Jabra STREET2 Bluetooth Stereo Headset - Bluetooth Headset - Retail Packaging - White

I've had the STREET2 for about 9 months now. When I bought it, it was one of those cases where I didn't know if it would be a gimmick I'd play with for awhile and would then take up residence in the bottom of a drawer or be something I'd actually use. But I can now comfortably say it's the latter--if I lost it tomorrow, I'd buy a new one immediately, and I can't really think of a better endorsement for a gadget.First thing to know: this isn't a "stereo headset", not really. It comes with in-ear buds, but forget about them. I'm not saying they're _bad_, I'm just saying they're not the point of the product. The point is the dog tag remote, which has a microphone and a standard headphone jack you can use with _any_ phones--earbuds, headphones, active or passive noise-canceling sets, whatever.I bought the STREET2 for this reason: the advantages of Bluetooth were obvious, when I'm out and around in the winter, my phone is hard to get to quickly hidden under heavy coats, and the long cord got caught on things (which can be dangerous in the subway or getting out of a cab). But I have an expensive pair of active-noise-canceling phones (Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones) I like a lot and didn't want to have to replace them with a Bluetooth set--Bluetooth stereo headphones available are often of lower quality and more expensive.The STREET2 gives me the best of both worlds: I could use my preferred non-Bluetooth headphones but still not have to trail a cord all the way to my phone. I found the Sumajin Smartwrap Earphone Cord Manager (Set of 3 - Red, Black, White) let me easily shorten the Bose's cord to just a few inches, long enough to reach from my ear to the STREET2 without being long enough to get caught in anything, but a braid or twist-tie or would work as well.Initially I used the STREET2's supplied plastic clip to clip it to my jacket collar, but I lost it after a few months so I've been using the neck chain since. The unit is light enough so that you could just dangle it from the headphone cord--which might be an option if you keep it under your shirt or in a breast pocket.Audio quality: the listening quality, both of phone calls and of music, is great, but you should be aware that it has a digital signal processor (DSP) that includes a surround-sound effect to make the sound seem to be coming from all around you rather than "in the middle of your head". Note this isn't a directional surround-sound to let you hear front/back differences in movies and games, but just a cosmetic effect so you perceive the sound more like you would if it were coming from speakers placed around you rather than earphones. I like it, but some people find this annoying. You should see how you like it before the return period. For the most part, the sound quality you get will be dictated by the phones you plug into it.Microphone quality: the mic is on the top of the unit, in the rubber bumper (next to the chain lanyard). It's about as good as any Bluetooth headset's microphone (which isn't very; the Bluetooth profile doesn't support high-quality recording), but because it's farther away from your mouth than a dedicated headset's, you may need to hold it up to your mouth to be heard, especially in noise conditions. It's fine for taking a call on the go, but I wouldn't use this if you're looking for a primary headset for making lots of handsfree calls. It's better to think of it as a quick way to take a call when you're using it to listen to music or podcasts.Lag: like all Bluetooth audio devices, it has a slight lag since the audio has to make another hop. Touch pause on your phone screen while listening to music, and you may notice a brief delay compared to when using wired phones. It's not bad, though; it isn't the sort of seconds-long lag you get with something like WiFi AirPlay.Battery life: excellent. It has a standard mini USB port on the bottom for charging. I usually plug it in when I get home every day to top it off and unplug it in the morning before heading out, but I've forgotten to do so for days at a time and haven't yet had it die on me.Remote: the buttons have rubberized icons that are prominent enough to navigate by feel, and they mechanically push in as well as beep so you have plenty of feedback. You hold down the bottommost "phone" button (used to answer and hang up on calls) to power the device on and off. It both blinks and plays a tune into the phones when it powers on or off. The volume buttons play different hi/lo tones for volume up and down and play a double tone when you reach the highest or lowest volume settings. On my phone (a Samsung Galaxy Nexus), the phone's volume is independent of the STREET2's volume, and if you set them both to max it's blaring. So if you start with them both at a moderate setting, you can use either the phone or the STREET2's volume buttons to adjust, whichever is more convenient. The instructions found on Jabra's website (but not the ones included in the box) list chords you can press to access advanced features like muting or turning the blinking light off. (Unfortunately, if like me you'd rather the device not blink, this setting resets every time you cycle the power.)Bluetooth pairing: you can pair the STREET2 to multiple devices. It will switch to use whichever is active. It will not mix multiple sources together, though; it can only use one at a time.Overall, a great device that fills a special niche of turning any pair of phones into a Bluetooth stereo headset.UPDATE at 1 year: still using it every day--it's one of my very few essential gadgets. A few additional observations: it mostly solves the problem of the "touchscreen and gloves" problem in the winter--the dogtag has physical buttons that press in, so you don't need to take off your gloves or get those funny phone-compatible gloves. You won't be able to write email or make changes to your playlist, but you can pause and play, adjust volume, skip forward and back, and take and hangup a call.It comes with a plug-in AC charger cable, but since it's USB, I highly recommend the Griffin Technology GC17097 USB Mini-Cable Kit, which are short little stubby rubberized USB cables that work great with the Belkin Mini Surge Protector Dual USB Charger--for light things like this or even a thin smartphone, these semi-rigid cables can be used without a surface on which to rest the device--even hanging down or sticking straight up. So when I come in at the end of the day, I just take the dogtag off and pop it onto the Griffin cable atop the Belkin power strip--just as convenient as a dock!One amusing (scary?) result of this setup, though--I mentioned that when I lost the plastic clip (I called Jabra, and they don't have replacements) I started using the included metal ball-chain necklace (truly dogtag-style). Well, one predawn morning I was fumbling in the dark to get the STREET2 off the charger as I headed out of the house and yanked on the necklace--and suddenly there was a blinding light and a loud pop. I had managed to pull the necklace into the gap between the Belkin's charger prongs and the wall socket, making a short-circuit. My circuit breaker tripped, the ball-chain was broken from a spot-melt, and the wall and the charger strip had ugly black scorch marks. But remarkably, all the devices (charger, STREET2, and several other sensitive electronic devices plugged into the Belkin) were completely undamaged aside from the scorch, so a good showing from the Belkin! (And since I obviously wasn't electrocuted, a good showing from my circuit breaker.... :-)After that little adventure, I replaced the broken necklace with a standard fabric lanyard, like you get for company or convention ID badges (fabric isn't conductive!) and it's been fine. The STREET2 is actually light enough that you could let it dangle from headphones, or from an earbud cord tossed over your shoulder, but I'd rather not put any weight on cords (unless they're designed for it like those Griffins are). You could certainly slip it into a chest pocket or string it through a buttonhole, though, and that's what I did for a few days until I got the lanyard.Like I wrote above, my litmus test for whether a product is something I'd recommend is--if I lost it or broke it today, would I immediately replace it? The answer after a year with the STREET2 is still an unequivocal yes. I'm upping my rating from 4 to 5 stars now.

This product does exactly what it claims.The intention was to obviously create simplicity out of the hassle commonly associated listening to music through your headphones. This products is very easy to use and is very minimalistic when worn. I use it every day when working out (elliptical/various stationary bikes/free weights). This device was not necessarily meant for runners as the lanyard would hold, but the constant bouncing of the Street2 off your chest would drive anyone crazy. The clip is also not meant for runners as I would not trust the clip from eventually jarring its way free from clothing after a mile. When using the Street2 for Bluetooth calling, you won't have as clear of transmission through the mic as you would from other higher end Bluetooth earpieces (and I've owned most). The sound quality for music is great. This was not made for audiophile quality - its Bluetooth! If you want hi-end, hifi sound, buy something corded that goes over your ears and expect to pay at least $150.Many have written about a hissing sound.This is very simple to address and clear up. I use this most often with my HTC EVO 3D, playing music that I downloaded from my preferred subscription service (MOG). PLEASE NOTE: if you want to decrease or eliminate any commonly noticeable hissing sound, you MUST turn the Media Volume all the way up. This will allow the Street2 to be your only source for volume. Your phone's Media Volume can be at maximum with the Street2s volume all the way down and you won't hear a thing. Best of all, most will find there will be no noticeable hissing. I consider myself and audiophile and when I'm in the mood for hi-quality musical replication, I'm at home. When I'm out, I take my Street2.I hope this helps!This device is exactly what I have been needing for my workouts. When I come across a song I am not interested in while using MOG, I hit the fast forward button in my Street2 and everything is right with the world.

Well, based on some of the reviews here, I tried out the Jabra Street2. Big mistake. I love the style/design, but otherwise, I could not wait to hook up my Sony Ericsson MW600 again. Plain and simple, the Jabra hissed like crazy with my two main on the go phones, the Westone 3s and the Atrio MG7s. Also, to me the MW600 really delivers an accurate reproduction of my IEMs' sound, but not the Jabra, which had a reverb-type sound that was not at all ear pleasing. Anyway, the Street2 is ready to go back to Amazon, sorry to say. Too bad, I liked the design, esp the volume control. Can't recommend based on my experience. And I did turn the device (iPhone 4) volume to max and tried to use the Street2's volume. No go.

(-)Audio EQ is disturbingly bass-heavy. I can appreciate that the target market for this device may prefer a bass boost, but there should be a way to turn it off. (This is the primary reason I'm returning the device.)(-)Persistent low-level hiss... especially noticeable during the silent parts of an audio track.(-)Proprietary (almost micro-usb) charger port... which means I need to carry around a separate ac adapter just for this little guy.(-)Don't bother unwrapping the included headphones.(-)Tactile response (click feel) of buttons is poor... consequently, I'm often unsure whether my clicks have registered (audio feedback does help).(-)Buttons feel very similar, which means you have to count down to the third row (or up a row) to find the next/previous buttons in a dark environment.(-)Clip feels flimsy.(+)Nice aesthetic design, size, construction, and materials.(+)Excellent battery life.(+)Easy pairing and solid connection with my android phone.(+)Clear incoming and outgoing audio during phone calls (just make sure you're mouth is near the mic on top).(-) = con; (+) = pro