I truly believe that Apple computer has won the “how cool can we package our products” contest, but of all the other companies that I’ve seen, it would appear that Bang & Olufsen (B&O) is running a very close second.  Their stereos, televisions, telephones and headsets are the coolest of cool and it’s usually not long after they release a new product that you’ll find it in a James Bond movie or Nip Tuck episode.  What you can’t see in those shows is how well those products work or how they’re packaged, which is what I’m hoping to bring to you here.

First, I’m normally not a large fan of the “unboxing” phenomenon that pops up with every new iPod or cool technology release, but after opening the B&O Earset 2 bluetooth headset, I can understand why some people find it so exciting.  At $350, this isn‘t a headset that you’re going to see every day, and for most of us it’s not a headset that we’ll ever use.  Seeing it in reviews, advertising, and movies is most likely the closest we’re going to get.  For that reason alone, I decided to buck my own inclinations and include an unboxing with this review to hopefully share that B&O is as much about the experience as the product.  I guess in a market of bluetooth headsets starting around $20 it is also fair to say that you pay dearly for that experience.

As an owner of the Earset 1 Mobile, I was somewhat surprised by the presentation of the Earset 2.  Not that the Earset 1 wasn‘t well presented, it just didn‘t have the flare and wow factor of its successor.  The clean lines of the box, the black on black, and just the way the packaging was laid out left me with a good feeling about what was to come.  The only thing that seemed somewhat out of place with all things considered is that it came to me in a cardboard color box (and I did pick it up in the store), which initially had me thinking no big deal.  I think that the reasoning is that the black box doesn‘t have any sort of latch or sticker to hold it closed.  It’s likely that would ruin the presentation some, but it would still seem better to me than the cardboard box presentation that came in my bag.

Once you’ve opened the box there is a nice, black closed foam insert that holds the black plastic charger, aluminum wall mount, and headset itself.  Below that insert is a cardboard shelf that hides the earbud covers (soft black squishy things), mounting hardware for the aluminum wall mount, and charging adapter.  It’s important to note that the headset will only charge via the plastic charger that does triple duty as a charger, wall mount and case.  Oddly enough there is no alternate charging method (such as USB or cigarette adapter) and the store that I visited did not have additional charging units for sale.  Normally that wouldn’t be a big deal, but if you’re looking to wall mount the charger and have something for your travel or office use it might become a bit irritating.  Obviously considering this, even when wall mounted the plastic charger/case only sits on the wall mount bracket meaning that taking it on and off is easy enough.  A nice piece of engineering, but not as nice as having alternate methods for charging.

The headset itself is relatively small, although at first glance it seems extremely large.  My first thought was pretty straightforward, this is either a love it or hate it design, and frankly I’m not so sure which camp I’m in.  Like the Earset 1, the machined aluminum is beautiful and gives the headset a sturdy, well built feel.  What seems odd to me is that B&O has created a very “Borg-like” plastic disk that sits over your ear itself.  Thus, as most headphones are out there trying to be less visible, the Earset 2 is an obvious distraction and not something that can easily be hidden.  What’s obvious, though, is that this really is a unique design – there is nothing else out there like it.  On the plus side, while it may look somewhat bulky, the headset is actually very light.  It sits on the ear comfortably (any ear, large or small) and is relatively easy to adjust.  To the negative, when purchasing this headset you have to decide which ear you plan on wearing it on, because it won’t switch.  It is designed for either your right or left ears – not both – so make your decision wisely.

On the end of the microphone arm you will notice a small black nub.  This is the microphone.  What you won’t immediately notice – and if you don’t read about it may never notice – is that a second microphone sits at the base of the hinge.  The purpose is simple – the two microphones together will be better able to filter out unwanted noise – resulting in what might best be described as a directional microphone.  My experience is that it works pretty well and sounds at least as good to the people on the other end of the line as me holding the phone to my ear and talking with it in the traditional sense.  The call quality on my side is as I would have expected considering the price – great – and the volume level is more than sufficient for use in my car.  I’d still prefer an even louder setting for those high noise areas, but that’s a preference and not a dead-on requirement.

On the opposite side from the microphone arm is a single plastic toggle switch and a single indicator light.  The switch seems as though it could be a potential weakness over the long term – as something that might break off – but the store has assured me that’s not something to worry about and that I should “consider the headset as durable as it is beautiful [sic].”  The operation of the headset is fairly straightforward and not at all intimidating.  I’ve used the famed Aliph Jawbone and frankly found the myriad of hidden button combinations to be frustrating without the manual.  Up, down and push I can understand without too much thought.   The light is pretty easy to understand – some combination of green is good, anything with red means you’re about to run out of battery life.

The bluetooth connection was as straightforward for me as I would expect and it connected right up to both my Blackberry 8830 and Dell D820 laptop.  I didn’t use it much for the laptop – not at all yet, actually – but the connection was formed and it could “hear” me talking into the computer.  Both profiles seemed to hold in the headset, although I’m not sure what the maximum number of profiles is. 

I’ve read a lot of people say that this headset isn‘t really as comfortable as they would expect, and I’m in a mixed camp.  I don’t think it’s comfortable, but it’s not uncomfortable either.  It’s just there.  I’m not sure what I would change other than perhaps making the earbud piece slightly smaller so that it didn‘t rest on the ear as much itself as maybe siting into the ear – but then it wouldn‘t work the same for every ear size so that seems a tad bit inconsiderate.  It would also seem that a product at this price point should work with either ear, which would require some additional design considerations.  I’m not a design expert, so I will leave it at this – I’d like it to work with both ears.

If comfort is important – I’d think that sound quality tops the list and it appears that Bang & Olufsen has made every effort to make sure that sound quality is at least as good as their reputation and so far I believe they’ve met and exceeded that expectation.  Using the Jawbone as an example again, I think that listening to a person’s voice always resulted in some distortion – mostly in just the flattening of the tone.  The Earset 2 doesn‘t seem to do that.  It seems to keep the highs and lows that I would expect call quality seemed very clear and natural for me.  [For reference my test phone is a Blackberry 8830 on Verizon Wireless.  The phone is less than one year old and functions perfectly in all cases.]  As for the two microphones, it does appear that outside of trying to induce things like wind-noise that the headset performs admirably.  In most cases the ambient noise is below any other headset I’ve used – even the jawbone – and at or below the ambient noise that I would get from using just the phone and its internal microphone.

As I mentioned the charger does double as a case for the headset, but it’s way too bulky to be practical.  If they could have designed it to be simply the size of a tobacco case, maybe, but the B&O case has a bump on the bottom that just makes it impractical for anything but a bag or purse.  All the same, it’s a great way to carry around a piece of art and makes me feel better about the price just because it is so unique.  An alternate method of charging – or even a cigarette lighter adapter for this – would still be appreciated and I’m sure I’m not alone on this one.  A mini-USB connection would be equally appreciated as that seems to be the way that so much of my equipment is going.

Battery life seems to be about what I expect and I’m getting a full day’s charge or about 4 hours of talk time.  Not great, but not bad.  The downside is that unless I’m prepared for recharging it’s a pain to find the case, find power, and find the plug, and in the car it’s nearly impossible.  I’ve started carrying a DC/AC converter for this purpose alone, but even that makes for a significant inconvenience remembering all the pieces that have to go together to make this work.

In conclusion, I’m still mixed as to whether or not I can justify a headset priced conservatively three times more than other high-end headsets, because even those units function “well enough” for most everyday use.  But, if you are willing to take price out of the equation I do believe that the Bang & Olufsen Earset 2 exceeds most other headsets in quality of construction, sound quality and design.  It’s a beautiful headset with wonderful sound characteristics.  It turns heads and carries the cache of the B&O name with it.  Definitely something worth considering if you have some disposable income and don’t mind a fairly low price/value when compared to the competition.  As for me… I will be keeping and enjoying mine.

~geek