Easycall from Jabra is a capable budget Bluetooth headset with a premium feel. It may not suit everyone however, as is always the case with Bluetooth headsets, comfort level and long duration wear ability totally depends on an individual, and the kind of ear shape God has gifted them!
Build & Design
The Jabra EasyCall is very simple and straightforward in terms of the design and looks. To someone who has used the flashy Bluetooth headsets before, such as the amazing Jabra Wave Red, the EasyCall is possibly the most run-of-the-mill design. To spice it up a little bit, there is a U-shaped dash of chrome on the front, along with a thin silver frame running around all sides. The behind-the-ear clip is detachable, and can be attached in such a way that the EasyCall headset can be used in either ear.
The U-shaped chrome lining that we mentioned earlier is actually the call connect / disconnect key. It blends into the rest of the design, without it actually looking like a physical button. On the underside of this is the LED indicator combo for Bluetooth and battery. Press any key on the device to check the status, and when Bluetooth blinks with blue and battery blinks with green, then it means everything is working in proper order.
If you are wearing the EasyCall in the right ear, the volume rocker will be on the underside panel, and the micro USB port for charging on the back. Surprisingly, none of the physical keys get in the way when you are either wearing it or removing it from the ear. The power key slider is placed behind the earpiece, but between that and the charging port.
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The EasyCall isn’t very big on its own, probably just more than half of what would be your middle finger. Probably the most inappropriate finger to relate the size of the headset to, but you surely get the idea!
EasyCall is quite light, and shouldn’t weigh down on the ear. The traditional Bluetooth headset design also means that it is quite light as well. Additionally we appreciate this a lot and will give points to the Jabra EasyCall for being workable in both ears, simply by changing the direction of the ear clip.
Features & Specifications
Pretty standard stuff on the spec sheet from the Jabra EasyCall, and doesn’t complicate matters where simplicity works. Good thing, which is why we had mentioned that it is easy to set up and use. You can pair this headset with two devices simultaneously.
They are pretty much standard fare with most Bluetooth headsets, and the EasyCall also offers voice prompts regarding power and battery status as well. It is quite useful to know how much battery is left!
The Comfort ear gels, Jabra says, are designed for comfort on a full day continuous usage pattern. We had a very good experience with the Jabra Wave Red, but this one was a bit disappointing. We shall explain that in detail in the next section.
Performance
For a Bluetooth headset, we believe that the comfort level of wearing it over long periods of time is very slightly more critical than the very important call quality. While it isn’t ideal if the headset doesn’t have clarity for voice calls, wearing it becomes a painful experience if it isn’t comfortable. However, comfort ratings are purely personal opinions, considering the individual human element involved.
In the case of the EasyCall, comfort is very much present, up to a certain extent. The idea of a removable ear clip that can be repositioned means you can wear it in any ear you find comfortable. Full marks for that. During testing, we deployed the EasyCall in two different durations. One was a short burst of calling, for about 20 minutes in total, continuously. The comfort level during this time was enormous. EasyCall was sitting lightly on the ear, and didn’t bother at all with any discomfort. The second one was a longer two-hour session, which included wearing it for 2 hours straight. This one was a bit of surprise, considering the insides of the ear started paining after about an hour. However, since all ears aren’t the same, this will vary from user to user. However, the more rounded ear-tip used in the Jabra Wave Red could have been deployed here as well, and is infinitely more comfortable.
The issue with most Jabra headsets we have tested till date has been that voice quality significantly deteriorates when used in an environment that includes breeze and / or a noisy environment around you. The EasyCall, for all its other advantages, has the same issue. Use it while standing outside in the balcony, with a bit of breeze around, and the caller on the other side will complain about voice breaks. In a noisy environment, you will sometimes hear muffled sound of the other party. For all the DSP and sound clarity tech, this issue remains as it is. However, the EasyCall comes into its own when you use it in an area where there is a semblance of discipline and a bit quieter. Here, the audio clarity is pristine – absolutely no disturbance or distortion in the audio quality. The volume of the headset is indeed very loud, so much so that we were using it at around 10% – 20% for most of the calls.
Jabra says the EasyCall offers 6 hours of talktime, but we have managed to better it. In total, we have used it for well over 6 hours on a single charge till now, and the battery still isn’t giving out any warning messages about running out of charge.
Bottomline
For a price of around Rs. 2,300, the EasyCall seems to be the no-brainer choice for a Bluetooth headset. We are impressed by the overall performance of the device, and unlike most other headsets in the same price category, this one feels premium and has no “budget” look and feel to it.
Contact: Redington India
Phone: 9310134107
Email: ajoy.m@redington.co.in