Hands-free mini test
We love Jabra’s hands-free kits – its £30 EasyGo won the Best Buy award in our most recent group test. Is the latest arrival just as good?
The new Extreme2 is more pricey than the EasyGo, at £80, and sits below the £100 range-topping Supreme. We tested them against each other, and also threw Plantronics’ Voyager PRO HD into the mix, as it splits the two Jabras on price.
Having charged them up, we used each device on an urban route, making a call at exactly the same point and rating their audio quality. We also compared build quality, ease of use, comfort, price and any extra kit offered.
The Supreme was first to fall – although it’s comfortable, it’s not as loud as the Plantronics and isn’t worth £20 more than the Extreme2. The Voyager PRO HD is great, but it’s too big and, again, doesn’t justify its price premium. So the Jabra Extreme2 wins, as it’s clear, light and comfortable.
Our choice: Jabra Extreme2
Price: £79.99
Contact: www.jabra.com
Rating: ★★★★★
The latest Jabra earpiece doesn’t disappoint. It delivers loud and clear audio, and our caller reported no problems hearing us at the other end of the line. The design won’t suit all tastes and the in-ear gel isn’t as comfortable as that of the Supreme, but the Extreme2 is smaller and lighter than rivals. It doesn’t have its big brother’s fancy on-off folding mechanism, either – there’s a sliding button instead. As with rivals, there are manual volume controls, but the buttons are simple to find when the device is on your ear. It comes with car and mains chargers, and is well priced.
Clever buy: Plantronics Voyager PRO HD
Price: £89.99
Contact: www.plantronics.com/uk
Rating: ★★★★
The Plantronics has its own party trick: a motion sensor automatically routes the call to the earpiece when you pick it up. The 17g Voyager PRO HD is the largest device here – and also the least comfortable to wear. And to hear a caller as clearly as you can with the Extreme2, the earpiece needs to sit deep in your ear. Sound quality wasn’t as good as on the new Jabra, although it was louder than the Supreme. Falls between the two Jabras on price, but it’s not £10 better than the Extreme2, so it has to settle for second place in this test.
Range-topper: Jabra Supreme
Price: £99.99
Contact: www.jabra.com
Rating: ★★★
We were won over by the Supreme’s folding boom microphone: unfold it, and the device switches on automatically; fold it, and it turns off, plus makes the Jabra easy to carry in your pocket. But this is still larger than the Extreme2, and we think the sound is muffled through the soft cushion. It’s comfortable, but can’t be used without the earloop and the sound quality doesn’t justify the £20 premium over the Extreme2. Plus, the position of the microphone meant our caller reported wind noise – this will be irritating if you make calls with the window down.
