Customer Reviews

IOGEAR Bluetooth Wireless Headset

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I seldom write negative reviews on products.
After the first phone call to Iogear Tech Support I began to realize something was wrong.
I have become used to a standard of Tech support that Indian call centers provice.
U.S. based Iogear support was beyond lacking.
First phone call they blamed the non -Iogear bluetooth adapter.
I told the tech person the items were paired and the wireless headset was chirping. He blamed the non-Iogear bluetooth adapter.
With the Iogear bluetooth adapter and multiple computers with fresh windows installs it was the same story.
5 or six phone calls to tech support. When I asked for a supervisor ( Indian call centers will foreward you rapidly to a supervisor who will either solve the problem or announce that unfortunately you are out of the warranty period) I was told it was 1 15 minute wait for a supervisor.
Not that these fellows were impolite. Just underpaid and underappreciated ( tech support). One was even helpfull.
I called sales and spoke to a senior person named Abder. He promised a return call that never came.
In the end by rereading and rereading the manual ( printed on a booklet 2 inches by 3 inches in size ) there is one reference in the middle of a small paragraph on laptop setup that after pairing you have to press the multi-function button once more to let it take over the audio.
I told each tech support person that it was paired and that i was hearing a "chirping sound:. What could be clearer.
This should of been the first item after checking for a properly charged battery that should of been asked.
When the item finally came up working I found that even though I have a non 2.4 ghz cordless phone I could hear my neighbours phone calls interferring with my test call.
Testing the setup once more several weeks later the sound quality is very poor. Perhaps it could be interference with a Linksys G ( 2.4 ghz) Wireless router ( which is the same frequency as the bluetooth system).
Hopefully this review will steer more than one person / potential customer away from this product.
I can not judge other Iogear products such as their KVM switches but if the level of product and tech support that I received is any indication I would not recommend it .

Shaun Stevens
Ace Employment Services
[...]

I was able to pair it up easily with my Motorola V551 phone. But could not pair it up with my PC which has bluetooth. Looks like there is some profile problem.

I also agree with other reviewers that it does not fit the ears properly. I use the cord which comes along with this to hang it around my neck.

In a nutshell, this is a bargain for thirty dollars if you just need a basic bluetooth handset and don't want to pay much.

Update on 08/01/2006: It has stopped working totally after using it for about 6 months, that too when I was using it very infrequently. The earbud came out and after I fixed it back in, it does not work. Though it shows blue blinking lights, and my phone pairs up with it easily, I can't hear any voice in it. So don't waste your 30 bucks and buy something more expensive and durable.

I've had this headset for about 6 months now - it works very well. The nicest thing about it is that it's EXTREMELY light. I also find it very comfortable, and the ear loop makes it very secure. I suppose that depends to some degree on the shape of your ear!

I installed the included "foam" speaker cover in place of the rubber one that's on the unit when shipped, and it's much more comfortable and secure, IMO.

Finally, I've had no pairing issues or call quality issues at all - my phone is a Verizon Treo 650.

I have a Cardo-Scala headset as well - it's a bit bigger, noticeably heavier, a little less comfortable and no more secure. None of those deficiencies is a deal breaker, but the sound quality is simply not as good as this IO Gear model.

I purchased this based on some of the reviews I read. These reviewers got it all wrong. I will give the device a few good points. It is lightweight and works well in quiet surroundings. There are many problems with this device. The biggest is the need to keep entering the password when turning the device or the phone on. My Motorola E815 has this device on the list but for some reason keeps asking for the password. This is the only device out of 3 paired on my phone that does this. Because the mike is so close to the earpiece, feedback can be heard sometimes. This device is good when using it at home in QUIET surroundings. When I used it in a upscale restaurant, it picked up everything and the other person had trouble hearing me. Do yourself a favor and get a Logitech windstopper bluetooth for $40. It works much better.

Set up and synching to my Sony Ericson was very easy (hint: hold the button down for longer than the manual says- till you see both red and blue lights). Either my or the headset keeps losing synch but it's straighforward to re-establish. The speaker quality is excellent as well as the volume control. The microphone only works if you use the additional over-the-ear attachment and the foam speaker cover. Both move the mic away from your head so it can pick up sound. With that done, folks say I sound ok but not as good as without the headset. Without doing that, folks say it sounds like I'm talking through my chest. For the price- it's not bad.

With all of these negative reviews I was beginning to wonder about this bluetooth headset. But because I had a reasonable experience with other IOGEAR products and because this unit was Cheap, Cheap, Cheap I decided to go ahead and purchase anyway. I was able to quickly pair this headset with my Razr after which the performance has been flawless. The voice quality is definitely acceptible. So if you are a Razr owner and are looking for a headset for use with the Razr, this one will do the job.

I purchased this bluetooth headset for $29.99 and it paired up well with my Razr and sounded decent (not great but usable). Well, then I attempted to pair this unit up with my Blackberry 7290 and Viola! NOTHING... Just spent about fifteen minutes trying to get it to pair with my 7290 and still nothing. I decided to test my BB out and try to pair it with my laptop (Powerbook 12") and no problem but when I try to pair the Iogear with the laptop there is just a continuos, never ending search for my device.

This is my third Iogear product (usb/firewire hub and external HD enclosure) and I would say that Iogear has a 66% failure rate with me, I believe Iogear makes great loooking units but other then that the technology does (for lack of a better word) suck.

I would say that this BT headset is decent with the RAZR but if you want to use it with multiple phones then BEWARE!!!

Also did not like the fact that it did not use a usb port to charge (seperate charger) which for such a small unit makes it very cumbersome when traveling.

Here is what I found on IoGears website:

Compatibility:

CELL PHONE:
Bluetooth cell phone with either headset profile or hands-free profile
Compatible with most brands supporting the Bluetooth 1.1 specification - Nokia, Motorola, Siemens, Sony Ericsson

# COMPUTER
# Windows 98SE/ME/2K/XP: For functionality with Voice-Over-IP program, Bluetooth software must support Headset or Hands-Free profile.
# NOTE: The headset does NOT work with VOIP programs on MAC systems at this time.

I purchased IOGEAR's Bluetooth Headset a bit skeptical of the quality because the price was so affordable. I mean come on for 30 some bucks what could you expect right? When it arrived I charged it up, and had it paired with my phone within minutes. I couldn't believe how easy it was. The sound quality is very good both from the listners and my end. The most impressive thing is the battery life. It's awesome! I can use it for over a week between charges. I highly recommend this device to everyone!

My wife and I both got this headset shortly after we get Motorola RAZR phones. This headset works OK for short periods of time in certain situations but for the most part, it is too annoying to use daily. We found that it was uncomfortable and unstable. If it isn't shoved in your ear just right it will flap out of place. We also encountered problems where people we were talking to complained of noise and sometimes it got to the point where they could not understand us and we had to call back without the headset. The one other REALLY annoying feature of this headset is that the blue LED that blinks to indicate that the headset is active is really, really bright. It's like having a blue, blinking LED flashlight on your ear. This is most annoying at night in the car when the whole interior lights up every 10 seconds.

I thought I might be done with bluetooth headsets after this unfortunate experience but decided to try a more 'expensive' angle. I bought my wife a nice Motorola headset and it has worked flawlessly for her ever since. It doesn't have any fo the problems we encountered with our IOGEAR headsets.

This product is a excellent choice for me... i use it on my razr, havent had any problems with the battery, the clearity or anything... i liked it soo much i bought one for everyone in my family (5 total). Everyone liked it, only problem with this IOGEAR Headset is that its not fit for all ears. You will have a problem with small ears...