Product: BlueAnt Q1 Voice Controlled Bluetooth headset
Manufacturer: BlueAnt
MSRP: ~ $125
Author: Nick
Date: June 6, 2009

A couple months ago, I reviewed BlueAnt’s V1 voice controlled Bluetooth headset and while the hardware end of the V1 was good, I found the voice interface to be rather useless. Today we will be taking a look at BlueAnt’s newest voice controlled headset, the Q1. While the specs are fairly similar to the V1, the Q1 sports a new look, a couple new features, and hopefully a much improved voice control interface.

Specifications and Features:

• Use your voice to control the Q1 – no more complicated button combinations to remember
• Supports true multipoint – connect two phones at the same time and answer the one that rings
• Designed for comfort – the Q1 has been created to be the most comfortable Bluetooth headset enabling all day use.
• Pairs with up to 8 devices.
• Up to 4 hours talk time and 1000 hours standby.
• Dual Microphones and BlueAnt’s Voice Isolation Technology ensure that you are always heard, even in the noisiest of environments.
• Custom internal wind shields reduce wind noise to a whisper.
• Firmware upgradeable via USB on your PC
• 2 year replacement warranty (excludes ear buds, ear hooks, USB cable, and AC adapter)

Packaging and Contents:

The Q1 comes in a hard plastic box that is easily opened by removing two tape disks.

Included with the Q1 are:

• Large and small ear buds
• Ear hook
• USB cable for firmware updates and recharging
• AC Adapter
• Quick Start Guide

While looking through the instructions, I noticed a section titled “Reusing Your Q1 Box” This section listed a few various ways you could reuse the packaging which included use as a fish tank, bank, or flower pot.

First Impression:

Upon opening BlueAnt’s Q1, I noticed how similar it looked and fit like the Jawbone II. However, the Q1 had a couple obvious advantages over the Jawbone II. The button setup was the biggest advantage. There were three buttons (volume up, volume down, and the talk button) which were clearly visible. This eliminated the accidental button pushing while adjusting the headset I experienced with the Jawbone II. Another advantage is I found the Q1 to fit more snugly due to the ear bud design (more on this later).

Included with the Q1 are two different sized ear buds, an ear hook, USB charging cable, and a A/C USB power adapter are included. I found the charging cable to be too short for my liking as it is less than 1 foot long. The charging cable can also be used for updating the firmware on the Q1, which is a unique feature of many of BlueAnt’s headsets. The Q1 I received from BlueAnt originally had the 8.13 firmware while the most current firmware was 8.15. The software used for updating the firmware on the Q1 is very simple to use and does a good job explaining the steps so even novice computer users should not have a problem. After updating the firmware, the headset must be paired with the phones. I did not notice any improvements after updating but the release notes meantion that a few bugs with certain phones were fixed.

I found the Q1 to fit extremely well. While BlueAnt does include a ear loop to help hold the Q1 in place, I found myself able to use the Q1 without the use of the ear hook. This is one of the few headsets I have been able to do this with.

The Q1 features what BlueAnt refers to as Multipoint, or the ability to be connected to up to two phones at once. I found this to work well if carrying two phones. If a call comes in on either phone, you can answer the call in the same way you would if you had just a single phone connected. The Q1 remains connected to the other phone, so if necessary, the call can be placed on hold to answer a call on the second phone. Placing calls is easy to do as well. However, the only problem is that only the primary phone, which is the first phone connected to the Q1, will be used for making outgoing calls. To change the primary phone, you can disconnect the first phone, reconnect it, and thus making the secondary phone the primary.

During the testing period, the Q1 averaged around 3.25 hours of talk time. I would prefer better battery life 3.25 – 3.5 hours of talk time is typical of the smaller light weight Bluetooth headsets.

Voice Control:

While the concept of a voice control Bluetooth headset is relatively new, this is not BlueAnt’s first voice controlled headset. A few months ago, I reviewed the BlueAnt V1, which left a lot to be desired in the voice interface. I found it to be buggy and did not do a very good job with voice command recognition.

However, I was pleasently surprised with the Q1′s voice interface. It was much improved and I did not have any problem to have navigating the menus. The usefulness of the voice interface is negotable and will depend on the user and phone being used. A list of commands includes:

• Pair Me
• Check Battery
• Settings Menu
• Answer
• Ignore
• Redial
• Call Back
• Phone Commands
• Call Speed Dial 1 – 8
• Call Information
• Cancel

Most of the time I ended up using the “Phone Commands” option to activate my phones inbuilt voice commands. The only command I found to be of any significant benefit was the “Answer” option which allows the call be be answered without pushing any buttons.

Background Noise Cancellation:

Like many other new headsets on the market, the Q1 sports background noise cancellation technology. The concept is fairly similar to most other headsets as well. Dual microphones are utilized along with proprietary DSP, in this case BlueAnt’s Voice Isolation, to help cancel out the background noise. While the approach is similar, the results usually vary. To test the Q1′s background noise cancellation abilities, I made several phone calls in the following situations:

• Outside in windy weather
• Outside next to a busy roadway
• In the car with the vents blowing
• Inside with the TV on
• Inside with a group of 4 people talking
• Inside with no background noise

In every situation, the person I was talking to said they heard absolutely no background noise while I wasn’t talking, but as soon as I started talking, they could hear small amounts of background noise. However, only in the windiest conditions did people say they had problem hearing me.

Conclusion:

I was pleasently surprised at the improvements made to the Q1. Not only did the voice interface work a lot better than the V1 I reviewed a couple months ago, the Q1 also fit better and was more comfortable to wear. However, the merits of having a voice controlled headset are questionable in an age where almost all Bluetooth phones have similar capabilities built in, some users might find it useful. I find the price to be the main sticking point for me as the Jawbone II which does a lot better job with background noise cancellation, which as of 6/5/09,  can be found online for $40 – $70.

Pros:

+ Fits so well that the ear hook may not be required
+ Upgradable firmware
+ Voice controlled
+ Voice Isolation helps reduce volume of background noise
+ Can be used with multiple phones at once

Cons:

- Short charging cable
- Usefulness of voice control depends on the user
- Only the first phone connected can be used for outgoing calls while using multipoint.
- Price

Resources:

More information on how BlueAnt’s multipoint works can be found at http://docs.blueantwireless.com/en/Q1/concepts/multipoint.html

Firmware upgrading info and instructions can be found at http://www.blueantwireless.com/q1/firmware.html

Tags: BlueAnt, Bluetooth, headset, Q1, Voice Control