Customer Reviews

Logitech Mobile Freedom Bluetooth Headset

5 star:		(128)
4 star:		(135)
3 star:		(57)
2 star:		(42)
1 star:		(42)

 

 

I'm using this Logitech with a Nextel i605, and so far all has been great for the first day of use.

Once paired with the handset it hasn't lost a connection anywhere in my modest split-level entry 1200 sq ft home, although the sound became slightly static while going through three interior walls.

The build quality of this unit is very high and I don't see any problem with durability (the microphone cover appears to be foam in the photos, but it isn't or rather it might have started that way but has been heated and then pressed into a permanent hard shape). Included in the package is two extra foam covers for the speaker and I don't really see any longevity issues there either.

Volume is awesome and I tested the Windstop technology by simply placing my face in front of a 10 inch metal bladed fan set to high and the person on the other end said that while I was talking, they couldn't hear anything but my voice and while I wasn't talking, they couldn't hear anything at all (very nice!!).

This is my first BT headset, so I don't have anything to compare to, but if I had to complain about something it might be the initial complication of finding the perfect fit on my right ear, but don't give up as it is very adjustable. Also for me there was slight discomfort after 3 or 4 hours of wearing but small adjustments took care of that.

It is my opinion that this is a much safer alternative to the corded headset I was using before. I drive a tractor-trailer, and while using the corded type you always had to be aware of where the cord was to avoid complications when driving, also I never made or used any voice tags for dialing therefore grabing the phone and looking at it to dial was not as safe as now using the voice dial function. The electronics industry probably doesn't care, but it would be interesting to find out if BT headsets have any good or bad impact on driving.

Last thing, when are these phones/BT headsets going to recognize the individual numbers by voice (1,2,3,4,etc) for dialing phone numbers that are not in your phonebook? This has got to be the next important step in safer driving while using a phone, short of simply knowing when it is truly not worth the risk to be distracted when driving.

More to come if I notice anything important.

P.S. Please give me a vote as I'm new to this reviewing thing and would like to know if I'm wasting my time.

5 Stars for overall Quality, Price and Ease of Use.

If you are looking for a relatively simple robust bluetooth ear set the Logitech Mobile Freedom may be for you.
For reference I have used this product in conjuction with the Sprint LG PM325 Bluetooth cell phone.

PROS:
The instructions are simple and clear.
Good quality build with thick robust casing. The ear piece is confortable and flexible and the Mobile Freedom is designed as an in-line unit so it can be used on either ear with the function buttons remaining in the same perspective. The buttons are large and easy to find without major distraction.
The ear piece is sturdy and secured with a screw that is spring loaded so the device and the ear-pad is held secure to your ear.
LED's (red and blue blinking) in combination with tones let you know when the unit is paired, calls are answered/ended,charging and on standby.

Sound quality is extremely good. I use my unit in a noisy vehicle and don't have a problem with sound quality. When I ask those I am talking to if the sound of my voice is clear they respond in the positive. I consider the volume range of this earset to be good as the set can be raised to a point above which the volume is comfortable.
This unit works nicely with the voice dialing capability of the LG PM325 phone.

Battery life is very good, better than many more expensive units on the market.

Relatively good customer support with informative webpage.

The Logitech earset is Bluetooth V1.2 Compliant.
The Price is highly competitve. I purchased my unit from Amazon.com for $39.99 and recieved a $30 special offer reduction if I signed up for an Amazon.com Chase Visa card and used that card for the purchase. The Earset totalled $9.99.

CONS:
This unit is somewhat bulky. The mic and stem component are cigar shaped lending to its bulkiness. The unit however, is not heavy and is hardly noticeable on the ear.

The unit's design is not as stylistic as others on the market.

As noted earlier, the features are more limited than other higher priced units on the market. There is no automated call answering as on some of the latest earsets. I have not determined if there is a call waiting or 3-way function at this time.
Upon receiving an incoming call, a tonal melody plays and unlike a few other more expensive units you can not select the ringer type you want.
As with many earsets there are multiple tone and flash frequencies that one has to consider in order to decipher the unit's functional.

SUMMARY:
The Logitech Mobile Freedom offers very good sound and build quality with moderate functions and asthetic design at a very good price. If your like me and want an earset that is relatively simple and of good quality, this unit might be for you. I am rather impressed with the quality of the sound offered by the paring of the LG PM325 and the Logitech Mobile Freedom. Again, if you want a quality earset that has reasonably sized buttons and has one touch voice calling, volume control, answering/ending calls and muting this earset may be a good choice.


The unit comes with a 1 year limited, non-transferrable warranty

Hope this review helped.

This is the third BlueTooth earphone I have purchased. My first was the Motorola HS820 and the second Plantronics M2500. I want to briefly go over these because without my knowledge of these two earphones, I would not fully appreciate the quality and superior performance of my Logitech earphone.

Motorola seemed to have a fairly good microphone, but even set at maximum volume, I could not hear if there was even minimal background noise. Additionally, even on a calm, windless day, I would have a problem with wind interference on the microphone just by walking and moving through the air. It also took about 7 seconds to make the connection with my phone after I answered the call and I sometimes got complaints that my voice would cut in and out while I was talking. Also, the Motorola light flashed too frequently, was too bright and was annoying to those around me, especially in lower light situations. In some situations, I could even see the flashing myself while I was wearing it.


I went to Plantronics next because they are a name I have grown to trust from working with their products in the business world. The speaker/sound quality was MUCH better as the ear-bud gently fits in the ear and blocks a bit of the background noise in that ear. The microphone, however, was of poor quality; People complained of rarely being able to hear me clearly and loudly and again I had the same problem with wind creating interference with the mic, just by walking through calm air. I would have returned this had it not fallen out of my pocket on an airplane. I only had this model for about two weeks so that's all I have to say about this one.

I purchased the Logitech on sale, the least expensive (though not by much) of the three and it is by far the best! I am able to hear the person on the other end of the phone even with moderate background noise. People tell me they can hear me clearly and the sound quality of my voice is even better than when I use my phone without an earphone. Even during really, heavy, Santa Ana winds, there was no wind interference. I have seen a couple product reviews stating that one disadvantage is the foam tip (just a note, this is a hard, durable, type foam, not a soft foam rubber) reduces voice quality but I have not found this to be the case at all. The ONLY detractor I have noticed, and it is a small one, is the multifunction button has a light that comes on when you hold the button down long enough to turn it on, off, etc. Well, while you are holding the button, you can't see the light. Now I simply put the earphone on my ear when I turn it on or off because there is an audio cue to let you know the earphone's operation status as well as the light: Problem solved. The function button light is also smaller and less bright than my Motorola earphone (I can't recall the light on the Plantronics model, though I know it had one) which is a good thing because it's less annoying to those around me.

So given that I now have a new bluetooth phone I figured it was high time to get myself a good bluetooth headset. I read a number of reviews and compared different models. There were a few that appealed due to their geek factor (the Jabra BT800 Bluetooth Headset in particular because of it's screen and ability to dial phonebook entries) but given that they all got panned for poor audio quality or extreme weight I decided to look for something a little more practical. After reading extensive reviews of about 15 different headsets I settled on the Logitech Mobile Freedom Bluetooth Headset given that all the reviews were consistent in their praise of it's audio quality and comfort factors. Now that I have it I figured I would add my own review into the merry fray.

When I got the unit it was entombed in the standard plastic casing that requires near military levels of might and force to open. Luckily I have an implement designed for the job and made quick work of opening the package to reveal the headset, instructions, and an A/C charger. As per the instructions the first thing I did was plug the charger into it and let it sit for four hours. The charger itself is well designed and fairly small. The plugs are rotated 90 degrees from a normal plug and the brick is narrow enough to plug it into a power-strip without blocking any other outlets. The adapter has a decently long cord with a small plug that fits neatly into the backside of the headset.

While it was charging I took a moment to read the manual and look at the actual headset. It was a little larger than some of the others I've seen, but just as light. It has a very simple interface - a toggle switch for adjusting the volume, and an "action" button for turning the headset on and off as well as taking and rejecting calls. The action button is actually an LED which can turn red or blue to indicate various statuses. Although the simple user interface prevents some really advanced features it does make using the unit simple. You really only need to hit one button to do anything (aside from muting - you press and hold the volume button for a second to do that) and it's pretty intuitive in figuring out what you want to do.

Once the unit was charged I paired it with my phone. This process was surprisingly simple - I held the action button for 10 seconds until the light started flashing red and blue. This put the headset in discoverable mode and I just had to tell my cell phone to add a new device. After typing in the pre-selected password they were instantly paired. Now whenever I turn the headset on (pressing the action button for four seconds) they instantly pair and the headset automatically goes into headset mode.

I also paired it with my Powerbook. Unfortunately that broke the pairing with my phone so I won't be using it very often with the powerbook. For users who are looking for a good VOIP headset this might be an ideal solution. OSX fully supports the headset profile and when it was connected routed all sounds through the headset. I did a quick recording test and it did indeed pull audio in from the microphone as expected. After that experiment I re-paired the headset with my phone and started some audio tests to determine the sound quality.

The main selling point of the Logitech Mobile Freedom Headset in my mind is its amazing audio quality. I called several people in a number of different situations. First in a quiet room with no air movement. I then turned on some music quietly in the background. Finally I went for a drive and tried the headset with the air conditioning off, on, and then finally with the drivers window open. For all but the final test wit the window open the headset sounded fantastic for both ends of the call. Some of the people I was talking to said it sounded clearer than when I was using the handset held up to my face. With the window rolled down (and the headset on the window side of my face) there was a little wind noise, however it was still possible to hear me - something that no other headset on the market could muster to my knowledge. With its 7 hours of talk time I could see using this for a majority of my phone calls!

Overall impressions:
I'm impressed and would give the Logitech Mobile Freedom Bluetooth Headset a 9/10 rating. It's quite usable, has incredible sound quality, and is comfortable enough that I can wear it for hours and nearly forget that it's there. The only two things I can mark them down on would be that the unit is slightly larger than some of the competition and that you can only pair the headset with one device at a time. I would find being able to pair it with two or more devices incredibly useful given that I have both a bluetooth laptop and cell phone. Well worth the $50 on Amazon.com!

Used for almost an year!!

I bought a pair - for me and my wife in July 2005. It was slightly cheaper than it is now. Thanks to the good ratings, the product is still selling for more now. And I guess it is worthy of the ratings. Here are some pros and cons for you to evaluate

Pros
1.Good sound quality. No echoes or noise issues. This is the most important factor for any headset. This headset excels very well in this.
2.Voice dial works very well
3.Good talk-time performance and battery life.

Cons
1.Kind of squeezes your ears when you wear it. It did not fit my ears, so I kept adjusting the clip.After so many adjustments, my clip broke at the mid-point recently. On the other hand, my wife's headset is okay. But she does not use it as much as me. I have uploaded the picture of broken headset (in the customer image section)
2.Some reason - the volume resets after the call is ended. When you receive the next call, you have to increase the volume again.
3.Wish it was little small in size.

I am planning to try something else now.

Update - The picture of my broken headset is no more available in the customer image section. Somebody didnt find it appropriate ;-)

This unit seems to work well with my Motorola570 phone (which is bluetooth 1.2). It actually sounds better than the phone's normal speaker. Volume goes as loud as I need it even at 70mph with the window down. The noise reduction microphone seems to work as I have had no complaints about voice quality either when out on my boat or when driving.

It generally maintains a connection up to about 20 feet from the phone. Call waiting works, as does voice dialing. There are no selective ring tones. It stays paired fairly reliably and catches up after dialing a single digit in the phone's keypad.

The only problem with this unit is that if your ears are on the small side it may not fit comfortably (my GF has small ears and will not use my headset). I can wear this unit for hours at a time while driving without discomfort, and it has stayed on my ear while driving my open boat at 40mph.

BTW, I am now buying my second unit as my dog did a taste test on my original one yesterday and it did not survive...

This headset was my first. It was easy to set up. The directions that come with it are pretty good. The earpiece volume is okay. I have no problem hearing people (unless my wife is using her damnable speaker phone!! but thats her fault). The battery lasted a very very long time the first 2 months I had it. I could go 2 days without charging it on standbye mode with no problem then talk for an hour straight and the battery wouldnt even be low. But after the 3rd and 4th month... Well, the battery stopped charging all the way. Now as I write this review about 5 or 6 months later, the thing isnt even functional. Last week, I charged it over night and took it with me to work. I started talking to my wife and it made this funny beeping noise that I never heard before. I found out that was the battery low sound!! I hadnt even had it on standbye for 2 hours and talked for less than 20 minutes and it went completely dead. So if it works for you well out of the box... You may want to take that with a grain of salt.

After exhaustively searching for a new Bluetooth headset to pair with my Motorolla Razr v3, I comfortably settled on this one, to be honest, 1)because of price and 2) because it received great reviews. Coming in at just about half the price of similar Motorolla and Jabra headsets, this headset is incredible.

For $32.99 (through Amazon)you get comfort, reliability and most important, CLARITY. The sound is amazing, both while you are using it or on the other end of the conversation. It was a bit awkward adjusting it to my ear at first but after a few tries, I got the perfect fit. It could slip on a little easier but again, for the price, a few extra seconds of adjustment is well worth it.

Pairing it with my Motorolla Razr could not have been easier. It paired right away and I haven't had a connection problem to speak of yet.

I haven't tested the Wind Stop yet but am fairly confident that will not disappoint, although rare is it that I am in a windy area.

The best part of this little gem is the sound. It is so clear, almost clearer than my regular home phone. When I was using a wired ear bud (and by the way, I went through about 4 of them before I just decided to go wireless), my husband was constantly annoyed at the static or low volume. He can't believe how clear I sound with the Logitech Mobile Freedom.

The volume adjustment is easy to use and works great. Sound recognition has worked every time. Battery life is pretty good and a full charge takes just a few hours.

This headset is an absolute steal at this price and the return on investment is priceless.

Update: 11-22-2005
==================

I still like this unit and I'm now using it with a Treo 650. Sound quality with the Treo is very good, and people report they can still here me.

Just some stuff I've noticed now that I'm using the Treo 650 with this headset.

1. I can't voice dial using the Treo, but thats a Treo thing. It worked well with the Nokia 6820. I think its that the Treo doesn't have voice dialing functionality. And I can't justify paying money for a 3rd party program to do this. The speed dial list on the PDA is big enough to almost replace the speed dial feature. Almost. I still miss it though.

2. When connected to the Treo the headset acts differently then it did with the Nokia. The Nokia always kept a connection to the Headset. The Treo only connects to headset for initial setup, and when receiving/during/making calls. It took awhile for me to figure it why the blue light on the headset would say not connected. I can still hear rings and answer calls on the headset though, so I'm not going complain about it.

3. Some friends have asked me how I mute calls or flip between calls on this headset. I've found that this headset doesn't support that and that other units do. Seeing that it took this long for me to notice it, I really don't miss not having those on the headset. I know where those functions are on my phone well enough that I can use them without glancing at it.

So far the 5 stars I gave this headset back in October are acurate in how I feel about this product now. Try it out.



=== First Review === October 28, 2005 ===

I got this model back on April 8, 2005 and so far I've enjoyed it.

Usually, when I'm going to buy something, I research as best I can for the best one. More so when I'm looking for devices like cell phones and/or PDAs. I'm a very picky shopper. After looking through Amazon and CNet for a decent Bluetooth headset I bumped into this one. The reviews we're decent at the time. This being my first wireless headset, I wanted to make sure I'd get one that has a good history.

I don't have a single complaint about this headset. It connected to my Nokia 6820 very quickly and has never lost a connection when it's on (unless I walk to far away.) I can hear the ringer clearly, and people can hear me, even with my windows down in my car. I mostly got this headset so I can keep working on the computer without having to hold the phone, but I've actually forgotten I'm wearing it at times.

Mine is usually on for about 2-4 hours a day. I only have to charge it once or twice a week. I haven't tried it on any other devices, although my brother borrowed it for his Nokia N-Gage and said it worked great. And being able to voice dial with it is cool.

For what I need it for it has worked very good. I'd suggest it to anyone.

As a purchaser for a corporation I have purchased and tried numberous bluetooth headsets for our executives. We use both Bluetooth IP softphones on the laptops as well as bluetooth cell-phones. I have tried the Jabra headsets, motorola, Qtech, IXR, etc etc...probably 12 different types now and this one by far has the best connection to anything as well as the best sound quality. Most people cannot tell that you are on a headset with this headset...they believe you are talking directly on the handset itself. This also has the longest range...I was able to walk effectively to over 40 feet from my desk and still maintain a conversation with someone (you start to notice static at that range...some of our executives have made it even farther...just dealing with the static.)
Definitely one of the best I have used...it may not be the prettiest, or have the most features...but it works for what it is designed to do better than any other headset I have tried.