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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Consumer Hardware & Components > Bluetooth iPhone car headset?

Bluetooth iPhone car headset?
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ShortcutToMoncton
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Nov 25, 2011, 10:12 AM
 
Any recommendations? Someone on my Xmas list has an iPhone 3 and needs a bluetooth thingie so she can talk while driving. I am completely ignorant about such things. Anyone have suggestions on the best, or what has worked for them?

Thanks!
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Eug
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Nov 25, 2011, 11:40 AM
 
I had a couple of Bluetooth headsets, and didn't really like them. Pairing usually was great, but wasn't 100%. Mind you I didn't spend $100 on a Bluetooth headset either. I also tried a visor mounted headset too and the functionality was similar.

Right now I'm just using the speakerphone, but I will likely just get a wired headset at some point. No worries about pairing or whatever.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 25, 2011, 11:49 AM
 
I've heard similar complaints about cheap(er) headsets and was wondering if stepping up to $75-$100 (my gift price range) might solve any/some of those problems.
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Eug
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Nov 25, 2011, 12:02 PM
 
Actually, now that you mention it, one Sony headset I had cost me $200. I used that with my iPhone 3G. However, that's because I bought it eons ago. I suspect a similar headset now would go for $40. It had the same issues.

Not that I'm surprised. I sometimes have pairing issues with my iPhones and my MacBook Pro over Bluetooth for tethering. If Apple can't get it to work 100% seamlessly with their own hardware, one shouldn't expect it to work seamlessly with 3rd party hardware either. Also, when iOS 5 came out, I had all sorts of issues with WiFi tethering too, although that got corrected with some resets, etc. However, for such tethering I just started carrying around a USB/dock connector cable.

Wired always seems to work more consistently.
     
scottiB
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Nov 25, 2011, 01:00 PM
 
Jabra • Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphones | Jabra North America

I have the previous version of the Jabra Cruiser that works pretty well. I clip it to my visor and also use it in the house as a speaker phone -- louder than the iPhone's speakerphone. It comes with a car charger.

I prefer it to BT earpieces that I lose or never seem to have charged fully at the right time.
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amazing
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Nov 25, 2011, 02:32 PM
 
If you have a quiet car when driving at speed, you should get a visor bluetooth device.

My car isn't quiet, so I've got noise-reducing bluetooth headsets.

Plantronics bluetooth headsets (voyager 510 and the pro--I've got both) work well. You can usually find them with big discounts if you're patient.
     
Thorzdad
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Nov 25, 2011, 05:21 PM
 
My wife uses a Plantronics headset now, and seems pretty satisfied with it. I think it's the Voyager Pro.

She struggled with a Jawbone Prime for the longest time, but never could get it to fit right in her ear. She also had problems with the touch-sensitive controls built-into the set. She would sometimes accidentally disconnect the call when trying to adjust volume. Charging it was not totally reliable, either. The Jawbone people were really good working with her to get things right, but it just never worked for her.
     
amazing
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Nov 25, 2011, 05:26 PM
 
One caveat is that I could never get the Plantronics to work well with voice control because of the varying background noise.

But otherwise, most folks couldn't tell I was in the car--and I was always paying more attention to the road than the phone call.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 26, 2011, 01:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by scottiB View Post
Jabra • Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphones | Jabra North America

I have the previous version of the Jabra Cruiser that works pretty well. I clip it to my visor and also use it in the house as a speaker phone -- louder than the iPhone's speakerphone. It comes with a car charger.

I prefer it to BT earpieces that I lose or never seem to have charged fully at the right time.
Yeah I've been looking at the Jabra Cruiser2 and the Freeway Speakerphone. Do they have to be plugged in all the time, a la GPS?
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ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 26, 2011, 01:22 PM
 
Oh, the Jabra Drive also looks pretty good as well. Damn...they have a lot of products that are similar to each other, haha.
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Nov 28, 2011, 08:12 AM
 
Plantronics rocks. They have decades of experience in handling this task on the audio side, and my experience with my own iPhone 3Gs and iPhone 4 has been especially good. Their Voyager series is really easy to use and affordable.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 28, 2011, 11:10 AM
 
Yep, I ended up going with the Jabra Drive, which is a visor bluetooth device. Reviews seem to say it works well and is simple to use, which was key - their more advanced/expensive products can stream music/sound to FM and have voice controls and all that, but at the end of the day I think being able to "click the big button to talk" is in this case probably the least expensive and annoying and most efficient and elegant solution to not having to hold your phone in the car. I can't imagine it's not worth $50, but we'll see how they like it.
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