Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset

Introduction
People recognize Aliph Jawbones in the same way that they easily spot iPhones. These Aliph headsets are loved by those who use them, while everyone else in close proximity of the secret conversation mutters profanity. Showoff, that's what he is, the cockbite with that hundred-dollar Bluetooth headset. "Look at me, I'm Alexander Damn Bell."

Aliph talks about the Jawbone (the Jawbone) like it isn't a headset. As though it were an idol for worship. And after the rebuking I suffered at the feet of their Cockney representative at CES, I dug in for this review with prejudice.

And now I know... it's not that bad. OK, it's a choice product. It looks great - almost enough to be proud of being that ass who's chatting on his headset-and, as it turns out, it does work better than the others. But I'm still not a total convert to the golden headset.

Looks and Features
Let's talk a little about the box. This headset's vessel is a crystal pedestal. If plastic was still a premium material, I think Aliph would nevertheless have used it for the packaging. Without knowing anything about the contents, I'm sure many people fall victim to it when shopping for headsets lined up on shelves. And it's expensive, so it's gotta be good.

The shield, plainly displayed, places the Jawbone's best foot forward. It's a perfect compromise between steely industrial design and lip-gloss style, is neither masculine nor feminine (gadgetly-speaking), and distracts from the actual size of the device, which, out of the box, appears much larger.

The device itself is practically elephantine next to my Plantronics Discover 665-my comparison premium headset-in volume and mass (14g vs 9g). The ear loops and buds are also heavier, but Aliph's creation comes with more options: four different stiff, rubbery plastic buds and three sizes of loops.

A larger battery alone would account for the scale, but Aliph packs some heavy hardware inside the thing: voice-isolation tech designed for DARPA to relay speech but not gunfire, while simultaneously adjusting volume. The tech works, by the way, and it's just short of fool-proof.

The headset charges via USB (although it doesn't yet work with PCs) but comes with an AC-to-USB wall adapter, which'll charge any USB-powered device you plug into it.