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Lightning Round: Callpod Dragon Bluetooth Headset
Posted by Jason Chen at 7:00 AM on November 13, 2007
The Gadget: The Dragon, a dual-microphone, class 1 Bluetooth headset is made by Callpod, the folks who brought you the Chargepod universal six-way charger. It doesn't only act as a noise-filtering headset, you can actually connect two of them together to enable them to act as a Bluetooth walkie-talkie.
The Price: $119.95
The Performance: Incoming sound was rich and full, but outgoing cellphone sound was only very slightly echoey. The effect we heard gave the listener the feeling that the caller was inside a room. Nothing dramatic, but it was noticeable. It stacked up quite well compared with our current favourite, the nXZEN nX6000, with comparable incoming and outgoing call quality. It's also just as comfortable, with both an in-canal earbud and a hook over the ear for security.
There's even a special Dragon to Dragon walkie-talkie mode that goes for around 100 meters (we got somewhere between 50 and 100, but it was through a wall) that sounds as good as a cellphone call. Might not be useful for you, but Callpod tells us Cirque du Soleil is using it to communicate with performers on stage.
The Verdict: If you've got a need to Bluetooth walkie-talkie yourself around the house while you're not using it as a headset, the Dragon can fit the bill quite nicely. The miniUSB charging port means you can charge it with the included AC adapter, car charger, or even the Chargepod adaptor (nice touch) that it shipped with. Plus, Callpod's got a Phoenix conferencing system coming soon that can join five Dragons together and make calls over a cellphone or Skype. At a price of $119 (which means it's on par with the rest of the Bluetooth headset crowd), it's got great quality with future extendability. [Callpod]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Jason Chen
Posted 4:52 PM 12/11/07
@Binkles: Oops, meters. Yes I meant meters. I guess I didn't read my post either. ;)
Jason Chen
Binkles
Posted 4:51 PM 12/11/07
@Jason Chen:
Actually your post said 50-100 meters, which I could actually see being useful in certain situations. Thanks for clarifying though, if its actually only 50-100 feet then my interest is gone.
Binkles
calaverasgrandes
Posted 4:35 PM 12/11/07
nice, now if guys that make all these blue tooth earwigs can stop making ones that look like mini-mice I might actually wear one.
Or hey, how about one that looks like the original star trek ear plug a la Uhura?
I'd buy that for a dollar.
calaverasgrandes
Jason Chen
Posted 4:20 PM 12/11/07
@Rayman727: Did you read the post? I said I got between 50 and 100 feet through a wall in walkie-talkie mode.
Jason Chen
Rayman727
Posted 4:15 PM 12/11/07
Walkie talkie? If it's bluetooth that means you probably have to stand next to each other for it to work.
Rayman727
Hvedhrungr
Posted 4:02 PM 12/11/07
Too expensive to buy just for using it as a computer headset.
I wouldn't use this for cellphone calls, as for some reason I have an intense dislike for using headsets with cellphones.
On the plus, it looks snazzy and has some potential.
Hvedhrungr
zenpoet
Posted 5:01 PM 12/11/07
As long as it doesn't do the Nextel "blippty blip" push to talk noise every time, I can see this being kinda cool.
100 Meters is a great distance, in my opinion, for something like this, though it would be great for snowboarding if it had more range.
zenpoet
mainlinx
Posted 5:01 PM 12/11/07
For $120.00, rather get the plantronics bluetooth stero headphones with adapter. (great overall sound quality)
as seen here....
[www.jr.com]
Or the Motorolla S9 which are much more stylish and comfortable but lack good sound quality (especially on phone calls)
as seen here...
[www.jr.com]
mainlinx
hnkelley
Posted 7:55 PM 13/11/07
This looks pretty cool. My buddy and I ride motorcycles and this would be a nice, and less expensive, way to communicate with each other. Other systems involve more work (install, set up, learning curve), take more to use (plug in when getting on, disconnect when getting off), and provide less functionality. This device (if we both have one, obviously) would be dual-purpose and easy to use, on or off the bike... as long as we're in range.
hnkelley