08-30-2006, 04:00 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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More Than Just Good Looks: Jabra's JX10 and BT500 Bluetooth Headsets
Product Category: Bluetooth Headset
Manufacturer: Jabra (JX10 and BT500)
Where to Buy: Jabra (HelloDirect.com) (JX10 and BT500)
Price: $179.99 USD (JX10); $119.99 USD (BT500)
System Requirements: A Bluetooth-enabled mobile device supporting the Hands-Free (HFP) and Headset (HSP) profiles.
Pros:- Stylish and lightweight (JX10);
- Includes a charging cradle (JX10);
- Comfortable to wear (BT500);
- Long battery life (BT500).
Cons:- Expensive (JX10 and BT500);
- Can feel uncomfortable after extended periods of use (JX10);
- Earhook feels a little fragile at times (JX10);
- Controls can be tricky to find (BT500).
Summary:
Two headsets. One agenda. Which of Jabra's finest Bluetooth headsets works best?
Read on to find out!
Round One: JX10
Jabra prides itself on delivering "design with attitude" with the JX10 headset, and this is evident even without opening the box. The exterior is bathed in black with two clear plastic windows covering the headset and the cradle. Four words, "Design by Jacob Jensen" are printed on the front, and already, you get filled with expectations that whatever is inside the box is sure to leave a lasting impression.
Figure 1: Elegantly styled. Clearly the work of well-known B&O designer, Jacob Jensen.
Out of the box, the JX10 stands out. A symmetrical arrangement of curves and a good blend of silver and black allows the headset to look both stylish and professional - a quality that many products in this day and age fail to achieve. And measuring roughly 38mm x 19mm x 10mm (1.5" x .75" x .39", both minus the earpiece and earhook) and weighing less than 10g (.35 oz.), the headset is both compact and light, which is great because it doesn't weigh down the ear.
Figure 2: From the bottom-left to the top-right, note the microphone, miniscule pairing button, multifunction call/power button, the earpiece, and the earhook attached to the neck of the earpiece.
The edge of the headset houses all the familiar controls (the plus- and minus-labelled volume controls at the rear, and multifunction call/power button on the side), charging socket (rear), and microphone (front). The inner surface of the headset contains the hard protruding earpiece and a tiny pairing button. In fact, it's almost too tiny, but considering it's only ever used once during setup, its size can be easily disregarded. The outer surface features a tiny Jabra logo and a soft glowing indicator light. In standby mode, it flashes blue once every three seconds. In use, it flashes blue once every second. When the headset is low on juice, it flashes red. While charging, it's a solid red or green (depending on the battery's status).
Attached to the neck of the earpiece is a clip-on, non-rotating ear-shaped earhook. By "non-rotating", I'm referring to the fact that the earhook cannot perform a 360� dance, but you can still choose to clip it one way or the other (for use on the left or right ear). This isn't a problem, since the earhook is shaped to fit snugly on the ear.
Figure 3: Don't be alarmed. It's not broken. 
There are moments when the earhook feels a little fragile, especially the plastic attachment that clips on to the neck of the earpiece. Yet surprisingly, on closer inspection, it appears solidly constructed, so any fears of damage are soon flushed away.
Jabra advertises the JX10 as a headset that can also be worn without the earhook. I tried this out, and I wasn't a fan of it for two reasons: (a) the headset is so light that it might fall off without you even noticing, and (b) due to the shape and hardness of the earpiece, having it act as the only means of attachment to the ear can lead to discomfort pretty quickly (and incidentally, after extended periods of use, the earpiece itself already contributes to discomfort, even with the earhook acting as an aid).
Figure 4: The charging cradle sports the same styling as the headset.
The elegant styling of the headset can be seen in the charging cradle as well. The metal build and rubber pad (at the bottom) offers the right amount of weight and friction to prevent the cradle from sliding around the table. The rear of the cradle contains a female mini USB connector, while the front contains a male mini USB connector. You can attach either the supplied USB charging cable or AC power adapter to the former. Jabra's inclusion of two different charging cables here is great. You can leave one at home and one at the office, and they're dual-purpose built, so if you don't have the cradle handy, you can plug the cable straight into the charging socket of the headset to fill the battery up.
Figure 5: Putting it all together.
Together with the headset, cradle, and two charging cables, you'll also find a multilingual user manual and a suede carrying pouch with a magnetic seal.
Figure 6: The multilingual user manual and magnetically-sealed pouch.
On paper, the JX10's battery life is rated at 6 hours (talk time) and 200 hours (standby time). In the real world, I found the former to be on the money, though admittedly, I didn't really assess the latter since I prefer to leave the house everyday with a fully charged headset (so it goes on to the cradle every night before I hit the sack). Performance-wise, the JX10 offered a lot to be pleased about. The in-ear nature of the earpiece and the quality of the speaker produced loud, crisp audio. The headset's digital signal processing (DSP) technology, coupled with its Bluetooth 1.2 specification, ensured that background noise was compensated for and voice quality was clear. I've used a wide range of headsets in the past, and for some, I had received complaints from the person on the receiving end about how poor the headset's audio quality was. While testing the JX10, I received no such complaints, proving that Jabra didn't just design the headset to offer good looks, but great performance as well.
Figure 7: A compact adapter for a compact headset.
If Jabra ever revises the JX10 and works on making the earpiece more comfortable, then it would be near faultless. Regardless, those of you after a stylish, lightweight headset with great performance should look no further. Although, perhaps the BT500 is more to your (and your bank's) liking. Follow on for a look at the other of Jabra's finest headsets.
Round Two: BT500
Unsurprisingly, without the Jacob Jensen touch, the BT500's yellow and grey cardboard box is a tad dull next to the JX10's. The box's clear plastic cutout reveals the headset, but nothing more.
Figure 8: It's all about the curves. The multifunction call/power button, charging socket, pairing button, and volume controls can be seen along the outer edge of the headset.
Although the JX10 and BT500 are built by the same company, both are very different. Size-wise, the BT500 is a lot larger - approximately 2.5 times, if you enjoy figures. It's twice the weight at 19g (.67 oz.). However, just like the JX10, the BT500 nails style and professionalism well (though fashion is subjective, so your perception may vary). The symmetrically-shaped headset is bathed in metallic grey, with black coating the earhook, and the boom microphone receiving a chrome finish.
Figure 9: The BT500 from another angle.
The standard controls (multifunction call/power button, pairing button, and the elevated plus- and minus-labelled volume controls) and charging socket can be found on the outer curve of the headset. An indicator light can be found beneath the light grey strip that houses most of these controls. Its position helps tone down the brightness of the blinking light (great for night), but also leaves it very prone to washing out under direct sunlight, or even a bright desk lamp. The light's colour and blinking patterns are the same as that of the JX10's.
With the headset on the ear, operation of the controls can be a little tricky. The multifunction call/power button is easy enough to find, but you may find yourself fumbling around for the volume controls.
Unlike the JX10, the BT500 has a comfortable, soft earpiece, thanks to Jabra's use of its MiniGel technology. The box includes two types - a short version and an extended version (the latter inserting all the way into the ear canal). There are two of each type, bringing the total number of MiniGel earpieces to four. Naturally, they're replaceable, so you can choose which MiniGel to use with the headset. In addition, they can be rotated 180� to enable the headset to be worn on either ear.
The soft nature of the MiniGel earpieces, coupled with the lightweight construct of the headset itself, allow the headset to be worn on the ear for an extended period without any discomfort. In my opinion, this is where the BT500 beats the JX10 hands down.
Figure 10: Manuals and MiniGels galore!
Headset and MiniGels aside, you'll also find some other "goodies" in the box: a multilingual user manual, a quick start guide, an AC power adapter, and a USB charging cable. Yes, in case you're wondering, there's no carrying pouch, and no charging cradle either. The AC power adapter is a little on the chunky side, but not everything is as compact as the JX10 and its accessories. The lack of a cradle means that the charging cables go straight into the charging socket of the headset.
Figure 11: A tad chunky!
The battery life of the BT500 is slightly better at 8 hours (talk time) and 240 hours (standby time). Admittedly, with the former, I was struggling to get 8 hours. Instead, it was more like 7 hours, but still decent. Interestingly, performance of the headset indoors in a quiet environment appeared on par, and at times, even better than the JX10. I had a friend help me out here. As he was on the receiving end of the call, I stress tested both headsets and he claimed that the BT500 was better. But it was a different story outdoors and on the road. Crowd and wind noise yielded a couple of complaints, unlike the JX10, which was generally acceptable. Audio coming out of the speaker was loud and crisp, and further accentuated by the MiniGel earpieces.
The Verdict
Head to head with headsets from other manufacturers, Jabra's are on the expensive side. They are several times dearer than headsets offered by say, Logitech and Bluetake, but you get what you pay for. Both the JX10 and BT500 offer good looks and decent performance, and it's clear that Jabra put a lot of thought and creativity into them during the R&D phase.
Which of the two do I prefer? I need something that feels comfortable for an extended period, not something that looks good on the street (at least, not yet). So, for now, the BT500 is my preferred pick. Even with slightly degraded performance in noisy environments, it doesn't get to the point where a call is no longer tolerable, and personally, I feel that's good enough. Of course, your needs and wants may vary, so those of you demanding something "out of this world" may prefer the JX10.
Darius Wey enjoys all forms of technology. His time is usually channeled into mobile devices, digital media, application and web development, graphic design, his Xbox 360, and of course, Bluetooth headsets! He lives in Perth, Western Australia.
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08-30-2006, 04:32 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 601
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Thanks for the review. I am still searching for the perfect BT earpiece...currently getting by with an old Logitech Mobile Freedom. Any possibility of adding a couple of pics of someone wearing the two units you reviewed. Its hard to visualize how they look "installed"
Thanks again.
__________________
CTSLICK - ROCK ON
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08-30-2006, 05:04 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by CTSLICK
Any possibility of adding a couple of pics of someone wearing the two units you reviewed. Its hard to visualize how they look "installed" |
That was on my list of things to do, but it never got done. 
Unfortunately, I no longer have the JX10, but I still have the BT500. I'll try and take a picture of it on the ear sometime tomorrow.
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08-30-2006, 05:51 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 184
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I have the BT 250 and tried the BT500. I liked the BT500 but the lack of a belt clip made me return it. I don't want to wear an ear piece 24/7 and only want to use it when I receive and am on a call. The BT250 allows me to carry it in the belt clip - which is also the charging base - and not have to wear it. If you are not wearing the BT500 there is no really convenient way to carry it around. If Jabra made a belt clip for the BT500, I would be all over it again.
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08-30-2006, 07:47 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 110
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I love Mine!!!
Well I have the JX10, and completely love it!.. It is extremely comfortable on my ear and I find that I still have it on when I climb in to bed forgetting that it was there.........so it IS comfortable to wear. Maybe some of you have strange shaped ears or something, for the life of me I cannot understand how anyone could say that it is uncomfortable!!!!!!
Stylish YES! Everyone asks where I bought it and what it is. Even sitting on my desk charging is very eye appealing. It is the best BT head set that I have owned (been through 6 others) and I am not affraid to say that I feel it's the best one out there!
Looking for something that you can use with ease of use and comfort? This is your baby!!!!!!!!!
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08-30-2006, 09:07 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Great review Darius, and great photos!
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08-30-2006, 09:15 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 541
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I just love my JX10 also, it's very comfortable and works very well with my Wizard. And it looks great :-)
One more thing, I bought mine in April from Expansys and payed "only" 120 USD with shipping...
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08-30-2006, 10:35 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 24
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$179 for the JX10 is a rip off. It is only $89.99 with free shipping from Buy.com.
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08-31-2006, 12:49 AM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Gator5000e
I have the BT 250 and tried the BT500. I liked the BT500 but the lack of a belt clip made me return it. I don't want to wear an ear piece 24/7 and only want to use it when I receive and am on a call. The BT250 allows me to carry it in the belt clip - which is also the charging base - and not have to wear it. If you are not wearing the BT500 there is no really convenient way to carry it around. If Jabra made a belt clip for the BT500, I would be all over it again.
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Did you try slipping it into your pocket? Not as elegant as a belt clip, of course, but it works.
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08-31-2006, 01:18 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 810
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I own the Jabra JX10 and I love it!
The funny thing is, I don't use the earhook, but I tried taking one of the black rubber earsprings that Nextlink ships with its AX earpieces, and attaching it to the JX10 and it fit perfectly!
A person just needs to remove the black rubber ring that fits around the JX10's speaker, and the Nextlink earspring will pop right on. This way, I don't need to use the Jabra hook (and those types of things are so uncomfortable, anyway), I can rotate the JX10 however I wish, and swap it from one ear to the other without a hitch.
Jabra could learn from Nextlink and make these soft springs themselves (maybe out of material that's even softer, yet) and include them in the box.
In regard to price, the truth is, the JX10 is not expensive at all. Certainly nothing close to what is reflected in this review.
I paid a little over $100 USD including shipping from Buy.com. And for what you get, that's very affordable.
The JX10 has offered great performance and sound, amazing durability, great looks, light weight and a good fit (with the Nextlink earspring), and a matching desktop charger to boot, all at an affordable price. What more could a person want?
Now granted, no earpiece feels like putting soft cotton in your ear. I suppose no one would get perfect comfort unless they had an audiologist make a custom impression of their ear and have something custom made based off that mold in a soft material that could then attach to your earpiece (not to mention, if you went that route, you'd have to have a custom mold made for each ear in order to switch the earpiece from one ear to the other, which to some, may be obvious, but unrealized by others). I've considered going that route myself, but that concept aside, with the Nextlink earspring, the JX10 one of the most comfortable and best fitting earpieces I've ever worn, and I've owned several different brands and models.
Hey, I'll never hesitate to rave any chance I get about a great product! I couldn't recommend a better earpiece.
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