Customer Reviews

VXI BlueParrott 202524 Roadwarrior B250 Bluetooth Handsfree Headset for Cell Phones and Computers with AC and Auto Chargers

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I drive a diesel truck to jobs sites then grind metal with various grinding machines. This B 250 BlueParrott works flawlessly. No one knows I am using a blue tooth nor can they hear the back groung noise! I have tried 2 different Motorolas including the H12, and 2 different Jawbones. I have talked to other blue tooth users and I get the same opinion: They are just okay. I have to talk to important clients all day to maintain business dealings; with all other blue tooths I used, I had to stop what I was doing to talk, and 70% of the time I had to switch over to the phone because of bad sound quality. With this B 250 the sound quality is as good as when I am on a land line! Don't believe me, just try one! I couldn't believe it either. After I started using this blue tooth I quickly got tired of asking people how I sounded because the answer was always the same, perfect (even with alot of back ground noise).
I own an LG 8600 phone and the voice commands work flawlessly also. I can go over two days of constant phone calls without a charge which is nice. I have walk approx. 30 feet from my phone during a call without any distortion (have not tested the claimed 66' yet; what more do you want).
I just hope this product lasts a long time. Even if doesn't I'll buy another because I have to have a blue tooth that actually works.

I drive a noisy truck. I have tried at least 7 other types of bluetooth headsets ... they didn't work for me. I can hear clearly and can be heard clearly on the Parrott. It is comfortable to wear albeit is slightly bulky. The volume control can be a little tricky (usely not) to get adjusted for best clairity of your caller. If you set the volume too high it causes your callers voice to distort ... to low and its hard to hear clearly ... remember "noisy" truck. Background noise is nearly completely blocked except for radios,tvs etc. Be sure to turn them down or your caller may have an unpleasant experience. It seems to have 'voice recognition' that comes through the background noise. I have talked extensively on mine and had many compliments from other truckers and nontruckers alike. My only complaint would be that there is no indication that the battery is going to die and disconnect the bluetooth. You kinda get used to it and soon realize that you've lost 'bluetooth' and not connection. Your call will still be on the phone if you realize it before your caller hangs up. Let battery completely discharge before recharging or it will develop 'memory' and not hold a full charge. Long time to recharge.(5-7 hrs.) Can't recharge and use at the same time. Holds charge with constant use for about 8-10 hrs. Range from phone is about 33'. Easy operation.(I'm technically 'challenged') Am ordering another one because my last one was stolen.

Since I spend a lot of time in the car talking business I was looking for a headset that sounded better than my Plantronics with the short boom mic and was comfortable to wear. Everyone who I have done a test by switching between the Plantronics and the VXI agree that the VXI sounds like a traditional land line and has less road noise. The volume can be cranked up to cover any amount of background noise with good quality. The only downside is that the unit is a bit heavy and all the weight in on one side and takes some getting used to. I have worn it for hours and will switch sides periodically when it starts to become uncomfortable I believe that this is a small price to pay for the superior performance.

This is currently probably the only bluetooth handsfree headset that will allow me use voice dial on my RAZR V9 while driving my car. I have tried a Motorola and the ultra expensive Jawbone II headsets and the phone refuses to recognize my voice tags. The BlueParrott can do this by having the directional microphone in front of my "piehole" where the noise comes out instead of on my earlobe. It works and sounds great.

I purchased this unit specifically for use with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred. In particular, I wanted it for use in relatively high noise locations like cars at expressway speeds, airport terminals and the like. It was also recommended by Nuance, the publishers of Dragon Naturally Speaking.

I am returning the unit for a refund. The negatives of the B250 are, I think, greater than the positives. For people in special situations, such as truck drivers, who can deal with bulk of this unit, because they are in the same place for much of their work day (the cab of their truck) or office workers staying in one place, the B250 may be fine.

For my needs, though, the B250 is far too bulky. It would not last long being pushed into a roll-on, messenger bag, backpack or other carrier. The simple metal headband would be quickly twisted, bent or destroyed. The boom for the microphone doesn't look like it would stand up either.

Pairing is just plain ridiculous. You are required to 1) hold down a button, 2) until lights begin to flash, 3) listen for up to 15 seconds for 2 series of tones followed by 4 more tones and then 4) release the button. And all this is after as shorter series of steps. (Oddly, there are two separate sets of instructions for pairing with a Bluetooth device, both with distinct instructions; i.e., one saying wait for 2 tones, the other saying wait for 2 tones followed by 4 more. Confusing, to say the least.)

When more than perhaps a foot away from my ear, I could hear nothing from the headset, which rendered this process impossible for me. The pairing process also proved to be erratic. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

Charging times struck me as far too long. The first charge, according to the instructions, must be 16 hours.

I tried some tests of the noise cancelling features, turning up the radio and television. Noise suppression was okay, but nothing spectacular. There was no significant difference in the recognition of my words by Dragon when using the B250 or other Bluetooth headsets with noise cancelling features.

On the whole, I don't think the B250 offers any significant advantages over other quality noise-cancelling Bluetooth headsets, I think for those who are sitting in one place throughout the day, such as the cab of a truck or an office, the B250 would be more comfortable than one of the smaller, loop over the ear or in the ear types. But for someone on the go, the unit is just too bulky. And pairing it is a major bear, substantially more difficult than it has to be.

Jerry

I bought this at Amazon from an affiliate in Dec. of 2008 I just checked hoping the one year warranty hadn't expired. Turns out I purchased this on the 7th. To be honest this headset does exactly what it says cancels out background noise and allows the user clear and loud hearing even in noisy environments. Just as many reviews here state it is all that however on design/build quality I give it a big thumbs down. When I purchased this headset I intended on using it as soon as I purchased it but my Treo decided otherwise so I switched back to a non-bluetooth phone for sometime. In July I purchased the new iPhone 3GS and opened the BlueParrott from it's packaging for the first time. I started using this headset and it was truly nice to be able to hear and talk without having to say "HUH" or hear someone else say it. Most people were shocked when I told them I was working b/c there was no background noise. It worked very well. Considering it has been in use about 6 months now I was pleased until yesterday when I was unable to hear on it. I had an occasional pairing issue as bluetooth seems to be famous for and thought that was the problem however when it occurred again, I realized it was paired. I inspected the unit to find there are two very thin wires from the frame of the unit that lead into the earpiece and one of them is severed. Very very disappointing knowing this headset is very well taken care of. Upon further inspection I realized the two wires are so thin it's a design flaw. Of course it didn't help when I saw right under that area "Made In China" which really was no surprise given the poor attention to such an exposed and crucial part of the product. The wires could be routed internally or be designed to be more durable. I am very disappointed to say the least but in all honesty b/c it works so well I'm torn that I will most likely have to repurchase this product and hope they fix this design error or it breaks within the warranty period. I got 6 months out of it so at least in that regard I feel somewhat comfortable if/when it breaks it will be replaced. I'm curious has anyone else experienced this issue. The wires exposed extend a small distance away from the pivot point making them more susceptible to damage. They could be easily torn given their very thin gauge with almost non-existent insulation. I am not sure if I snagged it on something or they broke under normal wear and tear being the wires move with the swivel of the earpiece. They are almost hairlike with a light insulation for protection. Clearly not enough. This is definitely the weak link on these headsets and vulnerable to damage considering there's no protective case as most headsets when not in use are left on a dash, desk or in a carry on. The reason I give it only one star is if it you cannot hear b/c the wire broke it doesn't matter how well it works when the wires were attached and I truly feel it's very poorly designed only in this regard. Hope this helps. To summarize it works great but it's fragile b/c of the two exposed thin wires between the frame and ear piece.

I had a jawbone prior to this and it had a lot of background noise. This is by far the best bluetooth around, my wife use to have a hard time hearing me when I was diving in my truck, but the first time I called her using the blueparrot she thought I was still in the office on the land line. Everyone I talk to comments about how clear I sound.

Searching The Internet for details on Bluetooth wireless headsets with microphones, I ran across a "You Tube" Bluetooth Audio Radio Interface--a review by "Randy," an amateur radio operator whose FCC Call Sign is K7AGE. Video and audio show how well it performs. K7AGE reveals how it sounds to other ham operators compared to his radio's regular microphone. I heard no difference. I ordered the B250 via Amazon as a result of K7AGE's demo. It came from an outside merchant, Payless Distributors, and was a smooth transaction with fast delivery. J&R Music World now has them, & my experience with J&R also is super. It goes back to the 1980s when I ordered a huge Sony console TV from them that arrived quickly and perfectly. I rate both merchants & Blueparrot with the top score whether your need is sophisticated, as in FM, AM and SSB communication used by hams; commercial application on two-way radios with PDs, SOs, fire departments, or for wireless connection to your cell phone. Handsfree may mean the difference between life & death. I've "come close" several times in my 40 years as a ham radio operator because it's dangerous to hold only one hand on the steering wheel, the other on a microphone, & divert attention from road to radio. Many states may outlaw mobile cell use that is not handsfree. That's probably a good idea.(Look up JABRA A-210 if your device has NO Bluetooth capability.) I rate both highly, and the K7AGE "You Tube" show allows you to see & hear it in action. I've not tried the Blueparrot on my Apple Iphone because it & my Dodge Magnum SRT-8 already have BT. If it works great through K7AGE's & my ham gear, too, there's no reason that it shouldn't be equal or better via cell. Blueparrot's most keen feature for the price is its ability to null background noise. That quality often is limited to expensive pro microphones, such as those made by Heil Sound, one of the top names. It's unique to find an inexpensive microphone-headset combo that performs this well, let alone one that also contains Bluetooth circuitry. It's even safer because it covers only one ear. It's the best bang for the Bluetooth buck & it's comfortable, too.

My two biggest problems with ordinary bluetooth headsets are
1. The keep falling out of my ear. (This is sooo aggravating!!!)
2. I can't hear, others can't hear. (Basically the sound is terrible for all involved.)
This thing has solved both of these issues.

Some people have said that the over the head design was a flaw. I say it's one of the strongest features. True you nay look like a geek with it on, but, as an outside tech for a phone company and I am able to handle all my business without ever loosing the headset. Plus it makes a great conversation piece!

Finally the sound on this thing is great neither myself or my callers can tell any difference between the talking directly on the cell phone. If you hate bluetooth this is the headset for you.

At first I was very impressed with the sound clarity.. It's extremely loud although the volume is a bit quirky and a little hard to get adjusted to the right level... I drive a truck and it was perfect for my needs. Nothing I have tried before even comes close to the sound quality and volume I was needing. The people on the other end of the calls couldn't even hear the wind blowing when I was driving with the windows down! However, the range is no where near the 66 feet they advertise; it's more like 20 at most and the battery talk time is about 4 hours rather than the 16 hrs advertised. Unfortunately, my headset only lasted 6 days before it quit working... I returned it and a refund was given without and problems. I think I will try a different brand next time and hope it last for more than a week...