The Aliph Jawbone Noise Shield Bluetooth headset is a spectacular looking product that comes in a drop-dead gorgeous display case. It's the creation of a very talented, upscale design firm, and features some truly innovative electronics to both squelch outside noise so you can hear and be heard, and a plethora of earloops and earbuds to help it correctly fit almost anyone who has ears.
The manual is excellent. Battery life is robust, although that initial out-of-the-box full charge-up seemed like an eternity, subsequent partial charges are very quick.
Its noise reduction and earpiece auto-amplification circuitry DO work, although in my tests with it, not as well as the hard-wired theBoom headsets. Volume control with one rather than two buttons is odd, but not obnoxious. The lack of a screaming blue light is a pleasant change.
Its main downfall is the quality of the earpiece speaker. It's simply bass-less and tinny sounding, and a little pouch to carry it should be included, but isn't.
All things considered, the Jawbone IS worthy of your attention if you're shopping for your first Bluetooth headset or just want to try something new, different, and elegant. It's bound to draw stares and questions because it just looks so wildly different than any other competing headset on the market. In the looks department, I'd give both the headset and its packaging an A . Ergonomics, maybe B . Manual, definitely an A. Noise reduction outgoing a B, quality of the incoming sound a C. Is the all black model worth $20.00 more? Not to me, but maybe to you.
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| Pros |
Absolutely stunning, unique design, like nothing else
Electronic noise reduction and automatic adaptive volume control
Only two buttons control everything
Spectacular, museum-quality package contains a LOT of accessories
Excellent pocket manual
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| Cons |
Bizarre, non-standard power connector
Very tinny sound from the earpiece
No carrying pouch
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