A REVIEW OF THE JABRA BT8040 BLUETOOTH STEREO HEADSET

Today, while at Fry’s Electronics, I finally gave in to my tech-time temptation and purchased a Jabra Bluetooth stereo headset, model BT8040.

The cost was $79.00 before tax. 

FEATURES:
I chose this model for the following four reasons:

1.
It is A 2 D P compliant.  This mean that, in addition to being able to stream, without dropout, high quality audio, Mobile Speak users can enjoy a fully hands free experience in a Windows Mobile 6 environment.  In short, unlike when using a non A 2 D P compliant Bluetooth headset, MSS does not revert back to the handset.  Further, audio is automatically paused whenever you receive an incoming call.  Please note that Mobile Speak users on handsets using Windows Mobile 5 do not need A 2 D P compliant headsets to enjoy a fully hands free experience.

2.
The Jabra BT8040 is a one piece Bluetooth device.  That is, you can hear two channels in one ear as opposed to models that require you to attach a second earpiece in order to hear both channels. 

3.
In addition to the A C adaptor, this model ships with a USB cable.  This cable allows you to charge the headset from your computer.

4.
This model supports multipoint connection for up to 8 devices.  That is, you can use the BT8040 with two or more wireless devices at the same time.  For example, if you carry one cell phone for business and a second cell phone for personal use, you can operate both phones from the one BT8040 to make and receive calls. 

Just so you know, this model ships with six ear jell buds for a snug fit; two small, two  medium, and two large.  I strongly recommend that you try all three sizes as selecting the best fit will greatly enhance the quality and volume of the audio signal.

In addition, the Jabra BT8040 boasts a battery life of six hours talk and two hundred hours of standby time.

DISCUSSION:
The BT8040 is very easy to use.  It took mere seconds to pare it with my Samsung Blackjack 2 Smart Phone. 

Believe it or not, this model has only two buttons, the [Answer/End] key and the [Volume] rocker button.  This model is rich with audio cues indicating each press of its keys. 

While the Motorola Pure offers a slightly higher call quality experience, the Jabra BT8040 is far superior in its feature set, most notably, the A 2 D P compliance.

NOTE TO AUDIOPHILES:
This model does not provide a rich deep surround sound experience. 

CONCLUSION: 
I much prefer the Jabra BT8040 to the Motorola Pure.  The BT8040 is easy to use and fully compatible with Smart Phones supporting Bluetooth 2.0. 

I recommend the Jabra BT8040 to all Windows Mobile 6 Smart Phone users, especially those using Mobile Speak.

JABRA CONTACT INFO:
Sales/Customer Service:
(866) 465-3494.

Technical/Product Support:
(800) 327-2230.

http://www.shop.jabra.com

Mark