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Arguably the most important feature of the headset is Active Noise Cancelling (ANC). An ANC system uses the materials the headphones are made out of to block out outside noise, but also go a step further and make their own sound waves to mimic, mirror and cancel out outside noise. Passive noise canceling headphones work to block out sound waves solely from the materials they are made out of. In the noisy workplace, ANC is king.
At first, it was a bit frustrating to have to charge the headset for at least 3 hours via USB before the ANC would even work ( this was difficult to do in transit, which I tried on a plane). But, once it did work, it was a pretty awesome feature when it came down to concentrating and blocking out background noise. Also, once charged you can get up to 24 hours on the ANC, a decent chunk of battery life and a great redeeming quality.
The headset is also compatible for mobile use, you just need to remove the USB controller and use the 3.5mm plug, although this doesn't charge the headset. This isn't a huge loss as most times you will be using the headset with your computer as the headphones are a bit too large and corporate-looking for use out-and-about, where smaller buds would likely be preferred.
Comfort-wise, I'd give the headset a 3.5 out of 5. While the speakers completely surround your ears with cushions, this tends to be less comfortable for glasses wearers. Plus, the types of headsets that sit around your head tend to cause more achiness than buds during a long workday. In general, the cushion along the top of the headset and around the ears is a nice touch and makes the comfort level pretty reasonable. Plus, the fact that the headphones sit around your ears, rather than on them, is a plus for comfort, too.
Sound quality for the headset was good, but compared to other headsets I own (i.e., Bose QuietComfort buds), I needed to turn up the sound relatively higher in order to achieve the same full audio. But, given that these headphones will likely be mainly used in-office (rather than on a noisy airplane or on commutes), this doesn't seem like it will be too much of an issue. Others who are looking for a more constant use of the set would likely disagree. The headset worked great for making calls and sitting in on meetings, but could improve for recreational use (i.e., watching movies).
We liked
Arguably the most important feature of the headset is the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC). An ANC system uses the materials the headphones are made out of to block out, mimic, mirror and cancel outside noise. ANC battery life will last for up to 24 hours, which is pretty sweet.
We disliked
The worst aspect of the headset is its size – it takes some getting used to, especially if you're accustomed to earbuds. They are difficult to transport if you are hoping to use them outside of the office, as they take up a lot of room in the backpack or purse you'd be carrying. The carrying case is a nice touch for travel, as you'll want to keep the wire from tangling or the cushions from getting too covered in dust and dirty, but it isn't very sturdy or protective.
Verdict
All in all, the Jabra is a solid corporate headset that can also be used by a small group of niche consumers. Features like the active (rather than passive) noise cancellation and the USB controller dongle make the headset versatile. While this headset is by no means a budget headset to issue to an entire fleet of office workers, this is definitely a good treat for someone who just needs a little bit of sanctuary in the workplace.
