Jabra BT8010 A2DP Stereo Bluetooth Headset

As you might know, one of the advantages of having a Windows Mobile Treo is that it offers native support for Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) as well as something else that I didn’t know about until recently called Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) which are required if you want to use one of the many Bluetooth Stereo Headphones now available.

Until now I have generally not been particularly interested in these BT stereo headphones principally because they were all huge and thus not particularly appealing.  I was however very pleasantly surprised when I received my new Jabra BT8010 (pictured above).

Unlike other headphones in this category, the Jabra BT8010 offers a very smart, unique and innovative solution to the “Huge & Ugly BT Stereo Headphones” problem by essentially combining a normal primary standalone ‘Mono’ Bluetooth headset (below) with a secondary add-on unit (above left) which plugs into the other to deliver stereo output when required.  Basically you can use one unit when you just want to make or receive calls and the other when you specifically want to listen to stereo audio for your music or movies on the go as well as make calls.

However, this is not the only thing that makes the Jabra BT8010 unique as it also offers:

• Excellent talk and standby times of 10hrs and 13 days respectively(see comparison chart further below)
• Play/pause/stop, next track, volume control for your music or movies directly on the primary headset
• Dial volume control
• Vibrate mode
• Multipoint Bluetooth (2 pairings – 2 connections)
• Easy On/Off power slider to save battery life when not in use
• Built-in phonebook can store up to 30 contacts
• OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) scrollable display with Caller ID and full battery level indicator
• DSP chip (Digital Signal Processing) reduces background noise/automatic volume control
• Bluetooth 2.0 supporting A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) and AVRCP (Audio Video Remote Control Profile) profiles, headset (HS)
  and hands-free (HF) profiles
• BT8010 “Control Center” PC application allows you to further customize your headset and also perform firmware updates in the future
• Wall charger + USB charging cable included

Most of my favourite Bluetooth headsets would seem to be pretty ‘basic’ in comparison to the wealth of features and functionalities that the Stereo BT8010 provides.

Finally, I found the Jabra BT8010 to be very comfortable to wear (above) and arguably the only thing that still mildly holds me back from recommending it more heartily is the fact that it’s just that little bit too large.  Having said this, considering the _extensive_ list of features that it offers I am perfectly willing to overlook this.

Below is a comparative chart of the Jabra BT8010 compared to four other of my favourite and bestselling Bluetooth headsets – the Jabra BT 125, Motorola H700, Jabra JX10 and Palm Wireless Headset:

Please note: I tested the Jabra BT8010 with a Windows Mobile Cingular Treo 750 which delivers control to both Phone and Music features (for example you can listen to music and pick up or dial a call).  Additionally I also successfully tested the BT8010 with a Sprint Treo 700p using the Softick Audio Gateway software (also works with the Treo 650 but currently not with the Treo 680) which adds A2DP and AVRCP functionality – albeit you can only listen to stereo music and not answer an incoming call.

Treonauts are always pushing the boundaries…