If you're in the market for a Bluetooth headset, then you are undoubtedly looking at the array of offerings from Plantronics, Nokia, Motorola, LG, Jabra, Logitech, so on and so forth. The price of good, reliable headsets with some show off brand value range from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 10,000. Today we have with us a Bluetooth headset from a little company called Bose, a name quite famous in the speakers and audio industry. Does this device pack a punch or is it another branded beauty?
Packaging and DesignTrue to Bose tradition, the device comes packed in a nice compact black box with prominent Bose branding. Rip the box open and the contents are a handful. You get the headset along with three silicon tips to suit your ear size -- small, medium and large. You also get a small carrying case for the device along with the manuals and a USB charger. The charger doesn't fit in the carrying case.
The headset is black with a matte finish on the outside and a glossy finish on the inner side. The inner side of the device has two LED indicators. One represents connectivity while the other, the battery level. The top of the device has the call receive button along with the volume controls and the bottom has the on/off toggle. The Micro USB charging port rests at the rear of the device. Overall, the device is eye candy and really light, weighing just 12gms. It is also really small - barely 5 cm long (4.6cm to be precise)!
PerformanceConsidering the fact that the device is a Bose, we expected nothing less than top quality output from the device. Starting with the fit. Purchasing the Bose Bluetooth headset is like setting up a monogamist relationship between one of your ears and the device. Unlike most other Bluetooth headsets out there that can fit in either of your ears, the Bose fits in just one - either the left or the right. And you have to make this decision while buying the device. The bad thing is you can't switch the device to your other ear if you feel fatigue. The good part - the fit of the device is very good. The medium size silicon tip fit perfectly in our ear and refused to fall off even when we vigorously shook our head, ran a mile or even jumped off a bunch of stairs.
Moving on, the performance of the device is very good. The device will last you for around 4 hours of active use on a full charge. We used the device to make a few calls and listen to the occasional song from our phone.
Pairing the device was as simple as switching it on, switching on the Bluetooth on our smartphone and hitting pair. Voila! You are all set to talk to thin air.
The call quality at both ends was really good. We positioned ourselves at the speaking and receiving end of the device. Even at full volume, audio didn't distort and was very clear. The people on the receiving end of the line too said our voice to with them was clear and well audible. We used the device in a crowded mall and near a noisy highway and we must admit the device performed very well.
Bose claims that the device uses adaptive audio adjustment technology, which automatically adjusts headset volume depending on surrounding noise.
MusicWe played a bit of music on our smartphone and the audio from the Bluetooth headset was really good. If we really wanted to carp, we could complain about the balance and a bit of hitch in the frequency, but the truth is, the device did better than we expected. The only downside was that the music was enjoyed by just one ear; the other was idle.
VerdictFor a price tag of Rs. 8,888, it's a little hard to recommend this product for two reasons. One - you marry the device to one ear for as long as you own it. Two - there are Bluetooth headsets available in the market for a cheaper price that offer similar if not better call quality and functionality.
Price: Rs. 8,888
Pros:Great sound quality
Perfect fit
3 silicon options for different ear sizes
Carrying case
Cons:Device can only be paired with one ear (the left or the right)
Expensive