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Cardo Systems scala-500 Bluetooth Headset - Silver

Wireless/Mobile Phone Accesory/Cellular Phone Accessories

Take your Bluetooth headset experience to new heights with the thoughtfully designed scala-500. The unit comes equipped with all the high-end features and functionalities you would expect from a leading headset, with the addition of revolutionary technology that is designed to cut wind noise.

Easy to wear around your neck or on your belt. Take a closer look.

An ear-clip and an exclusive eye/sunglasses clip come with the scala-500. Take a closer look.

Equipped with the WindGuard solution, the scala-500 overcomes wind interference significantly better than does any other Bluetooth headset on the market. Whether you're walking the sidewalks of a busy city, or biking or hiking on a windy day, you will appreciate this addition.

Click on the demos below to listen to a comparison between headset performance without and with the WindGuard technology (at a wind speed of 9 mph):

No WindGuard protection
WindGuard and the scala-500

At a hair more than half an ounce, the sleek and stylish scala-500 is one of the smallest and lightest devices available, but it still offers up to nine hours of talk time. An integrated speaker booster provides substantially higher volume capacity than is common in other headsets. Plus, echo-canceling technology alleviates those annoying voice feedback loops that are common with lesser headsets. An exchangeable ear-loop and eye/sunglasses attachment lets you place the headset where it's most convenient, while handy controls on the device allow you to voice dial, as well as to answer, mute, reject, and transfer calls. A charging cradle ships with the scala-500, offering fast recharging of the headset's internal battery. A carry sleeve is included as well, letting you carry the scala-500 on your belt or around your neck. And last but not least, the scala-500 is Bluetooth 1.2 compliant.

What's in the Box
scala-500 headset, carry sleeve, VersaClip ear/eyeglasses clip, charging cradle, carry lanyard, AC adapter, software, and user's manual.

Features of Cardo Systems scala-500 Bluetooth Headset - Silver:

9 hours talk-time / one week standby
all advanced functions: mute, reject, transfer, etc
bluetooth
compatible with all bluetooth mobile phones
embedded wind blocking technology
exchangeable ear-loop and eye/sunglasses attachment
hands-free

Reviews:

a good basic BT earbud

Rating: 4

I've owned this BT ear bud for about a month and used it together with my new moto RAZR v3 cell phone. I had a very happy experience with the ear bud. The volume is fine and I have no difficulty in hearing other people's talking during driving even my radio is on. The battery is strong. Averagely it can last for about 6 to 7 days and the talk time is generally over 6 hours (conservatively estimate). The working distance is OK. It cannot cover every corner in my 700 sq. feet apartment but only most of them. I don't have a chance to test if it will be interfered by other BT headphones in nearby area.

May be it works, BUT NOT for me...

Rating: 2

Influenced by all those nice reviews and the price I decided to get me one of those. Pairing with my Samsung SGH-D600 was a breaze, I adjusted the earhook to fit perfectly on my ear (no wabling). The design is nice and compact.

What comes to performance, there I was disappointed.

I could hear people on the other side without any problems, the sound is pretty good, but people could not hear me, they heard pieces of what I was saying.

It was practically impossible to have a conversation because people kept asking me to repeat myself.

Sometimes it dropped connection with my phone, which is really inconvinient when driving.

May be I had a faulty unit or it was not compatible with my phone, which I doubt, but I would not get this headset again.

Thanks for reading.

Not what I expected

Rating: 3

I have tested a wide variety of BT headsets. My tests have all been with my phones, both of which are BlackBerries. It is clear to me that some headsets work well with certain phones, but not so well with others. Hence the reason why some reviews of the Scala-500 are glowing and others highly critical. My new BlackBerry 8700 is the one I need a headset for, and this headset comes up short on my phone.

My experience with this headset was brief. There are three reasons why I didn't keep it longer.

1. The fit is not secure and comfortable. You could achieve either a secure fit (no flopping around, stable) OR a comfortable fit, but not both. When it was tight enough not to move around, it was uncomfortable. If the ear loop was loosened enough to be comfortable, it was not secure. Could be the shape of my ear; I notice some reviewers seem to rave about the fit. My ear is rather compact, so I cannot discount that for some wearers the fit may be perfect.

2. The speaker lays against the ear, rather than inside the ear canal. I have found that the best way to combat exterior noise is to have the sound funneled directly into the ear canal. This enhances the sound quality as well as improving privacy. My experience with the Scala-500 showed that the volume was sometimes too low, especially in noisy environments, even when the phone and earpiece were both adjusted to maximum volume. Further, in quiet environments, others could hear what my callers were saying sometimes.

3. Connection quality was low. Experienced Bluetooth users will recognize the crackling sound of a poor Bluetooth connection. My unit exhibited this non-stop during my trial period. I never went more than a few seconds without a small pop or crackle. In the end, this was more annoying than anything else, but it was enough to put me off this headset.

I stress again however that with another phone and a different ear shape, the experience you have may be different. In fact, someone should start a matrix up that compiles headset/phone combinations crossed with ear size. Then we can all make great decisions. Meantime, make sure that any BT headset you buy comes from a vendor that allows returns, and just keep experimenting till you find the one for you.

On that note, although I have not written my review for it yet, I am having good luck with the nXZen Plus 5500 by Gennum. It is very expensive but is performing very well. I also intend to test the Plantronics 645 (just released) and the Jabra JX-10. I think the longer we wait while the developers digest all their returns maybe they will come up with something even better; something that works with every earshape and every phone. I'm not holding my breath though.

By Cardo