Headsets

Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones First Look

I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on the Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones for some time. Jabra describes the Revo Wireless Headphones as combining “amazing sound clarity with peerless build and durability”. The videos on the Jabra website show just how tough the headphones are, and a live demonstration at CES 2013 reinforced the message. Yes, the Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones promise to be incredibly durable. If the sound quality is similarly impressive, then Jabra will likely have a hit on their hands. The bad news is that we don’t yet have a final price or release date on…

Reviews

Plantronics Calisto 620 Review

I was already working on this review of the Plantronics Calisto 620 portable wireless UC speakerphone when I went to Florida for the day and found myself using it. That experience alone was enough for me to give this Bluetooth speakerphone a rave review. It was small and light enough that I easily carried it in the small carry-on bag I used during the trip. And it was so simple to set up that I didn’t even have to stop showing the video I was sharing with people with whom I was meeting. They said, “Dan can you make the…

Reviews

Jabra SPEAK 510 UC Review: Conference Calls Anywhere & Anytime

I find myself doing far less talking on the phone these days. That is part of the reason I’ve pretty much dropped my use of landlines. At home and work I only use my cell phones or, at times, I use Line2 or Skype on my tablet or computer. I honestly cannot remember the last time I picked up my desk phone in the office. People pretty much all know to reach me on my cellphone. Period. And while my iPad serves as a decent speakerphone and my MacBook Pro with retina display has dual array microphones, they aren’t terrific…

Reviews

Keep the Conversation Going Anywhere Anytime with the Voyager Legend UC

I reviewed the Plantronics Voyager Legend back in September. It was a fantastic upgrade to the Plantronics Voyager (a longtime favorite of both Elana and me) in most every way. It features 7 hours of talk time, 11 days of standby time, Bluetooth 3.0, wideband audio; A2DP streaming and much more. The available battery case, which both protects and charges the headset was a welcome accessory. My conclusion at the time? “It is, by far, the best Bluetooth headset I have reviewed. And the fact that it is under $100 is rather amazing to me.” You can read the full…

Reviews

Plantronics Blackwire C720 Headset Review

I’m always impressed by Plantronics headphone offerings. Time and again they are able to combine excellent functionality with comfort; they even mix in a bit of style in the process. The Plantronics Voyager Legend is an amazing headset, and you can read our review here. We have a review of the UC (Unified Communications) version coming soon. Plantronics doesn’t just do Bluetooth headsets of course. They have a long history of offering wired headsets for use with phone systems and computers. Their new Blackwire C720 headset falls into that category but takes things to an entirely new level by combining…

Events

Gear Diary’s First Ever CES Top Picks!

You may have noticed over the years that, unlike many other sites, we don’t give stars or other quantitative scores to the items we review. The reason for this is quite simple: while there may be quantitative aspects to a device review — an example being a laptop that claims to get ten hours of battery life and only gets two hours in real world use deserves a low rating — there is also a highly subjective aspect to any and all electronics. Case in point, I’m not an overly enthusiastic fan of Android. I have had the chance to review…

Events, News, Outdoors

yurbuds Focus Limited Edition Earbuds Look Great, Sound Great and Stay in Place

We’ve been fans of yurbuds earbuds since first seeing them at CES 2011. The earbuds have a special design that lets you wear them comfortably for extended periods and, thanks to their unusual design, the earbuds stay in place even when you are doing flips off the wall. Case in point… The company has once again upped their game. The Focus Limited Edition ($99.99) and Inspire Limited Edition ($99.99) step up the fashion aspect of the earbuds by switching to a sharp black/red color. The result is a line that looks sleeker than ever. Yes, sport earphones can now be…

Events, News

Jabra Reveals New Audio Offerings at CES 2013

Jabra has just announced a new suite of corded and wireless stereo headphones said to “elevate music and multimedia experiences to a new dimension of sound performance”. The headphones, new Jabra Revo Wireless, Jabra Revo corded and Jabra Vox in-ear earphones, are designed for “hard-wearing, every day use and portability”. Jabra’s headphones aren’t designed to be eye-candy. Rather, they are intended for real wear, real use and, in the process, real abuse. To achieve this, the Jabra Revo Wireless and Jabra Revo headphones are constructed using an aluminium frame, steel hinges and a shatter-proof, flexible headband. Similarly, the Jabra Vox…

Events, News

Thanks to Our Meeting with MiPow, CES 2013 Is off to a Great Start!

It is not uncommon for CES to take some time to ramp up. In the past few years, surprises have been rare and products that grabbed our attention have been few and far between. That isn’t the case this year since, just minutes after checking into the Gear Diary suite here at the MGM Signature in Las Vegas, we had the chance to sit down with Brian Holmes, VP and General Manager of MiPow. We walked away impressed. Not familiar with MiPow? You will be, since the four-year old company is making its US debut here at CES 2013. We,…

Events, Reviews

Nighthawk Bluetooth Microphone Combo System Overview

As we prepare to head off to CES 2013, we are taking the time to think through the gear we are bringing along. One piece of unplanned kit that will be making the trip to Las Vegas comes from BlueWi, a subsidiary of The Earphone Connection. The Nighthawk Bluetooth Microphone Combo is a Bluetooth adapter system that has been used by law enforcement, but it is now making its way into the consumer market thanks to its sturdy build and flexible convenience. The company describes the Nighthawk Bluetooth Microphone Combo as “the ideal tool to meet the demands of the…

Reviews

Native Union’s POP Bluetooth Headset Review

Every once in a while there comes an invention whose imagery at one point in its evolution becomes universally iconic. The telephone, particularly the style of handset that started appearing in the US around the mid 1920s with the advent of the Western Electric B1 (also known as the Model 102), is one such item. How ubiquitous? Turn on your cell phone or fire up Skype. See that call icon? The image of a telephone is synonymous with voice communications, and the people at Native Union have created a series of handsets, the POP Phone, to reintroduce the “retro” phone…

Reviews

Plantronics Voyager Legend Bluetooth Headset Review

My first Bluetooth headset sounded rather lousy, and it required a Bluetooth dongle be plugged into the phone itself since it did not have integrated BT. The headset also had a long boom that reached toward my mouth. It looked… dumb. When headsets began to appear that were tiny, dropped the boom and, as a result, were less noticeable, I bought. (I once spent a small fortunate on a tiny headset that looked cool but sounded horrible.) When I had a chance to review Plantronics Pro UC I jumped at it. First impressions were… not good. Here’s what I wrote…

Reviews

SuperTooth MELODY Bluetooth Stereo Headphones Review

SuperTooth isn’t a well-known company here in the US. They should be. In Europe the company is extremely popular and, based on the SuperTooth Disco Bluetooth speaker we reviewed last year, they make come great products. Most recently, we’ve had a chance to check out the new SuperTooth MELODY Bluetooth Stereo headphones. These on-ear headphones are smaller than we have seen with BT on-ear products and, at $99 they have a lower price than we have seen. But at that price do they FEEL like sub-$100 headphones? Do they sound like sub-$100 headphones? Let’s take a close look. From SuperTooth:…

News

Introducing Freedom Sprint Premium Bluetooth Buds

I have recently resumed my morning workouts, which has not been easy. Due to a surgery, my workout habits have pretty much been non-existent for a while. One thing I must have when I run is headphones and either some podcasts or playlist. Not sure why, but I must have some audio or I can never get the workout done. My next issue is what headphones to wear. They must fit perfect and stay put even during the movement of running. One solution is to use bluetooth headsets, but they rarely are conducive to exercise. Jay bird has introduced the…

News

Harman Kardon Bluetooth Wireless Over-Ear Headphones Review

Harman Kardon recently released their first line of headphones. The company has a long history of offering quality audio components and has now taken their experience and applied it to the burgeoning headphone market. As we recently brought word, their headphone line runs from in-ear to on-ear to over-ear styles. They were kind enough to send a pair of their BT Bluetooth over-ear headphones for review. Let’s take a look. As we note in the video review, the packaging is impressive. The company clearly gave a great deal of thought to the entire experience when someone purchases the headphones and…

Reviews

Gear-vs-Gear, the Phiaton PS 20 BT vs the Jabra Clipper, Bluetooth Headset Head-to-Head

It is time for another Gear Diary “Gear vs Gear”. Today’s competitors are the Phiaton PS 20 BT Bluetooth Stereo Headset and the Jabra Clipper Bluetooth Stereo Headset. Both let you cut the cord. Both let you listen to music and make/take calls. Both let you clip the battery, microphone and controls to your shirt so you don’t have a heavy portion hanging off your ears. And both… quite honestly, are good options. Yes, in this head-to-head both decisions are good but, in the end, you’ll want to purchase just one so the question remains… which one? Here’s our video look…

Reviews

Jabra Supreme UC Bluetooth Headset and USB Adapter Review

We took a look at the Jabra Supreme headset back in October. (Read the review.) It was an impressive Bluetooth headset; it offered active noise cancellation, and the headset was designed for noisy environments. The active noise cancellation cut through much of the ambient noise and allowed for clear conversations on both sides. Sure, the active noise cancellation created a funky feeling in the ear, but the pay off was clear, clean, crisp phone calls. Also impressive was the actual design. While I don’t tend to be a fan of large noticeable Bluetooth headsets, this particular offering has the convenience…

News

Mo’Beats Portable Stereo Bluetooth Speaker Stand Brings Sleek Design and Good Functionality to a Tablet Near you

I’m really loving some of the new gear iLuv is offering these days. We are currently working on a full review of their iMM377 MobiAir Bluetooth Stereo Speaker Dock for Smartphones. (Check it out here.) Now they have released another Bluetooth speaker and this one is truly universal… and practical! The Mo’Beats Portable Stereo Bluetooth Speaker Stand looks great, holds your tablet or smartphone at just the right angle for view and includes a Bluetooth stereo speaker in the base. As iLuv Notes: Mo’Beats is a slim, compact portable stereo speaker stand that comes with a cradle that can hold…

News

BRAVEN Ships Their SIX Series, Speakers That Offer Big Sound and Power on the Go

Some number of months ago I ordered a really neat speaker from a company called SPAR. The speaker reminded me of the Jawbone JamBox. It was small, got loud and could function as a speakerphone as well as an audio device. I was impressed with the small device but there was one problem. The sound wasn’t very good. In fact, it was bad. I emailed the company and had one of the most pleasant experiences I have ever had when returning a product. They took it back, did so promptly and subsequently told me they too were not so happy…

News

iLuv DualJack; Now, Why Didn’t I Think of That?

Every now and then a product comes along that makes me say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” iLuv has new “Premium Audio Cables and Charging and Sync Solutions” available as part of their myLink collection, and one of them fits the bill quite well. Here’s what the company has to say about their new offerings. iLuv’s audio and data cables revolutionize the market in quality and design. They were designed to provide superior functionality and the stylish design consumers desire in their accessories. These durable cables were constructed with a number of enhancements in both form and function, and…

Reviews

Plantronics BackBeat GO, the No Compromise Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds

This past Tuesday I had the opportunity to spend some time with representatives from Plantronics as they revealed their latest product — the Plantronics BackBeat GO. The Plantronics BackBeat GO offer “Great sound in a small package”. They speak the truth. The BackBeat GO are small, light and they sound great. Plantronics isn’t new to the world of stereo Bluetooth headsets. They have long offered the $79.99 BackBeat 903+ headset. The 903+ headset is designed for workouts and other activities. It is sweat-proof, has a stable wrap-around the ear design and is a very nice product. The company sent me home…

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