Welcome to the 411, my new Q&A column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I get plenty of questions e-mailed me to me about these subjects, so I figured many of you might have the same questions, too. At times, I might even solicit answers from you readers as well if I’m stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let me know in the e-mail.
PS. I received a lot of positive feedback to call this column the 411, so that’s the new column title. Thank you!
A lot of you had questions about Bluetooth headsets, especially after our reviews of the Plantronics Voyager Pro and the Aliph Jawbone Prime. Here are just a few:
Q: Thank-you for your review [of the Aliph Jawbone Prime]. I haven’t owned a JB. Do you believe the new gels with ear-loops will hold it against my face when chewing gum or eating food? I could position it straight out from my ear and that would place it on a face bone that doesn’t move (all bones resonate?). If you could test the chewing scenario that would be great. Prime offers NC when not touching, but if the sensor is constantly lifting, the SoundID 200 would perform as well or better and save me $50. Thanks for your help. — William
Does the Plantronics Voyager Pro have good incoming call quality?
(Credit: Plantronics)
Yes, the new Jawbone Prime will hold the Voice Activity Sensor (that tiny little white nub on the back of the headset) much more securely to your face than previous versions thanks to the new ear gels. The important thing is to find the right size ear gel; a bigger or smaller one could result in an imperfect fit, which might result in the sensor slipping off. I did test it a little while chewing and it doesn’t slip off that easily (Though you shouldn’t be eating while talking anyway! :-)) The sound quality without the sensor touching is on par with any other noise-canceling headset, as you said, but if the sensor works as it should, you should experience better sound quality than most other headsets. If ear comfort is more important to you however, the Sound ID 200 or Sound ID 300 might be slightly better.
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