[Rockefella]

I just got the Plantronics v510. I previously had two Flamingos (both failed and sucked in general). The v510 is flawless, and I do mean flawless. The volume is so loud in my ear that I have to turn it down to 0 and I still hear perfectly well. In contrast, I had both Flamingos turned to max volume and could still barely hear.

Reception on the v510 is as good as the Flamingos, which is to say, great. Never loses connection, don't get static when phone and headset are on opposites sides of my body, etc.

Party on other end says I'm coming through MUCH MUCH clearer using v510 than using Flamingos.

In the wind, the Flamingos made me sound like I was in a wind tunnel. In the same conditions, when I used the v510, people on the other end did not even KNOW I was standing in the wind.

The Flamingos only fit my right ear (can't be switched to left). The v510 can be worn on either ear.

v510 is way more comfortable than the Flamingos (which use an ear clip system). I wear glasses so in theory, the Flamingos should be better than the v510 which goes over the ear. Nope, no issues at all. the v510 doesn't interfere at all with my glasses.

I will look no further, the v510 is my final choice.

[lgreenberg]

What model Blackberry are you using the 510 with?

I picked one up last week because everyone speaks so highly of it so I wanted to try it out.

It does work great however I do notice it will loose its connection with my 8700 and then quickly pick it back up again. Most of the headsets I've tried do seem to do this. It's not a major problem other than the annoyance of hearing the connection tone so often.

[barjohn]

Update on JX-10 review. The company kept promising to send me the updated software all week but I have not received it yet. I am still waiting and I will send them another email tomorrow to see what went wrong. I am in Washington D.C. all this week on business so I won't get to do anything before next weekend. I had hoped to finish up my reviews and get them posted. Based on what I have so far, and I am still waiting to see if the software will help, the noise reduction is pretty minimal with the unit. It seems to work much better on the BlackBerry 8700 than it does on the Motorola Q. I still haven't had a chance to test with my wife's E815. It definitely matters as to what phone it is paired with. I hope this helps some of you.

Just for the hell of it I purchased the oakely Razerwire with Bluetooth to test. I was charging the unit today so I haven't test the Bluetooth but I must say I really like the sunglasses. I have a pair of Maui Jims and a pair of Raybans and these beet them seven ways to sundown. First, the polarization doesn't make an LCD screen on my phone unreadable as do the others. Second, they do a much better job of eliminating glare that makes you squint when you are driving toward the sun even though they are not as dark as my Maui Jims. Third, they are really comfortable for me, light weight and no real pressure points. Fourth, for $199, inclusing the Bluetooth they weren't outrageously priced (Price at CompUSA) since Oakley's cheapest sunglasses are $135 and $65 for the Bluetooth isn't too bad. Fifth, the carry bag is a cleaning cloth. Sixth, they come in three different colors and seventh they have interchangeable lenses. See seven ways to sundown!

[barjohn]

Originally Posted by Rockefella

I just got the Plantronics v510. I previously had two Flamingos (both failed and sucked in general). The v510 is flawless, and I do mean flawless. The volume is so loud in my ear that I have to turn it down to 0 and I still hear perfectly well. In contrast, I had both Flamingos turned to max volume and could still barely hear.

Reception on the v510 is as good as the Flamingos, which is to say, great. Never loses connection, don't get static when phone and headset are on opposites sides of my body, etc.

Party on other end says I'm coming through MUCH MUCH clearer using v510 than using Flamingos.

In the wind, the Flamingos made me sound like I was in a wind tunnel. In the same conditions, when I used the v510, people on the other end did not even KNOW I was standing in the wind.

The Flamingos only fit my right ear (can't be switched to left). The v510 can be worn on either ear.

v510 is way more comfortable than the Flamingos (which use an ear clip system). I wear glasses so in theory, the Flamingos should be better than the v510 which goes over the ear. Nope, no issues at all. the v510 doesn't interfere at all with my glasses.

I will look no further, the v510 is my final choice.

The 510 is really one of the best all around headsets on the market. Good volume, good outgoing sound, good noise reduction and good battery life. It is a little larger than I would like but that is really the only negative since it is very comfortable. The 640 sounds a little better to the user but not to the other end of the conversation. It is small and comfortable but it picks up too much background noise to be usable in anything but an office where it works very well. I haven't tried the 645 so I can't comment.

[Rockefella]

Originally Posted by lgreenberg

What model Blackberry are you using the 510 with?

I picked one up last week because everyone speaks so highly of it so I wanted to try it out.

It does work great however I do notice it will loose its connection with my 8700 and then quickly pick it back up again. Most of the headsets I've tried do seem to do this. It's not a major problem other than the annoyance of hearing the connection tone so often.

Hi Larry,

I'm using the 510 with a BB8700c. I never got the connection loss problem you mentioned with the 510 or the Flamingos. Maybe you have an issue with your Blackberry? If anything, my 510 may be TOO aggressive about finding and linking up with my 8700c. Sometimes it links even when I leave the 510 in another room that's far away.

[cruzer3]

John:
Thanks for taking the time to review different bluwtooth headsets. I am new to the BB and I am considering purchasing a bluetooth headset. You review was very informative. I am looking for a good quality bluetooth headset. Thank you again, BTW I have a 7103e.

Originally Posted by barjohn

The 510 is really one of the best all around headsets on the market. Good volume, good outgoing sound, good noise reduction and good battery life. It is a little larger than I would like but that is really the only negative since it is very comfortable. The 640 sounds a little better to the user but not to the other end of the conversation. It is small and comfortable but it picks up too much background noise to be usable in anything but an office where it works very well. I haven't tried the 645 so I can't comment.

I used to own the 510 and I would agree that it is a pretty decent headset. I do own a Discovery 645 and I would say it is MUCH clearer and cleaner and definitely a comfortable headset for somebody who leaves it on the ear compared to the 510. With its soft gel ear tips, you don't get a burning feeling when you leave it on or wear them. Weighing only 9 grams (1/3 oz), you sometimes forget you actually are wearing one because it is so much lighter than the other bluetooth headsets in the market PLUS its ear stabilizer or in layman's term -- ear loop ... is skinny enough not to have that feeling like somebody or something is trying to grab or hold on to your ear so they will not fall.

I also own the Nokia BH-800 which I would say a DEFINITE "head-turner" because of its looks. It is just soooo CLASSY!!! The chain where you attach the headset itself, looks pretty cool and very functional. I kind of don't like seeing somebody walking around with a HUGE headset attached on their ear. I always thought it was sooo OVERRATED and having your headset on a chain for easy reach, you can easily unhook it from the chain and use it everytime you get a call.

One thing I get to say about the Discovery 645 compared to the Nokia BH-800 headset, it has DSP (Digital Signal Processing) which is very good for somebody who works in a noisy environment such as construction sites or in a noisy office environment. And another thing as well, you can charge it using a AAA battery to have an emergency charging when you don't have access to an outlet or when you are traveling.

Two new Plantronics Discovery are coming out soon btw. These are the Discovery 640e which is good for somebody who listens or uses an MP3 player at the same (it lets your switch seamlessly between your bluetooth phone to a bluetooth audio devices) and the Discovery 655 (which has DSP).

If you think that Discovery 645 is too high a price for you, you might want to wait for the Discovery 655 which has the same technology but priced a little less than the 645.

So bottom line, if price is not the question -- I would go for the Discovery 645. Don't have problems in regards to dropping calls or any issues in regards to connecting or pairing with my BB8700g. I did have problems in the beginning with the Nokia BH-800, but it seems it depends on where you are at. If my signal or tower bars' low, I lose my bluetooth connection. But other than that, I love my Nokia BH-800.

Another thing I want to add in regards to the Nokia BH-800 and the Discovery 645, being it so light, you can use them without attaching the ear stabilizer (ear loop).

Reading the previous postings here, issues for someone dealing with wearing eye glasses and your bluetooth headset at the same time --- these two headsets eliminates the feeling of bulkiness .. you know, the feeling like you're in trouble with your mother and she is pulling your ear for being so naughty? hehe

Then I'd say these bluetooth headsets... are priceless! LOL

[barjohn]

My Jabra JX-10 review is now posted on my web site. I appologize for the delay. I hope you find it imformative and useful.

[srl7741]

thx barjohn

[hailer]

Well I jumped in and got BH-800 from Nokia. First impressions are as follows:

Smallest BT headset I've tried. Pairing to my 8700c was a snap. The necklace that comes with it is something I won't use, the ear loop is. The ear loop is about as big as one of those large paper clips you can get in office supply stores (the ones for heavy duty use).

Power button and volume control are small but that is to be expected with such a small device and I am not going to fault the device here. I got it because it was small and unobtrusive.

-Power button located on the back of the device is small.
-Volume control is located on the bottom of the device.
-Answer/End button is located on the outward showing side with the Nokia logo and is a good size.

Since it is small I would not recommend it to people with large fingers.

The small speaker fits snuggly in my ear but I do need the ear loop. If you move your head a lot while talking, you will want to use the ear loop. Reviewers say they can use it without but testing it this way and slightly moving my head makes it move and feel loose in my ear.

Volume is loud enough for me and I don't understand where some of the reviews of the volume not being good enough are coming from. If you have good hearing you won't be disappointed in the volume of this device. It is the loudest headset I've purchased in my opinion.

Test results so far:

I've only had a chance to test it for one day. Receiving incoming calls is very easy and the device is responsive when the Answer/End button is pressed to answer a call and hang up a call. You can also mute, reject, redial, voice dial if your cell supports that, and switch the call between headset and phone.

INDOORS - Good call quality and the person on the other line said it was a big improvement over just using the BB8700 itself. I walked around my house and seemed to pick up static at about 12-15 feet away from my BB. Moving into other rooms the quality drops off dramatically with static and cutouts. I tried walking upstairs with it but this is even worse in terms of quality sound and the person on the other end could not hear me at all.

OUTDOORS - On a fairly busy street volume was good and the person on the other end could hear me even with the background noise of other people talking and cars driving by. I should point out I had the headset on my right ear and the blackberry clipped to my belt on the same right side as the headset. Using it this way seems to be best, no static and quality is very good.

So far out of a 10, I would rate the BH-800 a 7. At this point it is the best headset I've used in terms of less static and volume quality and snugness on the ear. It is very light and comfortable. However I wish I could walk more than 15 feet from my phone and still get good quality sound.

Battery life is decent too. I still need to put it through its paces but it worked for the four hours I used it on a single charge. Probably about one hour and 45 minutes talk time and the rest standby before I hooked it up for another charge (battery was not dead I just do this with all my devices when not in use).

The price is high for this type of device though. If it cost $80-$90 less I would rate it a 9.

Of course I still have to use it a little more; these are just my first impressions.

Last note - I did loose and regain connection twice after the headset was paired. Both times occured when I was not on a call. I will have to see if this continues. As long as it does not happen while I am on a call it won't bother me.

[Dusty Saddle]

Originally Posted by barjohn

My Jabra JX-10 review is now posted on my web site. I appologize for the delay. I hope you find it imformative and useful.

John, where did you get the software update and how is it installed? I just ordered the JX-10 and am not sure how to tell if it has the latest software.

[coral]

After using the Tekkeon for a year now, I have the following complaints:
-I hate how I am half deaf, having something sticking in my earcanal.
-If the other person does not spek loud and CLEARLY, I can't understand what they are saying.

What I love about it is the small size and the lightweight.

Has anybody any recommendation for me? Small, light, clear sound and not plugging up the ear.

Thanks,
Coral

[barjohn]

Originally Posted by Dusty Saddle

John, where did you get the software update and how is it installed? I just ordered the JX-10 and am not sure how to tell if it has the latest software.

The company provided me with the software and I understand that it is a beta version. Once it is released it will go up on their web site.

[mrogers]

After putting my motorola HS850 through the washing machine a couple months ago, I've been on the lookout for a new headset. I've had a Moto HS810 (which I'd rate at 5/10), a BlueTrek G2 (2/10), and the aforementioned HS850 (6/10). I'm really picky about this kind of stuff, and for the most part I've always been disappointed in the offerings in this market. However, I was zeroing on on the Plantronics D645 (thanks to barjohn's and others' recommendations) when I found the new Plantronics D655 (which according to the Plantronics web site isn't even available yet) for sale at a few online dealers. I couldn't find any full reviews of it, but it's supposed to be an upgrade of the 645 and a few forum posts I found of people who already had it were positive. So I ordered one from this guy on eBay (link), who has 100% positive feedback, ships within 24 hours, and has by far the lowest price.

So I'm really looking forward to my D655, since I haven't had a BT headset in two months, and being one of the first to have one I will surely post some thoughts on it once I get it.

Discovery 655 will be available on ebay ready to ship on August 15 priced at $85.99 + 9.99 (s/h)

mrogers.. received your item from ebay yet? Waiting for your review on this item...

While patiently waiting, here's how this Discovery 655 looks ..

[barjohn]

Originally Posted by gopher_49

What do you know about the bluetooth headset/caller id device found on BlackBerry Accessories - RIM BlackBerry accessories store. 's home page? Is it worth purchasing?

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Can you be more specific with a name/model and manufacturer?

[BES admin]

I am using the BH-800 with my 8700g and OS v4.1.0.309

- SMALL
-Some static related to range
-Very comfortable, hardly tell it is on

[Marcinko]

I am trying to choose between a Plantronics 640 or a Motorola H700, does anyone have any suggestions? I have been reading your posts and i must admit, I'm a bit confused. I'm looking for the best possible BT device for an 8700c. I will only be using the device while driving and inside my home or office. Thanks.