From Jawbone to your ear

The new Era Bluetooth headset from Jawbone looks sleek in its tiny profile and is comfortable to wear.

The headset, which Jawbone says has been totally re-engineered, delivers good sound quality for both chatting and for playing music.

The headset comes in a shiny colour and has a footprint of only 46.6x21.2x13mm. It’s about 42 per cent smaller than the previous Era model. With the weight of only six grams, the new Era is very comfortable for long hours of use.

This version comes with a reshaped earbud, which Jawbone says is based on three years of user testing for “ultimate wearability”.

The earbud is available in three sizes and made with a calibrated, ultra-soft silicon material for comfort. Every package might have different sizes, however, so you have to check before buying. For example, the package I tested had two medium-size buds and two large buds.

The revamped bud ensures your headset is totally secure in your ear at all times – you don’t have to worry it falls out when you’re jogging, for instance.

The buds work with the Era’s unique audio porting system to route sound directly into the ear. The headset also uses the new NoiseAssassin 4.0 to minimise background sounds so you can converse with someone even in noisy surroundings. NoiseAssassin employs more accurate algorithms for detecting all types of speech and distinguishing it from background noise. It works effectively with Siri and Google Now apps.

The Era uses smaller and better-performing MEMS microphones (micro-electro-mechanical systems) and has custom DSP algorithms (digital-signal processing) that adjust loudness and deliver the best audio possible based on your surroundings. 

The headset comes with a multi-function Talk button. You can press once to answer or end a call, press and hold to reject an incoming call, or press twice to redial. While handling two calls, you can press once to switch between them.

You can download Jawbone App for either an iOS or Android smartphone. It lets you program the Talk button to easily access Siri on iPhone or Google Now on Android directly from the headset. It is compatible to the Wideband Audio (HD Voice) of these two apps.

The new ERA has about four hours of talk time with its built-in rechargeable battery. It can be used with a sleek charging case that can deliver six more hours. The case keeps the headset totally secure in your pocket or purse or on your key chain. And it has a micro-LED on the side to indicate the charging status.

During my test conversing with a friend, I could be heard clearly even from a noisy office or while riding my bicycle and I could hear her speaking just as well.

The music quality was good, but of course it’s mono, not stereo. Anyway, it’s still enjoyable. If you love jogging, you can comfortably listen to music while on the run.

The new Era is available for Bt3,490 in Black Streak, Silver Cross, Bronze Streak and Red Streak at Jawbone.com and iStudio, dotlife, Jaymart, Power Buy and Power Mall stores. The headset can be purchased with the charging case for Bt4,290 in Black Streak and Silver Cross.

 

KEY SPECS

Bluetooth range: 10m

Bluetooth profiles supported: HFP 1.6, A2DP 1.2, AVRCP 1.4, HSP 1.2, SPP

Connections: Bluetooth, micro-USB

Battery: Up to 4 hours talk time, up to 10 hours with the charging case

Dimensions: 46.6x21.2x13mm

Weight: 6 grams