The Jawbone Bluetooth headsets from Aliph have been around for a few years now and have impressed many with their noise cancellation features. The original Jawbone would eventually be succeeded by the Jawbone Prime.

Aliph recently released the Jawbone Icon, a chopped down version of the Jawbone Prime, to bolster their line up. The Icon comes in an assorted colors and styles ranging from black dimpled to gray smooth to gold. Each with its own unique nickname (Hero, Rogue, Ace, Thinker, Bombshell, etc.)

We had the chance to take one of the Icons -- the Hero -- out for a test drive and just ease on past the break to see if the Icon lives up to standard its larger siblings established.

First Impressions

The Jawbone Icon ($99.95) is more of a chopped down version of the Jawbone Prime than a scaled down version.  The Icon measures 1.77 inches long, a width of 0.72 inches and a height of 0.94 inches. The Icon weighs in at .29 ounces. The Jawbone Prime is 2.1 inches long and weighs 0.4 ounces.

The smaller size gives the Icon a little beefy feel to it, but not bulky. A microUSB slot and Talk Button rests at the top of the headset while the Voice Activity Sensor (VAS) and power button rests on the underside of the headset.

A LED light circles the VAS to help confirm actions and headset status. The Icon comes packaged with an assortment of earbuds, an earhook, USB cable and wall charger.  The Icon feels solidly build and the matte black, dimpled finish on the Hero looks sharp.  My only complaint about the finish is the glossy finish attracts lint, dust and fingerprints like a black hole attracts light.

Design and Features

I like the shorter length but would have preferred the Icon had shared the same button design of the Prime (the talk button rests beneath the headsets surface). The Icon's talk button is at the rear of the headset and takes a little getting used to. I found it best to hold on to the headset with my thumb and middle finger and actuate the button with my index finger.  Otherwise, I kept pushing the headset out of my ear.

The Icon doesn't have volume keys and instead, the volume is controlled by your Windows Phone.

The Icon relies heavily on the talk button in that the headset's call features are controlled by this button. The button controls the answer/end, battery level check, voice dialing and last number redial. The Noise Assassin feature is on by default but you can use the talk button to turn it off.

The Icon does support multi-point for two audio gateways including your PC and also has voice confirmations (e.g. battery low) as well as audible caller I.D.

Fit and Feel

The Jawbone Icon is small and light enough to be worn in place without an earhook. The Icon comes with an assortment of fitted earbuds (has the loop to hold it in place) as well as plain old round earbuds. You also have a thin plastic ear hook if you prefer. 

The key to the Icon's fit is choosing the right earbud. Too large and it's just down right uncomfortable, too small and it feels as though it's going to fall out your ear. The small, medium and large buds get close enough that when you choose the right one, the Icon rests comfortably in your ear.

Without the hook, the Icon rides securely for everyday type use with just the earbuds.  For those who lead a more active life (jogging, bicycling, etc.) you probably will need the hook to keep the Icon securely in place.

Noise cancellation

The strength of the Jawbone line rests with it's noise cancellation feature, Noise Assassin, and the Voice Activation Sensor.

The Voice Activation Sensor is the rubber nub on the bottom of the Jawbone Prime that rests against your cheek. While the two microphones of the Jawbone Prime does a good job of picking up audio, the Voice Activation Sensor (VAS) helps detect when your speaking and captures the frequencies of your speech to improve the audio quality.  The only weakness with VAS system is that it must make contact with your cheek/jaw to be fully effective.

The Noise Assassin 2.5 was originally developed for military use in tanks and helicopters and eliminates background noise from your Windows Phone conversations. I could try to describe how effective it is but showing you is the only way to do it justice.  You may have seen this video before but it really speaks volumes on the Noise Assassin technology and effectiveness.

Keep in mind that the Noise Assassin used in the video is the first generation software. The Icon uses third generation software that is vastly improved.

MyTalk

Jawbone is currently Beta testing a web service called MyTalk the will allow Icon owners to personalize their headsets with a variety of free applications as well as downloading the latest software updates.

Through MyTalk Icon owners will be able to download Audio Apps that will personalize the voice in your Icon that is used to alert you on headset status, battery level, and caller I.D. Voices range from the sexy bombshell to the intelligent thinker.

DialApps are also available to customize the talk button's functionality. By default, pressing and holding the talk button launches the voice dial feature. Through MyTalk you can customize that feature to launch alternative applications that include directory assistance, Jott (a hands-free note, reminder, and Twitter/Facebook/Google interface), or hands-free email applications.

Performance

No complaints.  The Noise Assassin technology does a fantastic job of eliminating background noise and the ear speaker is equally clear.  I had no issues pairing the Icon with my Tilt2, adjusting the volume or battery life.  Voice dialing was a different story and I can't necessarily fault the Icon for the voice dialing failure.  I'm running a custom ROM that has a history of voice dialing challenges.

Jawbone lists battery life to be up to 4.5 hours of talk time and 10 days of standby time.  It has a range of 33 feet.  Based on my use of the Icon, these measures from Jawbone appear to be accurate.

Overall Impressions

The Jawbone Icon is a compact, basic function, high performance Bluetooth headset. I found it to be very comfortable to wear, often forgetting I had it plugged into my ear. The Icon is a little on the beefy side but only with respect to thickness, not weight.

Audio quality is amongst, if not the, best of any other Bluetooth headsets on the market today. Calls came in clear and with Noise Assassin, you don't have to worry about background noises getting in your way.

Throw in MyTalk and the capability of the Icon increases to allow for customization, updates, and hands-on integration with productivity applications.

The only nit I have with the Icon is the location of the talk button. You get used to it but had Jawbone placed it on the surface of the Icon the operation would have been more natural. I like the dedicated power switch but the Jawbone should rethink the location of the talk button when designing the Icon's successor.

Overall, I was pleased with the Jawbone Icon but would you choose the Icon over the Prime?  I like the compact size of the Icon but the Prime seemed easier to manipulate.  With the MyTalk interface, the Icon becomes more customizable.  If you don't use voice dialing, you can replace that feature with something more useful.

The level of customization gives the Icon the advantage and if you're looking for a compact, versatile Bluetooth headset, the Icon should make everyone's short list.

Plantronics has been producing audio headsets since 1962 and seems to have always been present in the wireless headset market. There latest offering is the Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Headset ($89.95). Sporting a unique design, this semi-compact headset has a lot of potential boasting excellent sound quality in an eye catching design.

To see how the Discovery 925 comes out in the wash, read on!

Out of the Box

The Discovery 925 comes packaged with a charger cradle/case, an assortment of various sized ear gels, a USB Cable and an owner's manual. Taking out of the packaging, the first thing that stands out is the weight. At only .28 ounces, Plantronics wasn't too far off by adding a feather to the packaging art work. The device is a little on the long side due to the triangular boom, measuring about 2.5 inches in length. I don't know if the boom has audio purposes but I don't see where anything functional (e.g. microphone) is on it. In reading the product material the V shaped boom helps capture your voice, funneling towards the microphone. However, this would really be a nifty headset if you could cut off the boom.

The Discovery 925 has two controls, a call control button and a volume control button. The main surface of the headset is the call control button and the volume control button is located on the rear side of the unit. A multi-colored LED rests behind the call control button to verify/alert users of functions. A variety of tones and beeps is also present for verification/alerts.

Battery life is reported to be up to five hours of talk time and up to a hundred seventy-five hours of stand-by time. If you use the headset's multi-point feature (allowing it to pair with multiple devices) the standby time drops to one hundred hours. The nice thing about battery life with the Discovery 925 is that the charging base doubles as a portable charging solution. The charger itself makes for a nice case, wrapped in synthetic leather but, when fully charged, it will also provide one full charge to the 925.

Performance

Pairing the Discovery 925 is an uneventful process and within minutes I was connected to my Samsung BlackJack II. The connection was very good with no static present. The 925 was comfortable to wear but felt a little loose. You really need to try all the ear gels to find the best fit. I don't think I'd go jogging with the Discovery 925 but once you got used to the feel, it handled routine activities well.

Call quality was a mixed bag. Reception was really good for incoming calls and the microphone filtered out background noise equally as well. My voice was picked up with no problem using normal tone and volume but it sounded strange, almost robotic or digital. You can understand what is being said but it would be easy to mistake someone by the sound of their voice.

The Discovery 925 has the standard features including voice dialing (phone dependant), last number redial, call reject, mute, and call transfer. Additionally, the 925 has multi-point capability allowing it to pair with multiple devices at the same time. This feature can be turned off to converse power. All the functions, except volume control, are handled through various touches, taps, and holds of the call control button. The button is easy to access and while it may sound like a lot for one button to control, once you get used to the activation patterns, it's easy.

Overall Impression

As far as performance goes, the Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Headset ($89.95) is a very good headset. Earpiece volume was good, the connection between the 925 and phone was solid, and a good amount of background noise was filtered out. The only weak spot was the odd twist it would put on my voice at times. You could still hear me without problems but it made my voice a little unrecognizable.

The feature set is standard and the ability to turn off the multi-point signal should you not need to pair the Discovery 925 to multiple devices, does help conserve power.

With respect to comfort, the 925 rode well but I just couldn't get used to the triangular boom. The main part of the Discovery 925 is a little thick but because the headset is so lightweight, you don't notice it.

If you can live with the Discovery 925's longer size, you should give it strong consideration when shopping for a Bluetooth headset. Especially one with multi-point capabilities.

Having 4 GB of MP3's on my WM phone is great, but often times it is very limiting when I want to play them on my home stereo or in the car. Wouldn't it be nice to turn nearly any stereo into a bluetooth compatibility with your WM phone so you could stream all of your favorite MP3's? This is exactly what I have been wanting to do. So I started looking around to see if someone was smart enough to solve this challenge. It did not take me long to find a potential solution from the dark side of any WM user... Blackberry!

Blackberry has a very small and sleek looking Blackberry Remote Bluetooth Stereo Gateway. The idea is that you can turn any stereo with either a 3.5 mm earphone jack or RCA auxiliary input, into a Bluetooth stereo that can stream your MP3's from your phone to your stereo with any A2DP-compatible bluetooth enabled WM phone. It sounds great, but how well would a Blackberry accessory work with my WM phone? This is what I set out to discover.

Design and Setup

When I first held the device in my hand, I was impressed with how sleek it looked and how small it is. It felt very solid as well. The top is a glossy black, which looks nice, but shows every single fingerprint every time you touch it. There is a LED light at top which shows when it has power, is in pairing mode, or connected to a Bluetooth phone. The on and off button is in the center of the top. It is basically a touch sensitive flat top.

On the unit there are two jacks. One is a mini USB port for power, that can be hooked up to a USB port or use a wall charger with a mini USB. The other jack is hook up to your stereo with either a 3.5 mm headphone jack or RCA auxiliary input... both of these cables are included. It was a no brainer to connect the device to a home stereo via both the earphone jack and the auxiliary RCA input. It also worked great in my car stereo with a 3.5 mm input jack.

The only possible downside I see, is that the Blackberry Remote Bluetooth Stereo Gateway must be plugged in to work. It does not have a battery. I have a car charger with a USB port in it, that I use a mini USB cable with for power, but it would have been really nice to have a rechargeable battery for easier portal use in cars.

Pairing and Bluetooth Compatibility

When you first plug in the Blackberry Remote Bluetooth Stereo Gateway, it immediately put itself into paring mode, which I liked. My WM PPC-6800 found it just fine, but failed to pair when I entered the 0000 code to finalize the pairing process. I repeated this 4 or 5 times with the same result. I even tried a soft reset on my phone to make sure that was not the issue. I then started to focus on the device. So I tried to pair it with my Fusic. It did it the first time. After that, my WM PPC-6800 paired on the first try without a hitch. I deleted the pair relationship and repeated the pairing process 3 more times and could not duplicate the initial error.

Once it was paired with my WM phone, I started testing its connection distance and how easily it regained its bluetooth connection once lost. While listening to music on my stereo, I started walking away with my WM phone. Not until I was about 25 feet away did I start to hear some breaking up with the bluetooth connection. At just over 30 feet I lost the connection. This was pretty impressive. As I walked back, it regained its bluetooth connection immediately and continued to play my music. Even when you unplug the Blackberry Remote Bluetooth Stereo Gateway and then turn it back on, it will reestablish the bluetooth connection in a very short time.

The BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway claims it is compatible with nearly all Bluetooth enabled mobile devices so you can stream your music from your PC, laptop, or any other A2DP-compatible mobile phone. Even though I had several failed pairing attempts initially, I did personally successfully test it with my WM PPC-6800, my Dell Laptop, and my Fusic cell phone without any more problems at all.

Sound Quality

When you are talking about sound quality with streaming audio via an A2DP-compatible bluetooth connection, you are very wise to approach it with apprehension. Past experience has shown me that this can vary greatly, and often times with less than satisfactory results. With that in mind, I was very pleasantly surprised by the sound quality that came out of my stereo. If I had just walked into the room and heard the music, I never would have guessed it was streaming MP3's via a bluetooth connection. I found no crackling... no hissing... no breakups in the streaming. Needless to say, I had to admit to myself that I was very impressed.

Every Day Use

Once paired, it was a breeze to use. So even though I am an avid WM user, I have to admit that Blackberry has really scored with their Remote Bluetooth Stereo Gateway. It reconnects on its own to any paired device. The sound quality is phenomenal. It is easy to connect to any stereo with an input option. I really enjoy my Blackberry Remote Bluetooth Stereo Gateway . As I mentioned above, my only suggestion is to add a rechargeable battery for easier use in the car. Other than that, it is truly a very easy way to add stereo Bluetooth compatibility to nearly any stereo at home or on the road.

Just the Facts

• Use your BlackBerry smartphone or A2DP-compatible music phone to play and wirelessly control music on your home stereo
• Display smartphone while recharging, taking calls, watching videos or listening to music
• Connect the Gateway using the accompanying 3.5mm stereo cable or RCA auxiliary cable to your stereo system, turn on the gateway, and pair your device to the Gateway
• Small and sleek design - the BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway is one of the smallest gateways available
• Easy to use, one touch pairing
• Includes BlackBerry Folding Blade Charger
• Blackberry Audio Remote Gateway user manual.