3 July 2008 12:00 GMT / By Chris Hall

With Bluetooth headsets being two a penny these days, can Jabra convince with the JX20, the latest headset with a firm focus on design?

Lovingly packaged, with design by Jacob Jenson, it is clear from the fusion of greys and blacks that this is designed to appeal to the discerning headset wearer, but you can’t help thinking that once out of the box, none of that matters.

In the box you get the headset, a desk charger, USB cable, wall charger, ear loops, a neck cord, and a CD to register your new accessory. You’ll also get a small booklet of thinly veiled marketing gumph, I guess to take the sting out of the £100 you have to fork out for the thing. Unfortunately there is no car charger, but it does feature a standard Micro-USB connection, so you could use an existing charger for this.

The titanium reference alerts you to the fact that the headset is wrapped in titanium, which partly accounts for the cost, but does give a wonderful finish to the exterior of the device. That said, it only sits on the front, or visible side.

The desk stand is a great inclusion, because you can simply plug this into your laptop or the wall charger, and a row of lights will let you know what the charge level is, so avoiding those dead battery moments.

To turn the device on and off, you rotate the earbud. Unfortunately this only rotates one way, meaning that the controls are orientated for right-ear operation. If you prefer the left ear, then your call button will be on the underside and the volume controls will be reversed, which is a bit of a pain.

We found that the fit in the ear was not so good, and with only one additional eargel supplied, you don’t have many options. However, there are two earhooks provided which will provide additional stability. As the earpiece only weights 12g, it isn’t too much of a worry, but does mean that the sound is slightly marred if you can’t get a good fit.

However, in use the headset is very good quality. Making and receiving calls, we had no complaints about the quality, in most instances the caller did not know that we were using a headset.

Things have been kept nice and simple: through the single button you have the option to start and end calls, as well as reject. You can also take advantage of any voicedialling functions on your mobile and it is advised that you set up any vocal tags using the headset, if this option is available to you.

Charging is relatively quick and the useful indicator lights on the desk stand, as well as a battery indicator flashing light function on the headset itself, is simple and effective. Jabra boast a 6 hour talk time on the headset.

Verdict

The JX20 Pura continues Jabra’s trend of producing good quality headsets that deliver good quality sound. The price, perhaps, is a little much to handle, as you can get similar offerings from Jabra for much less. If you want to wear the headset in your left ear, then perhaps, you want something that is more flexible in control, however, you’ve probably become accustomed to the predominant right-hand bias.

If you need a headset to go with your BMW M5, then perhaps the titanium kissed JX20 Pura is just the thing for you.

Score

Review Recap

Made by

Jabra

Price as reviewed

£99.99

The good

Desk stand charger, lightweight, ease of use, cool looks

The bad

Left-ear wearers will have controls reversed, poor fit, price

Quick verdict

If you need a headset to go with your BMW M5, then perhaps the titanium kissed JX20 Pura is just the thing for you

Score

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