I've long been a fan of this style of Bluetooth earpiece; a comfortable over-the-ear device with a boom mike. It sits on your ear so you don’t have to worry about it falling out, nor about sticking something inside your ear, and the microphone is clearly positioned where you need it. It’s a practical style that’s made for people who need to walk and talk.
I'm not alone; there's a good reason this form factor has been so enduring, and that’s because busy people recognise its value. Whether you’re a delivery driver who’s always getting up and out of their seat, or you’re the in-house IT guy who is slammed with people phoning you while you’re already out fixing somebody else’s problem and never get a chance to sit at your desk, or you simply like to have a good walk and don’t want to risk the current trend of teeny-tiny earbuds getting lost somewhere on your travels, then this is a headset for you.
Jabra has upped the ante building on its extensive audio engineering experience and the latest Jabra Talk 65 really shines. iTWire tested it out by conducting calls in traffic and outside the office while birds chirped, dogs barked, and cars honked. Jabra has included two noise-cancelling microphones and promises up to 80% noise cancellation. This, combined with the boom mike, really made it easy for me to hear everything my conversation partners were saying while at the same time they could hear me too.
The device features up to 14 hours of talk time so you know you can use it across the entire working day without worry, and it has a 100-metre Bluetooth range and uses USB-C for charging.
It's IP54 rated against dust and water so you don't even have to worry about rain, sweat, or dropping it.
The ergonomic design fits comfortably on either ear; simply swap it over and swing the boom mike out.
What's also really nice is the GPS information streaming and one-touch voice assistant access so the headset can help you manage your day and navigate too.
Jabra has also upgraded its Talk 15 and Talk 25 headsets too, increasing their battery life to seven and nine hours, respectively, and upgrading them to Bluetooth 5.0.
Jabra senior vice president Calum MacDougall said “the Jabra Talk 65 Bluetooth Mono headset is a great extension of your phone. Because of the 80% noise cancellation with two-microphone technology and wireless range of 100m/ 300ft, you can use the headset for work and private conversations, no matter where the day takes you. Thanks to its superior comfort and fit, you’ll barely notice it’s there.”
That's definitely iTWire's experience, and with the Jabra Talk 65, this over-the-ear boom microphone form factor remains my pick for the busy person who is always on the go and never tethered to their desk. If that’s you, this is a headset that can keep up with you.
The Jabra Talk 65 is available with a retail price of $149.
