Hands-Down Winner in Headset Tests

By ELIZABETH DOUGLASS

Aug. 16, 2001 12 AM PT

elizabeth.douglas@latimes.com

These days, leading headset makers Plantronics Inc. in Santa Cruz, Jabra Corp. of San Diego and others are booking record sales for “ear bud” and other hands-free mobile phone devices. One reason is the common-sense realization that holding a phone and driving at the same time is a safety hazard.

There’s a growing list of countries, states and communities that have banned drivers from using hand-held cell phones. In California, a cell phone ban bill stalled in May, but lawmakers have vowed to revive the matter in January. The proposed California law, like most others so far, would make exceptions for emergency situations and calls that are made using a hands-free device.

For mobile phone maniacs, the easiest and cheapest way to comply with such laws is to buy a headset. But which one? To help sort out the choices, I tested 12 headsets.

I confined my tests to headsets that are widely available and modestly priced from $20 to $45 or so. I excluded speakerphones and hands-free systems that are custom-fitted for each car. I also ignored the small selection of devices that eliminate the wire between the headset and the cell phone.

Soon, many companies will be selling completely wireless headsets that use a shortwave radio technology known as Bluetooth to send signals between mobile phones and headsets, typically by embedding a special chip inside both devices. Ericsson makes a Bluetooth system now, but since phones don’t yet have the chips built in, the system includes a special earpiece and a Bluetooth adapter that fits Ericsson cell phones ($199 list price).

The most widely available phone headsets, however, are tethered, with a small wire to transmit signals between the phone and headset. They come in three basic styles: ear bud (which slips inside the ear), over-the-ear or headband. Each type is designed to cover one ear only, to make sure drivers can still hear sirens, horns, screeching tires and so forth.

Ear buds, popularized by the Sony Walkman, are the most discreet of the bunch. They come with a speaker as big around as a dime, with a replaceable thin foam covering for cushion. The ear bud fits snugly inside the ear, with a small microphone attached to the cord several inches down, usually with no separate volume or microphone controls.

I tested several ear bud, over-the-ear and headband versions, wearing each headset in my car for at least 30 minutes. Each of them plugged easily into my mobile phone’s 2.5-millimeter audio jack input, which is the standard size for both mobile phones and cordless phones. If your phone has a nonstandard jack, you’ll need an adapter or a headset that matches your phone model.

Over several days, I made test calls while driving at freeway speeds and in places where my cell phone registered a signal at full strength. Test calls were recorded on my voicemail for comparison, and the units were rated based on comfort, sound quality and features.

My overall favorite was the Plantronics M175 ($35 to $45), which has a boom microphone and volume and mute controls on the cord and can be worn headband-style or with an over-the-ear loop instead. Both styles were comfortable. The biggest plus was the sound--it was the best of the batch, by far. The speaker was loud and clear, and my recorded test calls were so crisp that it was hard to tell the calls came from a car.

I found that headsets with boom microphones provided the best-sounding calls because they place the microphone close to the user’s mouth. Boom microphones also tend to make conversations a bit more private in public spaces.

Another Plantronics headset, the M135 ($30 to $35), was a close second. It is an over-the-ear unit with the same sound quality and controls on the cord but without the headband option.

Two other over-the-ear headsets are worth mentioning: the Earglove from GoNeo and Body Glove ($25) and a new product called the RF3, made by Unical Enterprises Inc. and marketed by Northwestern Bell Phones ($49). The downside is the lack of volume or mute controls separate from the phone.

The Earglove is an obvious offshoot of Body Glove, the maker of neoprene athletic gear. The headset has a black foam sheath covering its flexible ear loop and a small, exchangeable, brightly colored foam tube covering its stubby boom mike. The sound was fine and was plenty comfortable, though it lacks separate controls.

Unical’s RF3 is a unique item. Its design is sleek, a mix of silver aluminum, black plastic and light blue tubing. What makes it unusual is the use of air-filled plastic tubing from the earpiece to the dangling microphone then black cord from there to the phone. The company says the design “reduces the possibility of radiation reaching your head.”

I didn’t test the anti-radiation claim, but I found the headset comfortable, and it fared well on my test calls. However, I found it harder to hear conversations on the RF3 than with other headsets.

Almost all the headsets I tried were comfortable for short periods, but several started to hurt after 20 minutes of use.

Comfort is important, though, so if your first selection doesn’t feel or sound right, try another. They’re not that expensive.

Most of the ear buds have thin foam covers for the ear bud speaker, which makes them more comfortable, but they are annoying and awkward to put on. In this category, I had two favorites: the Jabra EarSet ($35 to $39) and the Plantronics M205 ($21 to $35).

The Jabra EarSet has the microphone built into its in-the-ear gel piece, and the sound was better than the dangling microphones I tried. It was comfortable and almost as hidden as a traditional ear bud.

Jabra headsets are a unique variation on the ear bud, using brightly colored gel-like ear inserts that come in three sizes for each ear. I found the Jabra ear inserts to be oddly shaped and take some practice to insert correctly, but they are comfortable, washable and replaceable, and they allow for air circulation to reduce the chance of ear infection. Some versions include the speaker and the microphone in the earpiece instead of using a dangling microphone.

Over-the-ear headsets typically stay in place using a C-shaped loop that hooks over the ear. Some hooks are thin and hard, some are padded and adjustable, so comfort can vary. The ones I tried may not fit well if you wear eyeglasses or sunglasses that have thick frames.

Headband, or over-the-head, headsets have a plastic or wire frame (preferably adjustable), with an ear pad on one side that covers the outside of the ear. Most come with a boom-style microphone that stretches close to the mouth. When they fit right, headband units are comfortable, stable and provide great sound. Ill-fitting headbands, though, can hurt your ear or head over time and may not be comfortable with glasses.

The Plantronics ear bud earned a spot on my hit list because it was one of the only ear bud headsets I’ve seen with volume and mute controls--features that are necessary if you want to keep your hands off your mobile phone. Similar Plantronics models for Nokia phones (M206-N1 and M206-N2) come with a button to answer or hang up the phone.

Alas, the M205 doesn’t have sound like its boom-microphone brethren, but it’s at least equal to other ear bud headsets I tried.

Now, go forth. Keep in mind that most people believe that headsets do not significantly reduce the danger of driving and carrying on a conversation. But if you can’t stop talking while you drive, at least take a headset along for the ride.

Times staff writer Elizabeth Douglass covers wireless technologies.

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The Skinny

Plantronics M175

Type: Headband; can be changed to over-the-ear

Price: $35-$45; phones with nonstandard or no headset jack will need an adapter ($10-$20)

Comfort: Very good; top performer in headband mode

Sound quality: Excellent; almost eliminates background car noise

Controls: Separate volume and mute controls on cord

Color: Black

The good: Terrific sound quality; offers two headset types in one package; conversations are more private

The bad: Headband musses hair and looks geeky; boom mike tells the world you’re on the phone

Bottom line: A great option for those who value quality sound (a similar model, without the headband, is Plantronics M135, in espresso or blue/purple colors)

Jabra EarSet

Type: In-the-ear

Price: $35-$39; most EarSet models with adapters are the same price, but some cost more

Comfort: Good; ear gels come in three sizes

Sound quality: Good; microphone is built into the earpiece, reducing extraneous noises picked up by dangling mics

Controls: No separate controls for volume or mute

Colors: Device is black; ear gels come in clear, black, “jewel” or “fiesta.”

The good: Most comfortable in-the-ear style; replaceable and washable ear gels

The bad: No separate controls

Bottom line: A good combination of discretion and sound quality

Plantronics M205

Type: Ear bud, round ear insert