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Review-Aliph Jawbone Prime: An Excellent Headset Despite My Clumsiness
I must confess to be fairly new to the world of bluetooth wireless headsets, primarily because I tend to be cheap and frankly, because I haven’t completely gotten over the stigma of wearing one. Still, there are obvious advantages to going hands-free so I decided to take the plunge and try the new Aliph Jawbone Prime. After driving it around for a couple of weeks, I’m happy to report that it’s an excellent bluetooth headset. If only my fingers had worked half as well. More about that later.
The first thing that strikes you about the Aliph Jawbone Prime is the “in-box” presentation which is absolutely beautiful. The slender earpiece appears to float in the center of its clear plastic case. The unit itself is small, elegant and seemingly button-less with an attractive hatched texture that makes it feel more like a piece of jewelry than a hunk of black plastic, more like a piece of sculpture than a piece of technology. It’s without exaggeration, the best looking headset I’ve ever seen.
The Jawbone Prime comes 6 differently sized rubber earbuds, 2 styles of optional earloops, a USB charging cable with A/C adapter and a large set of fold-out directions, all packed origami style into a tiny space underneath the main compartment. It’s hard not to be impressed with how beautifully everything is organized and presented. The attention to detail is very Apple-esque and it turns the simple task of unboxing the headset into something both interesting and enjoyable.
Pairing the Jawbone to my iPhone over bluetooth was quick and painless, once I figured out how to turn the earpiece on. In my defense, all of the headset controls are hidden underneath its outer skin. Pressing against the body at specific locations activates the hidden switches underneath. To turn the unit on, you press on the side of the earpiece and hold for about 2 seconds. An audible chirp signals that the unit is active. Tapping once quickly in the same location either answers an incoming call or disconnects a call, depending on what you’re doing. The earpiece volume is adjusted in multiple stages by pressing repeatedly on the very back of the unit. Pressing down on the back of the unit and holding for approximately 2 seconds activates & deactivates the NoiseAssassin audio filter.
Aliph strongly recommends that you try the entire series of rubber earbuds and additional ear loops to find what combination is most comfortable for you. I initially ignored this advice but after some problems with the default size, I finally capitulated and discovered right away that one of the larger earpieces gave me a much better fit and meant that I didn’t have to use the provided earloops which I found to be uncomfortable. The instructions also suggest that you insert the Jawbone into the ear with the microphone pointing directly down at the floor and then rotate the earpiece up into place. This turned out to be excellent advice and made the process far less cumbersome than simply trying to jam the headset into your ear. The Jawbone Prime is one product where it really does pay to read the instructions.
In day-to-day usage, the Aliph Jawbone Prime was an excellent performer. Incoming calls sounded crisp and clear with no discernible break-ups or fading. Callers also agreed that my voice sounded clear, although with a hint of flatness common to bluetooth headsets. Battery life was not an issue for me in casual usage, but with a maximum of 4.5 hours of talk time per charge, it could potentially become one for those who spend hours each day on their mobile. Fortunately, Aliph includes an A/C adapter for its USB charging cable which is a really thoughtful addition for those on the go.
One of the most highly touted features of the Jawbone prime is the NoiseAssassin 2.0 circuitry which can be activated in places where wind or background noise make being understood difficult. In moderately noisy environments it worked quite well, although my callers could notice a slight bit of additional echo when the circuitry was in use. The Jawbone Prime uses something called a Voice Activity Sensor to help differentiate your voice from other ambient sounds in the background. For best performance, Aliph recommends that this sensor always be in direct contact with skin, which I expected to be an annoyance because the sensor is a small buttonish protrusion on the inner side of the earpiece. Fortunately, it turned out to be a non-issue. The headset was perfectly comfortable and I didn’t even notice the sensor touching my skin.
My one operational problem with the Jawbone Prime turned out to be an issue with my own fingers. On several occasions,while reaching back to tap the rear of the earpiece to adjust the volume, I accidentally brushed against the side of the unit, activating the hidden switch underneath and disconnecting my own call. I know my motor coordination skills are somewhat suspect, but I bet I’m not the only person to have done this. Even when I remembered to be careful, the lack of any change in shape or texture made it occasionally difficult to know where on the device you were pressing. I also wonder whether Aliph should consider making the disconnect command a quick double tap instead of a single one to cut down on accidental contact. Either that, or perhaps I need more dexterity training.
I also had a small issue with the way the Jawbone tells you it’s active. Most electronic devices use some kind of diode or LED which illuminates during use and then turns off when the unit itself is turned off. The Jawbone doesn’t do it that way. Instead, it uses a flashing light which illuminates briefly every 4-5 seconds. That flashing red light ends up looking more like a low battery warning light and if you remove the headset before shutting it down, you may end up wondering (as I occasionally did) whether the headset is off or on. I would much prefer a simple LED which stays on while the unit is on. I think it’s not only more intuitive but may also help prevent accidental battery discharge as well.
In the final analysis, I really enjoyed my time with the Aliph Jawbone Prime. I’m not sure my low volume of daily calls warrants a bluetooth headset and frankly I’m still not convinced that anyone looks good with something sticking out of their ear, even if it is something as stylish as the Jawbone Prime. Still, if you’re looking for a bluetooth headset, do yourself a favor and look at this one. It’s one of those rare products which manages to fuse style with performance. Just be careful where you press.
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