Jabra FreeSpeak BT250 Bluetooth Headset Reviews

• Overall Good. Read carefully.

  
  By A3CIILYZOSMV10 on 2005-04-03
  Hello,
  I am a scientist in the field of Microwave/RF circuits and systems. I considered several but finally chose the Jabra A210 along with the BT250 Jabra headset. This review is for both items together.
  
  A few things to note:
  1) swithcing on and off is not very intuitive for the BT250, you have to hold down the power button for "n" number of seconds, the lights will flash in a certain pre-ordained sequence, but if you do hold down the power button more than what is required (this is sketchy), then the appliances enter set up mode, and the pairing between the adapter and the headset might be lost. The A210 is paired by means of a stylus pressing down a depressed switch on the body of the unit. So its pairing is not affected by the power button. BUT this set (headset and the adapter) have 8 hours talk time and 240 hours standby time (as per manufacturer's claim), even if it performs up to 80% of the reported claim, you wont have to mess around too much with the power switch. You can comfortably use it during the day and come home at night and recharge the set.
  
  2) Quality of sent and received signals. Please note: The jabra A210 has a pin which can be put in to 3 settings. Setting # 1 is for motorola phones, Setting # 3 for all other phones and Setting # 2 is for when you feel discomfort in setting # 1 or # 3. I have a LG VX 6100 NON-BLUETOOTH phone from verizon. I tested the settings extensively by calling a friend. (Thanks Guddu.) I tried setting # 1, there were 2 noticeable problems: (a) My friend complained that the volume of my voice was low, but the clarity was good.
  (b) I could not use the button on the head set to connect and disconnect calls.
  But I must mention, I could receive my friend's voice in absolutely loud and clear tones.
  
  Both the problems were alleviated when I used setting # 3 on the adapter. In fact, when I started using setting # 3, my friend complained that my voice was too loud! There werent any issues related to clarity.
  
  3) Range: The manufacturer claims this to have a range of 10 meters (30 feet). But at the same time, in its manual, it is written that if there are objects in the wireless signal path between the adapter and the headset, the sound quality will suffer.
  
  Now we have to consider 2 trade offs for every RF design. (a) power (b) size. We all want the smallest devices with maximum power and range. Well physics and electronics sharply put us back in our places. If you want greater range, you need to put out signal with great field strength. That needs higher battery consumption, high efficiency non linear amplifiers and large antennas. Microstrip patch antennas (generally used for their low profiles and small size) resonate to a particular frequency if their length is correctly defined. But with design modifications, this length can be shortened, but the gain suffers. Also, thanks to the FCC, we have very strict limitations on the frequency bands available (the higher the frequency, the shorter the wave length, and thus smaller the antenna and consequently higher the gain). FCC makes many RF devices work at lower frequencies than we RF engineers would like them to operate at. Also, due to fear of signal from one device interferring with other devices, FCC puts limits on the amount of power a device can put out.
  
  Given these considerations, the A210 and BT250 which are required to have excellent power efficiency (8 hours talk time and 240 hours stand by time) and also small and compact size (very small batteries and small antennas) provide a range which is not quite satisfactory. I walked at a radius of 10 feet and even with walls, metal partitions, etc, the signal strength was not that affected. How ever more than 10 feet, the signal had so much noise in it, I had to move closer to the adapter.
  
  To be honest with you, I am not happy with the range. I dont think the range is $130 worth (for the adapter and headset = $50 + $80). Period. For a 10 feet range the cost should have been more like $50 (for both).
  
  So basically, we have reviewed some basic factors. However, there is one major design flaw that I would like to bring to your attention. That is: The head set and the adapter enter in to stand by mode after one minute of non-usage. So even when you are in the middle of a call and both parties keep silent for more than a minute, the head set and the adapter stop communicating. The call is NOT disconnected. You can either pull the adapter jack out of the cell phone and put it back in, or press the volume key on the cell phone (basically do some thing with the cell phone) and you will be able to resume the conversation on the bluetooth devices. How ever this is not voice operable. Meaning, if the adapter and the headset enter in to stand by mode during the conversation when both parties to the call are silent, even when they both start talking, the adapter and the head set do not start communicating.
  
  This is extremely uncomfortable. If I have a blue tooth head set and adapter kit for which I have paid $130 or more, then I want absolute mobility with out any reason to come back to the adpater unless I do so from my own free will.
  
  Lastly, here is a recommendation for the people who designed this set. You need to incorporate greater features in to this adapter and head set. It should be able to not only handle voice data but also music and other types of audio information. This means you might need to use a more efficient method of modulation. Maybe you are using FSK which is constant envelope modulation (I deal with military and radar communication, so I dont know what modulation is used for blue tooth), but you cannot include too much information in to the FSK signal. Try using QAM, maybe not a very high order QAM, but some thing capable of handling all audio information. All you will need to change in the design is: a new power amplifier which is high efficiency and linear. Probably a class E or Class F with feed forward or Envelope elimination and restoration (Kahn) or Doherty principles. It is simple. You will need a one time engineering development cost, but in the long term - with market domination and mass production, it will more than make up for it.
  
  As for buyers. If you are rich, a techno geek or a business person constantly on the phone - Go for this. It is good.
  But if you have limited resources (money) then buy a simple wired hands free kit. In fact at times when the battery is down or I have to move to get back within range, I long for the reliability of a wired handsfree kit.
  
  Update: June 25th, 2005: By the way, I lost one A210 and recently purchased one more. I tried one more test on it recently. I got a adapter from radio shack (Part # 274-397) which accepts 3/32" submini stereo plug ( as is the plug of the A210) and fits a 1/8" mini stereo jack (as is the plug for all standard head phone jacks). Thus I connected the A210 to the adapter and connected to my new Creative MuVo MP3 player. Then put on my BT250. It worked!! I could hear the music through the blue tooth set up!
  
  BUT the music quality was poor... this blue tooth unit probably has enough sampling rate for speech, it is not able to handle the sudden and faster changes in amplitude, phase and frequency of a music signal.
  
  Nevertheless it works.
  Kaushik.
  
  

• Like the Jabra FreeSpeak BT250 Very Much

  
  By A2K811B5EM3X92 on 2004-12-25
  I have been using the Jabra FreeSpeak BT250 for almost a year now. It is pretty good. The only issue I have with it is sometimes it does not speak well to my cell phone if my phone is in my shirt pocket (left side) and the Jabra is on the right ear.
  
  Recently, I lost the ear piece so I purchased the Motorola HS810 to try it out as the Cingular store guy recommended it. I tried using the Motorola HS810 for about one week and found everyone telling me my calls were full of static and that they could not hear me.
  
  So I ordered another Jabra BT250 and am again very happy! Wish I could return the Motorola ...
  
  Michael Zyda
  
  

• Reliable connection to device, improvement over BT200

  
  By AH3FCCCI1EU1M on 2004-07-13
  Strengths:
  This headset connects quickly to the phone, is easy to use, and reception is clear. I had a BT200 before this one. Other than the color difference, I asked what is so different? Upon making my first call with the headset, I immmediately noticed how the transfer of the call from my P900 to the BT250 was almost instantaneous. The reception and clarity of the headset is clear and the connection time is quick. The adjustment time for the user to get used to this device is minimal. Just remember to answer your call by hitting the headset power button quickly. The headset has plenty of charge time to last throughout the day.

  Weaknesses:
  One weakness is that you should not use it outside when wind is present. However, this fault is not due to the headset itself. Another weakeness is that the holder of the BT250 needs improvement. I kept the device in my pocket without losing it. Within two days of starting to use the holder with the belt clip, I almost lost the BT250. Fortunately, I was able to trace my steps to locate it outside my car. Use great caution and be aware of your BT250 if you use the holder on your belt. If you sit down, the holder can easily can easily push the BT250 loose from the holder.

  Summary:
  With this headset, you can say goodbye to wires forever. Once you have a truly wireless headset, you will not want to go back to wires. The BT250 quickly connects to the phone, is clear and static free, and is relatively simple to use. Other than the holder of this BT250, you will enjoy this headset.
  
  

• Neat concept, imperfect implementation

  
  By A3FSPEFBG5IYIV on 2004-10-03
  I have 2 of these headsets for a Sony Ericsson t637.
  
  I second other reviewers regarding poor range. The phone has to be in line of sight, within a few feet. If the phone is in my
  pant pocket, reception is marginal.
  
  Also: I am unable to use it to record my voice tags. I have read other reviews compalining about this.
  When I am voice dialing a phone book entry with multiple numbers,
  I do not get any audio feedback that the phone is waiting for me
  to say(e.g) "home" or "work" to select one of the numbers.
  
  I find it pratically unusable for voice dialing while driving.
  I guess for better voice tag matching, you would have to record your voice tags in the car, using the Jabra which seems to be
  out (see above).
  
  Oh by the way, the phone uses battery power at a much faster rate
  when connected to the headset, i.e enabling bluetooth increases
  power consumption.
  
  

• It does what it says ...well for the most part.

  
  By A2ASM839S8RI72 on 2004-12-07
  I owned two versions of this unit. One with the Nokia 3650 (apparently the 3650 requires a specific type as compared to some of the other BT phones) and the second one that I currently own is with the Motorola V600.
  
  This comparison will cover both Jabra units and will compare them to the Nokia HDW-2 Blutooth adapter as well as the Motorola HS-820 bluetooth adapters.
  
  The jabra unit boasts a much better design. The other two sit on the ear and feel extremely awkward. The jabra design provides a much better and more comfortable fit even with glasses on. the other two has flimsy over the ear plastic pieces that feel very out of place.
  
  I felt this unit to be relatively easier to use as compared to the other two. I had NO problems teaming either of the units with the 3650. I did have to jump through a few hoops to team with the V600.
  
  THE most important reason I wanted a BT adapter in the first place was to due to the fact that i get a phone signal in my liviing room and there is no signal at my desk in the basement which is directly under the living room. The reception was about the same for both (not use-able). I also noticed that when I went around the corner, I would lose the signal. true for all units.
  
  All in all, I would rate each one as follows on a scale from 1 to 5:
  
  Quality : jabra-4, Nokia-3, Motorola-2.5
  Design: Jabra-5, Nokia-1, Motorola-1
  usabaility (range): Jabra-3, Nokia-3, Motorola-3
  usability (ease of use): Jabra-4, Nokia-3, Motorola-3
  Overall: Jabra-4, Nokia-2, Motorola-2
  
  One thing i did not get to test was the battery life. Jabra did provide a good two and a half days of battery time with a single charge. i did not get to test the battery life of either Nokia or Motorola units.
  
  
• Jabra FreeSpeak Headset
  By A3243L46L25R7E on 2004-10-28
  Jarba FreeSpeak is a great headset for 2 1/2 years, after that the battery dies.
  This is where the bad part comes in. YOU CAN NOT REPLACE THE BATTERY!
  So, keep this in mind when buying one. I found out the hard way.
  
  
• Real handsfree
  By APTE30932IV7O on 2004-08-23
  I've actually got the BT200 but thought i'd leave my thoughts here anyway. I've been using this for about 18months now and have generally had no problems. I think bluetooth handsfree kits in general are worth the money over the wired ones as they give you true hands free that works (doesn't fall out of your ear when you turn your head while driving). The Jabra in particular is far better design than any others on the market at the moment because by design its more likely to fit different ear and head shapes. Also the in-ear design means you have the best chance of hearing the other party clearly. And I have never not been able to hear the other person. Setup is easy and takes about 2min. Day to day operation is simple, you just turn it on and it works.
  
  There are 2 reasons why I have only give this a 4 star rating.
  
  1) Some time it doesn't connect with my T68i after having been out of range (but to be fair I think this is more the crappy T68i than the Jabra)
  
  2) When outdoors it isn't very good at cutting out background noise so the person on the other end can't hear me verywell (NOTE: this is ONLY when i'm outdoors. Indoors or in a car while moving is perfect)
  
  One of my mates has one too so I know what its like being on the receiving end of a conversation and its fine.
  
  
  
• Not Ready for Prime Time
  By A23MW95GU2OPZ2 on 2005-04-21
  I have used this headset with my Treo 650 and have been very disapointed with it's performance. It may be a function of the Treo's Bluetooth capabilities so keep that in mind and do not waste your money on this headset if you are using a Treo.
  
  It has very poor range; arm's length at best. Outdoors it is useless. It has times when it will refuse to pick up a call. The voice quality is also poor with hissing and crackling. The only place it seems to be remotely useful is in the car where it is within arm's reach and the hissing is only moderate. This is pretty expensive to only be able to use part of the time. Talk time is also much shorter than advertised.
  
  My $.02, save your money for something else.
  
  Update: Recently purchased the new Treo 650 headset by PalmOne. That is the new Bluetooth 1.2 version, not the clone of this Jabra. Much, much better. Now I have a headset that I can use all the time. I have completely replaced all my wired headsets.
  
  
• Generally happy
  By A3B0F43D4HRKM2 on 2005-05-11
  I have been using this device for two months, and have been generally happy with it - the audio fidelity is good, the unit is comfortable, the battery life is long and, although I haven't tested the maximum range, I usually use it at 10 to 12 feet from the phone (Nokia 6820). My house is in a marginal reception area for Cingular, and using the headset allows me to put the phone in a "sweet spot" with an unusual orientation, giving me three or four bars instead of one.
  
  The "belt clip" is a joke.
  
  
• Be careful
  By AVBBPRS7JO6F5 on 2004-12-08
  Great product... but I bought it for my Treo 650. Jabra makes a different version which looks identical to the BT250 but is designed specifically for use with the Treo 650 and can be purchased at PalmOne's website. DO NOT BUY THE BT250 for the TREO 650. Go to www.palmone.com and buy it there - they are two different devices and the BT250 is severly limited in functionality when paired with the Treo 650.
  
  
• Beam me up - almost !
  By A1PSVZBM894R5H on 2005-01-06
  Ounce for ounce - about a fourth of the cost of Gold.
  But its way2kool and works well. Star Trek like - with a bright flashing blue light behind your ear.
  I can hear others loud and clear.
  Others can hear me loud and clear - even if I talk softly (the mike is near your earlobe).
  Therefore - meets the base requirements. Now for other things -
  
  Its easy to lose - since it is so small.
  It hides behind your ears and almost disappears from view - others may think you are mad and talking to thin air.
  Batteries "may" be non-replaceable. No mention of this, but I have figured out how the device can be opened (there is one tiny screw) and will come to it when the batteries do die. Batteries seem to last many hours - I haven't tested exactly how long.
  No warning before batteries die. You can be cut off in the middle of a conversation. Some warning beeps would have been nice.
  I've paired it in the "enhanced" mode with the sony t610 - works just fine if you bother to read the manual and undertake enhanced pairing. You will get problems others mention if you do regular pairing. There are some glitches but those are on the phone side (I can't hear the beep before I voice dial if I am using the headset). Voice dialling does not work in a noisy environment - but that is not the headsets fault. It works well otherwise. Nothing to complain - all features mentioned work and do so well.
  
  The Sony T610 phone has very limited range with this headset. However, this is a phone issue. I also use this with a Linksys USBBT100 adapter and have absolutely no range problems - signal goes through to the furthest corner of all rooms (see my Linksys USBBT100 review).
  
  If only it would "beam me up" star trek style.
  
  
• I quite like mine
  By A3MDLMKD0SZ63A on 2004-10-20
  I purchased my BT250 in the spring in the UK before it was released in the US. I use it with a Nokia 3650.
  
  I find the comfort excellent and the range is better than some other reviewers have reported. I once left the in the trunk of my car (VW Jetta) and plugged the headset in anyway. The phone did ring and it sounded fine. On the other hand, I have had breakup when the headset is on one ear and the phone is clipped to the opposite hip.
  
  One voice quality, I regularly dial into conference bridges in the UK from the US on my headset while driving. I have no problems being heard.
  
  Battery life has been great. I charge mine only a couple of times a month. Mine was advertised with eight days standby time and I turn it off after my commute to work (about 1 hour each way). When I travel I leave the charger at home.
  
  I do not use voice tags or voice dialing so cannot comment on this point.
  
  
• Not for all day communication, big and too obvious on ear
  By A310NUOM0JOXO7 on 2004-10-21
  No doubt Jabra is the best selling bluetooth headset these days, and for sure it's not the best bluetooth headset on the market, but have to give credit to their marketing department which is doing a good job in promoting this headset. I used to own this Jabra headset, my first impression of this headset is big and it's too obvious on the ear. Amazingly it wasn't heavy and that's good. The headset did a good job in pairing to my phone, it sounded fine, but the range is quite bad, I can't walk to far away from the phone even it said 10 meters range. I was just 2 meters away, the sound quality droped significanly. The battery life was also a problem, have to charge whenever I got a chance. Recently I found a good headset, STEP 1150, which is little known and made by a company called STEP Communications. It got a good review from PC World magazine. (...) It's a small profile headset, all day wearing comfort and long battery life. I highly recommend it.
  
  
• a comfortable and effective workhorse
  By A27R41WYTNQ6JA on 2005-02-18
  Several years ago I tried an early bluetooth headset that was useless, due to a short battery life. I recently decided to see if the technology had improved, and based on the Amazon reviews, chose the Jabra. The Jabra is a joy to use. I put it in my ear, and often forget it is there. It is great while driving. The sound is loud and clear. In fact, my BlackBerry is sometimes difficult to hear. Tha Jabra solves that problem, with great volume. I have used the thing for hours without ever getting a low battery indication. This is not a gimic. It is a useful and effective tool.
  
  
• Poor belt clip design
  By A3BAOJU9Y19Q9S on 2005-04-25
  I don't have much to say about the 250 other than to point out the really poor design of the belt clip/charger. The 250 is supposed to click into this holder (which connects to the power adaptor for charging). This holder is designed to clip onto your belt so that you can carry the 250 when is is not in use. Okay, I agree that you will look extremely nerdy if you have your phone AND your earpiece hanging from your belt but sometimes you need to put the things away and the Freespeak 250 is really too fragile to carry in your pocket. The only problem with this is that the 250 will easily fall out of the holder and if you use it you WILL lose it. It is only a matter of time. My 250 lasted about 45 seconds and when I went to get it from the belt clip it was GONE. Not the holder but the 250 itself. Some lucky stiff at the Houston airport picked it up and walked away.
  
  I also thought that the 250 was not well made. When I would push the on/off or volume buttons I could feel the housing "give" a little, as if the buttons were about to collapse into the housing. A little too flimsy and not indication of a long life expectancy for the earpiece.
  
  I suggest that you consider another alternative - at $90 the 250 is simply overpriced.
  
  
• A good Bluetooth handsfree kit, but with a few problems
  By A2FTHVF964PN9Q on 2005-04-26
  The FreeSpeak is no doubt a reasonably good performer. The sound on it is reasonably clear and the microphone does a good job too. My only complaint on it is that once I paired mine and turn the kit on, my PDA (a Sony Clie PEG-UX50) would no longer be able to connect to the phone (a SonyEricsson T610) via bluetooth unless the kit is switched back off. Could be a flaw with either the phone's design and/or the Bluetooth specification (I never really did test it with a different phone to verify the problem), but since I am able to receive calls while my PDA is connected to the internet (I have GPRS enabled on my line), it would be nice to be able to answer a call without either talking on my phone or taking the PDA offline. Still, a good starter kit if you don't have any other Bluetooth device paired with your phone.
  
  Update: Well, I've managed to get a Motorola V600 and tried the same headset on it, and the same problem persists- you can't connect other Bluetooth devices to the phone while the headset is connected. I am now also fairly certain that the problem is with Bluetooth's specifications as I was unable to exchange pictures between the phones while the PDA was accessing one of the phones. So, okay. No fault of the phones, PDA or the headset. Just the way Bluetooth works in general.
  
  
• Way better than expected!
  By AA72VFJ3GJOV on 2004-12-22
  I'm one who has always had terrible luck with cellphone headsets. I've owned corded headsets from all major companies, motorola, jabra, plantronics, sony, and I was dissappointed by all of them. I bought this one with very little hope that it would be any better than the others. Boy was I surprised when I fired this baby up and experienced the sound quality this thing offered. I'm also quite pleased with how this thing fits on my ear. I was able to try on the Motorola HS810 at a local BestBuy and I didn't like the way it fit. The Jabra feels much more secure. I also like the large eargel that goes into your ear canal. Excllent!
  
  I bought this in December 2004 and it is now March 2005 and I want to say that I still love it! It still works perfectly.
  
  
  
• Slick new toy
  By A3P1A5OT1NV0AP on 2005-02-11
  Setup
  Nokia 6820
  Laptop using Linksys usbbt100 adaptor
  
  With the phone it is a nice handsfree option. In response to the guy that had such a hard time turning the bluetooth connection on and off you can just turn the unit off by holding the button for a few seconds.
  
  If your phone supports the more enhanced call management features You probably want to answer the call first since holding it down while the phone is ringing rejects the call. Then while the call is in progress it just places the call on hold and continuing to hold will turn the device off and the phone will revert to standard usage with the call on hold.
  
  Additionally many phones, especially those with Bluetooth, have the ability to define user shortcuts to phone features. One setup to minimize the hassel of connecting and disconnecting BT devices would be very handy since the BT menus are normally several menue options deep.
  
  Really though this is a headset for someone intrested in constant wear. I highly recommend getting this or any handsfree set to fit your comfort level because if in the end the fit is uncomfy your going to have a pricey doo dad.
  
  Range is less than 30 feet but that seems pretty standard for a headset phone combination. Both are trying to maximize battery life and the antennas are not optimally placed. 10 feet is a good rule of thumb unless you have a particuarly bad combination. With the Nokia 6820 I seem to have a comfortable range of about 15 feet. However with the Linksys blue tooth adaptor on my laptop I can walk all over my house and even to my mailbox. Somewhere on the order of 60-100 feet. Very handy if you are a voice chat user or want a quiet discreet source of music without wires at work that dosn't completely obscure your hearing.
  
  Also if anyone is wondering the battery is Lithium Ion polymer so there should be no concern over any memory affect if you want to charge up before a full discharge. However the battery is intenal and there does not seem to be any real option for replacement. So you can only expect a life of around 400-500 charge cycles. At once a week that is a good while. At once a day you might as well just call it a year, perhaps less. It will still be working but if you are using it that hard you will also be far more aware of the slow degredation over time.
  
  Gave it four instead of 5 for the potential problem of a short usefull life due to the battery and because the fit is not for everyone. Deffinatly something to put your hands on before laying down the money if possible.
  
  
• Finally, a bluetooth headset that works.
  By A1K5YSU4W71PWR on 2004-07-10
  I have tried other bluetooth headsets: Plantronics & Nokia HDW-2 but this one beats them all. It has excellent battrey life as advertised and fits in the ear perfectly. I use it while I'm at the gym on the belt even. It comes with spare ear-pieces with different sizes. The sound quality is excellent and loud. It supports advanced headset mode too. A belt clip can be attached to the charger to carry it on your belt. Price is ok too. I use it with Nokia 6600 by the way. It is right ear, left ear switchable.

  Other bluetooth headsets are wheather weak (the ear-hanger breaks) or have short-life batteries. So look for these factors before buying any headset.
  
  

• Lots of static and white noise
  By A1G0UF1ATVCNKY on 2005-02-03
  I thought the Jabra FreeSpeak would be a much better bluetooth headset than a lot of other products on the market. Boy was I wrong! Once I got started with the headset, I heard a lot of static on my end and the people I called could barely hear anything I was saying.
  
  Heaven help you if you have an 802.11x setup at home! I have a wireless network at home which seemed to cause a lot of interference with my headset. Even when I tried the headset on the road or elsewhere, the static was unbearable. You could barely keep the headset 1 foot away from your phone before you started hearing static.
  
  I returned this puppy back to Best Buy the very next day.
  
  I have since purchased the Bluetooth headset from Logitech which works GREAT!!
  
  Note: I have a Sprint PPC-6601 phone
  
  
• Best BT headset I've ever owned!
  By AFXJ3HH2FD96I on 2004-12-02
  I bought this headset after having a Nokia HDW-2 headset for about a year, before its battery went south.
  
  Did my research, thought this one was the best of the lot.
  
  Found out I was nearly right. This is *much* better than the HDW-2. Very little static, doesn't drop calls. Haven't found the limits of the battery (yet), and I've used it in standby mode for nearly 8 hours straight. Works well with the Nokia 3650, including the voice dialing.
  
  My talk times are not that long, so I haven't stressed the talk limits yet.
  
  As to cons, the only con I've found so far is with fit. The smaller earpiece of those supplied still irritates my ear after a few hours of wearing (on the right ear). Wearing it on the left ear doesn't seem to get as raw, but the piece doesn't fit as well (yes, I've turned the ear-bead the correct way!). However, I take the piece off for a few minutes rest and I'm back in business. Or I move it to the left side for a while.
  
  Only other drawback is that I have to turn the Bt250 off before I can use my Bluetooth on my Palm Pilot with the phone. I guess its only one bluetooth device at a time.
  
  Charging is easy. Pairing with my Nokia 3650 was a snap.
  
  Is it a toy? Yes, like all technology that doesn't keep you alive, its a toy.
  
  If you want a wireless headset, I think this is the one for the moment.
  
  
• Great product, not a universal fit
  By A1W5N8OT55A9Y3 on 2005-02-02
  The Pros:
  The function and design of this headset are first rate. Right out of the box it was easy to pair with my Motorola v505 phone.
  
  It is small and unobtrusive
  
  The battery life is really good in standby mode, and lasts several hours of talking. (and it does issue warning tones when the battery runs low, plus the phone issues a message saying "headset signal weak - switch to handset?"
  
  The combo belt clip/charger is a really cool idea. It would have been EVEN COOLER if Jabra had made it compatible with nokia, Moto, and Ericsson phone chargers. Now I have yet ANOTHER power supply to drag with me on trips....
  
  Reception is very good as long as line of sight is unobstructed by anything full of water. I can pump gas in my car with the phone on the passenger seat or wander all over my hotel suite waving my arms wildly while the phone sits in its charging stand on the desk. If there is a body in the way (or an aquarium, etc) then the signal drops off (attenuates) dramatically. In fact, there is a marked difference between putting the phone on the opposite side of your body from the earpiece when carrying your phone in your pocket. If on the opposite side, the signal degrades noticeably.
  
  The Cons:
  
  I have been unsuccessful getting it to pair with either my laptop or my PDA however (an HP iPaq 4155).
  
  If you have a bluetooth PDA and use BT to Activesync with your PC, it will interfere with this headset while it is "connected" (from Activesync's perspective). You will hear a constant "crackling" noise that sounds like the other person is popping popcorn. It took me a while to figure out. You don't have to turn off the BT radio on the laptop or PDA, just "disconnect" the BT session temporarily while talking. This is a hassle, but not a killer (one of the reasons for 4 instead of 5 stars)
  
  My biggest problem with the unit is that it does not fit my ears without feeling very insecure. The "hanging" design always feels like it is flopping around for me, and if I lean too far to that side, the unit will actually fall off my ear. There is no way to tighten the fit of the unit; I have already tried different earpieces and positions of the earpieces, but this doesn't help. This is the reason why I will probably replace this unit with another. Its a shame, since it is such a nice unit, but the floppiness on my ears is unacceptable.
  
  BTW, I am not a midget - I am 5' 10 and weigh 160 lbs. I have a fairly narrow face, but I think the bigger issue is that I have small earlobes. If you have small earlobes (rather than pendulous ones) you may want to test fit this unit in a store before buying one here. I wish I had...
  
  
• Disappointing device
  By A1L7HR6HVHJQIB on 2004-12-12
  I've been using the BT250 for a couple of weeks now. Here's what I've found:
  
  1. The belt clip stinks. The device drops off it all the time. It's silly to see a $90 device sabotaged by a 15 cent piece of plastic. (It looks stupid, also.)
  
  2. The standby time is nowhere near the 240 hours Jabra advertises. I find that it gives me a low power indication after about 24 hours.
  
  3. The 250 is awkward to put on your ear, which is a real pain when you're trying to take a call.
  
  4. I've found no way to voice dial on my Blackberry 7290 with the 250.
  
  5. The distance you can be from your phone is more like 10 feet, as opposed to the 30 that Jabra advertises.
  
  6. The volume is very loud on the Jabra. I have to turn down the phone or reduce the volume using the buttons on the 250 all the time.
  
  I'd recommend the Motorola HS810 which has a good carrying case, voice dials on the 7290 with no problems, goes on more easily, and has more intelligently designed buttons.
  
  
• FreeSpeak 250 - Not That Great
  By ARNIHQ1V6CK25 on 2004-12-19
  I was really looking forward to the Bluetooth Wireless experience; however, the Jabra FreeSpeak BT250 is not all that great. With regular usage for three months with my Sony Ericsson T637, I found: a very short battery life, mediocre reception, and a shorter roaming range from my phone {suppose to be able to move 30 feet away from your phone, I couldn't get it to work beyond 7 feet}. Additionally, people would often tell me that they heard excessive static in the background and that it was hard to hear me.
  
  This technology could be great, but its a little overrated right now with the cell phone accessories that are currently available. I have had good luck with previous Jabra products and this one, the FreeSpeak, is just disappointing. Maybe I will try this again in a few years. For now, it's back to the "wired" headset.
  
  
• I pretty much hate this product
  By APQ40CP082QP2 on 2005-02-06
  I bought this headset because I used corded earplugs a lot with previous cell phones. But when I bought a new bluetooth cell phone (Sony-Ericsson T610), I bought this because Amazon was offering what sounded like a great deal.
  
  Unfortunately, it was a waste of money because I never use the thing. The reasons:
  
  1) It doesn't fit my ear (it's too small or maybe just not suited to my ear--it's uncomfortable and always feels like it's going to fall off). The earbud doesn't really get close enough to my ear canal, so even at max volume, the sound is soft, which is OK in a quiet office, but not in a car or outdoors.
  
  2) Since it's so uncomfortable, I didn't want to wear it continuously all day long, but if you have the headset linked to the phone, the headset is the ONLY way to answer the cell phone (at least that's how it is with my T610). I had a situation where the phone rang, I hit "answer" on the phone and couldn't hear anything through the phone because I had enabled bluetooth. I had to scramble to find the headset. (Since it's wireless, it's hard to see quickly if headset is connected or not.) Enabling/disabling the bluetooth connection is a multi-step process, so it's hard to do in a hurry (with a corded headset, you can quickly just unplug the thing). So since the choice is between ALWAYS using the headset or NEVER using the headset (since disabling and re-enabling bluetooth is a hassle, and you have to remember whether it's on or off to know how to answer the phone), I've chosen to NEVER use it.
  
  3) The buttons on the headset mean you can't see them while you use them. There are two multi-functional buttons that are nearly identical in size and shape. Pushing a button briefly does something different from pushing it in longer. So it's easy to hang up on a person when you really want to just mute them. If you use it all the time, I suppose pushing buttons by feel will become natural and so will remembering how long to push each button to do what you want it to do, but beginners and occasional users will probably make a lot of mistakes, as I did.
  
  
• Nice Battery. Bad performance.
  By A20WAT2B0MSEG9 on 2004-08-24
  I tried this out because my old Bluetrek that I loved died. Actually, I killed it when I forgot where it was and sat on it. I was impressed with the advertised battery life, and took the plunge. Shouldn't have. While it is SUPPOSED to work in a range of 33 feet, I found that if I merely put the phone on the opposite side of my body, the connection gets fickle. You get lots of staticy noise if the phone is more than 2 feet from the earpiece and in a direct line of sight. Sort of defeats the purpose of the bluetooth technology, doesn't it? And the static is NOT just in your end; my girlfriend complained about it more than I really even heard it. So if yo get this, be prepared to anger your party on the other line. On the plus side, the sound is nice and loud in th speaker. That's about it. Try something else, like a bluetrek or motorola or something. I am trying the Motorola next. This thing is trash.
  
  
• Is this thing on?
  By A3JMO0ET6611HV on 2004-11-27
  I bought 2 of these headsets (one for me and one for the girlfriend) on recommendation by my Cingular sales guy. It was either the BT250 for $80 or the Moto HS810 for $99.
  
  Not knowing too much about Bluetooth headsets at the time, I opted for the BT250. Two weeks later and I'm giddy like a kid in a candy store.
  
  It took a while to figure out how to install the headset to your ear, but I'm sure most, if not all, Bluetooth headsets share the same minor inconvenience. The other minor inconvenience are the buttons; they don't have a nice feel when you push them and the locations are sometimes tricky.
  
  If it's one thing I would REALLY like, then it's a replaceable [rechargeable] battery. I'd really hate to buy a new headset just because the battery will no longer hold a charge.
  
  Regardless, I have found the BT250 to be a better value than the HS810.
  
  
  
• Pretty good product
  By A1QC9M0ZXFLNIH on 2005-02-04
  I just bought the Jabra BT250 and have only been using it for about a week now. It has a bit of delay when you answer or place a call but it is tolerable. I have always had a very hard time finding earphones that fit me and will stay in my ear (from cell phone earbuds to mp3 players). This fits very securly and comfortably. Easily could forget I have it on. Have only gone about 20 feet from my phone but the phone was in my car with the door closed and I walked to get the mail... I did get a bit of static but perfectly usable. Occasionally I try to place a call and the Jabra doesn't seem to make the connection and I end up using the phone itself. But this has only happened less than 5% of the calls I've made. Easy to put on with one hand...while driving.
  
  Overall I'd say good buy only negative that I see so far is the occasional time when I can't get the Jabra to click on and receive the call.
  
  
• By far better than I thought
  By A3TC33DIYO8W8A on 2005-03-10
  My wife wanted one of the new Bluetooth phones, and of course that meant her hands free car kit would no longer work. So the choice was to buy her a cordless hands free headset or another several hundred to install a new car kit. After a protracted review process, I chose the Jabra 250 as it seemed to be the most comfortable to wear and it seemed to have the best volume incoming and outgoing as well from what we looked at on the market, even though it is only using Bluetooth 1.1. Now that we bought it, I'm blown away, this unit is truly amazing. We are using it on the new Moto MPx 220 and it works like a champ. You hardly notice that you are even wearing it, and it has enough incoming volume to blow you away if you don't turn it down. Outgoing volume is good as well. The unit would have received a 5 star rating if it was using Bluetooth 1.2. What I have determined after reading many reviews that were great and those that said the unit was not very good, is that I tend to believe it has to do with the phone it is matched up to. A new high quality phone should work great with this as it does for us. Hope this helps and thanks for all the reviews I was able to read to get me to this point.
  
  
• Buy something else - poor quality
  By A2RD4F6T3HR9PV on 2005-08-20
  The body of the unit crack around the bending earpiece area within a week or two that I have it. I send it back for warranty and it took them 4 weeks and with great hassel with their customer service before they sent out a replacement. Then when I receive the replacement unit and use it for a week, it cracked at the exact same place. I figure it is just poor design flaw. I use crazy glue and glue it back together and it hold but all my friend complain about the static and noise interfearance when I use it. It is not my phone because I use Nokia 6820 which is top of the line bluetooth capable phone in the market. Since I can not get my money back, I figure I have to buy something else.
  
  

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