This technology is comprised of the noise shield as well as a small rubber nub on the inside of the headset that makes contact with your cheek. The idea is that the person on the other end of the phone should hear your voice and your voice only. When you speak, you cheek will vibrate slightly and this rubber nub acts as a sensor. The microphone is also multi-directional, separating your voice from background noise. This cancellation technology works very well, making conversations much easier in noisy environments.
Voice Clarity is a Little Robotic
From both ends of the conversation, the sound quality was crystal clear, regardless of the ambient noise level. On a side note, the Jawbone automatically adjusts the volume of the earpiece based on the surrounding noise level, similar to the AudioIQ technology from Plantronics. This is a very handy feature. The trouble is that when you speak into a Jawbone headset, the person on the other end hears a voice that sounds a little robotic.
It’s a little hard to explain, but I’d prefer a little robotic over a lack of clarity. The strange sound of a robotic voice can probably be explained by the noise cancellation and cheek vibration-sensing technology at work. It may not be music to your ears, but at least you can hear what the other person is saying.
Stylish, Bulky and Lightweight
Although the Jawbone looks like it could be made from aircraft-grade aluminum, the entire construction is from plastic. That’s not to say it feels cheap! In fact, it’s probably one of the slickest Bluetooth headsets available on the market today. The shiny noise shield, particularly in black, is quite attractive.
On the downside, the Aliph Jawbone is definitely on the bulkier side of things. It’s got a fairly substantial footprint and it’s got some thickness to it. Despite its larger size, the Jawbone is surprisingly light and can be easily worn on your ear for hours at a time. At least it’s not as big as certain Jabra offerings.
For a size comparison, that’s a Motorola H500 Bluetooth headset on the right, next to the Aliph Jawbone on the left.
Real-Time Price and Stock Check – Shop Like a PRO!