A strong headset for travel
More than a decade ago, I purchased my first Bluetooth headset. The brand was Jabra and it was my only headset for a long time. I had that headset before I actually had a smartphone. It connected flawlessly and made it easy to accept and talk on phone calls. At that time, that was really all those headsets were good for. Now, single-ear Bluetooth headsets are somewhat of a rarity since most people just use their over-ear or in-ear headphones. That said, single-ear headsets still have a place. When you have to be present but want to stay connected, that’s when this type of headset comes in handy. Professional drivers, field service technicians, and retails positions are just a small sampling of jobs that can benefit from a mono-headset like the BlueParrot M300-XT Bluetooth headset.
DETAILS
BlueParrot is part of the GN Audio group, which also owns Jabra. The headset is designed to keep users connected while working in noisy environments. The headset provides smooth communication experiences for users and is a reliable travel partner for anyone who works ‘on the go’. The M300-XT provides 80% noise cancellation with its 2-microphone technology and has a wireless range up to 300 feet. It’s ultralight (0.7 ounces) so it’s meant to be comfortable to use throughout the day. The headset is IP-54 rated for dust and water resistance and it can be worn on either ear. There are intuitive buttons for easy call handling and a customizable BlueParrot Button that allows users to program it with their most-used function.
BlueParrott M300-XT key features and specifications:
- 80% noise cancellation with 2-microphone technology
- Ultra-small and ultra-light for all-day comfort
- Up to 14 hours of talk time with convenient USB-C charging
- Wireless range of up to 300 feet for ultimate mobility and flexibility
- IP54-rated protection against dust and water
- Customizable BlueParrott Button for speed dial, mute, or Push-to-Talk
USER EXPERIENCE
The unboxing experience of the M300-XT was pretty basic. It has a nice retail package, which, incidentally, was designed with the environment in mind. The cardboard of the package is made from sustainably source materials that are FSC certified and the hanger is made from recycled plastic. In the end, the package is 100% recyclable by the end-user. There isn’t a lot included with the headset – just a USB-C cable for charging, two ear gels (one is installed on the unit), and paperwork including the user manual. Even though I think that BlueParrot was trying to limit the amount of materials used for this device, some sort of carrying case would have been nice to include. Since it’s a smaller headset that should be travel-ready, I think a case would be a nice addition.
Next we come to the wearing experience. Even though I used to wear Bluetooth mono-headsets exclusively, I feel like we like in an earbud-centric society now. Many sets of Bluetooth true-wireless earbuds are capable of mono-headset mode so that people can use them, but still be involved in the world around them. I said all that because when I put on the BlueParrot M300-XT, it felt really bulky to me. I think it’s because of the behind-the-ear piece. I’m not used to having anything wrap around my ears like that anymore and even when I only used mono-headsets, I usually chose the minimal ear-wing options. The M300-XT is the smallest and lightest BlueParrot headset weighing only 0.7 ounces. For comparison purposes, the Apple AirPod Pro earbuds weigh 0.19 ounces. The M300-XT might be very lightweight for their headset class, but since I’m used to something smaller, it felt quite large to me.
The earpiece/ear gel is a much different fit than I’m used to, too. Instead of being designed to fit into the inner ear canal, it appears that the ear piece is meant to rest just inside the ear. And even though there are different ear gel sizes included, none of them seemed to form a solid ‘seal’ in my ear. I’m usually one who complains about the ‘vacuum-feel’ of most earbuds, but with this headset, I’m left feeling like it will fall out if I sneeze. Even though the fit may not suit me very well, I do appreciate that BlueParrot made this headset flexible enough to work for either ear. The boom mic can flip up and the ear piece can flip around 180º to accommodate either ear. There are minimal controls on the device and because of wear they are located they are hard to press. I suppose that if the headset fit me better overall that the controls may not be as difficult to use, but the buttons were just hard to press.
Even though I’ve not been 100% happy with the design of the M300-XT, I can’t deny that the sound quality of phone calls is fantastic. To test this out, I called my fiancé from my car while using the headset. It wasn’t a particularly noisy car ride, but there was definitely road noise in the background. My fiancé said that he couldn’t even tell I was calling from the car. I even specifically asked about the road noise and he said, “No, I don’t hear anything except you.” I was very impressed with this, but I did wish that the volume could go up higher. I could have been having a volume issue though given that the fit of the headset wasn’t the best for me.
There is a companion app for the headset, but on iOS it seems as though the app only allows you to program the BlueParrot button and update the firmware. It doesn’t provide any optimization for volume or audio quality. There is a Get Started option, which I thought was going to walk through the setup process of the app, but all it provides is information on how to pair your headset to your phone or other mobile devices.
CONCLUSION
Even though we live in an earbud-centric world, there is still a place for mono-headsets. People who travel and have to constantly communicate with other may find some great use with this headset. I feel like all the elements are there, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me. It is a reasonably priced Bluetooth headset (MSRP $99 at time of publishing) and I think that for the right person, this could be a great investment.
For more information, visit blueparrot.com, Facebook, and Twitter.
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I was excited to try this headset coming from a Plantronics 5220. Plantronics and Blue Parrot need to make a baby.
The 5220 is ALMOST the perfect headset. It just needs a USB C connector and a bigger battery. There seems to be no innovation happening in this market. Everyone I see now is wearing those stupid airpods that make you look like a load of cum is dripping out of your ear.