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Author :   Jack Cook
Vendor :  BlueAnt
Price :     $139.99
Rating :   4.8/5

Comfort … Clarity … and Cool!

The search for the perfect solution to listening to music (and video) will always be on the mind of the person who wants to Experience Mobility at a high level.  I enjoy my devices and I have a strong desire to get the most out of them in every environment that I find myself in.  Whether or not I’m sitting in the backyard on a summers day or walking the coast line in Maine, I always have some music playing and I want to listen in comfort to crystal clear sound and still not necessarily look like a total geek as I’m doing it.  I’ve had a variety of headsets (some wired and some not) that have provided me with close to perfect sound but have had enough drawbacks that eventually I stop using them.  Either the wires were a pain, the sound was degraded or battery life became an issue over time.

You can have extraordinary sound but if it is not comfortable, you won’t use them.  So for me, comfort has become the prime feature followed by great sound in order for me to say I want a particular headset.  However, sounding good and feeling great are only part of the formula.  Wires restrict total movement, so finding the right Bluetooth device that also has excellent battery life are two more features that I wanted in my search for a perfect solution.

Will I ever find the perfect solution?  I’m not sure.  I think when you find what you think is perfect, there will be another one that will come along that has some added features that improve what upon what you already have.  So I guess the search is for a headset that is close to the perfect solution and I think I have found one in the BlueAnt X5 Wireless Bluetooth Headset.  It is comfortable, it has great sound, it’s bluetooth and has batteries that have performed beyond my expectations with an added feature that they are replaceable.

The Package

Wrapped in the typical hard plastic case, I expected to have another difficult package opening but then again I should have said to myself, it’s a BlueAnt product … they give thought to everything they do! The front and back of the package were sealed together but were easily separated by applying a little pressure on each of the 7 points of the seal. I was feeling good … it was a good start!

Once opened there was a card with information on BlueAnt’s Welcome HELPLINE. It had information such as a URL for manuals and FAQs and a toll free number to talk to a live person. As I started to unpack the contents from the package, I was amazed at everything that was included and I was even more amazed that there were a couple of items that I had virtually no clue as to their function but I knew I was about to be WOW’ed.

There were two USB-mini USB cables, An AC charging cable, a set of foam ear pads for the headset, a 6” 3.5 – 3.5 audio lead cable, a 3.5 “Y” audio lead cable, a detachable mini-USB microphone, a voice enabled audio streamer, a user manual and of course, the X5 Stereo Bluetooth Headset.

First Things First

I was immediately impressed with the feel of this headset as I removed it from the package. The soft cushioned pads that rest against your ears were very classy and had a distinct feel of richness that I certainly didn’t expect. The headband had a folding split to prevent it from inadvertently breaking as well as to serve as a means to “prop” the device for storage or charging. Each ear piece also could be folded so you end up with a compact unit that sits nicely as you charge or store the device. I liked the design!

I decided to charge the device and read the manual … there is so much included I wanted to have a through understanding of what it all was! When I plugged the headset to the AC charger, it immediately started to blink red/blue and continued to do so as it charged. When it is completely charged (which should take about two hours), it will glow a constant blue.

With only one AC charger you might think that you can only charge either the headset or streamer but with the included USB cables, you have the option to charge one or both items through the USB port of your computer … another great idea! So with the headset using the AC charger, I started to charge the Streamer with one of the included USB cables and continued to read the manual.

The Manual

Typical of BlueAnt, this was a nicely laid out manual discussing every feature, some “how to do’s” and a slew of great FAQs. A quick scan of the manual convinced me that I needed to sit back and read it … this device has a lot of features! But I did see one thing that caught my eye immediately and that was that this device can pair with 10 Bluetooth devices … I was impressed especially since I had 11 Bluetooth devices sitting on my desk. Now will I try it with all of them? Probably not but I am going to pair the headset with my Tablet, iPAQ 4700, iPAQ 4545, Cingular 8525, Palm 700W, and a Nokia N80 and N91; all of which I use almost daily. Yeah, I love phones and devices and use them all … at different times of course.

The Pairing Process

Ok, the manual has been read and it’s not quite 2 hours but I can’t wait so I think I’ll try it with my Motion LS800 fist, catch a bit of a movie then complete the charging as I eat supper … sounds like a plan.

OK, so I initiated BT on my LS800 and by pressing the volume-up and power on the BlueAnt the pairing process began. It recognized the device in a second or two, I entered the Passkey and instantaneously I was enjoying the terrific sound of the movie The Last Samurai. I was really impressed with the quality so after a few moments I decided to check it out with a few of my MP3s that I generally use when testing audio quality … very impressive to say the least. There was distinct separation of stereo sound and the quality was absolutely outstanding.

One down, several to go! As much as I was enjoying the sound, it was time to check a few other devices for ease of pairing, sound quality, and then being able to easily use different devices.

I reset the X5 into pairing mode and set my Cingular 8525 for discovery. It saw it, asked for a PIN and then told me that I had Hands Free mode as well as Wireless Stereo … cool! That means I’ll be able to listen to tunes and then if a call comes in I should be able to take it … we will check that aspect in a few moments but for now, I am listening to some old Beatles tunes that are on my 8525 … nice sound!

Having several devices gives me the option to use different ones depending on what I am doing (or what I hope to accomplish). My NEW favorite device is the Cingular Palm 750. It has proven to be an extraordinary device so it generally always finds its home in my pocket. That being said, I removed the SIM from my 8525 and began the process of pairing with the Palm 750. It was instantaneous and like the 8525, I had Hands Free mode as well as Wireless Stereo. Again I was very pleased and again the quality of the playback was terrific.

It was now that I decided to try listening to music and at the same time see what happens when I get a call. So I called my cell from my home phone and all of a sudden the music stopped, an alert appeared on the screen saying I had a call and the ringing started to sound in the earphones. Pressing the on/off button of the headset initiated a connection and I was talking to myself … well, that was dumb. I was getting feedback from my house phone but it was working and I was satisfied. Knowing that it was working I called Chris Leckness and asked him to call me back. All of a sudden the music stopped and the X5 headset as well as my Palm 750 were ringing. I pressed the MFB (Multi-Function Button) and we had a crystal clear conversation. When we hung up, the music started playing again … this was very cool!

Next in line was the pairing of my Palm 700W. The process was again fast but to my dismay, it only recognized the Palm 700W for “hands free” operation. Bummer … I was not going to be able to listen to music … or so I thought. I was definitely not happy about not being able to use the BlueAnt X5 to it fullest potential with the 700W only because I really like the 700W, it works well especially in Maine where Cingular coverage is intermittent in certain areas. I really wanted to have that functionality for stereo music but I guess I was just going to do without but….

There is always a BUT and for me, this was shear coincidence. Within 10 minutes of me trying to setup the 700W there was a post on Treo Central that announced a “fix” so you could now have A2DP working on Sprint 700wx AND they announced that it works great on a Treo 700w! Whoa!! Was I ever happy so I immediately downloaded and installed the “fix” and guess what? It works!! Perfectly!!

You can get this fix here at Treo Central (http://discussion.treocentral.com/showthread.php?t=137462). There have been several updates … it works and you will be very happy with the result!

So here I am with the ability to listen to stereo music on my Motion LS800 … perfect for movies while on a trip! And I have the ability to listen to stereo music and use my cell with my Cingular 8525, Palm 750 and now the Palm 700W … ahhh, life is good!

The Audio Streamer

There are always devices that you have that do not have Bluetooth and having the ability to use the X5 headset with those devices would be a terrific asset. In fact that possibility does exist because of the included Audio Streamer. A small disk shaped device that is included in the package easily pairs with the X5 headset and allows you to continue to enjoy your music with devices that do not have built-in Bluetooth. An included cable I used this disk with several music players and a portable video player I have with excellent results.

There is an additional y-cable included that allows you to use the Audio Streamer with your PC for Stereo and Voice applications. I made several Skype-out calls with mixed results. Although it works, the common response was that I sounded strange and there was definite background noise. Chris said I sounded like a cyborg … It is a feature that I am sure would work with the right application but it is not one that I would tend to use.

Battery Charging/Consumption

With a full charge the unit is rated to last 12-16 hours with a 200 hour standby time. I have not experienced running out of power and have used the device continually over a several day period. As a rule, if I have used the device for a long time, I generally plug it in while it is sitting next to my computer. On long trip I recently took, I watched three movies listening to excellent sound and had plenty of power left for another full day of use. Although I did not see a low battery warning, I had the opportunity to charge the device thus maintaining my ability to have audio when needed.

The time to charge the device depends upon battery depletion. The longest it should take is 3 hours. All my charging experiences have been 2 hours or less.

Conclusion

I am impressed with the form factor. It is a very comfortable headset to wear and has a perfect fit (for me). In addition, I like the way the unit will fold for storage although I would like to see it fold a little tighter for easier transport when not in use. I was very pleased with the ease of pairing as well as the ease of use once connected.

The sound reception has been excellent for my movies and particularly good for mp3s that I have ripped. I do not hesitate to recommend this headset for the person who wants to enjoy streaming high quality music and still have the option to make or receive voice calls using your mobile device. Of course the added benefit of using the X5 with your computer, tablet or any device that will play sound is a huge plus.

In theory, it should automatically connect to a previously paired headset with a simple press of a button. That was not my experience. I found I had to manually go into settings and connect. It is not necessarily a big deal but it would be nice if that process was easier.

The fit and comfort of the headset is terrific but because it is so good and does filter out extraneous noise to some degree, this is a device I would NOT use while driving … but I will use it this summer when I am out on the lake in my canoe!

PROS

Foldable headset

Allows up to 10 Bluetooth device pairings

Replaceable battery

Device firmware is upgradeable

Comfortable cushioned ear pieces

Excellent sound

 

CONS

Have to manually initiate a connection

 

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

COST $139.99 MSRP (USD)

(Note: A little searching on the net can find some great prices)

You can find the BlueAnt X5 Wireless Bluetooth Headset here

 Specifications:

Standards Bluetooth Specification V1.2

RF Frequency Range 2402 ~ 2480 MHz

Profiles Supported A2DP*, AVRCP, Headset*, Handsfree, AG*

Transmission Power 0.25 ~ 2.5mW (Bluetooth Power Class 2)

Receiver Sensitivity < -80dBm (PER 1 %)

Distance 30 feet (10m) (in open space)

Audio Frequency Range 20Hz ~ 22kHz

Audio S/N > 80dB

Audio THD < 0.1%

Audio Output Power > 20mWrms

Battery Life

Standby > 200 hrs

Audio or Voice Connection >12 hrs

Charging Time

< 3 hrs

Adapter AC Input

AC 90 ~ 250V

Weight

2.7oz (incl. battery)

Oper. Temp. & Rel. Humidity

-10 ~ +50°C, Rel. Humidity 0 ~ 95%

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