Jabra BT2080 Bluetooth headset review

Jabra BT2080 Bluetooth headset Buy Now $29.95

Using a Bluetooth headset – especially when you drive – should be standard practice. If you want the safety of hands free without breaking the bank, look at the Jabra BT2080.
More and more states are adopting laws that impose heavy fines for those who operate their phones while driving. While not getting caught and not having to pay a fine are certainly good motivators, the biggest one should be safety.  A distracted driver is a dangerous driver and a dangerous driver is someone we want to avoid – not someone we strive to become.

Jabra BT2080

 

So, use a Bluetooth headset. Period.  There is a huge discrepancy when it comes to price with Bluetooth headsets; some can be upwards of $100 or even more.  Enter the Jabra BT2080 – the  convenience of Bluetooth hands free with a very reasonable price tag.

What’s in the box

The Jabra BT2080 is a pretty bare bones affair – and that’s OK. In the box, you get the headset, instruction manual, an extra ear hook and a charger – that’s about it.  One ear hook is a bit larger than the other and either one can be turned around so that you can use the BT2080 on either your left or right ear.

Pairing the BT2080

With Bluetooth 2.1, gone are the days of pesky passcodes to enter. Just turn on the headset for the first time and it will enter Pairing mode. The Bluetooth indicator flashes blue to show that it is in Pairing mode.
On older phones, you will still be asked for a Pairing code – just input 0000.
If you decide to pair your headset in the future, just hold down the Answer button until the little Bluetooth icon starts to flash – then pair like you normally would.

  

On your HTC EVO 4G LTE or HTC One X or other Android phone, just:

1. Go to Settings
2. Turn on Bluetooth
3. Touch the Bluetooth tab
4. Search for devices by touching the Menu soft key and selecting search for devices
5. When you see the Jabra BT2080 listed, just touch it to Pair

Functionality

Using the Jabra BT2080 is very easy and straightforward:

1. When a call comes in, just tap the Answer/End button
2. To end a call, just tap the End button
3. To reject a call, press and hold the End button for about a second
4. To activate voice dialing, press and hold the Answer/End button
5. To redial the last number called, double tap the Answer/End button
6. Use the Volume up and down buttons to adjust the volume

Comfort

Bluetooth headsets can be hit or miss when it comes to comfort in your ear. The Jabra BT2080 doesn’t have a plethora of ear gels or different ear hooks, so it will either fit or it won’t.

The Jabra BT 2080 is designed to fit in your ear comfortably with an ear hook or without – just using the gel tip. While I did find the gel tip to be more comfortable than other types of earpieces, I could not get the BT2080 to stay in my ear without using the ear hook.
While having a headset stuck in your ear is never “comfortable” the Jabra BT2080 was reasonably comfortable for extended periods of time.

Call quality

Call quality was just OK with the Jabra BT2080.  This is not a fancy headset with noise cancellation and multiple microphones – it is a very basic headset.  When I talked to people I could hear them fine, it just sounded a bit hollow like they were off in a cave.  There was some interference at times, but never so much that I couldn’t make out the call.
On the other end, callers said I sounded very distant; a common complaint when using a Bluetooth headset.

The wrap up

The Jabra BT2080 is a very basic headset. It works, callers can hear you and you can hear them. I did have some trouble initiating voice dialing on some devices – the HTC EVO 4G LTE was the best.
Getting a tight fit was tricky since there are no other ear gels included and only two ear hooks.  Once it was finally adjusted it was comfortable enough, due in large part to the fact that it was very lightweight.

The good

• Inexpensive for a Bluetooth headset
• Very good battery life
• Lightweight
• Doesn’t feel cheap

The bad

• Not the most comfortable headset I have ever used
• Tough to get a good tight fit
• Calls sounded a bit hollow

The verdict

For thirty bucks, the Jabra BT2080 is a pretty good value in a Bluetooth headset. This would not be the headset to use if you were cruising at 80 MPH in your Porsche with the top down.  In my Honda, with the windows up, it was fine.  Often times with a Bluetooth headset, fine is good enough.