Windows Phone Thoughts: More Than Just Good Looks: Jabra's JX10 and BT500 Bluetooth Headsets

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.