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Jawbone Bluetooth Headset with NoiseAssassin-Jawbone 2(Black)[Retail Packaged] | ![Jawbone Bluetooth Headset with NoiseAssassin-Jawbone 2(Black)[Retail Packaged]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4143b6HAExL._SL160_.jpg)
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| Brand: Jawbone
Category: Wireless
List Price: $129.99
Buy New: $78.99
You Save: $51.00 (39%)
New (32)
Rating:  335 reviews
Sales Rank: 3
Format: Cd
Color: Black
Media: Wireless Phone Accessory
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Operating System: N/A
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.6
Dimensions (in): 0.5 x 1 x 2
MPN: Jawbone II
Model: Jawbone II
UPC: 811726010019
EAN: 0822248988861
ASIN: B001AQYUWC
Release Date: June 28, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Bluetooth headset in gold with military-grade noise elimination technology and invisible touch controls | | • | Patented Voice Activity Sensor that feels your speech | | • | Includes 3 earbuds, 2 leather earloops, and 2 slim earloops for a personalized fit | | • | Magnetic USB cable and wall charger delivers 80 percent charge in 35 minutes (full charge in less than 1 hour) | | • | Over 4 hours of talk time and 8 days of standby time |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Jawbone 2 is the next step in the integration of best-in-class noise elimination technology with personal design that is both humanistic and minimal. It has powerful noise suppression algorithms for use in the most extreme acoustic noise environments including battlefields and helicopters. The algorithms use Jawbone's two microphones and the VAS (Voice Activity Sensor) to accurately model the noise environment. Jawbone detects when and how a person is speaking, models the noise, and aggressively eliminates it. Conventional "noise eliminating" headsets do not have the VAS and can only estimate when speech is occurring with software-based Voice Activation Detection (VAD) systems. For these systems to work, the speech must be significantly louder or spectrally different from the noise. These systems fail in loud environments or in the presence of other people's speech. Furthermore, because they can't accurately identify the speech signals, they distort the speech in the process of attempting to eliminate the noise. The result of this distortion is a significant degradation in intelligibility and quality in order to achieve a perceptual reduction in noise.
Amazon.com Product Description
Setting new standards for mobile voice clarity and personal style, the new Jawbone Bluetooth headset by Aliph represents a complete departure from the gadgetry of the mobile headset industry. Originally developed for military use in extreme environments, Jawbone features NoiseAssassin--a proprietary technology that eliminates background noise from mobile phone conversations. Jawbone is the only Bluetooth headset with a Voice Activity Sensor (VAS) that actually feels your speech, which helps Jawbone distinguish your voice from background noise. 
The new Jawbone in black. |  |  | Widely recognized as the best Bluetooth headset on the market, the new Jawbone is 50 percent smaller than the original, award-winning Jawbone, offer over 4 hours of talk time, and comes with three earbuds and four earloops for a comfortable and personalized fit. Military-Grade NoiseAssassin Technology
Developed over years of research for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Jawbone's NoiseAssassin eliminates real world noise better than competing headset because it's the only hands free device that accurately separates human speech from ambient noise. Unmatched in its ability to remove noise from loud environments like busy streets, cars, crowded cafes, and airports, NoiseAssassin is comprised of two features unique to Jawbone: a patented Voice Activity Sensor (VAS) and proprietary Digital Signal Processing (DSP) algorithms. Jawbone is the only Bluetooth headset with a VAS that feels the speech vibrations from your jaw. This enables Jawbone to capture the distinct frequencies of your voice. Proprietary DSP algorithms work in concert with two powerful microphones and the VAS to accurately model surrounding noise and aggressively eliminate it from the conversation. Conventional "noise suppression" headsets do not have a Voice Activity Sensor and can only estimate when speech is occurring. This causes performance issues like voice distortion, especially in the presence background noise. Not Just a Headset, It's Earwear
Made with premium materials like medical-grade plastic and fine leather, the new Jawbone with NoiseAssassin combines science and beauty in the most unassuming, yet richly detailed product. Every effort has been made to contain best in class noise suppression technology in a miniature form that is 50 percent smaller than the original, award-winning Jawbone. The new Jawbone accomplishes a clean and sophisticated look thanks to invisible buttons. Touch-surface technology allows the user to operate switches by lightly pressing the outer shield. Curved and rectilinear to follow the face, the outer shield is lightly textured and inspired by three-dimensional noise abatement surfaces. The infer surface, the one touching your face and creating contact with the Voice Activity Sensor, is gently curved to be ergonomic and comfortable on your skin. Offering a comfortable and personalized fit, the new Jawbone comes with three sizes of earbuds and four earloops--two sizes of leather and two of slim, which are ideal for use with eyeglasses. Jawbone can also be worn on either ear and with or without an earloop. Specifications
- Talk time: Over 4 hours
- Standby time: Over 8 days
- Range: Up to 33 feet (10 meters)
- Weight: 10 grams (0.35 ounces)
- Supports Bluetooth 1.0, 1.1, 2.0
- 80 percent charge in 35 minutes (full charge in less than 1 hour)
What's in the Box
The new Jawbone with NoiseAssassin by Aliph headset, magnetic USB cable and wall charger, 3 earbuds, 2 leather earloops, 2 slim earloops, QuickStart Guide
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| Customer Reviews: Read 330 more reviews...
 Most of the "fit" problems are due to the lack of instructions July 11, 2008
32 out of 32 found this review helpful
Purchased this after a lot of amazon reviews.
The sound quality is as described (positives) in most of the reviews, and very happy with mine in all situations (street, wind noise, driving highway speed noise, and even in my convertible top down at city speeds).
Jawbone "Fit" problem that most people report could have easily been corrected by treating the ear-loop as an adjustable eye-wear and hand-adjust for a good fit. I had a initial problem also -- the ear-loop wire was too close to the top of my ear and was uncomfortable to wear after a few min.
Here is a simple guide.
1. Take the ear-loop off.
2. Find the ear bud that fits your ear, both comfortable and would actually hold the unit on without the ear-loop. That size would provide both the tight enough and comfortable fit.
3. Put a ear-loop on. Start adjusting the top so that there is no to little pressure to the top of your ear. I found that ear-loop sizes makes very little difference (included large, small, etc sizes are too similar to make a difference anyway).
4. Then bend the ear-loop toward to unit so that it provides support on the back -- but no need to go for a exact or tight fit. If you had used wire-frame eye-glasses, you should be familiar with this process.
5. The key steps are the #2 and #3 above. Should not take you more than a few minutes to get the comfortable enough fit you need, and forever to get that perfect fit (just like eye glasses).
======== Not related to "fit" problem, but Quality of my unit ====
- Update after 2+ weeks of use.
- Too bad I cannot change the 5 star rating down to some lower # based on this updated experience.
The fit (as adjusted above) and sound quality has been great.
The Problem with my Unit: My unit shuts down randomly, almost regardless of the battery status (I have hade my unit charged near full, since I was not traveling during this period). Most often during a call, and seldom during standby. Once the unit shuts down, it behaves as if the battery has run down and would not turn back on, for up to 15 mins (did not try after that). But after an hour or two, the unit could be turns on and operates for a few more hours (and for even 1 hour conference call). So this is not clearly run-down battery problem, but something else.
Now for the Aliph (the MFGR) Customer Service: Called Jawbone directly, and they insist that the problem is my phone dropping the call. Now I explained that yes, this could happen if you have the phone in your pocket, and some keys could be pressed..., but it does not explain the case when I had the phone on my desk, nor explain why the unit would not turn back on (not just dropping the call, but shutdown), yet operate properly after a ~ few hours. The Customer Service insisted that this is not a problem with their unit -- would not even recognize the logical disagreement in the evidence I provided and their explanation. This problem happened about every other day with normal business use (~ 1 hour talk, ~15~20 calls, 6+ hour standby per day). BTW, I got to a live person to talk to in less than 1 min -- fairly positive and frankly impressive when I now normally expect menus, menus and more phones menus and no live person interaction for 10~20 min.
I am returning the unit for replacement -- still like the sound quality and the fit. If the replacement behaves the same way as my current unit, I will be giving up on this unit and seek alternative.
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Quick update on replacement -- the replacement unit (new) works flawlessly. Perhaps the quality problem discussed on this forum is true for this manufacturer for now...
the best bluetooth ever June 26, 2008
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
I have had this headset for about 2 weeks now. The noise reduction is remarkable. I can be in a airport and no one even knows I am out of my office.
Sound - The sound is a great.
Comfort - I have owned at least a dozen Bluetooth headsets and this is by far the most comfortable. There are different clips and ear pieces that come with the headset. I have worn it for over 9 hours straight and don't even know it's there.
Charging - Propriety USB charger that plugs into the back of the phone. They also supply a plug for an outlet so you can charge it without your computer.
Battery - Very remarkable battery life.
Instant hipness July 10, 2008
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
I've tried a number of BT headsets - Palm, Motorola, Jabra - and this is the one. For a while, at least.
The original Jawbone was cool - I REALLY wish they made v2 in RED - but a wee bit big-and-clunky-looking. This thing is the right size and fit.
The charge cable is hip. The connector attaches magnetically, a la the Quackenbush AC adaptor. The other end is USB for your PC or plugging into the AC adaptor dongle. Very smart (but don't lose it!).
It works seamlessly with my Treo - linking is just dirt simple. Sound quality both ways is very good.
I had to play with the fit with some Jabra gels, but all better now. The noise reduction relies on contact with your cheek, so the ear hook and earpiece have to be selected to jack the body of the headset around to the correct position. The 3 sized seals that come with the JB2 are all round - the holes in your ear are not. I have tall ears and small holes, so it took some playing to make the thing sit correctly.
My reservations:
- The "hidden buttons" are neat, though I do wonder how long the membrane switches will last.
- The ear buds need to be re-molded for anatomical compatibility.
- The ear hooks are plastic (think about it) and can't be bent for a custom fit.
- The charger contacts on the JB2 are exposed. I sweat. Because the AC adaptor makes a pressure (rather than wiping) contact, I wonder if there will be long-term reliability issues with corrosion. (Trust me - I'll post a ruthless follow-up if the contacts rot.)
- The charger dongle has fold-out AC plug tines. Hogs space on outlets or power strips. It's small, but needs to be re-thought.
- The covers on the ear hooks are leather. See sweat issue above.
Overall, JB2 is very well thought out and should work well for most folks.
Great design, great quality, great buy! June 12, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
First off, let me say that my review on this product doesn't take into account any comparison to other Bluetooth sets. I bought this headset because of the new law in California coming up where it becomes illegal to talk on the phone while driving without a hands free device. It is the first Bluetooth headset I have owned and I'll just give you my opinion from my experience thus far. I also want to let you know that I am using this with an iPhone. So here we go!
First things first: the design. When i first started in looking at headsets I was disappointed at how ugly and bulky the majority of Bluetooth headsets were. Even looking at the old jawbone, I don't know how people use them without dying of embarrassment . The Jawbone 2 is by far the nicest looking headset on the market today and was well worth the extra money for its light and compact form factor. The outside portion has a chic, designer styling with a great looking, low profile ear-loop wrapped in leather. If you look back at the old ear-loop design you can see how much of an improvement this is. Even looking at the Jawbone 2 picture here on Amazon doesn't do it justice. I actually don't mind wearing it away from the home or car. There is a 2 color led light (red & white) hidden on the ridge of one of the little diamonds on the face and all of the buttons are hidden underneath the casing. Someone noted that they didn't like the hidden buttons because when they placed it in their ear the headset turns off. I have never had this problem once. It takes all of a second to put the headset in my ear - to turn the headset off you have to hold the button down for a couple of seconds. I usually place it in my ear from the sides anyways and maybe push inwards only for second to ensure a snug fit. The button commands were very easy to learn. Overall this is the best looking headset around.
Next up, looking at the fit: A lot of people seem to have problems with getting the headset to fit correctly. Maybe it's just a case by case basis where problems occur, because after choosing the correct earpiece, not only does the earpiece stay firmly in place, but I don't even need to use the ear-loop! I was looking into the whole deal where people are apparently using Jabra ear gels with their sets, but I don't feel like its necessary. The fit is so snug that I can shake my head from side to side vigorously and it doesn't move at all. And again, that's without the ear-loop! It doesn't hurt or anything but I don't know if I would forget that it was in my ear. The longest conversation that I have had on it was 90 minutes and comfort wasn't really an issue. Sometimes I put the ear-loop on if I'm walking for extended periods of time just as a safety precaution. I spent too much to risk letting it drop. The ear loop makes things a little less comfortable, but mainly because I'm in between the two sizes they give you. Why do they give you a medium size and an XL size but nothing in between? No idea, but I don't use it often enough to need to worry about it. Fit is important to keep the vibration sensor pressed against your cheeck. If you don't keep the sensor against your face the device won't work properly. Sorry to the people with long side burns or beards, this product probably won't work for you. Because everyone has different sized ears, I would recommend buying this product from a place like Best Buy so you can return it, no questions asked, if it doesnt fit properly. Overall I would give the comfort a 7/10.
Now the sound quality. I actually just took a 30 min break from writing this review to make a call and make sure I write an accurate review. I checked with the other person multiple times through out the conversation if they were hearing me ok, they said "perfectly clear" each time. My volume was at a little less than half way which was more than enough to hear the other person perfectly clearl. No muffled sound, just crystal clear sound quality. Perhaps those people with problems have a defective unit. I've never had anyone complain, nor have I had any complaints, about the sound quality. One thing that I don't necessarily like is how you change the volume. To change the volume, you press the noise assassin button to cycle up through the different levels. Once it reaches max volume it goes back to the lowest setting. My friend told me that when I pressed it a few times, from his side it sounded like aliens were invading -- which is what it sounds like from my side too (think Space Invaders). The ringing sound and volume chime are pretty ugly sounding but aren't really anything to get upset about. It's just too bad you can't hear your cell phone's ringtone through the headset. One thing to note is that when you cycle through the volume levels, it's not making a change within the headset hardware, but actually changing to volume on the cell phone itself. I don't know if that's how all Bluetooth headsets are, but I just thought it was worth a mention. Because my phone has a volume rocker on the side, I just click that if I need to change the volume. It's usually set at the right volume anyways. One other minor thing is that the Noise Assassin seems to work from both sides. If the other person is in a noisy room, it will be really quiet when they aren't talking, but when they are talking you can hear some of the background noise on their end. It's hard to describe, but there's something about going from noise...to perfectly quiet... constantly...that got a little annoying over time. Quick fix, I just turned off the Noise Assassin by pressing the back of the headset for a couple of seconds (it's on by default). The Noise Assassin, by the way, makes it so quiet that if the person doesn't talk for a couple of seconds I'm tempted to say "uhh...hello? Are you still there?" It's dead quiet. As if they hung up the phone and you are no longer connected. I guess this could be considered good and bad in different ways, and Aliph probably designed the Jawbone that way, but again this can always be turned off.
A few other things worth mentioning: The headset comes with small, medium, and large ear pieces and 2 sets of ear-loops (2 sizes, 2 plastic and 2 leather covered). Make sure you try them all out to get the best fit. For me, the medium earpiece was more comfortable, but large gave me a more snug fit (important for keeping the sensor on your check) and better sound. If I'm just sitting at a desk or driving, the medium ear piece works fine and I forget that its even there. Too much movement causes problems in quality from the other end though. People with problems might want to try going up an earpiece size. It also comes with a nice charger that has a plug with USB input, and a USB cable with a magnetic charging head. When you plug the headset in you lose the Bluetooth connection and the jawbone turns off. This means that when you receive a call you have to unplug the jawbone, hold the outside button for 2 seconds until it turns on and wait another second or two for the connection to be made. I've missed calls this way and usually just answer the phone and tell the person to hold on for a sec.
The Bluetooth signal is pretty strong. Some people mentioned that they had problems with dropped Bluetooth signals, but I havent had one yet. I live in a studio apartment and usually just keep the phone docked, headset in my ear, and even walk around the studio while on a call without any signal loss.
Price wasn't really an issue for me, but might be for others. Even with its high price, I feel like it was well worth it. Other than price, and a few other minor dislikes (nothing worth lowering score for), I'm very happy with this headset and would recommend it to anyone.
NOTE: I check the posting here on Amazon.com from time to time and I noticed that the price has been fluctuating almost daily and well above MSRP. I bought mine from the Jawbone web site (Aliph.com) for $129.99. If you DO buy it online you might want to go there.
Better fit, lighter, louder than the original June 11, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I bought the "original" jawbone when it was released. After breaking several ear hooks, and trying several combinations of the included ear buds and after market ones, I was finally able to get an "ok" fit. The original jawbone suffered from a lack of incoming sound as well as a problem with the charger, after several charges, of snapping off the end of the jawbone connector, exposing part of the circuitry. The original jawbone was rather large, but, it did work as advertised.
Now with the new jawbone, Aliph must have been listening to the feedback/complaints from their users. The easily to break ear hooks have been replaced. They have a pseudo leather wrap, for those that don't wear glasses, and a bare version for those who the larger diameter hooks may interfere with their glasses. The ear buds have also been redesigned.
The old ones had a 1/2 twist to lock them on and off the headset, which,
after several tries/attempts to get a good fit, would either break, or fall off. The new ear buds are much softer and simply pop on and off the headset. The charger has been improved. It now works similar to the chargers for the Apple line of notebooks. There are two small magnets on either side of the four pins for the charger. You place the charger close to the new jawbone and it will snap into place, and the red charge light
will come on, verifying that the connection is made. Charge time has been improved, to 45 minutes on a dead battery. On the downside, the talk/standby time was reduced, most likely, do to the smaller size.
On a personal note, I preferred the original jawbone buttons,
which had a slight raised feel, for the connect/disconnect. The new one,
once you find the sweet spot is ok, but the raised one was better.
The way you activate voice dialing is different. On the old jawbone, you
hit the connect/disconnect button. On the new one, you press the noise assassin button. This also doubles as the volume button during a call.
the locations for the microphones have changed. Depending on if you wear the headset on the left or right side, the microphones are on the top or bottom of the headset, which, will aid in reducing wind noise, and the wind won't be as prone to blow directly into the microphone. Size & weight are reduced as well.
Out of the box, after charging, the first time you turn it on, it is automatically in pairing mode, so, you will need to have your phone in
discovery mode before you turn it on.
As for sound, everyone says the outgoing sound is a little better, but, the outgoing sound, according to my friends, was good to start with.
Noise reduction has apparently been tweaked, as friends say they "hear less" background noise, but as with the outgoing sound, there wasn't much ougoing noise to start with. As with my old jawbone, since I work in a noisy environment some times, I turned the noise assassin off starting my tests, in a shop, with several LOUD mouthed people yacking away, then turned the noise assassin on, and the background noise disappeared.
I then turned a vacuum on and the other party could not hear the vacuum,
until I turned the noise assassin off.
I use an aftermarket jetsound custom ear piece, because I wear my headset
8-10 hours a day, therefore I cannot speak about the durability of the ear hooks, but they appear to be MUCH improved over the original jawbone.
All in all, I think Aliph did a great job improving what was already
one of the best noise canceling headsets out there.
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