CNET Editor's rating: 8.0 out of 10
Reviewed by
Nicole Lee
Review date: 03/23/07
The good: The Jabra BT8010 can be converted into a stereo headset by connecting a second earpiece. The OLED display shows caller ID, plus you can use it to scroll through phone contacts. You also can use it as a remote control for a Bluetooth-enabled music player.
The bad: The Jabra BT8010 is bigger than most Bluetooth headsets and has a rather large earpiece that may not fit comfortably in smaller ears.
The bottom line: The Jabra BT8010 can be converted from a mono Bluetooth headset into a stereo one with a second earpiece. Other innovative design features such as an OLED display, a jog dial, and a simple on/off slider makes this one of the best Bluetooth headsets out there, especially for those who want two Bluetooth headsets in one.
It wasn't too long ago that stereo Bluetooth was a rarity in most cell phones. Now, thanks to the popularity of music phones, stereo Bluetooth has become increasingly prevalent in most multimedia handsets. While regular Bluetooth (or Bluetooth 1.0) only allowed the use of a mono headset, stereo Bluetooth lets you stream stereo-quality audio. Stereo Bluetooth headsets have therefore become more commonplace in the market, but they aren't really sought after if all you want is to make calls and only listen to the music occasionally. The Jabra BT8010 solves that problem--not only is it a mono Bluetooth headset, but it also converts into a stereo Bluetooth headset simply by attaching a second earpiece. This simple innovation is what prompted CNET to nominate it for a Best of CES award in the MP3 category earlier this year. Along with a useful OLED display and built-in noise cancellation technology, the Jabra BT8010 is definitely a great choice if you have a music phone with stereo Bluetooth. The Jabra BT8010 is currently available for $149, which is a bit pricey for a Bluetooth headset, but the BT8010's features make it well worth the money.
The Jabra BT8010 consists of two pieces; the mono unit, which has the OLED display and all the buttons, and the stereo unit, which is the secondary earpiece that connects to the first via a flexible cable. When left unattached, the mono unit looks like most other Bluetooth headsets. It is slightly large (measuring at 2.4 by 0.5 by 1.0 inch) but that's probably due to the 0.8-inch scrollable OLED display on the front. We really like the appearance of the display--the blue characters look nice and bright when compared to the dark background. The display shows the headset's volume level, a battery strength indicator, whether or not the headset is in phone or music mode, the name of the device it's connected to, and caller ID. It also has a scrollable call history of the latest 15 incoming calls, plus you can scroll through the headset's own internal phonebook, which holds up to 30 contacts. You can dial directly from this list of numbers and you can erase it if you wish. You also can change the orientation of the screen depending on whether you're wearing it on the right or left side. The second earpiece looks like a mini-me version of the first one (measuring only 1.8 by 0.7 by 0.3 inch), except it doesn't have the screen nor the buttons. The silver wheel on the second earpiece has no purpose and is just for cosmetic reasons.
The BT8010 has quite an attractive black tapered design with a prominent silver jog wheel above the OLED display. The jog wheel lets you scroll through the contacts listed on the phone, or you could use it to control the headset's volume. Within the jog wheel is a multifunctional button that in addition to letting you answer and end calls, also lets you play and pause music. The headset's right spine is home to a menu button, a mode button, and an on/off slider switch that can be slid downward to activate pairing. The menu button lets you access the recent call list, the phonebook, and the settings menu. The mode button simply lets you toggle between phone and music mode.
Turn the headset over, and you'll find a rather large earpiece and a flexible ear loop. We're big fans of the flexible ear loop, as it can be bent in a number of ways to fit comfortably around the ear, plus it can be switched around to fit either the right or left ear. Even though the earpiece is the kind that rests against the ear instead of being inserted in, we still found it a tad uncomfortable, especially for smaller ears. We would've appreciated an in-ear style with a choice of earbud covers, but that's our personal preference. When the second earpiece is attached, you wear the cable around your neck much like a typical pair of headphones.
Features of the headset are pretty impressive. Aside from the internal phonebook of up to 30 contacts, you can use it to answer, end, and reject calls, play and pause music, or skip to the next song in a playlist. Other features include call waiting support, voice command support, last number redial, and the capability to put a call on hold. You also can pair up to two devices simultaneously. There's a vibrate alert, plus a list of preset equalizer settings for listening to music.
We paired the Jabra BT8010 with the Helio Heat, and it worked flawlessly. The moment we activated the music player in the phone, the headset went immediately into music mode, and we could hear the MP3 loud and clear. Call quality was fairly good as well, and callers heard us just fine even when we were walking down a busy sidewalk, thanks to the headset's noise cancellation of background noise. It comes with a carry pouch, an AC charger, and a USB cable. The Jabra BT8010 has a rated talk time of 10 hours, up to 6 hours of music streaming, and a standby time of 12.5 days.
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7 out of 10 - Very good Great headset but not compatible with LG
When my dear husband purchased this headset for my birthday I was thrilled. He knew that I wanted a stereo ...
When my dear husband purchased this headset for my birthday I was thrilled. He knew that I wanted a stereo headset for my LG VX8300 but that I didn't want something with huge headphones and this seemed to really fit my needs.
The instructions stated that the phone needed to support A2DP and AVRCP and also needed to be bluetooth 1.1 or better. OK, so far so good - the VX8300 does all that.
After pairing the device (which was no problem) I made a few phone calls and thanks to the noise cancelling of the DSP the sound quality was quite good, especially for a bluetooth device. One of the people I spoke to said it sounded better at their end than when I spoke directly into the phone!
The call end/receive/reject functions, last number redial, and voice command all worked without difficulty. Then I tried the stereo playback... The headset had no difficulty starting or stopping my music and no difficulty advancing to the next song. The only problem was the sound did not come through the headset but instead continued to play through the phone's speakers.
In the process of trying to troubleshoot this problem we found this disclaimer on a website that sells the Jabra BT8010 headset:
THIS DEVICE HAS COMPATIBILITY ISSUES AND SHOULD NOT BE PURCHASED IF BEING USED WITH TREO, BLACKBERRY, T-MOBILE DASH, BLACKBERRY PEARL, CINGULAR 8525, AND LG DEVICES!
Well, I don't know about you but I think that is an awful lot of phones that won't work with this headset. These compatibility issues are not mentioned anywhere in the instruction manual only that the phone needs to be A2DP and AVRCP and also bluetooth 1.1 or better.
On the positive side, my son now has a brand new headset that works beautifully with his Cingular3125 Smartphone. I would have given this headset a score of 9 if not for the lack of compatibility.
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by Annie_in_SC (see profile) -
April 12, 2007
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Best of the 6 bluetooth headsets I've owned. By far!
Great call quality inside, outside and in vehicle. Before purchasing item I tried my friends on my MDA while he ...
Great call quality inside, outside and in vehicle. Before purchasing item I tried my friends on my MDA while he was using his Dyson vacuum. The person on the other end was able to hear me. They could tell there was a vacuum running but could still hear what I was saying. I am now using my own unit with my new BlackBerry 8320 and the combination is flawless.
Although the earpiece rests over your ear versus in your ear the fact that you can wrap the ear loop around your ear like a twist tie from a loaf of bread makes for a pretty good fit.
The piece is a bit bulky but the ear loop holds it in place and the call quality is great so I DONT CARE!
I was concerned about the compatibility issues posted in a lot of reviews but now that I've tried it an it works I'm officially a fan.
4 out of 10 - Mediocre terrible fit makes it unusable
Having a two piece stereo bluetooth headset is a great idea, but the terrible fit (for me) of this product ...
Having a two piece stereo bluetooth headset is a great idea, but the terrible fit (for me) of this product makes it unusable. The earpiece doesn't fit in my ear at all. The flexible loop doesn't keep it in place and falls out, letting the headset fall off. The display is nice and sound quality is good. If it fit, it would be great.
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by SWengr (see profile) -
October 25, 2007
6 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Very nice head set, but I've got a problem
I just got this headset to use with an LG VX 8350. I like all the features of this headset, ...
I just got this headset to use with an LG VX 8350. I like all the features of this headset, but when I'm playing music, some songs have a slight glitch about 2 seconds into the song. From there on the song is fine. The songs don't do this when the bluetooth set is not being used. Also, this does not happen if the song is from a CD that I burned onto my computer. Some of the music files we've had for years, and I don't really know the source for sure. Some may have come off of Limewire or some other music downloader. Anyone got any ideas?
Also, it seems to take a second or two to answer a call when I punch the button on the side. Kind of annoying to keep saying "Hello" over and over.
Other than these issues, I like this headset very much. The clarity is outstanding, and lots of volumn.
Updated I wrote before that I was having problems with some music files (a slight glitch in the song about 1 or 2 seconds into it, and only when using the bluetooth headset). Well I live in the mountains and can't get a cell signal at home. When I went into town and could get a signal, the problem went away. When I was back home, the same problem reappeared. Can anyone explain this?
Now about the slow call answer when I press the side button. I just wait a second or more before saying "Hello" and it works out fine.
10 out of 10 - Perfect Finally good microphone in a BT stereo headset
I've had 4 bluetooth stereo headsets over the years, including the Motorola and Cardo S2. All 4 microphones are ...
I've had 4 bluetooth stereo headsets over the years, including the Motorola and Cardo S2. All 4 microphones are acceptable but not great in non-echo environments. When there is background noise (like being outside in the wind, being around other people, or driving at highway speeds in my older car), the previous headsets would automatically turn down the volume and keep it there. This gave a not so great but kindof workable solution when it was noisy and I would yell, but when it was quiet again unfortunately, the headsets wouldn't turn the microphone volume back up again. And yelling is rude around other people.
This headset is the first I've used that does not have that problem. It is the first one where people don't repeatedly ask what?, then get frustrated and tell me to get off the headset (if they know me well) or (if they don't) find an excuse to get off the call, or suffer disjointed conversations because they didn't understand half of what I'm saying. I've asked myself why a stereo BT headset can't have the same microphone processor/chip as the regular one ear pieces, and also a second one for stereo functionality. Why do BT stereo microphones have to suck?
Perhaps the answer for this Jabra unit is that it has both chips. Or maybe because it is bluetooth 2.0 it has more bandwidth to send both earpiece and microphone signals at the same time. However they do it, I'm happy to FINALLY have one that has a decent microphone. Other benefits, which for me is icing on the cake:
First, connecting was easy on my HTC Mogul/6800 with WM6 sp1 (or whatever they call the WM6 update). It also seems to pick up stereo mode better than the Cardo S2 whose plastic broke on me.
I work out with free weights a lot, so I'm happy to have a (short) wire hang behind my neck instead of a solid band between the left and right earpieces. Especially when doing military press or behind the neck lat pulldowns, but also when laying down on the bench. Also, the wire is flexible and insulated well, so it seems more durable than a solid plastic band.
I like the small display on the main earpiece. I don't use it for caller id, but it's very useful when connecting to the phone, knowing what the current connection status is, whether it's charging, and navigating the configuration menu. Just having a configuration menu to me, is amazing.
Last benefit, is the vibrating ear ringer. The first few times it happened, it surprised me enough to say yikes! Not as startling as the first time a vibrating ringer phone was in my pants pocket years ago. That was more of an ooof! I'm used to it now, but others have the option of turning it off.
On the negative side of this unit, the second earpiece is simply a wire with a small speaker. The rest of the second headphone is just nice looking plastic that looks like another BT headset. While it is a converstation starter, it doesn't look right. I can understand why Jabra wanted the two sides to look similar, and it looks great in the box, but it doesn't look so hot on the head. Symmetrical faces are more attractive, and this violates that principal. They inevitably point in different directions and angles, and one earpiece is smaller than the other. I haven't tried one, but the Plantronics Voyager 855 might look nicer that way.
Next, I'm concerned about the plastic ear loop breaking off inside the main ear piece. The loops slide in and out, but what happens if they break off in the tube?
Third, the charger and second earpiece plug into the same micro-usb plug. I'm hoping that the plug is not cold soldered onto the board, and that it can take repeated plugging/unplugging, and the occassional jerk if it gets snagged. Note that the wire between the ear pieces hasn't jerked on me yet. It's nicely short.
As a side note, if you need to power the headset at multiple locations (i.e. work or travel), get an extra micro-usb cable and/or power supply. MICRO, not mini.
The ear loops, like all ear loops (i.e. glasses), take some getting used to. The ears have to toughen up a bit. For me, that only took a few days.
The headphone speakers are good but not great. Audiophiles might not be too happy, but for me, I still enjoy the music. I think a major reason is that low/longer frequencies require an airtight seal or large speaker box. Since these are small, and I haven't gotten an airtight seal in my ears, I lose the lower frequencies. It also seems like phone call audio is closer to AM quality than FM. Listening to music has better audio quality than when in phone call mode. Not a big, unless you're really into the texture of your wife's sultry voice . On the other hand, not having an airtight seal is better when driving, so that ambient noise from other cars is mixed with audio. For me, they get more than plenty loud.
Overall, I'm just happy to have finally found a unit that has good microphone voice audio quality. The other weaknesses aren't a big deal to me, considering that I can actually use the microphone now. After 4 tries, it's my first bluetooth stereo headset, instead of bluetooth stereo headphones with a nasty microphone.
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by PackBjammin (see profile) -
May 12, 2008
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Comfortable, LG Compatable Headsets
Tiger direct ran a deal on these, and I got a pair for $57, which is a good price for ...
Tiger direct ran a deal on these, and I got a pair for $57, which is a good price for them. I have been very impressed with the sound quality with these. MP3s played from my VX8500 sound crisp, and have better midrange & bass than a lot of my wired headphones.
The only problem I've hit so far (and I'm 80% sure it's user error) is that sometimes my Chocolate will start playing music through the phone instead of the headset, but a restart corrects the problem.
All in all, I'm very satisfied so far with these.
Updated As thought, it was my fault. Works perfectly with my VX8500 Chocolate now.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Geat A2DP Mono Headset
I use the BT8010 with my Treo 750 everyday for about 5 hours. It is great! I listen to downloaded ...
I use the BT8010 with my Treo 750 everyday for about 5 hours. It is great! I listen to downloaded talk radio mp3's and the battery last the entire time when using as a mono headset. In stereo mode it doesnt last as long, but still provides more than enought battery life. The sound quality is excellent with no BT frequency hopping noises. The display is clear and bright. Software is upgradable and I have done so twice. I would never use another headset. You cant beat it! What other headset will let you play BT A2DP on a mono headset! NONE!!! The only thing I can say bad about it is the Ear Hook broke after 6 months of sold use! I cant find one online so I had to buy a Jabra BT-125 and use its ear hook.
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by bkathens (see profile) -
July 23, 2007
8 out of 10 - Excellent Great Customer Service
I have owned 2 BT-1080 headsets. I use it with an unlocked Moto Krazr. The sound quality is really good ...
I have owned 2 BT-1080 headsets. I use it with an unlocked Moto Krazr. The sound quality is really good to be listening wirelessly and the voice commands are effective once you learn how to annunciate into the headset effectively. There is an odd convention that after you discontinue one call and go to make another from the headset it reverts to `audio' mode so that when pressing the headset to make annother voice dial command, music starts playing. The workoround for this is in the Jabra manual as I assume it is a known issue with certain kind of phones. Watch out for the ear pieces also. They in time become lose and can fall off. Jabra has sent me 2 already free of charge.
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by Johnna Fisher (see profile) -
May 11, 2007
6 out of 10 - Good Good, except the microphone
I was very excited when I received and set up this phone with my LG Muziq. Its so compatible that "...
I was very excited when I received and set up this phone with my LG Muziq. Its so compatible that "LG Muziq" shows up on the screen on the earpiece. The stereo music sounded great and all the features that I tried were available. Being able to switch from headphones to headset is really nice.
Unfortunately, my excitement for this technology was seriously diminished by the fact that nobody was willing to talk to me when I was wearing this headset because the mic quality was sooo poor. I thought perhaps they were exaggerating, so I had someone call me while using it on my phone. Her voice was completely garbled, I would refuse to talk to me too.
Unlike Plantronics, who will send you a new headset before you have to send in a malfunctioning old one (and who always has excellent sound quality), Jabra is making me wait weeks while they receive and hopefully replace mine. I'm still waiting to see if the poor mic quality was a fluke, or will be an issue on the new one.
Also, I think because of all the dorks that wear a bluetooth headset constantly, it looks more dorky than if where styled like music headphones, but what can ya do? I do not find them particuarily uncomfortable like other reviewers, however.
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by Dreading (see profile) -
November 18, 2007
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 out of 10 - Very good Nice Feature, Nice Concept, Not Perfect
Let me first state that I like this earpiece. It is by no means perfect, but I use it, enjoy ...
Let me first state that I like this earpiece. It is by no means perfect, but I use it, enjoy it and think that if Jabra does a couple of things it would rate a 10.
I use it with a Verizon LG Chocolate. Pairing was easy. I have also paired it to an iPaq PDA which was easy as well.
I work in a loud environment, and often don't feel the phone vibrating when it is in the holster, so I wanted an earpiece that vibrated. This is one of the only ones available with that feature and I really appreciate it being included.
The LED display is a very handy feature, especially the caller ID portion.
I just bought the 2nd earpiece to use it as a bluetooth stereo headset. I paired it to my PDA, and my first impression is that the sound is good, but at anything approaching the volume I would like it to be (moderately loud) there is an unacceptable level of distortion. As I have only started fooling with this part today and have not yet paired it with my phone, I will report back after I have used it more and determined if it is my setup or the headset.
As has been said earleir, The earloop is not particularily comfortable. It also gets loose and will either fall out, or will stay on your ear while the earpiece falls off. I could probably fix this with some rubber cement and a toothpick, but for the price I paid for it shouldn't have to do so.
I like the menu system, but wish the earpiece included the option to be swapped into either dedicated music or dedicated phone. As the earpiece is now configured, you have to hit the button that swaps between phone and music mode before you use any of the phone feathure. As the phone may already be in phone mode, you will often find youself flailing at the buttons 2 or 3 times before you do a simple last number redial. I usually just use the redial from my phone and bypass the buttons altogeather.
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by macthknife (see profile) -
September 21, 2007
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. On the other hand, not having an airtight seal is better when driving, so that ambient noise from other cars is mixed with audio. For me, they get more than plenty loud.
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