A professed non-early-adopter has reviewed 8 different Bluetooth headsets in a range of prices, scoring them on design, functionality, sound quality, and value. Her favorite from the group: the huge Plantronics Voyager 520, which sells for around $100. Coming in last was the $100 Samsung WEP410, which kept falling out of her ear.

Oddly, the winning headset didn’t provide superior sound quality, but its single-button design made it “incredibly easy to operate, and the squishy rubber loop/in-ear earpiece design was by far the most comfortable I tested.”

The fancy $120 Jawbone headset (the one that looks like a tiny, sporty cheese grater) landed right in the middle of the pack. Writes the reviewer:

I didn’t mind its relative bulkiness, but the concealed buttons represented an irritating emphasis on style over function. Several times, I ended calls when trying to navigate the noise-cancellation feature, and I never managed to jack up the volume to a satisfying level.

Ranked from worst to best:

• Samsung WEP410, $99.95
• Nokia BH-208, $39.95
• Motorola H700, $99.95
• Jawbone, $119.99
• Jabra BT 8010, $149.95
• Blueant Z9, ($99.95)
• Nokia BH-803, $149.95
• Plantronics Voyager 520, $99.95

“Can You Hear Me Now?” [Slate]
(Image: Plantronics)

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