November 24th, 2009 by Morts
Looks can be deceiving, and that’s certainly the case with this Bluetrek X3 DPS Bluetooth headset. I’m specifically reviewing the “Driver Pack” version. You see, instead of coming with a low voltage car charger, like some headsets, it comes with a car charger that you can alsoplug just about any handset’s USB charger into (they specifically note Apple & Blackberry, but it should work with most Android and Palm handsets as well). This is a very simple but unexpected feature, and I like it. I’m always a fan of one less thing to carry. The trade-off is that there’s no wall charger, but as you have the (surprisingly and satisfyingly stiff) USB cable for the device, you’re not stuck without a charge indoors.
As for the headset itself, the X3 is a bit striking. Not for being fashionable or elegant (though it isn’t ugly), but for looking rugged. If certain slim, minimalist headsets that shall remain nameless are sportscars, this comes off as an off-roader. A rubber border surrounds the device, and covers the USB charging port (not, alas, USB mini or Micro btw) when not in use – a great idea that I’m honestly surprised I haven’t seen before. However, while it looks rugged and the packaging implies the device to be water, dust, and impact resistant, please note that the manual specifically states not to expose your device to liquid/moisture, avoid impacts and to keep it away from dust and dirt. So while it looks rugged, I don’t know just how rugged it actually is. However, just the little port cover is certainly good for light drizzles.
In terms of controls there are three simple buttons – a talk button on the center of the device (next to the devices full name in big letters), and two volume buttons, one on each side. A lot of people prefer dedicated volume buttons to a rocker, and I’m one of them. The X3’s implementation is nicely done indeed. The thing really feels great in one’s hand.
In one’s ear, however, is another story. The headset comes with in-ear “ergobuds” in four different sizes plus two removable metal earhooks. I dislike earhooks in general. These gain some points for being really thin, but lose them again for just feeling uncomfortable. As for the “ergobuds”… it took a solid two days of use to get them exactly how I wanted. This may be more a reflection of my tiny ear canal than the device, but I felt like it shouldn’t have taken that long. There’s still a lot of sound leakage, and it’s not as comfortable a fit as other units I’ve tried. It’s not horrible, but there’s no way someone’s going to forget that they’re wearing this. One other caveat is that the talk button I mention takes a bit more force to push than I would like, meaning you’re kind of shoving the thing in your ear when it’s time to answer/hang up a call.
Pairing to my Palm Pre was nothing less than effortless. I was actually able to do it while walking through Port Authority in NY to catch a train. Just hold down the talk button, wait for the flash, click add on your phone, and boom. Easily the quickest pair I’ve made. As I just noted there is indeed a little blue light (red when charging), but it doesn’t flash brightly like older, tackier headsets. It’s very subtle, and likely only noticeable in complete darkness. On further caveat on pairing – my Pre appears to drop the pair every now and then. I don’t have to re-pair though, just reselect. So the headset is keeping the pair well.
Battery life is good, with an official rating of six and a half hours of talk time, and five days standby. I’ve had it going three days with no sign of problems. One nice thing is that the manual notes that people should please let the battery get down to the warning (the light blinks red) before charging to prolong the life of the battery. Not something I see noted a lot, and should be.
One feature I was unable to test was the support for voice dialing, due to Palm’s baffling decision to not include any kind of voice dialing solution on the Pre. It’s supposed to be as simple as pressing “talk”, hearing the tone, and saying the name of the person you wish to dial. If we get a chance to test this with another phone, we will.
Now for the important bits: call quality and noise reduction. The devices “Noise Lock” feature is said to be rated to 80dB. We’ll be testing that out in a multiutude of ways, indoors, outdoors, car, and the ultimate test, an elementary school at dismissal time.
Indoors: Calls were good. However, when I toggled back and forth from BT to the cell itself, I could definitely hear some slight distortion of signal. The same level of quality was noticed in our regular Outdoor and Car tests. Consistency across all three was very impressive.
As for my patented “Schoolyard at dismissal” test… I’m sorry to say that the X3Pro’s sensitivity works against it. Callers said that not only could they hear significant background noise, they could actually hear entire snatches of conversation. Other headsets like the SoundID and some Jabra models have handled this with aplomb, so it’s a shame to see the X3pro come up short. While we admit that this is not a daily need for most peopl, if you work in construction or anywhere with noisy conditions you may want to rule out this headset for your on-the-job use.
Overall, the X3pro is certainly not the worst headset I’ve used. I give it points for style and accessories, and am willing to give it a YMMV for the comfort factor, but have to take away points for call quality and especially comfort.
