Blueant Q2

[MountainBikerMark]

Wirelessly posted (Samsung Ophone : Opera/9.5 (Microsoft Windows; Windows CE; Opera Mobi/9.5; U; en) VZW:SCH-i910 PPC 240x400)

Here's my quick "preliminary" feedback for the Q2, as I have only been using it for a couple of hours (I will provide a comprehensive summary in a few days after testing it). First of all, the incoming sound is pretty impressive (they mention it in their marketing materials). It's extremely clear and very natural. I put a couple of calls into people and thus far I have received very positive feedback. It's also very loud, which is important to me, as many headsets aren't loud enough for me.

If you haven't tried a T1 yet (with the honeycomb "wind armour") then you'll be amazed how well it shields the wind noise. It's a great design. I'm guessing the Q2 does the same, as the design is the same. My experience with the T1 vs Plantronics 975 is that the T1 actually did a slightly better job with the wind (believe it or not), especially with "medium" strength gusts.

My long-time headset was the Z9i and I'm still trying to get used to the fit of the Q2. Unfortunately I can't compare it to the Q1, as I never used one. I can say that it fits very snug but my ear was hurting slightly after the first 30-60 mins, with slight pain from the ear hook and ear gel. But, in all fairness, I will really have to try a few combinations before I come to any conclusion.

The sliding power button is a little tough for me to access while the headset is on (but not impossible). They didn't a better job with the power button on the T1, as it has groves and is much easier to use because you can get a good grip (which is tough to do with the Q2 power button). The being said, you can at least access the power button on the Q2 while it is on your ear.

In summary, it's looking good based on my first try. At this point I will be comparing it to a Plantronics 975, which is what I have been using for a couple of weeks. If the Plantronics had an extra 30-60 mins of talk time then I probably wouldn't have bothered with the Q2. My hope is that the Q2 is as good as the Plantronics 975 + an extra 60 mins of talk time. I use it for business for 3-4+ hrs talk each day so natural sound + long battery life + solid wind noise cancellation + comfortable are the key aspects for me. We'll see...

I'll post a more detailed summary in a few days. I'll need to get through a few works days before I can truly pass judgment and provide an accurate review.

Hope this helps,
Jeremy

good stuff Jermy. Im glad to read that seems to be the solution to give you the talk time you need + get a cool unit on top of it.
sounds like the Q2 may be the solution for those of us who desire making/recieving calls without our phones in hand or nearby,like my old Jabra 8010

[jeremyr]

Mark,

To clarify (sorry for the confusioN), I still need to test the battery/talk time to see if it might be a replacement for the 975. It's still too early to tell. I'll need a few business days to figure it out. I HOPE it will be a replacement for my 975, as it just doesn't last long enough. I will keep you (and everyone) posted.

Jeremy

[MountainBikerMark]

Wirelessly posted (Samsung Ophone : Opera/9.5 (Microsoft Windows; Windows CE; Opera Mobi/9.5; U; en) VZW:SCH-i910 PPC 240x400)

cool. thanks. your mini review was good stuff.
Im interezted in the bells n whistles also if you get a chance.very potentially good stuff for business use. my 8010 has a built in visual phonebook, great for dialing contacts w/out using, often times flaky on my phones, voicedial while the phone is not nearby.

[TravelMate]

Hi!

Anyone can provide a link as to where to buy the Q2...for overseas buyer?

Thanks

[headcase]

So far, I'm really liking the Q2 with my iPhone 4. Like many here, I've been on the hunt for the "holy grail" of Bluetooth headsets (good incoming sound, good outgoing sound, decent battery life, easy to use, etc...), and I've tied just about every new headset that has come out (all ultimately returned).

Now I'm not saying my quest is over now, but wow, the Q2 seems pretty close. Not only is the sound good coming in and going out in loud environments, but I especially like the feature set: voice prompts, A2DP, multipoint, firmware upgradable, and what seems to be excellent voice recognition. I also enjoy something I've been waiting a long time for: the ability to download your address book from your phone into the headset, thereby enabling the headset to recognize and announce callers by NAME (instead of just their phone number). For example, the headset announces in a clear voice the name of the person calling, and asks you if you want to accept the call. Sweet. And this is without the app that they're coming out for the iPhone (already available for Android), for reading texts, etc.

Probably a keeper for me, unless something terribly goes wrong.

[Crash500]

I ran across these forums while searching for info on my new Q2. Looks like there is some really good information here! I just recently purchased the BlueAnt Q2 for my Incredible. I had just recently bought the Icon but returned it when this came out. I like listening to a lot of podcast and audio books so a2DP compatibility was important to me. In most ways I like this better than the Icon accept in one big way. I'm having a lot of problems with it disconnecting from the phone when I have it either in my pocket or in my carrying case on my hip. I can't walk in from the truck to the building where I work without it completely disconnecting. I never had a problem with the Icon and was even able to carry it on the opposite hip from my phone.

I just wanted to see if this is a general issue with the Q2 or maybe mine has some kind of issue? I like the overall functionality very much but I very much a solid connections. Thanks for any input!

[jeremyr]

I ran across these forums while searching for info on my new Q2. Looks like there is some really good information here! I just recently purchased the BlueAnt Q2 for my Incredible. I had just recently bought the Icon but returned it when this came out. I like listening to a lot of podcast and audio books so a2DP compatibility was important to me. In most ways I like this better than the Icon accept in one big way. I'm having a lot of problems with it disconnecting from the phone when I have it either in my pocket or in my carrying case on my hip. I can't walk in from the truck to the building where I work without it completely disconnecting. I never had a problem with the Icon and was even able to carry it on the opposite hip from my phone.

I just wanted to see if this is a general issue with the Q2 or maybe mine has some kind of issue? I like the overall functionality very much but I very much a solid connections. Thanks for any input!

My experience with BlueAnt headsets in general is that the range is inferior to Jawbone and Plantronics, which might explain the issue you're having. Then again, you might have also gotten a defective one.

My Q2 hardly has any range, similar to some of my Z9i headsets (also BlueAnt), and I am planning on exchanging mine to see if it helps. I would recommend you return and re-buy it if you have a 30 day return option to see if it helps.

To everyone - I am still testing it out and will post a review in the next couple of days. Thus far the battery is borderline for me but better than the Plantronics 975. Got around 3 hrs talk time + several hrs standby today. Will keep testing it for a few more days before posting a definitive opinion.

[MountainBikerMark]

Wirelessly posted (Samsung Ophone : Opera/9.5 (Microsoft Windows; Windows CE; Opera Mobi/9.5; U; en) VZW:SCH-i910 PPC 240x400)

I ran across these forums while searching for info on my new Q2. Looks like there is some really good information here! I just recently purchased the BlueAnt Q2 for my Incredible. I had just recently bought the Icon but returned it when this came out. I like listening to a lot of podcast and audio books so a2DP compatibility was important to me. In most ways I like this better than the Icon accept in one big way. I'm having a lot of problems with it disconnecting from the phone when I have it either in my pocket or in my carrying case on my hip. I can't walk in from the truck to the building where I work without it completely disconnecting. I never had a problem with the Icon and was even able to carry it on the opposite hip from my phone.

I just wanted to see if this is a general issue with the Q2 or maybe mine has some kind of issue? I like the overall functionality very much but I very much a solid connections. Thanks for any input!

my Icon disconnects often but reconnects on its own. I put my phone down and walk away from it often is why.
are there any strong wireless signals or microwave antenna near your work entrance? the signal from our computer uplink used to wreak havoc on my bluetooth and mediaflo within a few feet of the wireless antenna on the building roof.
also does pressing the send button cause your Q2 to reconnect? many of my units do if I press the send button after leaving range but my Icon finds it without me pressing unless its been a few minutes or more,then a press gets the connect tone.

[bennyhill5]

Crash it's not a problem with the Q2 but the HTC Incredible. I use to own the incredible but sold it and bought an Droid X for just the reason you mentioned about bluetooth disconnecting and reconnecting. Your lucky because My Icon would do the exact same thing. When I did some research on the Incredible , I found out that it was a known problem Verizon even confirmed it. I also have a HTC EVO which disconnects but not as often as the incredible did. I can tell you the Q2 has not disconnected from the Droid X once. Also the range is twice is far. When I spoke to VZW I was informed a fix was in the works for the Incredible. Hope this helps

[Crash500]

Thanks for all the great responses. I guess I'll just hold onto it a couple more weeks and see if I can handle the level of functionality it gives me. Maybe there will be an update along the way that will help the problem. I definitely love the audio it puts out and would hate to switch back to the icon. But since the icon is a $40 cheap it makes it easier to put up with. Anyway, I'll continue using it and post updates as I go along in case anybody else in interested. Thanks again.

[scion676]

I picked one up a couple of days ago and so far I am pretty pleased with the results. I've gone through a number of the top end headsets (Jawbone line including Icon, voyager pro, Q1, jabras etc) and I'd say this is the best so far in terms of incoming voice quality, noise cancelation, and a2dp quality. My primary phone is a Motorola Droid and my secondary (work) phone is a BB Tour. The one feature that I cannot get to work with my Droid is the caller announce feature which was one of the primary reasons I got the Q2 so it is understandingly frustrating. Everything else works as advertised but I've updated my phonebook with the Droid and Q2 multiple times with the headset saying the transfer was successful, and then caller ID comes in with just numbers instead of names like it should. I've deleted and repaired and spoken with a support person at blueant to no avail. Anybody have any bright ideas or had a similar experience? Note: the android application for the Q2 is not available yet but should come out sometime this month according to the support person I spoke with.

-Scion

[headcase]

Perhaps trying another Q2 headset will help to identify if the problem rests with that specific headset, the phone, or worse yet, the Bluetooth implementation on either (which means it won't get resolved until a firmware update).

[NWR]

I have been using the JB Icon with the iphone 4. I just tried my second Blueant q2 and the results are still the same. After several phone calls people said I sounded fine but after a/c and radio introduced then people said I sounded robotic and choppy. Same tests done with JB Icon and people said I sounded much better and more natural. I believe the JB Icon will sound and perform better when background noise is there. I am returning the second q2 and sticking with the Icon. The on/off button is also difficult to get to on the q2.

[headcase]

I have been using the JB Icon with the iphone 4. I just tried my second Blueant q2 and the results are still the same. After several phone calls people said I sounded fine but after a/c and radio introduced then people said I sounded robotic and choppy. Same tests done with JB Icon and people said I sounded much better and more natural. I believe the JB Icon will sound and perform better when background noise is there. I am returning the second q2 and sticking with the Icon. The on/off button is also difficult to get to on the q2.

Hmm... folks who have heard me speak with my iPhone 4 say the sound is barely indistinguishable between the iPhone mic and the Q2 mic. Perhaps a QA issue with both headsets, which would be a shame if so (reminds me of the Joby headsets). For me, I'm preferring the Q2 over the JB Icon, given the incoming sound is not as tinny on the Q2 as it is on the Icon, and the ability to announce the name of the caller is fantastic.

[jeremyr]

Everyone,

Well, I just got through using my Q2 for a full business and after about 15+ hrs of talk time I can report that I am on the fence. Specifically, the only thing holding me back is the fit, which is likely just bad luck for me individually. I am currently using the ear hook and a gel without the loop and it's fitting as snug as I would like. Not that it's uncomfortable, because it isn't, it's just not as secure as I would like, as I can hear it moving from time to time while I am walking.

In a nutshell, the most concise summary I can give is: It sound more natural (both incoming and outgoing) than the Plantronics 975 in quiet environments, while it doesn't deal with outgoing sound quite as well as the Plantronics 975 when there is a lot of background noise. If you're mostly in a quiet environment with the occassional wind and background noise then the Q2 might be a great choice for you. If you're mostly in noisier environments then the Plantronics 975 might be a better choice for you. That's the best way I can summarize my thoughts. Here are some specifics:

Pros

- Great incoming sound - extremely natural (pretty much spot on like the Z9i).
- Loud incoming sound. I don't think anyone would complain that it's not loud enough, as I often do with other headsets and it's definitely loud enough.
- Good outgoing sound in quiet conditions. If you use it in an office or quiet environment then the outgoing sound is very good.
- Handles wind very well. Similar to the BlueAnt T1, the new "wind armour" design is really good. In moderate wind people can hear slight wind. In major wind they'll hear the wind. But it's good enough to give someone a high level of confidence if they're walking outside and possibly biking. It's probably slightly better than the Plantronics 975.
- Caller ID announcement. Not a huge deal to me but it's nice to have.
- Decent battery life. It definitely trumps the Plantronics 975 battery life. I was able to get about 3 hrs of talk time + 6 hrs standby. This is about on-par with my BlueAnt Z9i, if not slightly less. Still ok for a hard working DSP headset. I would prefer if I got 3.5-4 hrs but it can't quite make it.

Cons

- Ear loop gels made my ear hurt and were too tight with the ear hook. Although it made the headset very snug, I couldn't handle any size of the ear loop gels, as they hurt my ears. This resulted in me using the ear hook + ear gel without a loop, which just isn't a snug enough fit. I'm not thrilled with the fit but I am giving it more time to try to get used to it.
- Doesn't handle background sound as well as Plantronics 975. It appears as though the Q2 is trying to combine BlueAnt's old voice isolation Standard and Max modes into one and the compromise results in DSP that doesn't handle background noise as well as a Plantronics 975. BlueAnt seems to have decided to trade off robotic distortion, which doesn't occur with the Q2, with allow some of the background noise to filter through. Essentially, they allow background noise to filter through to keep your voice sounding natural so it doesn't end up robotic. I guess it depends on your opinion about whether this is good or bad but it does allow for more background noise to filter through than the BlueAnt Z9i, for example.
- Lacks range compared to many other headsets. I find this to be a common thing for BlueAnts and I honestly plan to return my Q2 and buy another one to see if I got a defective unit. I don't think I did but it's bad enough that I'm going to try.
- On/Off sliding button is tough to access while the headset is on your ear. Not a huge deal but still annoying if you have to turn it off and on many times a day like me.

That's all for now. I hope this helps everyone. If my exchange results in a better range then I will be sure to post an update. Otherwise I'm sticking to my thoughts above. If I can get used to the lack of perfect fit for me then I will likely keep it for now. BUT it does have me looking forward to the successor to the Plantronics 975, which hopefully will be out within a few months, given that the 975 is almost a year old...

Hope this helps,
Jeremy