Find Whirlpool Deals at Lowe’sCardo S-800 Bluetooth headset
Manufacturer: Cardo Systems, Inc. Part number: Scala-800
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Cardo S-800 is certainly a compact and full-featured Bluetooth headset, but it is seriously marred by design imperfections.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Cardo S-800 Bluetooth headset price range: $42.99
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Reviewed on: 10/12/2007
The good: The Cardo S-800 is an attractive headset with plenty of interesting features, such as a headset location buzzer, a Hot Dial/speed dial function, a battery status indicator, and more. It also has great sound quality.
The bad: The Cardo S-800 has difficult-to-access keys and an uncomfortable fit.
The bottom line: The Cardo S-800 is certainly a compact and full-featured Bluetooth headset, but it is seriously marred by design imperfections.
Cardo has certainly made a name for itself in the past year as a serious headset manufacturer. Going head to head with well-known names like Jabra and Plantronics, Cardo has stood its ground with excellent Bluetooth headsets such as the Cardo S-2 and the Cardo S640. Now it's come out with what it's calling the creme de la creme of its lineup, the Cardo S-800. Wrapped in a design-oriented shape, the S-800 comes with a slew of innovative features that sets it apart from the competition. We especially like the Hot Dialing (instant speed dials for three favorite numbers) and the headset location buzzer. It's currently retailing at $89.95, which is a very competitive price for such a full-featured headset.
The Cardo S-800 has a very chic and modern design, consisting of sleek, sharp lines and rectangular shapes. Measuring around 0.8 inch by 1.6 inches by 0.5 inch and weighing in at around 0.38 ounce, the S-800 is also a very compact and lightweight headset. Unlike most headsets that consist of only one multifunction key and a volume rocker, the Cardo S-800 has three different buttons: a control key, a multifunction wheel, and a separate power button.
On the front is a large rectangle with the Cardo branding and the Control button, which we find easy to use since it's so big. On the top is the multifunction wheel that can be rocked back and forth for volume or pressed down for other call functions. We found this to be a rather unfortunate placement for such an important key. When the headset is placed in the ear, the multifunction wheel is a little tricky to access since it bumps up against the curve of the ear. It's not impossible to access, but just uncomfortable. However, the wheel is adjustable for right- or left-ear wear, meaning the position of the volume increase/decrease functions can be switched. The Power button, on the other hand, is a tiny little key on the right spine. We found it a little difficult to press the Power button without having to use our fingernails. The Power button also doubles as the Hot Dial or speed dial key, which requires tapping the key rapidly in order to dial a couple of numbers. Normally this isn't an issue, but the size of the Power button makes this harder than it needs to be.
The S-800's microphone is on the lower-left corner, along with an LED light indicator. On the back is the earpiece, plus a slot for an optional ear loop. We strongly recommend the ear loop for added security as the earpiece just did not fit very snugly in the ear, no matter how much we tried. We kept feeling it slip out of the ear. As such, we didn't think the fit was all that comfortable despite the rubberized earbud cover. The ear loop does add a considerable amount of security though. You can also adjust the ear loop to fit either ear.
Even though we were disappointed by the S-800's design, we thought its features were outstanding. It has all the basic features, including answering, ending, and rejecting calls, voice dial support, call mute, last-number redial, and call transfer to and from the headset. There's also the aforementioned Hot Dial feature that lets you call any of three preset speed dial numbers with the Hot Dial key--press the key once for the first number, twice for the second number, and three times for the third number. Other features include a missed call indicator, a headset location buzzer, a battery status indicator, and an autoanswer option. You can pair it with up to eight different devices, and the "SWAP" technology lets you swap the headset between two active phones. Finally, there's a callback feature that calls back the last incoming caller, but it only works with certain phones.
We tested the Cardo S-800 with the RIM BlackBerry Pearl. The pairing process went very smoothly, and call quality was quite good. There is a speaker booster to boost the sound if needed, and callers managed to hear us loud and clear without a lot of noise or static. On our end, voices sounded very good as well.
The Cardo S-800 has a rated talk time of 8 hours and a standby time of 7 days. The Cardo S-800 comes with a USB cable as well as a lanyard so you can wear the headset around your neck.
User reviews
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Outperforms devices costing 2-3 times more
by ceo51378 on June 12, 2008
Pros: Angular retro design, more features than you know what to do with, lightweight/comfortable, very strong speaker, decent noise reduction, quick pairng, speed dial
Cons: slight hissing noise when in use (common issue with bluetooth devices), wearing device without the earhook feels unsecure
Summary: I ordered this device on a whim because I have been disappointed with some of the more common brands out there. I've been looking for a device that has ...
Summary: I ordered this device on a whim because I have been disappointed with some of the more common brands out there. I've been looking for a device that has decent noise cancellation as my car is rather loud. Up until very recently, I have never heard of Cardo devices and was basically limiting myself to brands that could be purchased in a store (in case I needed to return them). I went through a Jawbone which had excellent noise suppression, but a horrible fit (and it was too bulky). After that, I tried a Jabra JX10. The 'looks' were there but the noise suppression and sound quality were a joke. Next, a Jabra BT8040. Once again, a very slick and comfortable device. Easily outperformed the JX10 but still lacked the voice and noise cancelling quality I was looking for. The device has pairing issues and outgoing call quality was inconsistent. I gave up on Jabra and moved to a Plantronics 520. This was an excellent device. Decent noise cancellation, the most comfortable (of the 4) to wear, and the best sound quality of the ones I had tested. However, as comfortable as the earhook was, it was rather thick and interfered with my glasses. It has a poor range from the phone; anything over 5 ft causes a snap, crackle, and pop. It is also rather ugly in my opinion ? the carbon fiber strip just irks me. For a $90 premium (price+tax), these were issues I could not look past.
This bring me to the s-800. Price wise, $35 online made me skeptical, especially after seeing it's feature set. I was pleasantly surprised after using it for the first time. Incoming call quality is just a hair below the Plantronics 520, and vastly superior to the other models I tested. Outgoing calls are loud and clear. Noise cancelling are on par with the 520 (though it cannot touch the Jawbone). It is smaller and very lightweight. It has a decent range (from the phone) ? about 15 feet before it even starts to degraded. Some people have complained that the earhook looks like a coat hanger. It does, but it works very well (and surprisingly comfortable). This unit can be worn without the ear hook, though I would recommend against it being that it isn't the most secure fit. I love the Multi-function wheel on the back side. I wish more devices were setup like this. Aside from the standard functions (Redial, reject, call waiting, conference, transfer), this device also has a plethora of additional options including Hot Dial (you can choose from the first 3 speed dial contacts on your phone), location buzzer (in case you misplace it), auto-answer, button lock, callback. You can even turn that stupid blue blinking light off. All of this for $35?!! The only downside to this device I've already listed. It would have been nice to have different sized ear pads to make a more secure fit (without the hook). And the hissing noise is there, though it isn't too bad. For the price, I can deal with that. Now, what I really want is a bluetooth that has Jawbones noise cancellation, Jabra JX10 styling, BT8040 ear gels, with the Plantronics call quality, and the Cardo's feature set. Is that so much to ask for?2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Buy for your Money, Great Sound Quality.
by tji2005 on November 22, 2007
Pros: Great Price for the many features, Excellent Sound Quality, Fits very Comfortably with the Earloop, Easy answer call button, Works great with Palm Treo 755p
Cons: Very Small Power button which is used with many of the features offered. I would suggest a better design.
Summary: This is the first bluetooth that I have owned. After researching many reviews and suggestions to purchase the Cardo Scala for the use with the Palm Treo 755p, I purchashed ...
Summary: This is the first bluetooth that I have owned. After researching many reviews and suggestions to purchase the Cardo Scala for the use with the Palm Treo 755p, I purchashed the Cardo Scala S-800. I purchased the s-800 from Tigerdirect.com for $39.99 which is great that I didn't have to spend a whole lot of money for my first bluetooth. I received it yesterday and the sound quality is great. I can hear callers very clearly and have asked almost everyone I talked to if they could tell I was on a bluetooth or talking talking directly into the phone. 4 out of 5 people said everything sounded clear as if I was talking directly into the phone. One caller said it sounded like I was far away, but I think it was because I was in an empty room with the ceiling fan on. I tested it out while driving and everyone said it was fine.
Being that this my first bluetooth I borrowed a friends Motorola 500 to see the difference. Well I must say the difference is major. The fit with the earloop and sound quality on the s-800 were excellent compared to the Motorola 500 which were the 2 major concerns I had with bluetooth. I do not suggest using the earpiece without the earloop, I couldn't get it to stay in my ear without the earloop. The earloop is adjustable and can be made to fit comfortably to your ear along with the earbud. There are so many different features, I have not had a chance to learn how to use them all. Because there are so many features you have to learn alot of the signals, which involve a combination of sound and led indicator - a little too confusing for me so I will just stick with the basics answer on/off. Since I am new the bluetooth world, this may be normal for most bluetooth headsets. The power on/off button is very tiny, good thing you really dont need to use it often.
All in all I think the S-800 is a great earpiece and I would consider buying any of the Cardo Scala products.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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CNet Misses the Point
by mailjd on October 16, 2007
Pros: Small size - Excellent quality - Large Feature Set
Cons: Small buttons - Access to volume when inserted into ear
Summary: I have used the Cardo S-800 for the last month, and I think CNet's review score is a bit low. I agree that when the device is inserted in ...
Summary: I have used the Cardo S-800 for the last month, and I think CNet's review score is a bit low. I agree that when the device is inserted in the ear that the volume button is tricky to manipulate. And that's why the ear loop option comes in the package. (BTW, I have no trouble wearing the S-800 directly in my ear.) As CNet points out, the feature set is incredible (I particularly like the ability to hot switch between 2 devices). The sound quality is excellent, and so is Cardo's tech support. With a street price below $40, this item is a steal.
This is the third Cardo earpiece I've owned (500, 700, 800) and I've been pleased with them all.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Product at an amazing price
Pros: Small, light, great sound quality and good accessories.
Cons: Button location, button size
Summary: This device is an amazing bluetooth if you are a heavy user and you just care about the calls. It does have other features, but I honestly dont use them. ...
Summary: This device is an amazing bluetooth if you are a heavy user and you just care about the calls. It does have other features, but I honestly dont use them. The one single problem that I have is that the keys are too small, but I always use my phone to answer, dial or deny calls anyways;
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good but not great
by ontheroadagain on March 1, 2009
Pros: compact, inexpensive,light weight, stylish, good sound quality for those on the other end under most normal situations, relatively comfortable for long wearing periods.
Cons: very short range between head set and phone, audio quality average to poor
Summary: I purchased a Cardio-800 three days ago and put it through its paces. In short I would call it average.
Comfort- Unlike some I did not have a problem with ...Summary: I purchased a Cardio-800 three days ago and put it through its paces. In short I would call it average.
Comfort- Unlike some I did not have a problem with in ear fit and even with shaking my head it did not fall out of my ear. That said I did find the in ear position a bit uncomfortable after about 40 minutes of wearing. Using the ear loop and allowing the speaker to rest just inside the ear canal was quite comfortable even after wearing for 5 hours
Sound Quality - to test sound quality for those I call I called my home and left a voice mail message on a digital recorder. This was done while driving in my truck. At 40 mph with the window up the recorded voice quality was very good and road noise barely noticeable. With the window open road noise was more pronounce but voice quality was still quite good. I also tested the sound quality by recording a call made while standing next to a running tile saw. When the saw was engaged audio quality ceased completely. Based on this I would say that any comparison between the Jawbone and the Cardio as being comparable in noise canceling technology is unfounded.
While audio for the person you call is good, audio on the head set leave a good bit to be desired. There is ample volume in fact I found the headset loud even on medium setting. Audio quality was less stellar' often scratchy or broken. If the phone was more than 2 feet from the head set back round static became noticeable. at 3 ft it became problematic and at 6 feet communication becomes impossible. This occurred with both test phones.
Paring - I had no problems paring the Cardio with a LG C500 and an ATT Tilt running WM6.1.
Wind- Wind is devastating to this device. Just standing on my porch on a windy day communication became impossible, even when not standing directly in the wind.
Features and functioning- This head set is feature rich. I found the volume dial easy to use and the button, although small , were not a problem. It did take a bit of getting use to how long to press the tinny on-off button for pairing and turning the unit on and off.
Battery- I found the battery life to be good using and keeping the head set on for 12 hrs per day for two days before charging.
Summary: If you are planning to use this head set while sitting at a desk or in a generally quite condition such as a closed car, and you keep the phone close at hand such as in a top pocket, the Cardio 800 is a good value at $17-$24 (current internet pricing). If you require more flexibility in your use other devices will probably be a better choice. I will be returning mine to try the jawbone II or one of the other more highly rated headsets. -
Uncomfortable
by lcsunicorn on February 26, 2009
Pros: This is my first blue tooth device. The sound quality is great, it's easy to dial numbers. And the persons on the other end of the line say the sound is great there as well.
Cons: The earbud is too big and it actualy is painful in my ear if I wear it for long. I have to wear the earloop so it doesn't fall out but when I wear my glasses that doesn't work very well. I actualy had to return one already because of no sound ear.
Summary: I like the sound and the ease, but the fact that it is painful to wear just takes away from the pleasure of it. When the sound went out in ...
Summary: I like the sound and the ease, but the fact that it is painful to wear just takes away from the pleasure of it. When the sound went out in the earbud I was just going to get rid of it and pay a few extra bucks and getting one with smaller ear but, but simply wireless would only let me exchange it for the same thing. I wish this had interchangeable earbuds but it doesn't and therefore I can't recomend this unless someone has the right size ears to fit it.
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Great Headset!
by mgalkin on December 11, 2008
Pros: Has great clarity even in noisey enviroments. Easy to pair with my Blackberry Curve. I have not yet needed to charge the headset before the end of the day. I even forget sometimes I have the headset on.
Cons: It took a few days to get the ear loop adjusted for comfort.
Summary: I know I do not use all the features, but at this price, It does what I want, and it does it very well.
Summary: I know I do not use all the features, but at this price, It does what I want, and it does it very well.
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compatibility problem with Samsung SCH-a930
by stevenmark15 on July 31, 2008
Pros: reasonable sound quality
Cons: incompatible with my Samsung
Summary: Very disappointed that NO features work with my Samsung SCH-a930, other than on and off. Buttons are hard to press
Summary: Very disappointed that NO features work with my Samsung SCH-a930, other than on and off. Buttons are hard to press
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I have no idea, thanks to Cardo.
by nYdGeo on September 23, 2009
Pros: None; unit performed horribly out of the box. I calmly wrote Cardo explaining the behavior; they stated that the unit was bad and needed to be replaced. I was almost immediately sent outo f the country for work, and didn't get to address this until..
Cons: I returned home recently, and we found the unit still in the baggy its been sitting in for the last year. Contacted Cardo including the original email including their statement that the unit was received bad, explained my situation; response: tough.
Summary: Newegg has repeatedly honored replacement warranties after the expiration date when they knew that the item malfunctioned before the warranty expired. My old Logitech earpiece is now over 3-years old, ...
Summary: Newegg has repeatedly honored replacement warranties after the expiration date when they knew that the item malfunctioned before the warranty expired. My old Logitech earpiece is now over 3-years old, still working (barely), and they still replace the kind of flimsy ear hook when it breaks. When my Kawasaki broke right before the warranty expired and they knew about it but I couldn't get it to them for over a month, they still fixed the cylinder head.
But not Cardo. They knew it was unusable when I bought it, and that I wasted my money on it due to poor quality control, but the only thing that they care about is, "Oh oh oh, its out of the warranty period...sucker!"
I'm sure that Cardo is capable of making a decent product the majority of the time, but I actually care about who I do business with. I don't do business with companies that handle a situation the way Cardo has. Life happens sometimes. I have more respect for myself and for others
I may not get better treatment if the manufacturers of the Jawbone Prime, but on the other hand...it works out of the packaging.0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Cardo Systems, Inc.
- Part number: Scala-800
- Description: The Cardo S-800 is one of the most feature-rich and advanced headsets available on the market. Its ultra-small size and iconic shape incorporate sophisticated technology, designed for extensive wear and use. The headset fits equally well when worn in-the-ear or when used with the stylish over-the-ear loop.
General
- Product Type Headset - Bluetooth
- Weight 0.02 lbs
- Recommended Use Cellular phone
- Additional Features Noise reduction technology, Hot dialing, Large control button, Call back button, Missed call indicator, SWAP technology, Headset location buzzer, Battery status indicator, Turn LED on/off, Volume wheel, Digital button lock, Multi pairing, Auto answer option
Headphones
- Headphones Form Factor Over-the-ear
- Connectivity Technology Wireless - Bluetooth
- In-Cord Volume Control Included
Microphone
- Type Built-in
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x USB cable
- Included Accessories USB cable
Manufacturer info
- Cardo Systems, Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Cardo Systems, Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://cardosystems.com/
- Address:
100 High Tower Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15205 - Phone: 1-412 788-4533
- Email: info@cardosystems.com
- Fax: 1-412 788-0270
