Jabra HALO2 Bluetooth Stereo Headset - Retail Packaging - Black

by Jabra

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 2.4 x 6.7 inches ; 5.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B005PUZO92
• Item model number: HALO2
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (190 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,730 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)
  • #65 in Cell Phones & Accessories > Cell Phone Accessories > Headsets > Bluetooth Headsets

Product Description

Color: Black

From the Manufacturer

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Headset Functions

The Jabra HALO2 lets you listen to stereo music through your Bluetooth enabled mobile phone or music player, while ensuring that you never miss a call:

Play your music wirelessly

Answer or end phone calls

Reject incoming calls

Last number redialing

MultiUse be connected to two Bluetooth devices at the same time (for instance your PC and mobile)

Power Specifications

Talk time up to 8 hours

Music battery time up to 8 hours, standby time up to 13 days

Rechargeable battery with Micro-USB charging option from AC power supply, PC via USB cable or car charger (not included)

Wireless Freedom with Virtual Surround Sound

All the best features from Jabra HALO have been incorporated into the new Jabra HALO2, with significant improvements in sound quality and design. This lightweight headset provides comfort for all day wear.

Multimedia

Use the Jabra HALO2 as your primary multimedia center and enjoy remarkable sound on your music and calls. You have the ability to make and take calls while having your hands free. Impeccably designed, the Jabra HALO2 makes your voice come through crystal clear with Noise Blackout technology, which eliminates unwanted background noise during calls. It includes Multiuse so you can connect it with up to 2 Bluetooth devices of your choice. Touch sensors let you leave your device in your pocket or bag and control your music directly from the headset.

Easy To Use

To start, just unfold it to get the power on. Then, simply connect it to you mobile phone via Bluetooth and start to stream all your music wirelessly. The Jabra HALO2 also gives you the option of using your non-Bluetooth supported devices, such as your mp3 player, to listen to your favorite music.

Audio Enhancement

AM3D Virtual Surround Sound and Power Bass, A2DP and DSP maximize the sound quality on music and calls.

Product Description

Experience clear calls and surround sound music. Cut the wires and boost the sound on your music and calls with Jabra HALO2 Bluetooth headset. Building on the success of the highly acclaimed Jabra HALO, the new Jabra HALO2 truly raises your music experience to new heights. All of the best features from the original Jabra HALO have been included in the new version, but design is sexier and the sound has been enhanced with virtual surround sound and power bass technologies. Using it is as intuitive as ever. To start, just unfold and snap in the side clips to turn the power on. Then, simply connect to you mobile phone or MP3 player via Bluetooth and start to stream all your calls and music wirelessly. If your mobile device does not support Bluetooth, you can still use your headset with the 3.5mm corded option. Since the Jabra HALO2 includes Multiuse, you can connect it with up to 2 Bluetooth devices of your choice. Touch sensors let you leave your device in your pocket or bag and control your music directly from the headset. You can also make and take clear phone calls with Noise Blackout technology, which eliminates unwanted background noise. Iconic style is a given to the Jabra HALO2, and this elegant, lightweight headset even provides comfort for all day wear.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

148 of 152 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Wireless Headset, but not without Limitations November 29, 2011

By Dr. Bojan Tunguz HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Color Name:Black

Over the years I've owned so many Bluetooth stereo headsets that I've lost the count. I've been a bit of an early adopter for such headsets when it came to pairing them up with personal music players, and have used them since the cell phones were able to play music. I've owned several Motorola S9 and S9-HD headsets, as well as Jabra Sport Bluetooth headset. Jabra HALO 2 is definitely as good of a headset as I've come across, but unlike the other ones that I've tried it is definitely not suitable for workouts.

**** Sound Quality ****

For the purposes of listening to music these headphones are pretty good. They are will not blow you away, but they will definitely deliver clear, vibrant sound. The headphones supposedly come with an integrated bass, but I haven't really experienced it above and beyond what I would expect from any other decent music headphones. In my experience Jabra headphones are overall deficient in this category as compared to other brands. This headset is more than satisfying for casual music listening, but if you are an audiophile you may find it wanting.

**** Range ****

This headset has pretty much the same kind of range as I've come to expect from most Bluetooth devices. If you have a clear line of site with the paired device then you can use the headset with no problems even across a large room or a hall. Indoors you can also use it in a neighboring room, but the signal can become choppy. Unlike some other Bluetooth headsets, I've had no issues with placing this one in my cloths or on the opposite side of my body from the receiver antenna.

**** Compatibility ****

I've been able to pair this headset with my iPhone and iPad. I've also tried pairing it up with my Mac computers, but so far I've been unsuccessful with this. I might be missing something here, or maybe this headset was not designed to be used with computers. I would find this odd, but unsurprising. You can always use the included cord and connect the headset that way.

**** Battery Life ****

I've used these headphones fro an extended period of time and have never been in a position where my battery had completely run out. My guess is that you could listen to music for at least four or five hours on a single charge, but I haven't tested them for that long yet. If I notice any long-term battery problems I'll report about it here.

**** Design and Build ****

This is by far my favorite aspect of these headphones. They look cool, they are really easy on your ears, and when folded they are easy to stow away. The only button on the headset is the play/pause button. There is also a touch sensitive volume slider. Both of these controls are very inconspicuous, so much so that at first I didn't even notice them. Snapping the headphones into their position turns on the headset, and likewise folding it turns it off. This too contributes to the extremely economic esthetic of this device. The only thing that I don't like about their design is the felt padding. I don't like the feel of felt to begin with, and felt is very hard to clean. It functions as a lint and dust magnet, and this combined with its black color makes it look used very quickly. Also, I would strongly discourage you from engaging in any activity that includes excessive perspiration while using this headset.

**** Functionality ****

The headset is convenient when you just want to play music and adjust the volume. As already mentioned, it only sports a single button and a touch-sensitive volume slider. There are no options for skipping tracks, adjusting the microphone volume, or any other features that such headsets usually include. This is not that much of an issue for me, but it can be annoying if your Bluetooth device is out of a reach for whatever reason.

**** Fit and Comfort ****

The headphones can be extended far enough for most head sizes. Both my wife and I were able to wear them without any discomfort. The padding helps make them feel soft on the ears. Also, even after several hours of use I had not experienced any excessive warming of my ears. This may change in the summer, but for now they work fine. In fact, in terms of comfort these are probably the best headphones that I've used so far.

**** Telephony ****

Jabra has made the name for itself with the dedicated wireless cell-phone headsets, so you would be justified in expecting a high quality for this feature. Indeed, I have been extremely happy with the overall audio quality of this headset. (I am writing these lines while on hold with a customer service.) However, it seems that the receiving party usually has more trouble hearing me than I do them. While I was using the headset for some VOIP calling the other party couldn't hear me at all. This was only a one-time thing, and it could be completely due to some VOIP peculiarities. You can also receive phone calls while listening to music, and the side button can let you accept the incoming call. Once the conversation is finished, you will be able to resume listening to music.

**** Accessories ****

This headset comes with a charger, a regular USB cord that can be used to connect the headset to a computer, and a mini-USB to phone jack connector. This last cord is useful for connecting the headset to a device that doesn't support Bluetooth, or to one that you don't want to be paired up. The included charger has a fairly long cord, which makes plugging it into even the most out-of-the-way outlets very convenient for recharging. The regular USB cable can be used for charging the headset through a computer or through a specialized USB-port-featuring outlet.

**** Conclusion ****

If you need a solid, comfortable, and fairly functional headset for casual music listening, then you will certainly be satisfied with this Jabra HALO 2. On the other hand, if you are either an audiophile or someone who needs a Bluetooth headset for any sort of physical activity then you will find Jabra HALO 2 wanting.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I love these headphones December 19, 2011

By Ted Werth

Color Name:Black

I'm finally writing this review after having owned these headphones for a couple of years now. I get a lot of compliments from people on the appearance if that is important to you.

Let me first tell you how I use them. They are my office headphones. I stream music, music radio and once in a while a podcast. I do not use it for phone calls so you might check other reviews for that. I do not use these during any kind of physical activity. I'm sure they would fall off in short order. But this is also what makes them comfortable. I wear these for several hours on occasion and I never get any kind of ear fatigue.

The headphones are very contemporary looking with the volume control invisible as it is activated by sliding your left finger along the outside of the earphone. There is one inconspicuous button on the right side to answer the phone with. This button is slightly concave and easy to find.

The headphones are turned on by opening them. This has always made me nervous as I was concerned that fatigue would eventually cause problems with the wiring. But I use these several times a week and they are still going strong. A tiny piece of plastic did crack, and later, broke off. I was sure this was the beginning of the end but not so. They They sill work like new. That was over a year ago. Just be gentle when opening and closing and I thing you will be fine.

SOUND
I love the sound that you can get out of these. If I want I can turn the volume fairly low so that I can still hear what is happening around me but not completely lose the bass. They still sound very good at low volume.

BATTERIES
The one thing I have never quite figured out is that some times the charger does not seem to activate and charge the headphones. I believe that the charger needs to be plugged in, in the off/folded position. Then the headphones are unfolded to turn them on and activate charging. But I can't say with 100% certainty and the manual that came with my set wasn't clear.

In any a full charge lasts, by my estimate 8-10 hours when used as headphones. If used for talking on the phone I'm not sure how the batteries would be impacted. When they are getting low you will hear an occasional beep in your ear letting you know it is time to charge.

RANGE
I can walk over to the copy machine with no problem. That is about 60-75 from my cube. I'm not sure how much further it would go.

CONCLUSION
After two years of use they work like new. I would certainly buy another set. In my view, they are perfect for an office environment as you can work around your office without having to deal with cords. They allow you to keeping hearing-touch with things around you so you don't feel completely isolated. They look cool on top of it all.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and sleek, but Needs an off Switch to the Sound Processing December 9, 2011

By YSC

Color Name:Black|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Halo was a popular headset, so I was excited to try this unit. The design is very minimalist and beautiful, like something out of the Bang & Olufsen line. The build quality with all plastic material borders on feeling cheap, but probably saved by the matte headband finish and velour lining. Impression on the sound quality, however, was disappointing, mostly due to "surround" sound processing that cannot be turned off. Let me try to break it down:

Likes:

- Style: build quality aside, this is a beautifully designed headset that looks its part. It also managed to have extendable headband without breaking the clean lines. Style is subjective, but for me it is appealing.
- Control: contrary to many who found it problematic, I grew to like the touch sensitive volume control from initial ambivalence. It allows volume adjustment very quickly but not inaccurately. It also registers next/previous tracks with double taps on the top and bottom, which also worked well, though it can be a little tricky at first to find the right corners. Touching it accidentally is possible, but seeing how it takes 2 very long and directional swipes from minimum to maximum volume, it isn't as easy to do or as damaging as one might think.
- Easy dual pairing: I paired it with my PC and phone, both connects immediately when the headset turns on, and switches between A2DP stereo profile and headset (mono) profile readily and without problems (note: you can't hear stereo during a call/conference that uses its microphone, as it will use a headset profile. Only by using a separate microphone will allow full sound quality during voice conference).
- Using this for voice dialogues has been great--sound picks up clearly from the noise cancelling microphone and the mid-range enhanced quality of the headphones also makes for clear voice sounds.
- Uses a widely available generic micro-USB charging port. The included USB cable and charging cable are both fairly long, and you can listen while you charge.

Don't like so much:
- Fit and Comfort: The simple design also makes it feel like having a clamp on your head. There is very little articulation (if at all) of the earpads, which can sit on top of your ear in a slightly awkward way. The velour material is not well padded and does not make for a comfortable experience. The same said material also doesn't provide much friction. The headset can pivot on your ears and fall off fairly easily on movement.
- The velour lining material attracts lint fairly easily.
- This product can better be served with a real on/off switch. As it is, I don't think the folding design really saves much space at all to make it truly portable, or its tendency to fall off on movement really inspiring confidence for portable use. I use this primarily at home, and having to snap+slide the arm every time I want to turn it on and off seems like unnecessary wear and tear on the flimsy-looking plastic hinge/latch. They could have easily done it with the single physical button as an added function, without any more hardware switch implementation.
- The sound: This is my biggest gripe, with all the others being minor. There is built in "surround sound" processing. However, as we can imagine, surround sound isn't really possible on a headset. What the processing essentially does, is do partial channel cross mixing. In other words, the channel separation isn't complete. There is a bit of right channel bleeding into the left, and vice versa. This has been tried in the high end headphone amps to create a pseudo sound stage and arguably reduce listening fatigue.

However, the processing resulted in several artifacts which you may find problematic if you are semi-serious about your music. There is audible distortion in even low volumes--and yes I chose my sources carefully and understand the limitations of A2DP being lossy--and occasionally rather obvious it's distracting.

There is a veiled hollowness to the sound, a distant feel that makes you struggle to hear your favorite music track's original fullness and detail--which is no longer there. The mid-range sounds emphasized, which is great for voice communications, but that's also contributing to a slightly "tinny" quality in music tracks. The highs are surprisingly subdued. There is obviously artificial enhancement to the bass, but it is not very deep. The bass concentrates on the mid-bass region, with the deepest frequencies missing. However, for an over-the-ear transducer, the amount of mid-bass response is not unimpressive, and for many that may be enough cover up for all its other sound artifacts. In short, the frequency responses are clustered in the mid to mid-bass regions,colored by "surround sound" characteristics and distortion.

I wish Jabra had at least provided a way to switch off the sound processing. That would have at least allowed for its full potential to be revealed, or possibly achieved with some user equalization. As of now the distortion alone would ruin it beyond equalization correction. If you care about the absolute sound quality of your music, this is probably a skip. However, if you are just a casual listener, use it often for voice communication and non-critical stereo sounds, like thumpy mid-bass, don't need to run/walk around with it, the Halo2 does an decent job with a sleek design that is easy to love.