Jawbone 2 Bluetooth Headset

The Jawbone is an attractive, easy-to-use Bluetooth headset that offers very good sound quality. But it's expensive.

A Bluetooth headset doesn't have to look like, well, a Bluetooth headset. Case in point: Aliph's new Jawbone, which somehow manages to look more like a work of art than a hands-free device for your mobile phone. It also does more than just look good: It also fits comfortably in your ear, is easy to use, and offers very good sound quality.

The new Jawbone is a small, rectangular device with a quilted diamond pattern covering its exterior. No buttons are visible on its surface, which comes in black, pink, blue, gold, or silver. The new Jawbone (sometimes called the Jawbone 2) is an updated version of Aliph's first Bluetooth headset, also called the Jawbone. The new model is significantly smaller and lighter than the original, and also features improved noise cancellation technology.

The Jawbone has an earbud that slides into your ear, and an earhook that fits over the top of your ear to secure it in place. I tend to be very picky about earbuds--very few of them are comfortable--but the Jawbone fit very well. The Jawbone also includes four different earhooks. Two are medium and two are extra-large; each size is available in a leather version and a slimmer plastic version that's designed for use with eyeglasses.

The Jawbone has no noticeable buttons, but if you run your finger over its surface, you'll feel two: A talk button, which you can use to initiate or end a call, and a NoiseAssassin Button, which allows you to take advantage of the Jawbone's noise cancellation technology.

Overall, sound quality was great. I could hear my callers very well, and they said the same about me. And I found the NoiseAssassin feature worked very well: The headset did an excellent job of blocking out background noise.

At $130, the Jawbone isn't cheap, but you do get a lot for your money. If you're looking for a Bluetooth headset, the Jawbone is worth a look.