Aliph Jawbone 2 (gold)
Manufacturer: AliphCom Part number: CNETALIPHJAWBONE2GLD
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- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Despite its quirks, the Aliph Jawbone 2 is quite possibly the ultimate Bluetooth headset in terms of design and sound quality.
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Where to buy
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CNET editors' review
Aliph Jawbone 2 (gold) price range: $73.99
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Reviewed on: 05/14/2008
- Released on: 05/15/2008
The good: The Aliph Jawbone 2 is a fashionable Bluetooth headset with a comfortable fit and an array of noise-canceling and voice-enhancement technologies that result in amazing sound quality.
The bad: The Aliph Jawbone 2 doesn't have a volume rocker, and the LED light is located directly on top of the Talk button.
The bottom line: Despite its quirks, the Aliph Jawbone 2 is quite possibly the ultimate Bluetooth headset in terms of design and sound quality.
When Aliph released the first Jawbone Bluetooth headset two years ago, it became CNET's highest rated Bluetooth headset because of its amazing sound quality and eye-catching design. Many of our readers agreed with our assessment, but there were two big complaints against it: it is bulkier than most headsets out there, and it has an unusual ear hook that made the Jawbone difficult to position correctly. Well, Aliph has listened, because the new Aliph Jawbone 2 has laid those negatives to rest. Not only is it smaller and lighter, the Jawbone 2 also has a simpler ear hook design and a fancy new look that leaves its predecessor in the dust. Its noise-canceling technology has even been upgraded from the "Noise Shield" to the "Noise Assassin," which promises to be more aggressive in canceling out ambient noise. Aliph claims that this Noise Assassin technology has been tested by the military and approved by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the U.S. Department of Defense's independent research branch. The Jawbone 2 is not cheap--it will retail for $129.99--but if you wish to get the ultimate in Bluetooth headsets, it is definitely worth it. The Jawbone 2 is available in black and rose gold.
Like the first Jawbone, the Aliph Jawbone 2 was designed by renowned industrial designer Yves Behar, and it shows. Instead of the perforated front of its predecessor, the Jawbone 2 has a beveled diamond pattern all along the front, which results in a three-dimensional texture that glides smoothly under our fingers. The big difference from its predecessor, however, is its size. The Jawbone 2 is almost 50 percent smaller than the original, measuring 2 inches long by 0.5 inch wide by 0.5 inch thick and weighing 0.35 ounce.
At first glance, it may appear there are no buttons on the Jawbone 2. But though you cannot see the controls, you can feel them--there's the Talk button on the front of the headset, while Aliph's patented Noise Assassin button is on the top. On top of the Talk button is a very slim sliver of an LED light, which glows white when the headset is powered on. You also have the option to turn the LED off completely. Though these hidden buttons result in a streamlined design, we did think it would be better to have a more obvious Talk button instead of having to feel around for it. Also, since the LED light is directly on top of the Talk button, it makes it difficult to press the button and see the light at the same time.
We should note that there's no real volume rocker since the Jawbone 2 is configured to adjust the volume automatically according to the environment, thanks to its Noise Assassin technology. If you wish to turn the Noise Assassin off, you can do so by hitting the Noise Assassin button. And then if you wish to adjust the volume manually, the Noise Assassin button also acts as a singular volume control, meaning you have to cycle through different volume levels to get to the right volume. All that said, we would've preferred a volume rocker anyway, for ease of use.
Turn the headset around and you'll find a rubber earpiece, an optional ear hook, and a tiny white rubber nub that acts as the Voice Activity Sensor. In order for the voice-amplification technology to work, you must wear the headset so that the sensor lies against your cheek, allowing it to detect the vibration of your voice. Unlike the first Jawbone, the ear hook is completely optional. You can choose to wear the headset with or without it, since the earpiece fits more securely in the ear. Aliph also packages a few different size earpiece covers plus different ear hooks for a better fit. As a bonus, some of the ear hooks are made from real leather. We found the fit to be a lot more comfortable than the first--we could wear it very easily, and positioning the voice-activity sensor was easy to do, as well. Since the ear hooks are so flexible and thin, they can also be used when wearing eyeglasses.
Looks and fit aside, the most important reason to get the Jawbone 2 lies in its superior noise-canceling technology. It comes with a dual microphone array that helps to reduce wind noise, a technology that protects your ear against unexpected loud noises, and the aforementioned voice-activity sensor and Noise Assassin technology that helps to amplify your voice and drown out ambient sound. We tested this with the RIM BlackBerry Pearl in a number of environments: in a crowded restaurant, in a car, and outside on a windy day. The results were definitely impressive. Our callers could hear us loud and clear in all the situations. They did report some minor clicking and shuffling in the background, but it wasn't anything significant. In one particularly windy area, our callers didn't even realize we were outside. Similarly, we could hear them without any problems. We then compared the sound quality of the phone without the aid of the headset, and we were surprised to note that the sound quality was much improved with the headset than without.
The Jawbone 2 has a rated talk time of 4 hours and rated standby time of more than eight days. Some other features include voice command support, call waiting support, and a low-battery status indicator. It also comes with a magnetic charging base.
User reviews
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The sound quality is good, but the earbud fit is poor.
by Doolely on September 20, 2008
Pros: The clarity of sound is very good, and pairing is easy. The style is modern and not bulky. It is very lightweight, and you hardly notice it in your ear.
Cons: Of the supplied earbuds, all are too large or too shallow to fit my ear canal. The plastic button for background sound assinatin holds the earpiece away from the ear canal. The bud comes out of the ear, and the unit is left hanging by the earpiece.
Summary: I just purchased this unit, and I hate to have to return it because of the good sound quality. If I cannot get it to fit though, I cannot put ...
Summary: I just purchased this unit, and I hate to have to return it because of the good sound quality. If I cannot get it to fit though, I cannot put up with it falling out of my ear. No other earbuds are offered at this time. I think this company had better come up with some right away unless they want to put up with a lot of returns and missed sales. For those who can get the earpiece to fit, I think they will be very satisfied with the voice connection and sound quality.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Spectacular once you get it adjusted right.
by barber95 on May 4, 2009
Pros: Very effective noise cancellation, excellent call quality on both ends, long battery life, looks great in gold.
Cons: Requires a lot of fiddling to get the fit right, fragile (don't drop it!!!)
Summary: This is my 8th bluetooth headset and the best by far. It's not perfect right out of the box, however; you have to make some adjustments. For the headset ...
Summary: This is my 8th bluetooth headset and the best by far. It's not perfect right out of the box, however; you have to make some adjustments. For the headset to work, the little white plastic nub (which senses your voice) has to touch your cheek. Unfortunately, the ear loops hold it away from your cheek unless you bend them. You want to bend the ear loop so that the end of it curls inward from the headset. The whole loop should form sort of a spiral shape, and when you get it right it presses the voice sensor into your cheek. This step literally makes or breaks your experience with the headset. Every time I meet someone who hates the Jawbone 2, I show them mine with the ear loop adjustment, and it's like magic - it transforms their experience.
The headset cancels almost any noise to the point that the other person can hear you clearly, no matter what kind of noise you're dealing with. I've had calls in places that were so loud that I couldn't hear my caller, but they could hear me just fine. The noise cancellation is that good.
The battery lasts for several hours of talk time, and it charges back up in a snap.
Great headset and worth the time getting the ear loop bent just right. -
Warning: BlackJack II WM6.1 NOT COMPATIBLE
by mgkrebbs on April 24, 2009
Pros: Looks great, nice packaging, noise assassin very effective.
Cons: Aliph is well aware of BlackJack II WM6.1 incompatibility but deflects to your carrier and refuses to display this information on their support page. Their "tech support" is copy and paste reset instructions.
Summary: I am stuck with a very expensive yet useless headset. I have exchanged the Jawbone II and reset both phone and headset several times with no fix. This is a ...
Summary: I am stuck with a very expensive yet useless headset. I have exchanged the Jawbone II and reset both phone and headset several times with no fix. This is a great product with abysmal tech support.
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Great headset
by rrh13 on April 23, 2009
Pros: Excellent noise cancellation, great sound. Get the "new fit earbuds" and all the fit issues disappear.
Cons: The buttons take some familiarization. You have to relearn not toushing the front of the headset when readjusting during a call.
Summary: The best headset I have tried to date.
Summary: The best headset I have tried to date.
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Not Compatable with Mototrola RAZ3
by lwmcbride on December 26, 2008
Pros: I have no positive experience
Cons: Misleading info - Web site and shows compatable with RAZ3 Called Jawbone support, said they are aware of incompatability, must use the phone functions, earpiece functions don't work at this time,he said "sorry", that is the work around.
Summary: Find reviews by satisfied product users with your exact phone before purchasing a hign-in product.
Summary: Find reviews by satisfied product users with your exact phone before purchasing a hign-in product.
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Not so good
by lscotho on September 6, 2008
Pros: Aesthetically it's quite pleasing.
Cons: 1. Folks on the receiving end said they couldn't hear me.
2. Unit did not fit my oval face well at all
3. Earbuds won't remain intact
4. It's too sensitive. I reached up to adjust my earring and call disconnected.Summary: Like most of the reviews I read before purchasing this earpiece the fit is a big problem. Even if the fit issue were resolved, sound quality is still sub-par, so ...
Summary: Like most of the reviews I read before purchasing this earpiece the fit is a big problem. Even if the fit issue were resolved, sound quality is still sub-par, so that's enough for me to return the product.
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Excellent Technology; Very Poor Fit
by DaNextGuy on June 23, 2008
Pros: Improvements in volume, charger, size and weight
Cons: Won't stay in position on ear.
Summary: I am a huge fan of the Aliph technology. The first Jawbone is still my favorite headset of all time. It was a workhorse and the ambient sound nullification was ...
Summary: I am a huge fan of the Aliph technology. The first Jawbone is still my favorite headset of all time. It was a workhorse and the ambient sound nullification was and still is far and away the best out there.
The only faults I found in the original version were cleared up with the "New" Jawbone:
The user's listening volume is much improved. People had no trouble hearing me when I was in loud environments, but it was often difficult for me to hear them. The volume on the new version is so much better that for the first time ever, I turned the volume down because it was too loud.
The charging system on the first Jawbone was poorly designed. I've had three of them and it was a real trick to get the plug on the back of the headset to fit right for charging. The "New" Jawbone charging plug slips on easily and is held in place by a magnet- so much better! I have however, twice knocked the headset off the plug so once it is on, make sure you leave it where it won't be disturbed.
The size and weight are about half that of the earlier unit.
Styling is okay, but I really liked the glossy black and red colors on the original version and the "machined looking" slots pattern along the face of it. The new look is really feminine to me (not that there is anything wrong with that...).
So why did I give the "New" Jawbone a 5 or "average" rating? My company bought five of these units for we "heavy users" to replace our original Jawbones. Only two of us can get these darn things to stay in position in our ears. We've tried every possible combination of ear-bud and hook and nothing seems to do the trick. Within a few minutes, it's dangling from our ears by the hook. I am always adjusting it and during a call, I invariably wind up hanging up on the person at the other end. The primary button is activated regardless of where you press on the side of the unit when you are trying to push it back into your ear. (Even if you squeeze the sides with your thumb and forefinger) As you may know, the small clear button needs to touch your cheek in order for the "Noise Assasin" to work. For three out of five of us, this is not happening making it completely useless.
I almost gave it a 4 or mediocre rating but it did fit two of us and both of those guys are very happy.
Some other details: The talk time has dropped somewhat but for me that is a non-issue for me as I have a desk phone and I don't talk more than a couple of hours on my cel per day.
It comes with four hooks and three ear buds. two of the hooks are leather and two are plastic with what look like machined aluminum bottom tips. The hooks attach in the same manner as the original Jawbone, but instead of being metal, they are slightly bendable plastic. I knew several people who broke the metal hooks when they put the headset in their pocket.
Bottom line: Make sure you buy it from someone that will take it back without a lot of grief if it doesn't fit your ear. If it does fit your ear, it will be the absolute best headset you can buy.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: AliphCom
- Part number: CNETALIPHJAWBONE2GLD
- Bottom Line: Despite its quirks, the Aliph Jawbone 2 is quite possibly the ultimate Bluetooth headset in terms of design and sound quality.
General
- Product Type - Bluetooth
- Recommended Use Cellular phone
Headphones
- Connectivity Technology Bluetooth
Product series
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Manufacturer: AliphCom
Specs: Microphone Built-in, Headset, Over-the-ear, Silver, Built-in DSP, Voice activated
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Manufacturer: AliphCom
Specs: Microphone Built-in, Headset, Over-the-ear, Built-in DSP, Voice activated, 1 year Limited warranty
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Manufacturer: AliphCom
Specs:
Manufacturer info
- AliphCom
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse AliphCom products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.jawbone.com
- Address:
8000 Marina Boulevard, Brisbane, CA 94005
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