Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset (black)

Manufacturer: AliphCom Part number: ALIPH-JAWBONE-BLACK

Video

CNET Editor rating:
4.0 stars Excellent
Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 64 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: The Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset is one of the best-looking headsets we've ever seen. Despite its quirky buttons, it delivers superior sound quality with a comfortable fit.

Where to buy

store	customer rating	inventory	tax & shipping	price
Store profile \| Buy now	Rate this store See store profile	In stock Order Now-Ships Today	Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price	$76.98 Your best price Shop now as of 08/30/2008
Store profile \| Buy now	Rate this store See store profile	In stock Order Now-Ships Today		$76.98 Your best price Shop now as of 08/30/2008
More stores below <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> document.write('<a href="http://adlog.com.com/adlog/e/r=7212&s=804939&o=8900:3488:13831:&h=cn&p=2&b=25&l=en_US&site=9&pt=4014&nd=13831&pid=&cid=32327301&pp=100&e=3&rqid=01c18-ad-e948B81DFF76D3FC&orh=&oepartner=&epartner=&ppartner=&pdom=&cpnmodule=&count=&ra=38%2e103%2e63%2e59&pg=U4Fe3goPjFsAAGmlrd0AAAB6&t=2008.08.30.17.01.50&event=58/http://clk.atdmt.com/CNT/go/102612670/direct;wi.485;hi.220/01/2008.08.30.17.01.50" target="_blank"><img src="http://view.atdmt.com/CNT/view/102612670/direct;wi.485;hi.220/01/2008.08.30.17.01.50"/></a>'); </script><noscript><a href="http://adlog.com.com/adlog/e/r=7212&s=804939&o=8900:3488:13831:&h=cn&p=2&b=25&l=en_US&site=9&pt=4014&nd=13831&pid=&cid=32327301&pp=100&e=3&rqid=01c18-ad-e948B81DFF76D3FC&orh=&oepartner=&epartner=&ppartner=&pdom=&cpnmodule=&count=&ra=38%2e103%2e63%2e59&pg=U4Fe3goPjFsAAGmlrd0AAAB6&t=2008.08.30.17.01.50&event=58/http://clk.atdmt.com/CNT/go/102612670/direct;wi.485;hi.220/01/2008.08.30.17.01.50" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://view.atdmt.com/CNT/view/102612670/direct;wi.485;hi.220/01/2008.08.30.17.01.50" /></a></noscript>
Store profile \| Buy now	Not yet rated Rate this store See store profile	In stock		See site Shop now as of 08/29/2008

*Taxes and Shipping costs are estimates and may vary slightly from stores' exact taxes and shipping costs.

show

CNET editors' review

Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset (black)

price range: $69.99 - $74.95

The Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset is one of the best-looking headsets we've ever seen. Despite its quirky buttons, it delivers superior sound quality with a comfortable fit.

The good: The Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset has a fashionable, sophisticated design, and it fits quite comfortably around the ear. Its noise-canceling technology is DARPA-approved, resulting in excellent audio quality.

The bad: The Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset has hard-to-press buttons, and there is no volume rocker, so you have to cycle through five different volume settings instead of simply increasing and decreasing the volume.

The bottom line: The Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset is one of the best-looking headsets we've ever seen. Despite its quirky buttons, it delivers superior sound quality with a comfortable fit.

Read full review

Aliph has finally given their old wired Jawbone headset a much-needed upgrade for the Bluetooth generation. The Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset is quite simply one of the most eye-catching headsets we've ever had the pleasure of using. Designed by renowned industrial designer Yves Behar, the headset even comes packaged in a museum-style showcase. But the Jawbone isn't all beauty and no brains; it packs in three microphones and a voice-activity sensor as well as military-grade "noise shield" technology that has been approved by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the U.S. Department of Defense's independent research branch. We did have an issue with the quirky buttons, but it's a lesser issue given that it's such a beautiful piece of hardware that delivers excellent quality. It does cost a hefty $119.99, but it's well worth the price. The headset is available in three colors: gray, black, and red. You can purchase it from Cingular or from Jawbone's Web site.

As we've mentioned, the Jawbone Bluetooth headset is one of the sexiest headsets we've ever laid eyes on. Its rectangular design has a perforated texture on the front that makes it look more like a piece of art than a simple headset. It isn't a terrifically compact headset by any means, measuring 1.8x2.2x0.7 inches, but its smart design more than makes up for its slight bulk. Above the perforated piece is a slick LED that glows white when the headset is active, and on top of that is a curved piece of black plastic.

If you're wondering where the buttons are, the very top part of the perforated piece is actually the Talk button and the bottom part of the black plastic is the Noise Shield button. We found these "hidden" buttons a little tricky to press since you have to push down on a large piece of plastic, resulting in a somewhat spongy feeling. The Talk button can be used to power the headset on and off, answer and end calls, redial the last number, and transfer a call from the headset to the phone or vice versa. The Noise Shield button is used for pairing, turning the "noise shield" technology on and off, rejecting a call, and changing the headset's volume as described below.

We must note that the Jawbone Bluetooth headset doesn't come with a volume rocker because its audio enhancement technology will automatically adjust the volume according to the environment. That said, if you do want to manually adjust the volume, you can do so by pressing the Noise Shield button to increase the volume up to the maximum level until it loops back down to the lowest volume (there are five volume levels). That said, we would have preferred an actual volume rocker for ease of use.

Behind the headset are the earpiece, a curved flexible ear loop, and a tiny voice-activity sensor (it's the tiny, white rubber piece) that must lie against your cheek in order for the headset to detect the vibration of your voice. The earpiece fits very comfortably just inside the ear, and the springy ear loop made it easy for us to position the headset so that the voice-activity sensor was properly placed. The headset comes with an array of different earbuds and ear loops for additional comfort and security.

More impressive than the headset's looks, however, is the technology behind it. The Jawbone has three different microphones built into the device, the aforementioned voice-activity sensor plus Aliph's proprietary Noise Shield audio processing in order to help reduce outside noise and not only amplify your own voice but also enhance incoming audio. We tried this with the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 at a traffic-heavy intersection. We were impressed that we could hear our caller without too many problems, though strong gusts of wind did muffle the audio quality a little. Surprisingly, our caller didn't even know we were outside. He said he thought he heard "clicking" and "some voices" but not much else in the background.

The Jawbone Bluetooth headset has a rated talk time of 6 hours and a rated standby time of 120 hours. Other features of the headset include voice-dialing support and a battery strength indicator.

show

User reviews

Write Review

Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 64 reviews

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 64

Sort by:
10 stars

Here's a Trick To Make Jawbone Fit & Stay In Your Ear Better!

by Noonan30 on March 23, 2007

Pros: Noise cancellation works great!

Cons: Bulky and hard to make stationary on your ear - until now!

Summary: Ok, for those of you that have the Jawbone or are looking to purchase it, let?s face it ? it?s the best on the market period! The noise cancelling ...

Read more

Summary: Ok, for those of you that have the Jawbone or are looking to purchase it, let?s face it ? it?s the best on the market period! The noise cancelling it can do is simply phenomenal! I know since I have had them all from Jabra, Motorolla, Plantronics, etc. We have all been there, if you are in your car, airport, or outside the background noise makes it very difficult for the other person to hear you. If you want to solve that, get the Jawbone!

Now for the problem. The biggest complaint is that it is hard to get the Jawbone to stay in your ear, get on your ear, or feel comfortable in your ear.

Now for the fix. Buy some spare Jabra EarGels from the Jabra website under "Accessories" at $7 for a packet of 6! Jabra EarGels are designed to channel sound directly into the ear for perfect reception, so conversations sound clear and natural at both ends of the call. They are made of a translucent soft material shaped to sit snugly in your ear for a comfortable and secure fit. Jabra EarGels are hygienic and washable and come six in a pack - three sizes for left and right ears.

**The Jabra EarGels are molded to fit an ear perfectly and they will fit over the current round rubber earbud from Jawbone! That?s right, keep the round black rubber earbud from Jawbone on the earpiece and then slide the Jabra EarGel over it. Both earbud and EarGel fit snug together and the holes line up perfect! Now you can take off the metal Jawbone earloop. Now place it in your ear. Ah ha, notice it stays solid in your ear and the sound is louder for you to hear. Also with a more secure fit, the Jawbone?s voice activation sensor stays snug against your cheek. You can now even take off the Jawbone's tricky earloop since the Jabra EarGel makes the Jawbone stay put in your ear. Without having to use the earloop, you can take the Jawbone on and off your ear fast.

I hope this has helped everyone.

Show less

31 out of 32 users found this user opinion helpful.
2 stars

Caveat Emptor! Decent product, Horrrrrrible Service. I feel cheated.

by leon_512 on October 14, 2007

Pros: Innovative design and technology application

Cons: Non-existant customer support, deceptive warranty

Summary: In regards to their customer service, Aliph has been developing an unfavorable reputation within the bluetooth community.

I was personally satisfied with the product when I first bought it. No

...

Read more

Summary: In regards to their customer service, Aliph has been developing an unfavorable reputation within the bluetooth community.

I was personally satisfied with the product when I first bought it. No more than 3 months later the microphones lost the ability to pick most anything up. Almost all of my callers complained of being unable to hear unless I significantly raised my voice. So I did what any other consumer would do, I emailed their support staff. I got a confirmation in my email stating that I should expect a response in 1 to 2 business days. So I waited, and waited. No reply over a week, so I emailed again. And it's been almost a month now, still no reply.

I did some online research and not surprisingly I found many similar horror stories with this "well received" device.
All in all, this piece of technology is not perfect but still better than most. However, I cant say the same for their customer service dept. As a suggestion take a moment to read their very limited warranty and brush up on the faq which states:

4. What's your return policy?

If you purchased your Jawbone at jawbone.com, we offer a 30-day money back guarantee as well as a one-year exchange policy for defective units. For more information on our warranty and return policy, please check out our limited warranty link on the support page. If you purchased your Jawbone from anywhere else, you are bound by the return policies of that retailer.

All I can say now is "caveat emptor!"

Show less

16 out of 16 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 stars

What a POS! 8.7? CNET is out of their mind!

by bcr8tiv on October 8, 2007

Pros: Looks good

Cons: static, not loud enough, buttons sucks, ear piece sucks, customer support, I don't think it exists. Price

Summary: I have never posted an opinion about a product, but after many failed attempts using a few Jawbones, I just had to vent my time and money wasted.

I even

...

Read more

Summary: I have never posted an opinion about a product, but after many failed attempts using a few Jawbones, I just had to vent my time and money wasted.

I even had a custom ear piece mold made so it fits better! Unfortunately the static is so unbearable I can't stand using it.

I also feel there is a design flaw on the jaw sensor. Only after getting the mold made I was able to get it to touch my jaw/cheeks. I had to have the ear mold angled just so it would touch my face. No offense, but unless you are extremely overweight with some massive cheeks or caveman style jaw bones, it doesn't touch your face correctly.

All in all it's a cool concept that really doesn't live up to the hype. Save your time and money, it's not worth it!

Unit was paired with a Treo 700p and a Treo 680p.

Show less

5 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Near perfect headset

by cellfoneuser on February 9, 2007

Pros: supreme noise cancellation, lightweight, easy to program,

Cons: awkward shield looking face plate, button a little hard to press

Summary: other than the cons i list above, there is nothing inherently wrong with this device - the sound quality is AMAZING, easily head and shoulders above anything else on the ...

Read more

Summary: other than the cons i list above, there is nothing inherently wrong with this device - the sound quality is AMAZING, easily head and shoulders above anything else on the market - it puts anything else to shame!

Show less

4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
6 stars

ok if you don't plan on taking it on and off and if you are hard of hearing.

by jappaeye on October 10, 2007

Pros: Your voice sounds clear and understandable even in loud conditions but a little tinny.

Cons: hurts to put on--have to manipulate your ear into it. Sound is too loud and has no volume control to decrease--it automatically decides the volume for you.

Summary: I have been trying lots of bluetooth headsets lately with little luck.
I have a T-mobile Dash. I have tried the plantronics 655 which was very comfortable for me but
...

Read more

Summary: I have been trying lots of bluetooth headsets lately with little luck.
I have a T-mobile Dash. I have tried the plantronics 655 which was very comfortable for me but other people said I sounded muffled. Wep500-comfortable, bad button placement but deciding factor was when someone said I sounded like I was under water. The motorola 700-very comfortable, but again I was told I sounded muffled. The jawbone is good for other people to hear you but uncomfortable to put on and very loud.

Show less

3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
5 stars

Damn the buttons and the earloop

by Arlexi on October 5, 2007

Pros: Good sound quality

Cons: Hard to fit over the ear

Summary: I purchased 2 of these headsets after reading and hearing about the sound quality of the Jawbone headset. I was disappointed with the difficulty getting the earloop over my ear. ...

Read more

Summary: I purchased 2 of these headsets after reading and hearing about the sound quality of the Jawbone headset. I was disappointed with the difficulty getting the earloop over my ear. I usually keep my headset in my purse and put it on as needed. If I am making a call, it isn't so bad, but if I am trying to pick up a call, by the time I get the headset on, I end up missing the call.
And the times I did have the headset on while answering a call, I had to press the answer button several times before it would react. I went back to my Motorola headset where it turns on at the flip of the boomstick, and the earpiece is easily put over my ear. It might not have the sound quality of the Jawbone, but I figured the hassle of dealing with the Jawbone wasn't worth it.

Show less

3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
2 stars

Disappointing all around

by LAH1 on July 20, 2007

Pros: Voice Cancelling technology

Cons: Uncomfortable, controls ineffective, ineffective voice cancelling

Summary: After trying many different headsets, I found Jawbone. Unfortunately, sound quality was poor, and unable to effectively adjust or control. Voice cancelling technology did not seem to work effectively. The ...

Read more

Summary: After trying many different headsets, I found Jawbone. Unfortunately, sound quality was poor, and unable to effectively adjust or control. Voice cancelling technology did not seem to work effectively. The fit was ackward and uncomfortable. The controls were a nusance and ineffective. Overall, I was very disappointed, with this product.

Show less

4 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
3 stars

disappointment

by holmesmd1 on June 5, 2007

Pros: good noise canceling

Cons: horrible fit, bulky, drops pairing to Treo 680 constantly

Summary: I hate this piece for the following reasons:
1. It fits terribly. I have used the Jabra Ear Gels and I still can't wear the item without the uncomfortable
...

Read more

Summary: I hate this piece for the following reasons:
1. It fits terribly. I have used the Jabra Ear Gels and I still can't wear the item without the uncomfortable wire support! The ear buds that come with this device are hard plastic and so uncomfortable, they are all but unusable!

2.The device dumps it's pairing to my Treo 680 constantly and without warning. This is very annoying. Yes, I have updated software for both devices. I will be talking and the pairing drops without indication. There I sit blabbering away and the other person can only hear me if the phones mic. physically picks my voice up from a distance. This is the worst. i may have received a faulty device but this thing sucks. I certainly have not had the experience everyone else has had here. The device is all but unusable. How hard is it to make a comfortable, reliable, low profile Blue tooth ear piece. I would pay $500 for it if I could find one.In my experience, this is certainly not it! Call clarity and noise canceling are good but who cares if you can't bear to wear it or it won't pair with your phone?! Stay away!!

Show less

3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
4 stars

Not worth the money

by shawnoc2003 on December 3, 2007

Pros: No complaints from people I called

Cons: Cover fell off, Hard too Hear, Buttons Poor Locations

Summary: I've had the Jawbone for about 4 days now and am taking it back to Best Buy. I paired it with a Motorola Q9 from Verizon. I didn't ...

Read more

Summary: I've had the Jawbone for about 4 days now and am taking it back to Best Buy. I paired it with a Motorola Q9 from Verizon. I didn't get any complaints from anyone I called. Some people commented that they could believe how clear I sounded. The voice recognition software also seemed to work better when speaking through the Jawbone. I enjoyed not having any wires to tangle up and was actually getting used to the unit.

Unfortunately, I went to recharge the unit and the back section pushed off of the head set. I couldn't seem to get the cover to stay mated to the head set. Every-time I plugged in the charger, the charging pins would push the headset away from the rear cover leaving the cover stuck in the charging adapter. (Could have been a one-off fluke as I haven't seen anyone else commenting on the same problem.)

I initially liked the idea of the hidden buttons until I started using them. Holding the headset while pushing a button was awkward, but it the resulting pressure on my inner ear that was really annoying. Not sure why buttons weren't put on the edge of the unit, then it would only take two fingers to activate and no force directed inside your ear. Didn't anyone use this product during the development phase.

I struggled hearing callers even with my phone volume turned up and the Jawbone unit maxed out. I can't say if the Jabra ear gels would help with the volume; but if give the Jawbone another try, I will definitely get them.

On another note, I didn't use the ear loop as they didn't fit my ears; however, I can say that with the standard ear pieces from Alphi it would stay on my ear, just not tightly in my ear canal. I found myself pushing the unit into my ear to hear a caller and at times would have to switch back to my phone to carry on the conversation (especially with a 'low' talker)

I must say that the noise cancellation was fun to play with, but the long and short of it is that while a caller can hear me talk with the radio turned up, I can't hear them so what's the point. 80 mph wind noise with my windows rolled up was enough to make it difficult hear a caller on the other end.

The other main problem was the hit on battery life with the headset (and I would assume all bluetooth headsets). I eventually went back to a wired Jabra since its more practical, but now I fight a tangled cord. I really wish there was a perfect solution. Hopefully, the next iteration of Jawbone will have a louder speaker.

Show less

2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Best yet, could be better!

by klahowya on November 30, 2007

Pros: Looks good, works well, fit is best I have had!

Cons: Volume in ear is quiet, despite the warnings! A bit hard to put on and take off, Hard to remove it from charger jack

Summary: No I'm not deaf. My hearing is good, not great but good. I still find myself pushing on the head set to force it further into my ear for ...

Read more

Summary: No I'm not deaf. My hearing is good, not great but good. I still find myself pushing on the head set to force it further into my ear for more volume. Sounds like there is a fix! I'm getting exited now! I like this unit. Sound is a bit tinney but people can hear me just fine. I like how it fits! Hugs my cheek just fine, no flopping around like the others before it (I've had several now). The overal quality seems to be great. I have a problem taking it off the charger jack. Anything but that stupid cup would be great! It fits so snug in the charger that it has pulled off the smooth plastic cap on the end! I'm going to shoot for a warrantee claim with Verizon, I'm not anticipating a problem. If they wont warrantee it... I will buy a new jawbone and just suck it up! I also have some issue with the noise canceling feature. Not sure if it works like they claim. I wasn't impressed with that feature, but still, overall, this is the best head set I have used, hands down! I would like to see them use a standard charge jack and some standard buttons with a volume rocker. Maybe when I start making my own we will finaly see the perfect head set! Don't hold your breath!

Show less

2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.