Stodge.org

All I want is a lightweight, robust stereo headset. After yesterday’s disappointing encounter with the Nokia BH-501, we should turn our attention to the Jabra BT620, a device which is the polar opposite of Nokia’s flawed product, but fails to fulfill my ideal criteria for precisely the opposite reasons.

There are many things to like about this solidly built headset. Number one on my list has to be that it does a very good job of what most people will want, the ability to make and receive telephone calls. These come in very clearly and there were no complaints about the audio levels for both speaking and listening. The range and clarity when used as a telephone headset was acceptable.

When taken off the ears this headset is strong enough to be worn around the neck with no signs of damage. Mine is three weeks old now and I cannot see any cracks or signs of wear, most probably because Jabra have decided to use a thicker grade of plastic around the ears where this device will experience the greatest stress.

It’s not so good for music where it clearly cannot cope with the additional bandwidth required to stream good quality stereo audio. Cut-outs are annoyingly frequent. Also I found the maximum volume level way too quiet for noisy places. It would be no good for cycling or on a train - your audio would be inaudible.

I’d also take issue with the excessive lighting. Each earphone has a circular light that appears to be made of a ring of multicolour LEDs. These light up in various colours to indicate the status of the device. Flashing blue, for example indicates that it is on and connected. Constant green indicates that it is fully charged. The consequence of this light-show is that when wearing it you are made to resemble an extra from Blade-runner.

The manual informs you that the lights can be disabled by pressing a pair of buttons at exactly the same time for five-seconds. Unfortunately the device does not remember it’s configuration, and this tedious routine must be done every time the device is taken off charge if you wish to avoid looking as if you have baubles strapped to your ears.

The most astonishing thing about the buttons is how many there are. Nokia’s flawed BH-501 manages a decent set of features using only three buttons on a single side of the headset. Jabra by comparison have decided to place buttons absolutely everywhere.

Each can is dominated by a large round push-button: The left is supposed to make and hang-up on calls. The right is supposed to stop and start audio playback. In practice I found myself forgetting which does which and then most often pressing the wrong button. The same goes for the track-skip and volume-control ‘up-down’ switches on the bottom of each phone. They both feel identical and are easy to press by mistake resulting in unintended calls and irritating pauses.

In summary, I’d say that this machine is good for somebody who mainly uses a headset for talking. Music listeners will find it sub-optimal but not a complete failure. The controls are a nightmare and the lights are excessive and surreal, but despite all these bad-points I expect that the product will last well.