Jabra stereo headset grabs a gong
According to technology research boffins IMS the market for Bluetooth Stereo headsets is estimated to reach 21 million by 2010. That should make Jabra
According to technology research boffins IMS the market for Bluetooth Stereo headsets is estimated to reach 21 million by 2010.
That should make Jabra a very happy spring bunny as it’s on the precipice of shipping its first batch of Bluetooth 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) headphones.
We’ve already waxed lyrical about recent developments in the world of wireless headphones [story here] but having just seen the latest award-winning offering from Jabra, we felt we should share the goodness.
The BT620 (pictured above) look properly street. Weighing in at 100g, they’re not the lightest pair of wireless headphones around at the moment – Saitek’s A-350 are a measly 55g – but they’re still only the weight equivalent of two bags of Walkers.
Like Bluetake’s iPHONO mini, you can use the BT620 for hands-free phone chats as well as listening to music. It’s especially good for dealing with excess chatter – the headset’s microphone contains Digital Signal Processing for active digital noise cancelling. So if you’re on the bus you can cut out the din of the wittering nutter sat beside you.
In the tunes department, the A2DP stereo headset provides unplugged stereo sound direct from anything with a 3.5mm headphone jack and comes with Bluetooth 2.0 EDR. You also get 4 hours of music streaming and up to 16 hours of talk time on a single charge – recharge time is about 2 hours – which is good by wireless standards. Plus you can control your music from controls on the headset.
If you don’t have Bluetooth on your PC, Jabra’s going to sell the A320s dongle, a stereo USB adapter kitted out with the latest version of Bluetooth.
The headphones are retailing for $129 in the US; we’re still waiting for news on UK pricing but expect it to be in the £100 region. There’s no word yet on the price tag for the A320s.
16/01/06 Update:
The BT620 has 14 hours of music, not four.
The BT620 does not have BT 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (the A320 does).
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Dan Grabham
Editor-in-Chief 
