BlueAnt Q1
Manufacturer: Blueant Wireless Part number: Q1
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Despite a few minor issues, the BlueAnt Q1's voice controls and good audio quality sets this apart from other headsets.
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CNET editors' review
BlueAnt Q1 price range: $89.00 - $92.66
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Reviewed on: 04/20/2009
- Released on: 04/17/2009
The good: The BlueAnt Q1 is a slim and stylish Bluetooth headset with an innovative voice user interface that lets you control the headset entirely with your voice. There's no voice recognition tutorial, and the audio quality is very good.
The bad: The voice controls on the BlueAnt Q1 sometimes would not work properly if the alignment is off or if you're in a particularly noisy environment. It takes some fiddling to fit the headset properly.
The bottom line: Despite a few minor issues, the BlueAnt Q1's voice controls and good audio quality sets this apart from other headsets.
When BlueAnt introduced the BlueAnt V1 last year, we were blown away by BlueAnt's unique voice user interface, making the V1 the world's first voice-controlled Bluetooth headset. Indeed, we could pair and manage calls just by going through a series of voice prompts, without ever having to look at the manual. The sound quality wasn't too shabby, either. BlueAnt has not stopped there, though. This year, it introduced an updated version of the V1 with the BlueAnt Q1, a headset with the same voice user interface plus a new design. We encountered a few issues with it; however, it's overall a quality headset with great performance. The addition of voice controls and incoming caller ID is particularly helpful in places with hands-free calling laws for drivers. The BlueAnt Q1 will be available in May for $129 MSRP.
One of our criticisms of the BlueAnt V1 was its less than remarkable design. BlueAnt seems to have taken that to heart, as the Q1 looks dramatically different from its predecessors. Measuring 2.17 inches long by 0.63 inch wide by 0.27 inch deep, the Q1 has a sleek gunmetal design that's slightly curved outward. On the front is large multifunction call button with the BlueAnt logo on it, while the volume keys are on the right side. All buttons are easy to press, though the volume increase key is a bit on the small side.
On the back of the Q1 is an earpiece covered in a soft silicone ear bud. The ear bud is slightly tapered toward the bottom to fit snugly in the ear. The Q1 comes with two different size ear buds for different size ears. There's also an optional ear hook for additional stability. We found the ear bud to fit quite comfortably, but we admit that it does take a bit of fiddling so that it fits just right. This is especially important since the dual microphones on the Q1 needs to line up with your mouth for the best performance. Wearing the right size ear bud is quite crucial to this--wearing one that is too small or too large might result in the Q1 shifting ever so slightly away from this alignment. When the alignment is off, the voice controls won't work as well.
We paired the BlueAnt Q1 with the Apple iPhone 3G and the Samsung Blackjack. Like with the V1, there was no need to refer to the manual to know how to pair the devices. Just wear the Q1, turn it on, and follow the voice prompt tutorial to pair and connect your phone. When you first turn it on, the Q1 automatically goes into pairing mode. However, if you want to do it manually, just say "Pair Me" as a voice command. The BlueAnt Q1 has multipoint technology, which means we could connect to both the iPhone and the Blackjack at the same time. Bear in mind that you have to press the multifunction button every time you want to say a voice command.
The voice user interface is definitely one of the highlights of the BlueAnt Q1. There's no voice recognition tutorial; it'll recognize your voice right away. If you feel lost and want some clues on how to use the voice interface, just say "Teach Me" for some tips and tricks. Other voice commands include "What can I say?", which will just list the different voice commands, and "Phone commands," which will activate the voice command feature on your phone. You can say, "Answer" to answer a call, "Ignore" to reject it, "Redial" for last number redial, "Check Battery" for battery status, and you can say "Call" followed by one of eight speed dial numbers. Unlike the V1, you cannot map the "Call" command to specific words like "Home" or "voice mail." There isn't a "Call GOOG-411" service either.
We did encounter a couple of problems with the voice controls. As we mentioned, angling the headset toward the mouth is the best way to get the voice commands to work. If the alignment is off, we found the voice controls not to be as good. For example, we would say something like "Settings Menu" and it would redial a number instead. This also sometimes happened if we were in a very noisy environment, since your voice needs to be louder than the surrounding noise in order for the voice controls to work properly.
The call quality on the BlueAnt Q1 is very good. We made several calls with the iPhone and compared the call quality of the phone with the call quality of the headset, and callers said there was hardly any difference. We then went outside on a busy sidewalk to test out the noise cancellation, and callers said that while they could tell we were outside because of a slight background noise, they could still hear us loud and clear. We tested this ourselves with our voice mail, and we did hear a bit of static at times, but it was tolerable.
We also wanted to test the Q1's voice isolation sensor. It comes in two modes: Standard and Max. Standard has regular noise suppression, whereas Max is for maximum noise suppression in extremely noisy situations where a natural-sounding voice isn't as important. We tested the call quality with both modes, and callers did say there was less background sound in the Max mode. It was quite a windy day as well, and the BlueAnt Q1 handled that without much difference in call quality. We'll have to stress test the Q1 further in even windier environments to really check out the wind noise reduction.
On our end, we heard our caller just fine for the most part, though we did encounter a bit of static when we turned on the voice isolation sensor to Max.
Aside from these features, the Q1 also has call mute, call waiting support, and the capability to transfer calls from the headset to the phone and vice versa. It also has automatic volume control.
The BlueAnt Q1 has a rated battery life of 4 hours talk time and 5 days standby time, which is less than the V1. It comes with a USB charging adapter and an AC adapter.
User reviews
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I love the Q1! If you cook much, it's a MUST HAVE!.
by WendyofAggieLand on May 14, 2009
Pros: --Big improvement over my Jabra in reliability, call quality, and features
--Love the voice commands and prompts and Caller ID
--ATTENTION COOKS, YOU WILL LOVE THIS PART!!! You can answer or ignore calls without even touching the headset.Cons: --wish caller ID could tell me the name too
Summary: I had a Jabra before this one. Not sure which model it is, it's sliver with a black line through it.
The BlueAnt is sooo much better than it ...Summary: I had a Jabra before this one. Not sure which model it is, it's sliver with a black line through it.
The BlueAnt is sooo much better than it in very many ways. It would never stay connected and I would try to make calls only to find out the audio was coming through the phone.
This one you just ask it if you are connected and it tells you or connects if you are not. I love the voice of the guy they use when it talks to you.
Now my favorite part. I spend a lot of time cooking and having the ability to answer or ignore a call just by voice is just fantastic instead of having to stop and wash food off your hands quickly trying to answer the phone. Before you voice answer it tells you just the Caller ID number but I find I am learning the numbers of most people that call me so I don't have to look at the phone.
Ladies, make sure and switch to the smaller rubber ear thingy that comes in the package. You probably will not like the one they put in the headset at first. I think they defaulted it to what a guy would want.
So far noone has complained about call quality. Back to the cooking, with my Jabra people could not understand me when I was frying something trying to have a conversation with them.
Have fun with your Q1. I am.15 out of 19 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Headset, clear calls, Very handy voice control
by D_Modano on May 8, 2009
Pros: -Looks good on me (so says my wife)
-Call quality is better than her Jawbone 2
-Voice Control a huge help on convenience
-Prompt tells you if your connected
-Audible Caller ID is convenient for many callsCons: -The big earpad standard is not as comfortable as the smaller black one in the box. Try switching if you are having issues.
Summary: Picked this up at Sprint. Using it with a BlackBerry Curve and very happy with it. Huge step forward from any headset I've ever used.
My wife has a ...Summary: Picked this up at Sprint. Using it with a BlackBerry Curve and very happy with it. Huge step forward from any headset I've ever used.
My wife has a Jawbone which I have used some and so far the call quality of the Q1 is much more consistent than the Jawbone which would seem to phase in and out of decent quality. I recorded several voicemails of myself using the Q1 outside in street noise and was very impressed. Have not tried it in high wind yet since have not experienced it yet.
The voice control works fine for me if you just take a few mintues to learn the commands. It has a Teach Me function that after just a few times you've memorized most of the main ones.
I would advise just taking 1 or 2 mintues to use Teach Me when you get it. That fixed some mistakes I was making that caused voice control not to work as well like saying Battery Check instead of Check Battery.
The Q1 is very convenient and fast for calling back, redialing, and dialing your top 3 or 4 numbers through quick speed dials. (They give you more than that however, I can't remember all of them) Beyond that you just use your name dial in the phone however that just takes much longer to initiate the call, so if all your doing is redialing your last caller it's SOOOO much faster to just say Redial into the headset.
Caller ID is nice and it lets you answer or ignore the call just by voice. I'm sure one day they will move to Caller ID by name, but you probably have to have some way of loading your phone book in the headset for that.
Kind of cool, the Check Battery voice command feature also tells you both the headset and your phone battery levels.
The prompts are very nice and basically remove any need for you to have to even look at the user guide.
Fit is fine. I saw the guys comment about the Q1 earhook chafing. It doesn't even touch mine and I'm 6'2" so I wonder if he just had a huge head or something.
Overall very impressed. I don't know why more headsets dont put in the voice control. I've only had it a day and a half and have used it probably 20 times to take calls or call people. Very handy.13 out of 16 users found this user opinion helpful.
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THE COOLEST HEADSET ON THE MARKET!!!
by Dave_Larsen on May 11, 2009
Pros: -Looks Great, Sounds Great, with a Feature set that Kills!!
Cons: -practically have to solve a puzzle to get the hook out of the box
Summary: I have tried most of the leading headsets and I can honestely say this seems a year or two ahead of any others in features.
I had zero expectations for ...Summary: I have tried most of the leading headsets and I can honestely say this seems a year or two ahead of any others in features.
I had zero expectations for this headset as I knew very little about it when I purchases. The Sprint sales person was CLUELESS about it or any of its features other than it was their new"Flagship" heasdet. However I'm on expense account and use to upgrading to the latest/greatest so the price was not an issue plus she indicated I could return for a different one If I didn't like it so I thought I would try.
What a knockout, it starts talking to you the second you turn it on. It walks you through the paricing and connection then coaches you into this Teach Me menu which tells you how to use all the commands and features. I use with a HTC Touch Diamond (Windows Mobile) which has it's own voice dial. I have found my self using the HTC's sometimes called up from a voice command on the headset, but in other times the Q1's inbuilt calling commands are far more convenient. You don't have have to touch anything to pickup incoming calls.
On recognition accuracy I think it actually a bit more accurate than my HTC's which I suppose it done by Microsoft itself and not HTC. I have to repeat my self probably 1 out of every 3 times when doing name dial on the phone. The Q1 I have to repeat far less however it's primarily useful for calling back, redialing, and your top 8 numbers only. It did make a mistake once and started dialing the wrong number, however you just click to cancel the operation during the voice prompt so no big deal.
Also I found out by accident that "Call Information" on the Q1 connects to Microsofts LiveSearch Service which gives you all sorts of options on info you may be looking for beyond peoples phone numbers. totally handsfree. That was VERY COOL and very unexpected. This seems an undocumented feature I don't see anywhere
on the box it mentions that.
Call quality seems to mirror the quality talking directly into the phone which is the first time that has happened and I've had Jawbones, Plantroncs Voyagers, and the Motorola H12.
Really the only frustrating part of the experience has been trying to tear the ear hook out of the little cardboard wrapper they put it in.
My first experience with a BlueAnt headset, very impressive and a sign of things to come with headsets.
Get this headset and learn how to use it, you will not be dissapointed!14 out of 19 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Pleasantly surprised. Great for the Palm Pre!
by PokoBunji on June 18, 2009
Pros: Works great with the Palm Pre for enabling voice dialing.
Great ease of use features for making routine calls, calling back people etc,
Caller ID read out to youCons: Battery life not the greatest but tolerable if you recharge at night.
Summary: Picked this up with my Palm Pre which I've been thrilled with. The 2 work great together and call quality (inbound and outbound) is excellent.
Nice feature set which ...Summary: Picked this up with my Palm Pre which I've been thrilled with. The 2 work great together and call quality (inbound and outbound) is excellent.
Nice feature set which I have only partially used. Having Caller ID read out to you is nice while driving. A few voice commands are very handy for returning calls and calling your most common numbers.
If my Pre has its own voice dialing I have not figured out how to enable it. Thus the only way I can voice dial while driving is using the Q1. No big deal since I call probably 3 or 4 numbers the most when driving. The Q1 handles that with no problem and you never have to look at the Pre.10 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Sub-Standard Q1 Issues At Launch
by IFLYMAUI on May 19, 2009
Pros: It's a BlueAnt product which I have always held high regard for. It does come with a 2 year warranty (although if you buy it from Sprint and try for an exchange or refund... You'll be on the phone with India for weeks).
Cons: Lousy soft launch with SPRINT. They are dismal at exchanges or refunds... The Q1 already at its launch has FIRMWARE UPDATES required. Making matters worse, the firmware update fails to add a required driver from Cambridge Silicon Radio.
Summary: If you want a BLUEANT product, look around for the exceptional BlueAnt V1. The ultimate in quality, sound and a proven track record. AVOID THE Q1 and all of its ...
Summary: If you want a BLUEANT product, look around for the exceptional BlueAnt V1. The ultimate in quality, sound and a proven track record. AVOID THE Q1 and all of its poorly managed launch issues. Or wait until the end of Summer when BlueAnt gets this right. More so, the relationship between BlueAnt and Sprint isn't the relationship between ATT and Apple on a soft-launch product. SPRINT is a dismal wireless provider and I fail still to understand why BlueAnt would lower its standards using Sprint as its sole and only/limited supplier/seller/retailer. Hello BEST BUY???
Another (the second in weeks) FIRMWARE update was launched by BLUEANT to try and correct the volume issues with the new Q1. I still cannot hear the caller if I am in a automobile.
Buy a Q1 and you'll spend hours, weeks and your quality time with this rushed and ill-prepared BlueAnt headset.
Shame on BlueAnt.
Updated on May 27, 200916 out of 27 users found this user opinion helpful.
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VERY short battery Life...Poor Volume
by tarkusnj on May 29, 2009
Pros: I like the 3 levels of Noise cancellation and 8 speed dial commands which the V1 lacked
Cons: I have never had a headset with a shorter battery life or lower maximum volume
Summary: First let me tell you I have been using headsets for over 10 years and cell phones since they were the size of bricks. I have the Q1 volume at ...
Summary: First let me tell you I have been using headsets for over 10 years and cell phones since they were the size of bricks. I have the Q1 volume at MAX and it is still poor. I have had a difficult time hearing the person on the other end while I am driving in my car-windows closed! The Q1 battery has not lasted more than a day of normal use and 2 different days I had to switch it off while I was in my car because it was dying and it's not like I am using this for business calls, just about 10 personal calls about 5-10 minutes on average. I had lost my Blueant V1 and decided to purchase the Q1 but I am also dissatisfied with the way the Q1 fits in my ear. I have just ordered a new Blueant V1 and will either sell the Q1 or keep it in case I lose my new V1 again.
Correction. The Q1 has 3 Levels of Sensitivity NOT Noise Cancellation. The volume is SO low, I misunderstood what the headset was saying! I just received my second V1 (lost my first one) and the volume level is MUCH better than the Q1 so my new Q1 is going to be a backup...bummer.
Updated on Jun 1, 2009
Updated on Jun 2, 2009I DID upgrade the firmware to v8.15 and the volume still sucks. The battery sucks also and now my ear loop broke and Blueant won't take care of me because I purchased the Q1 new off ebay. Blueant won't even talk to me about the bad volume and poor battery life. They must know they have a problem there. The secind V1 I just purchased is MUCH better.12 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very Nice . Easy to use. Good Quality.
by BlueGizmo on May 8, 2009
Pros: Very lightweight and comfortable. Voice controls work well and are suprisingly useful. Call quality is EXCELLENT. I like it talking to me...makes it easy to use, and handsfree answering is nice.
Cons: Very expensive...should come with a t-shirt at that price. I don't need so many speed dial settings, It would be better if it could read contacts in my phone and let me voice dial by speaking their names
Summary: Really good product. It worked right out of the box, didn't even need charging. Voice controls make it special and much safer to use.
Summary: Really good product. It worked right out of the box, didn't even need charging. Voice controls make it special and much safer to use.
7 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great stuff, tech aware
by tysgodhi on June 6, 2009
Pros: Great functionality, great fit, great style, _upgradable_!
Cons: Incoming sound quality isn't great, but completely intelligible
Summary: The ergonomics and voice command are excellent. I write software for a living, and know that upgrades and bug fixes are essential. BlueAnt can handle that, while some others can'...
Summary: The ergonomics and voice command are excellent. I write software for a living, and know that upgrades and bug fixes are essential. BlueAnt can handle that, while some others can't. Plantronics Voyager Pro has better incoming sound quality, but I have hearing loss and wear hearing aids, and the Pro just isn't loud enough--I have to press it into my ear to catch what people are saying. No problem with the Q1. Small, light, stylish, tech solid. These people know what they are doing.
5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great design, great features!
by tgoldie00 on June 3, 2009
Pros: Great noise cancellation, comfortable, decent battery life, great customer service.
Cons: Need to upgrade firmware out of the box (but very easy to do).
Summary: Callers can always hear me well without complaint, even in reasonably significant background noise or while driving. Set is comfortable and easy to use. I really don't have too ...
Summary: Callers can always hear me well without complaint, even in reasonably significant background noise or while driving. Set is comfortable and easy to use. I really don't have too much to say about it negatively since firmware 8.15, new users should do this immediately upon purchase, before even using the headset for the first time. I love voice control, even though when I arrive at work and turn it off people look at me with funny expressions on their face(hehe)! Overall the best BT headset I have ever used, which over the years have been many. One minor complaint however...the batter indicator doesn't beep in the users ear until the headset is desperately low, meaning one has to basically end a call right then and there if it starts beeping. A little more warning for those of us who talk a lot would have been appreciated,
5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great headset - even better tech support
by mglbsn on May 24, 2009
Pros: Love the voice control and how comfortable the earpiece is. Also love how sleek the headset is (especially compared to the bulkiness of the V1). Blueant as a company truly stands behind their products and is a major plus.
Cons: Doesn't completely work with the Samsung Instinct's audible caller ID yet (which annouces the name if they are in your phonebook). The V1 worked with the Instinct - which I found out was a possible software glitch that allowed the phone to take over
Summary: I found the Q1 to be incredibly comfortable except for the earhook does get a little bothersome after awhile - but I wear mine all day long. I also own ...
Summary: I found the Q1 to be incredibly comfortable except for the earhook does get a little bothersome after awhile - but I wear mine all day long. I also own the V1 and the comfort and sleekness is far superior to the V1. I still think the major pro is the Blueant customer service and tech support. I had to get my V1 replaced because of a charging problem. They had me ship back the headset only (none of the packaging/chargers/extra eartips, etc) and within one week from the day I mailed it I had my new one. I have had to call tech support in the past about a different headset to update firmware and they walked me through it (and I got to talk to a live person fairly quickly). They are working with me right now because I have a Samsung Instinct with audible caller ID (which includes announcing names from my phonebook or the phone number if it is not in there) and the Q1 is not allowing me to revert to my phone's software which the V1 did allow. They have been incredibly responsive in seeing if they can get this to work with a firmware update. I don't think there is another company out there with this kind of service. I have not experienced too many problems with the voice control not working properly. I love the Q1's check battery command that includes checking my phone's battery (the V1 only checked the headset battery). The Q1 mulftiunction button is also extremely easy to use and doesn't get in the way of putting the headset on or adjusting it. I had that problem with the V1 and the Z9, I would accidently press the MFB when putting the headset on and periodically made phone calls that I didn't intend to. This is by far the most comfortable and responsive headset I have tried, and other than some of the cheaper headsets (which I don't even bother with) I think I have tried every headset out there including all of the Plantronics, Jabras, Jawbones (both of them), 2 different SoundIDs and Motorolas..
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Blueant Wireless
- Part number: Q1
- Description: The revolutionary BlueAnt Q1 Voice Controlled Bluetooth Headset with Multipoint takes Bluetooth headsets to the next level of comfort and handsfree experience. To hear a list of the available commands just click the BlueAnt button and say "What Can I Say? ". The BlueAnt Q1 incorporates dual microphones and BlueAnt's superior Voice Isolation technology that separates the user's voice from all other sounds resulting in outstanding call quality, no matter where you are.
General
- Product Type Headset - Bluetooth 2.1
- Width 2.2 in
- Depth 0.6 in
- Height 0.3 in
- Weight 0.4 oz
- Additional Features Built-in DSP, Volume control, Echo cancellation, Noise canceling circuit, Voice Isolation Technology, BlueGenie voice user interface
Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphone
- Connectivity Technology Wireless - Bluetooth 2.1
- Bluetooth Profiles Headset Profile (HSP), Hands Free Profile (HFP)
- Sound Output Mode Mono
Microphone
- Type Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Mono
Wireless Link
- Transmission Range 33 ft
Miscellaneous
- Compliant Standards CE, BQB, FCC, RoHS, WEEE
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
- Battery - Rechargeable - Lithium polymer
- Run Time (Up To) 4 hour(s)
- Standby Time 100 hour(s)
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 2 years warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 2 years
Manufacturer info
- Blueant Wireless
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Blueant Wireless products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.blueant.com.au/
- Address:
6 Martin St, Melbourne, Victoria
