The heir to the world's smallest Bluetooth headset has arrived, upgraded to digital sound and with dual profile support: Jørgen Sundgot tunes in to the Bluespoon Digital.
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When Nextlink first introduced the Bluespoon headset, it was something of a revolutionary product as the world's smallest Bluetooth headset. Apparently, the successor carries on this torch, but adds digital transmission of sound and dual profile support to the mix - while the majority of other features remain unchanged.
 | The Bluespoon Digital features improved sound quality over its predecessor, along with dual profile support
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As with its predecessor, Nextlink's Bluespoon Digital is quite impressive when compared with the size of other and more well known Bluetooth headsets. Its tiny size makes it difficult to even spot when worn, as there are no protruding artifacts - only an extremely short boom. Small is also a factor reflected in terms of weight: it only weighs 10 g - or approximately one third of Sony Ericsson, Motorola and others' offerings.
The advantages of its small size are made evident when attaching the headset to ones right ear - the only one in which it will fit, an obvious drawback - as it is absolutely impossible to make it fall out unless ones ear is removed with it. To attach to the ear, the headset relies on a plastic spring feather which fits in below one of the canals in the user's ear. The headset must be inserted in a particular position first, then turned approximately 60 degrees counter-clockwise to lock into place. It takes some time figuring out just how to do this, but after a bit of practice it's done in a couple of seconds at most. Also, a selection of spring feathers of various length and hardness accompany the headset to let the wearer select the one that feels the most comfortable to him or her.
Pairing the Bluespoon with another Bluetooth device obviously has to be carried out prior to wearing it, and is a simple process. A fixed, easy to remember PIN code is embedded in the headset, so users need only a bare minimum of key presses to initiate and complete the pairing process. The simple PIN code is also a boon for users with multiple handsets, or for those otherwise in need of connecting to new devices on a regular basis. Another major boon is support for both Headset and Handsfree profiles where the original Bluespoon offered only the former; this enables connectivity with virtually every handset on the market.
Two multi-function buttons located on each side of the headset's front part are responsible for a number of functions, such as switching on and off the headset, initiating pairing, increasing and decreasing volume and placing calls with voice activation. The tactile feedback of these buttons could be better, but is satisfactory as it is. Two very visible and bright LEDs, one red and one blue, display several combinations to indicate whether the headset is active, the user is in a call or whether battery is low. Also, a number of different audio cues give feedback to the user on different actions - all thoroughly explained in the otherwise simple and excellent manual.
In our tests, the Bluespoon Digital offered improved sound quality and performance over its predecessor, but still lacked somewhat in terms of range. As with the original Bluespoon, audio quality is good at short ranges, but deteriorates rapidly to the unrecognizeable at a relatively short range of 5 meters even with a direct line of sight. Talk time is however in the range of what Nextlink lists, falling only slightly behind the promised 6 hours, although standby time has not improved from the original with approximately 190 hours.
The Bluespoon Digital also comes with a charging cradle, which unfortunately is one of the major drawbacks of the total package. Although small, which is an advantage, it is somewhat flimsy and appears to be very easy to break as a catch wing made of relatively thin plastic is required to keep the headset in a charging position. When used in an ordinary office setting, this shouldn't be much of a problem, but we imagine road warriors could quickly find themselves with a major problem on their hands.
Availability
The Bluespoon is available from the Nextlink web site in three different editions: Standard, Panther and Special Edition - all of which retail at 270 EUR.
Conclusion
As with the original Bluespoon, the Digital edition is as a result of its poor range a headset well suited for users who either carry their mobile phone on them, or have it in their immediate vicinity. Its small size and low weight makes it ideal for those wanting to keep a more discrete profile, while talk and standby times are fully on par with competing headsets - still often double the size, or more. It is, however, at 325 EUR one of the most pricey headsets in existence, which sadly counters upsides such as dual profile support and improved sound quality.
- What's positive: Small; light; excellent fix; dual profile support
- What's negative: Poor range; extremely pricey
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Price and availability
The will start selling for TBA () in November 1999.
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