Hands-Free with Logitech's Mobile Freedom Headset [Archive]

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Darius Wey

12-08-2005, 04:00 PM

<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-mobilefreedom-00.jpg" /> Product Category: Bluetooth Headset Manufacturer: <a href="http://www.logitech.com/">Logitech</a> Where to Buy: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00069IQG0/ref=ase_jasondunn-20">Amazon</a> Price: $59.99. Latest <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00069IQG0/ref=ase_jasondunn-20">Amazon</a> deal: $40.84. System Requirements: A Bluetooth-enabled device supporting the Audio Gateway profile. Pros:<li>Excellent noise reduction; <li>Fits well on most ears; <li>Easy to operate.Cons:<ul><li>Audio could be louder.</ul>Summary: The Logitech Mobile Freedom headset is about a year old, yet still remains as one of the market's top performers. No doubt, I had heard good things about the headset, so I was eager to put it to the test. And did I like it? Read on to find out! <!> <PAGEBREAK> Design and Functionality It's not the smallest, the biggest, the sleekest, or the ugliest, so I'd say the Mobile Freedom lies somewhere in between - while it probably lacks the smooth styling of the Jabra headset range, it's still elegantly curved and bathed in a cool grey/black/silver colour combination. Bottom line: I've seen some pretty horrid-looking Bluetooth headsets before, and thankfully, the Mobile Freedom isn't one of them. It's also lightweight, weighing in at just 23 grams. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-mobilefreedom-01.jpg" /> Figure 1: From the front - (1) adjustable earpiece; (2) multi-function button and indicator; (3) two-way volume control; and (4) WindStop microphone. Putting it on for the first time takes some getting used to, but once you rotate and flip the earpiece to find the right position, it sits well on the ear. As a tip, take those spectacles off your head before putting the headset on, or you'll be ever-so-frustrated at how uncomfortable it feels - guaranteed! <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-mobilefreedom-02.jpg" /> Figure 2: From the back - (1) WindStop microphone; (2) power adapter port and light; (3) soft ear pad; and (4) adjustable earpiece. From the Box to the Ear in 60 Seconds Pairing is a quick, one-time process essential for getting the headset to work seamlessly with your Bluetooth-enabled device. You'll need to hold down the headset's multi-function button for ten seconds until the indicator light flashes red and blue. From there, all you need to do is open up the Bluetooth manager on your device, sniff out the headset, enter the magic PIN, and it's done. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-mobilefreedom-03.gif" /> Figure 3: Pairing's a breeze! The Mobile Freedom features simple controls, so its functionality is simple too. There's no redial or call reject support, but it does support voice dialing and three-way calling. An incoming call will sound a ringtone (audible through the ear pad), and answering the call requires a simple press of the multi-function button. You can also use the headset to silence a call by pressing and holding the Volume Up button for two seconds. As you can probably tell, operating the Mobile Freedom is a walk in the park. If I was to fault the headset on one point, it would have to be the volume of both incoming and outgoing audio. The Mobile Freedom is Logitech's first Bluetooth headset to feature WindStop technology. Just a fancy name? Not at all. WindStop actually works by eliminating background noise (usual culprits tend to be wind noise and road noise), thus improving the clarity of the person's voice. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of decreased volume. Although the sound is still audible, I felt that it could have been louder for the sake of the person on the other end of the line. But if it helps filter out the buzz of the bees, I think it's worth it! The headset's Bluetooth v1.2 compliance offers a couple of key advantages - (1) reduced radio interference, thanks to v1.2's support for adaptive frequency hopping; and (2) improved voice quality by way of extended synchronous connections. It's all crazy jargon, but at the end of the day when it comes to real-life usage, you'll know it's there and you'll appreciate it. :) So what have I been using it for over the past few weeks? Primarily Skype, and making the odd recording or two in VITO SoundExplorer. To my delight, it's worked - and it's worked well! <PAGEBREAK> It's All About the Statistics The headset features a 4V, 140mAh Li-Ion battery, which Logitech claims is capable of around 7 hours talk time or 250 hours standby time. Putting it through the test over a few weeks, I can happily say that Logitech doesn't lie. ;) Unfortunately, charging takes roughly four hours, which is quite a while in comparison to other Bluetooth headsets. I guess range is another factor worth considering. You'll get around 10 metres in open space, but if you're indoors and surrounded by walls, you might expect that range to drop a metre or two. A statistic like that is standard for most of today's Bluetooth devices, and for the average user who has his or her device in his/her pocket and the headset sitting on his/her ear, limited range is a factor not even worth worrying about. Holy Ultra-Combinations, Batman! When I first read the instructions, I was shaken, I was stirred, and I was distraught at the sheer number of beep/flashing light combinations I'd have to remember. Come on, this isn't a military exercise. It's a Bluetooth headset! • Turning on: 5 BLUE flashes, brief low-to-high tone; • Receiving incoming call: 3 repeating BLUE flashes, melody increases in volume; • Answering call: 3 repeating BLUE flashes, single beep when answered; • During call: 4 repeating BLUE flashes, no beep; • Mic Mute-on during call: 4 repeating BLUE flashes, double-beep every 30 seconds; • Ending mic mute: 4 repeating BLUE flashes, single beep; • Ending call: 3 repeating BLUE flashes, single beep; • Pairing: Alternating RED and BLUE flashes, single high-low tone beep. Repeating BLUE flash when paired; • Standby or Connected: 1 or 3 repeating BLUE flashes, no audio; • Voice Dialling: 4 repeating BLUE flashes, single beep; • Low Battery (less than 30 minutes): RED flashes, last 30 minutes; • Turning off: 5 RED flashes, high-to-low tone; • Charging: Continuous ORANGE. Worried? Fear not. It'll stick like glue in a few days, and freakish as I am, I can now recall most of the above combinations in the blink of an eye. ;) <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-mobilefreedom-04.jpg" /> Figure 4: Dell Axim X50v and Logitech Mobile Freedom headset. Licensed to Skype! Conclusions The Logitech Mobile Freedom headset is a highly recommended solution if you're after something that offers plenty of value for your money. Not too long ago, the company released <a href="http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/productlist/US/EN,crid=2192&categoryid=425">two additional Bluetooth headsets</a>. I can't comment on how well they perform, but if they're anything like the Mobile Freedom, they're probably worth a look. Darius Wey loves technology! When he's not working at this web site, he's busy working for his medical degree (MBBS) and dabbling in audio and video editing, web and graphic design, photography and the odd bit of programming. He lives in Perth, Western Australia.

dbrahms

12-08-2005, 07:45 PM

does not work with Audiovox xv6600

crimsonsky

12-08-2005, 08:39 PM

I don't use it with my Pocket PC (don't have Skype or anything), but use it with my Nokia 3660 and I agree with the review. I got mine for $35 after mail-in rebate, and it was money well spent.

I don't pay attention to the light. Can't see it when it's on my ear! But it's a nice piece of kit and worth the money.

svenllr

12-08-2005, 09:28 PM

Could be louder as a con? Wow, I've thought to be the loudest BT headset I've found. What have you found to be louder?

beq

12-09-2005, 12:41 AM

What about the upcoming Motorola BT heaset that's Razr-style (I forget the model name)? Would it be good I wonder...

ddwire

12-09-2005, 02:07 AM

I have had this one for over 6months, using it with my PPC 6601 from Sprint and it works well. I think the volume is fine and have to turn it down if not in the truck. I never have had any complaints on my volume.

How do you make it work on a three way call or voice dial with out touching the pocket pc?
Dan

Peseta

12-09-2005, 03:18 AM

I use it for about 9 months. I own 2 of them.

Actually there's much I don't like about it (some issues might be caused by using it in combination with my "good old" SE T68i phone):

It looks huge hanging from my ear. I've certainly seen more elegant designs;
Talktime and stand-by time don't come anywhere near the advertised performance;
The level incoming is indeed a bit low, however I think that's because the speaker sits on your ear in stead of in your ear as with many other headsets;
I have 2 versions (AD4504 and AD5204), both with specific issues. AD4504 drains it's own battery and the battery of my phone (dead in about 5 hours whether I've been using the phone or not). AD5204 gets in stand by after about a minute, then most of the time loses a working connection with the phone after about 30 seconds with the only way to reconnect by turning the headset off and on again (not very usefull when recieving a call when driving for instance)

So why do I use it with all of these short-comings ?
Because of the excellent noise-canceling. It's really amazing. When walking in a busy (and noisy) street I've been asked if I was at home or in the office by people on the other line. They didn't notice anything (think of the possibilities: go shopping, phone your boss with some bogus business related question and he believes your working at the office).
Phoning while walking between high buildings even in a storm is no problem. Try that with any other phone or headset.

And for me it's the only way to use the phone in my convertible.
It's amazing !!! I can converse easily even at 140 km/h (that's about 90 mph for our American friends) off course with my voice a bit raised.
That's as well as or often even better than any other handsfree solution in a normal car with a hardtop.

Darius Wey

12-09-2005, 03:29 AM

Could be louder as a con? Wow, I've thought to be the loudest BT headset I've found. What have you found to be louder?

This is just from personal experience - maybe your ears are overly sensitive or mine are just starting to show signs of wear and tear from years of DJ-ing (though they still work fine, I assure you ;)).

I listed it as a con, not as a comparison to other Bluetooth headsets, but just something I identified on its own. At the loudest volume setting, this thing doesn't blow the ear off, which at the time I reviewed it, I was hoping that it would, because even in a very noisy environment with the volume on my Pocket PC and headset cranked up to the highest setting, I had slight trouble making out what the other person was saying. Granted, 99% of the time, it was loud enough, but there's that 1% of all scenarios when I wish it'd be just a tad louder.

All round though, it certainly is a very capable headset, and the WindStop technology is awesome.

Darius Wey

12-09-2005, 03:36 AM

It's been a few weeks since I finished this review and had it published on the front-page, so I thought I'd update you on what I use it for. Using it with Skype still stands. I've stopped using it with SoundExplorer primarily because I no longer need to make many recordings with my Pocket PC. But since acquiring the E-TEN M600 Phone Edition device, I use the Mobile Freedom day in-day out. In fact, it remains paired to my device almost 24/7. To the small bunch of people I've asked on the other end of the line, they had no complaints with voice quality.

Darius Wey

12-09-2005, 03:42 AM

How do you make it work on a three way call or voice dial with out touching the pocket pc?

Out-of-the-box, I don't think it supports the initiation of conference calling since you'd need to have the function mapped to the headset's universal button. There might be a registry hack for this - I'll have to look into it.

With regards to using it for voice dialing (e.g. through Microsoft Voice Command), you may need to hack the registry. Ed offers a quick guide (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,44202) to doing this on the i-mate JASJAR (instructions may be the same for the PPC-6601).

hendrixus

12-14-2005, 05:25 PM

Great headset which I use myself too on my bike, among others!

kiwi

12-22-2005, 04:19 PM

yeah, I grabbed this as a replacement for my old SONY ERICSSON HBH600 . Works very well in the car.. easy to PUT ON!

Good sound both outgoing and incoming.. Sits well on ear..

used once with Skype..

and i'm a SONY ERICSSON fanboy too! ;)

:)

miterb

01-23-2006, 03:53 PM

Buy.com has ad today for $24.95 at http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=90139659&adid=17070&dcaid=17070.