve reviewed other devices that sound great, but we’ve certainly reviewed devices that don’t. In the case of the Jawbone, it is clear that Aliph’s engineers put sound design first, which by itself makes the device an immediate winner.

Aliph’s founders, Alex Asseily and Hosain Rahman, both engineers who graduated from Stanford, explain on their Web site, how they shared in the belief “that voice would be the dominant interface for mobile devices and that creating a noise-free environment was critical to delivering an improved mobile communications experience.”

And if that’s not enough, the Jawbone also has a spectacular range of about 30 feet and gets its advertised battery life. It comes with several curvy ear hooks and different styles of ear buds so each user can get the right feel for the Jawbone. Though it is difficult to get the device on the ear quickly, the Jawbone wears well once it is attached. With a mid-range weight of 14 grams, and average size, it’s not overbearing.

The almost perfect Jawbone does have one flaw: Its attachments seem to be less rugged than the device itself. The Jawbone test kit arrived at our review site with one ear bud already broken. One of the ear hooks that came with the headset broke off while attached to the device. We were able to continue our testing unabated, however, and extra care for the Jawbone should prevent a similar experience. Regardless, it’s a small dent in an almost flawless device.

Aliph is charging $119.99 for the Jawbone, and the device is worth every penny.

You can now purchase the Aliph Jawbone from Amazon.com for much less than the retail price.

Keep reading for more detail about how Aliph’s Jawbone Bluetooth headset performed during our reviewer’s tests.

Bluetooth Headset Reviews

Information to help you choose the best Bluetooth headset for your needs and preferences These reviews will help you choose the Bluetooth headset that is best for you, and will hopefully save you from making a costly mistake. Check back regularly; new equipment is being reviewed all the time.

Choosing a Bluetooth Headset
	An essential introduction that explains in detail what to look for in a Bluetooth Headset.

High End Headset Comparison
	We compare and contrast the Aliph Jawbone and Cardo S-800 headsets to help you decide which you should buy. Read the comparison here.

Aliph Jawbone Headset
	A distinctive design, good sound quality and great noise cancellation, the Aliph Jawbone is a good headset, but with a $75 street price is hardly a bargain price. Full review of the Aliph Jawbone headset here.

Cardo S-640 Headset
	An interesting new approach to headset design, this two piece unit is comfortable and easy to carry, with a moderate feature set and a $35 street price. Full review of the Cardo S-640 headset here.

Cardo S-800 Headset
	A more traditionally designed headset, and offering excellent audio quality. Its excellent audio combined with a very realistic $36 street price makes it a preferred headset for you to consider. Full review of the Cardo S-800 headset here.

Gennum nXZEN 5500 Plus Headset
	Designed and marketed in Canada, Gennum's nXZEN 5500 Plus costs $160. Is it worth it? Read the review to find out. Full review of the Gennum nXZEN headset here.

Jabra BT125 Headset
	Jabra is the world's largest manufacturer of Bluetooth headsets, and their BT125 unit sets a new high value/low price point in the marketplace. At a mere $25 (and sometimes less) from Amazon, it is definitely worth considering. Full review of the Jabra BT125 headset here.

Motorola H3 Headset
	Motorola's H3 headset is a newer design than the HS800 and HS850, and has both a more modern look and a lower price point. But although - in theory - it has a lot going for it, poor sound quality makes it a poor choice of At slightly more than $30 it would be fairly priced if only it worked better. Full review of the Motorola H3 headset here.

Motorola HS850 HeadsetPublish Post

Motorola has learned from their earlier poor Bluetooth headsets (eg the HS800 mentioned at the bottom of this page) and with their HS850, have come up with a good unit that works well and has no offsetting negatives. Some people might think the design a bit dated. Originally costing about $65 and now available for less, it was fairly priced when it first came out, but now is no longer state of the art. Full review of the Motorola HS850 headset here.

Plantronics Discovery 650E Headset

An interesting headset that performs well, and with a unique way of storing the headset when not in use. Flexible charging options, and the ability to be paired with two phones simultaneously add to the headset's appeal. A street price of about $55 (Feb 08) makes it fairly priced, but not as low as the current price leader, the Jabra BT125. Full review of the Plantronics Discovery 650E headset here.

Aizen FlyBy Headset
	A new unit just now (Dec 05) being released on the market. Full review of the Aizen FlyBy headset here.

8Com BH-220 Headset

A reasonably fully featured and affordable headset ($45) with computer audio profile capability too. A good value unit back when originally released, but now no longer 'state of the art'. Full review of the 8Com BH-220 headset here.

Parrot Easydrive
	The latest product from Bluetooth specialists Parrot, with better performance and more features than the earlier DriveBlue. Sells for about $100. Works well. Recommended. Full review of the Parrot Easydrive here.

Parrot DriveBlue
	This unit has now been superseded by the new (May 05) Easydrive unit above.. Full review of the Parrot DriveBlue here.

Parrot CK3000
	The ultimate in car hands-free kits, hard wired into your car's sound system for best fidelity. Better quality than the DriveBlue, but (obviously) not portable, and more expensive ($199 plus installation costs). Recommended for your main driving car. Full review of the Parrot CK3000 here.

Motorola Bluetooth Headset HS800
	$90 from the Motorola website, and as little as $25 from TigerDirect.com, this is a basic unit, with short battery life, although at a low price. It does not have both headset and hands-free profiles. I couldn't get it to work with either of my test phones (Nokia 3650 and Sony Ericsson T610). Not recommended.

Advantages And Disadvantages

Bluetooth has a lot to offer with an increasingly difficult market place. Bluetooth helps to bring with it the promise of freedom from the cables and simplicity in networking that has yet to be matched by LAN (Local Area Network).

In the key marketplace, of wireless and handheld devices, the closest competitor to Bluetooth is infrared. Infrared holds many key features, although the line of sight it provides doesn't go through walls or through obstacles like that of the Bluetooth technology.




Unlike infrared, Bluetooth isn't a line of sight and it provides ranges of up to 100 meters. Bluetooth is also low power and low processing with an overhead protocol. What this means, is that it's ideal for integration into small battery powered devices. To put it short, the applications with Bluetooth are virtually endless.

Disadvantages
Bluetooth has several positive features and one would be extremely hard pressed to find downsides when given the current competition. The only real downsides are the data rate and security. Infrared can have data rates of up to 4 MBps, which provides very fast rates for data transfer, while Bluetooth only offers 1 MBps.

For this very reason, infrared has yet to be dispensed with completely and is considered by many to be the complimentary technology to that of Bluetooth. Infrared has inherent security due to its line of sight.

The greater range and radio frequency (RF) of Bluetooth make it much more open to interception and attack. For this reason, security is a very key aspect to the Bluetooth specification.

Although there are very few disadvantages, Bluetooth still remains the best for short range wireless technology. Those who have tried it love it, and they know for a fact that Bluetooth will be around for years to come.

Using Bluetooth

The amazing technology of Bluetooth presents a great way of exchanging data between two wireless devices. Unlike telephones, there are no wires or messy leads to worry about. You can enjoy wireless communications with short distances of up to thirty feet.




Bluetooth also offers interoperability, meaning that you can use your portable Bluetooth device to connect with existing Bluetooth points. This way, you won't have to carry a data lead or CDs of drivers around with you everywhere you go. You can enjoy the best of wireless without having to worry about installing your software.

With today's Bluetooth, you can use your PDA and cell phone to surf the net or check emails as you travel. If you are in the business field, this can be very beneficial, especially if you like to check your email throughout the day. Bluetooth will enable you to check your email no matter where you are - which is great news for those who like to travel.

Bluetooth will also enable to you to transfer files as well, such as MP3 and photo to and from your mobile device. Bluetooth dominates the world of short range wireless, enabling you to do more than you may have thought possible.

One of the best things to Bluetooth and something everyone loves is the wireless headset. Bluetooth offers wire free headsets for your cell phone or computer, which is great for those who like to walk around or talk on the phone in the car, without having to worry about your hands getting in the way.

To make things even better, you can use a Bluetooth GPS device for satellite navigation on your PDA, laptop, or mobile. If you travel - this can be really great to have.

The Bluetooth Solution

The technology of Bluetooth will take small area networking to the next level by removing the need for user intervention and help keep transmission power very low to preserve battery power. Each transmission signal to and from your cellular phone will use just 1 mw of power, giving you plenty of space on your battery to talk.



Bluetooth is a networking standard that will work on two levels:

1. It will provide agreement at the physical level, as Bluetooth is a radio frequency standard.
2. It will provide agreement at the level of protocol, where products will have to agree on when bits are sent, how many are sent, and how the parties in conversation can be sure the message recieved is the same one that was sent.
   

The major draws to Bluetooth is the fact that it's wireless, inexpensive, and automatic. There
are other ways to get around wires, including infrared. Infrared uses light waves of a lower frequency than the human eye can, and is normally used in television remote controls.

The technology of Bluetooth is intended to get around the problems that normally come with infrared systems. The 1.0 older standard of Bluetooth has a max transfer speed of 1 MB a second, while the 2.0 Bluetooth standard can manage up to 3.0 MB a second. To make things better, 2.0 is compatible with 1.0 devices.

As a solution to wireless, Bluetooth will eliminate the need for messy cords, keeping everything nice and neat. It's perfect for those who like to talk on cell phones, as you no longer need to hold the phone next to your ear - which is great for those who travel a lot.

Key Learning Points Of Bluetooth

Bluetooth is easily the best in wireless handheld technology. When it comes to learning, Bluetooth can get quite complicated. To help you, you'll find the key learning points of Bluetooth below:

1. Bluetooth is an energy efficient, low overhead communication protocol that's ideal for interdevice communications.
2. Unlike infrared, Bluetooth doesn't require a line of sight.
3. Depending on the implementation, Bluetooth can have a range of up to 100 meters.
4. The specification of Bluetooth consists of a Foundation Profile Document and a Foundation Core Document.
5. The protocol stack for Bluetooth consists of core protocols, cable protocols, and even adapted protocols.
6. The transmitter operates around the 2.4 GHz frequency band.
7. The data channel will change frequency, or hops, 1,600 times in a second, between the 79 allocated channels in the ISM band.
8. Bluetooth utilizes a spread spectrum frequency hopping RF characteristic to ensure that independant networking operates when the other devices are in range.
9. A piconet is formed when one or more devices open up a channel of communication.
10. A piconet can have a master and up to seven slaves.
11. Communication of the interdevice is based on the concepts of channels.
12. All Bluetooth devices are capable of transmitting voice.
13. The channel has a total capacity of 1 MB per second.
14. There are two types of channels with Bluetooth SCO (Synchronous Connection Oriented) and ACL (Asynchronous Connectionless).
15. The SCO channels are time oriented, andare therefore primarily used for transferring time critical data such as voice.
16. ACL channels are normally used for communicating data.
17. Data contained in a packet can be up to 2,745 bits in length.
18. In a single piconet, there can be up to three SCO links containing 64,000 bits a second each.
19. To avoid collision and timing problems, SCO links are reserved slots that are set up by the master.
20. The masters can support up to three SCO links with either one, two, or three slaves.
21. The slots that aren't reserved for SCO links can be used as ACL links.
22. The LMP (Link Management Protocol) will handle link level security, error corrections, and the establishment of communications links.
23. The LMP packets will have priority over user packets that originate and form the L2CAP layer.
24. The L2CAP layer will ensure an acceptable quality of service.
25. No more than one ACL link can exist at the L2CAP layer.
    

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How Bluetooth Works

Bluetooth devices will normally operate at 2.4 GHZ in the license free, globally available ISM radio band. The advantage to this band includes worldwide availability and compatibility. A disadvantage to this however, is that the devices must share this band with other RF emitters. This includes automobile security systems, other wireless devices, and other noise sources, such as microwaves.



To overcome this challenge, Bluetooth employs a fast frequency hopping scheme and therefore uses shorter packets than other standards within the ISM band. This scheme helps to make Bluetooth communication more robust and more secure.

Frequency hopping
Frequency hopping is basically jumping from frequency to frequency within the ISM radio band. After a bluetooth device sends or receives a packet, it and the device (or devices) it's communicating with hop to another frequency before the next packet is sent. This scheme offers three advantages:

1. Allows Bluetooth devices to use the entirety of the available ISM band, while never transmitting from a fixed frequency for more than a short period of time. This helps insure that Bluetooth conforms to the ISM restrictions on the transmission quantity per frequency.
2. Ensures that any interference won't last long. Any packet that doesn't arrive safely to its destination can be resent to the next frequency.
3. Provides a base level of security as it's very hard for an eavesdropping device to predict which frequency the Bluetooth devices will use next.
   

The connected devices however, must agree upon the frequency they will use next. The specification in Bluetooth ensures this in two ways. First, it defines a master and slave type relationship between bluetooth devices. Next, it specifies an algorithm that uses device specific information when calculating the frequency hop sequences.

A Bluetooth device that operates in master mode can communicate with up to seven devices that are set in slave mode. To each of the slaves, the master Bluetooth device will send its own unique address and the value of its own internal clock. The information sent is then used to calculate the frequency hop sequences.

Because the master device and each of the slave devices use the same algorithm with the same initial input, the connected devices will always arrive together at the next frequency that they have agreed upon.

As a replacement for cable technology, it's no wonder that Bluetooth devices are usually battery powered, such as wireless mice and battery powered cell phones. To conserve the power, most devices operate in low power. This helps to give Bluetooth devices a range of around 5 - 10 meters.

This range is far enough for wireless communication but close enough to avoid drawing too much power from the power source of the device.