Jabra Stealth UC Review

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I attended EnterpriseConnect 2015 in Florida as I do every year.  As I made my way through the exhibit hall floor I came across one of our very good partners, Jabra. They outfitted me with their new Jabra Stealth UC. I’ll write another blog later because I was actually able to test the competitive product right there on the really loud exhibit hall floor.

The Jabra Stealth UC is a headset that allows users to connect to their mobile device via Bluetooth or NFC and PC/laptop via USB Bluetooth dongle. It comes in two variants:

5578-230-109 JABRA STEALTH UC supports most major UC platforms

5578-230-309 JABRA STEALTH UC (MS) optimized for use with Microsoft Lync

Jabra Stealth UC packaging

What’s in the box? Stealth Headset, Carry Case, USB Adapter, Car Charger, Micro USB charging cable, Large and Medium size ear hooks,

Jabra Stealth UC accessoriesJabra Stealth UC accessories 2

At first glance: It’s a small, sleek, cool looking Bluetooth headset.

Set up & Use: Headset goes into “Pair mode” when you first turn on. I went into my Bluetooth menu on my iPhone 6 Plus and selected Jabra STEALTH and headset “Connected”. One of the things I noticed is there are no volume controls.  Besides the on/off switch, you also have an answer/hang up and a dedicated Voice Control Button that allows you to activate Apple Siri and Google Now. It’s actually a cool feature as you can just tap the button, Siri comes on and you can ask away i.e. “Siri, find me a Chinese restaurant?” When I got back to the office, I plugged the USB dongle into PC and it paired right up (the dongle and headset come pre-connected).

This is an in-the-ear headset. I know some folks don’t like that. I personally use the smaller black eartip and it stays in place comfortably.

Jabra also has the Jabra Assist App you can download to your iOS and Android mobile device that offers some nice features like battery meter that warns when you need to recharge device and Find my Headset and even a Find My Car. Jabra Assist works with multiple Jabra Bluetooth devices: Jabra Stealth, Storm, Style, Classic, Drive, Tour and Freeway.

So how does it sound? Again, due to size I wasn’t expecting much however it seems technology really is improving as the noise canceling was much better than expected. Initially the receive volume didn’t seem to be loud enough however it did adjust. Plus you can also use your mobile device to increase volume.

Jabra Stealth UC
Jabra Stealth UC
Jabra Stealth
Jabra Stealth

Here’s a list of features and specs:

  • ƒƒ Smartphone voice control button for remote activation of Siri / Google Now
  • ƒƒ Noise blackout dual microphone technology reduces background noise
  • ƒƒ HD Voice* for high definition sound quality
  • ƒƒ NFC** for easy pairing
  • ƒƒ Stream music, podcasts or GPS directions
  • ƒƒ Up to 6 hours talk time
  • ƒƒ Stay connected with the Nano sized bluetooth dongle
  • ƒƒ HD sound with noise reduction
  • ƒƒ Superior comfort in a small design
  • ƒƒ Dedicated voice control button

* Network dependent **Device dependent

How you work really dictates which device is best for you. The Jabra Stealth UC suits how I work because I don’t have a desk phone. I use Microsoft Lync via my PC and my iPhone 6 Plus for communicating and collaborating.

BlueParrott Reveal Review

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BlueParrott is already known for having the best noise canceling mics in the Bluetooth world with their BlueParrott B250, B20-XT+, and new B350-XT. However, some folks aren’t fans of those larger, headband style only Bluetooth headsets.

I actually had a glimpse of a beta unit a while back so I was excited to finally receive my BlueParrott Reveal.

BlueParrott Reveal Review

What’s in the box? Reveal Bluetooth Headset, Carrying Case, USB Cable, Car Charger, 4 ear buds, 2 earhooks, and a User’s Guide.

At first glance: The BlueParrott Reveal is very different form factor from what I’m accustomed to from VXi. It’s smaller than any other Bluetooth headset VXi has produced.

BlueParrott Reveal Review

Set Up & Use: The VXi Reveal offers Bluetooth and NFC connectivity. I have an iPhone 6 Plus so I paired via Bluetooth. When you first turn on headset, it goes into pair mode. Go to Bluetooth menu on phone and select Reveal.

You have four contoured ear buds to choose from plus a couple ear hooks. I tried all and settled on the small bud with ear hook. For me, that was the most comfortable.

 

 

 

 

BlueParrott Reveal offers these features and functions:

  • Volume Up/Mute
  • Volume Down
  • Extendable Microphone Boom
  • On/Off Switch
  • Indicator Lights
  • Multifunction Button
  • NFC Zone

BlueParrott Reveal Review

When it came to using on calls, BlueParrott Reveal didn’t disappoint with the noise canceling mic. One of the cool features is the ability to extend the mic when in noisier conditions however, the noise canceling capability was pretty good even with mic boom not extended. The speaker quality is very good as well. I can hear clearly and it’s loud enough.

The BlueParrott Reveal  offers over 7hrs of talk time, supports streaming music or GPS directions and allows you to connect to two Bluetooth devices so like your smartphone and tablet.

Make your phone a walkie-talkie with the free BlueParrott Push-to-Talk App (Android/iOS).

I have been digging this new Bluetooth headset by BlueParrott. Happy to see they were able to reduce the size of the headset and still maintain a strong noise canceling mic.