There is a new player in the very crowded Bluetooth handsfree/headset market. The appropriately titled ‘Mr Handsfree’ has brought several new and exciting products to the marketplace. The Blue Butterfly II is their offering in the Bluetooth headset venue. If packaging is any indication, this headset is a winner. Read on for my review. Bluetooth revisited:
We know by now that Bluetooth headsets are a mixed bag. The Bluetooth world is quite confusing. Most headset are either Bluetooth 1.1 compliant or Bluetooth 1.2 compliant. Many phones (including the Treo 650) are only Bluetooth 1.1. If that isn’t complicated enough, some phones support a ‘handsfree’ setup with certain headsets. The Blue Butterfly II, thankfully, seemed to support the handsfree feature on the Treo so I didn’t have to do anything but program the Treo to send the calls there after 2 rings. The Blue Butterfly also supports Voice tags if the phone supports them as well. Unfortunately, the Treo 650 didn’t allow me to utilize this cool Bluetooth feature.
What’s in the Box:
The Blue Butterfly II comes in a very cool and very attractive package. Inside the box there is:
The headset
A lanyard for easy traveling
A Real AC adapter
A nice travel bag
An ear hook
Foam ear cushions.
A mini cd user manual
(insert mr handsfree stuff)
Design:
The Blue Butterfly II won’t win any radical design awards. That being said, the headset is just what you might expect which is kind of nice. The headset is a little bigger than some. There is a rocker switch that can be pressed on either end at the top of the headset and an on/off/answer/disconnect button near the microphone. With the attached ear clip, the headset can be easily adjusted to fit on either ear without feeling like it may fall off ( a flaw in several other Bluetooth headsets.)
Ease of Use:
This is one area where the Blue Butterfly really shined. It was very easy to pair (my Treo saw it immediately.) I also never experience the need to re-pair the device – which usually occurs with headset use. Once paired, the Blue Butterfly II answered calls when it was supposed to. Adjusting volume and redialing and disconnecting are all very easy to accomplish.
Options:
The Blue Butterfly II supports more options than the Treo is capable of using (at this present time.) Redialing, three way calling, voice tags and the like can all be initiated from the headset – but not with the Treo. Volume control was easy to access and most users won’t venture far beyond the re-dial, volume and disconnect features.
Sound Quality:
This is the Achilles heel of headsets. Again, the Blue Butterfly II was an over-achiever in this category. Most people I spoke with while using this headset felt that I was just speaking into a normal phone. One person did say I sounded ‘far away’ but that was really the only negative comment I got from folks on the ‘other end’ of the call. With the volume adjusted I could easily hear and felt no need to shout like I do at times with other headsets.
Overall Conclusion:
This is a great headset. I had never hear of Mr Handsfree before, and that’s too bad. If their other products are of the same quality, they should become a big player in the Bluetooth market. The unit was sturdy, easy to use and did exactly what it was supposed to do. My only gripe was that the inside the ear part of the headset was hard and uncomfortable compared to other headsets that include multiple ear pieces. Otherwise, it is a great product.
Overall Grade:
A-
Pros:
Easy to pair, easy to use, good sound quality, supports all major Blue tooth features
Cons:
Slightly uncomfortable inside the ear, bigger than many headsets
The Blue Butterfly II is available at several online retailers or though their website www.mrhandsfree.com for $79.95
Written by Gary