Aliph Jawbone

This is without question one of the best in noise reduction. The Jawbone, from Aliph , is designed to be not only an effective noise reduction tool, but also somewhat of a design statement.

The earpiece uses proprietary Noise Shield technology to eliminate background noise and adapt to your environment. This is coupled with directional microphones and a voice activity sensor that identifies when you are speaking and thereby further eliminates non-speech related noise. The result is a headset that can be used in almost any condition with superior results. 

Aliph states that the Jawbone can be paired with multiple devices but with some limitations. Most notably that the device with the strongest Bluetooth signal will attach in a primary mode and switching to a second device at the same time may be problematic. 

The distinctive design of the Jawbone speaks for itself (the pun was unavoidable). It is unmistakable in its modern industrial look and even comes in 3 colors; silver, black and red. It comes with separate ear loops for the right and left ear and 4 ear buds.

This is actually the only real drawback I found with the device. Removing a ‘right ear' ear loop and replacing it with a different ‘left ear' ear loop is somewhat tedious and not recommended while on the go.  

If you have sensitive ears and need to switch often from one ear to the other this could be a deal breaker. Otherwise, it is one of the best noise cancelling headsets we tested. 

The Jawbone weighs (with ear loop) a reasonable 19 grams and retails for $119.

SoundID SM100

This is a novel new entry from a company called SoundID . The principals at SoundID have backgrounds in the areas of hearing aids and acoustics and they put the knowledge to good use.  

At 11 grams the SM100 is the lightest (by 1 gram) of all the headsets we tested. It uses a clever, patent pending Ear Tip with 3 different size internal loops to fit most ears.

It can also accept custom molded earpieces for additional comfort and fit. With a quick, simple twist, the Ear Tip rotates so that the headset can be used in either ear. The mounting feels secure in your ear and works well for normal activities.  The headset is quite small and unobtrusive and can be worn comfortably for extended periods of time. 

The SM100 has three (3) operational sound modes; Phone, Environmental and One2One (intercom). A bit of explanation is required here. The phone mode has its own adjustments, which we'll address in a moment, but what make this headset truly unique are its other 2 capabilities. 

The Environmental mode kicks in when the phone is not in use. This uses the incorporated microphone technology to allow the outside sounds to be passed through to your ear, effectively eliminating the ‘plugged' feeling you get with an earpiece blocking one ear and half your sound. It takes a little getting used to and can be adjusted, but you soon ignore the technology and just enjoy the ability to clearly hear what's going on around you. 

The One2One mode is essentially an intercom. You can switch to this mode to communicate with another SM100 that is within about 30' of yours. A nice touch in the yard, on the golf course or even around the house. Kudos for creativity and application of the technology. Sort of ‘thinking outside the ear'. 

The Phone mode does a nice job of delivering good quality sound and eliminating background noise. Using a system combining dual microphones and sophisticated noise compensating algorithms the SM100 is a top contender in noise cancelling headsets. 

The Sound ID SM100 has a talk time of about 8 hours and standby time of 72 hours (24 hours if used in environmental mode). The SM100 is one of the more expensive headsets at $129 but offers features not found in any other Bluetooth headset we're aware of on the market today.

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