It’s a smart choice for listening pleasure

THE HALO Smart in-ear headphones from Danish firm Jabra offer good-quality sound and are lightweight enough to wear comfortably for hours. They’re also fully equipped to use with your smartphone.
The Halo Smart connects to your phone via Bluetooth and takes voice commands regardless of the operating system, using Siri on iOS, Google Now on Android and Cortana on Windows.
As well as weighing a mere 38 grams, the Halo Smart has a |flexible neckband that can be shaped around the neck for added comfort.
You get crisp, clear sound thanks to 10mm neodymium-magnet drivers packing sensitivity of a high 97dB. The frequency response ranges from 20Hz to 20kHz.
You’re protected against dust and water splashes with an IP54 rating and the gear is durable enough, Jabra claims, to be dropped from a metre and a half without damage. Plus, every unit gets bent 8,000 times in a stress test at the factory.
Wind noise is eliminated with EarGels, of which three sets in all sizes are included in the package – large, medium, small and extra-small. Make sure you select the proper size for your ears and they’ll seal out background disturbances so you can hear your music and conversation more clearly.
The battery life is very good, lasting up to 17 hours for phone chats and 15 hours for music. The headset can remain in standby mode for up to 22 days. There’s a micro USB port for recharging the built-in battery. A full charge takes two hours.
The Halo Smart also uses magnets to wrangle with the earbud cable and let you instantly answer incoming calls.
The buds are magnetised so they’ll adhere to the neckband or to each other when around your neck. When you get a call you just pull them apart or off the band.
Another useful feature is that the unit vibrates to let you know there’s an incoming call.
For voice commands to your phone, the Halo Smart has a dedicated voice-control button on the left side of the neckband. A single press activates the function for Google Now, Siri or Cortana on a connected phone.
You should download and install the Jabra Assist app on your phone to use with the Halo Smart. Among other uses, it will find your Halo Smart if it’s misplaced and, if you use an Android phone, the app will read Facebook, WhatApp and text messages to you, completely hands-free.
The unit’s quite easy to operate with its multi-function button and volume controls all on the right side of the neckband.
The multi-function button turns the headset on or off, gets it ready for a Bluetooth connection and answers calls (tap once) or rejects them (tap twice).
The volume controls will also change music tracks. Press and hold Volume Up to skip forward and Volume Down to go back.
While I was testing the Halo Smart, I found it reproduced music crisply and clearly, with outstanding mids and highs. With the EarGels in place, the bass was powerful enough that I could get into some rock music as well. The headset is really comfortable to wear for hours.

The Jabra Halo Smart is sold in Thailand by RTB Technology for Bt2,990 with a two-year warranty. It’s available at iStudio, Jaymart, Power Buy, Power Mal, www.Lazada.co.th/rtb-technology and www.GadgetThai.net.

Battery-charge time: Two hours
Certifications: Bluetooth 4.1, CE, FCC, IC, GOST, RoHS, REACH, IP54
Operating range: Up to 10 metres
Standby time: Up to 22 days
Speaker: 10mm Neodymium Magnet
Speaker sensitivity: 97dB/mW at 1KHz
Speaker impedance: 16 ohms
Speaker max input power: 8m W
Speaker frequency range: 20Hz to 20kHz
Microphone type: Electret condenser / Omni-directional
Microphone SLR: 10dB
Microphone frequency range: 200Hz to 6.3 kHz
Neckband dimensions: 141x141x35mm
Weight: 38 grams