Bluetrek Carbon Bluetooth Headset Review
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Bluetrek's Carbon Bluetooth headset has got a massive amount of press when it was first announced back in April touting all other Bluetooth headsets because it, is made from real carbon fiber. The Carbon is the first Bluetooth headset ever to be constructed out of real carbon fiber, a material that promises strength, ultra-lightness and sporty looks. Bluetrek is most known for their stylish and ultra-slim Metal Bluetooth headset, and now the Carbon is hear to pave the way with its sexy and sophisticated good looks. Click that blue button for the full review of the Carbon!
Starting off with what's included in the packaging besides the obvious. The Carbon comes with a few accessories like a very short USB to micro-USB charging cable, a hard storage protective case that looks like a lipstick case, a pen-like shirt clip that attaches to the Carbon so you can wear it as a pen instead of using that lipstick storage case, a rather cheapy, flimsy plastic earhook that is totally unnecessary to use with the Carbon and last but not least, there are 3 additional rubber ear buds in a few different sizes plus the one that's already pre-installed on the headset itself.
My first impressions of the Carbon Bluetooth headset has been terrific. As soon as I moved onto the included accessories it came with, my excitement got hit with some bitterness when I discovered the cheap plastic ear hook that broke into two peices when I tried removing it from the Carbon headset. I then got turned off by the lipstick case-like looking storage case. At the end of the day though, it does get the job done. Though it does redeem itself as it can store the Carbon headset and the charging cable along with a few other accessories in it.
Men and women alike will really like the Carbon because of its strikingly sharp looks and a boom mic made entirely out of real carbon fiber that will make you feel like you're some important person with some serious business to do. The Carbon headset is like the Bentley of all Bluetooth headsets just because it looks all grown up and it doesn't have any time to play games with you. It's possibly the most mature looking out of all the Bluetooth headsets currently on the market. In fact, it's so mature that it doesn't even support the A2DP Bluetooth profile, which means you cannot listen to music or audio from a YouTube video. The Carbon is so mature that it's meant for people who strictly talk all day long, and that's a bit boring if you ask me. I don't know anyone who wouldn't enjoy having their Bluetooth headset support A2DP Bluetooth streaming.
I have only but good things to say about how comfortable it is to wear the Carbon headset. I wore it all day long without any hint of discomfort. The tips provides did an outstanding job in keeping the Carbon headset glued into my ear without ever falling out no matter what I did. It just goes to show that the supplied earhook is a useless add-on you will never see yourself wanting to use. Thankfully, the Carbon headset manages to say put inside your ear without it. And because the Carbon headset is extremely lightweight, you won't even notice you're wearing a Bluetooth headset after a while.
If I had to point out a flaw that I think Bluetrek overemphasized on, it would have to be that carbon fiber boom mic. It's just too long and it may even come in contact with your cheeks while you're chewing your favorite piece of gum. I understand it showcases that beautiful carbon fiber, but less could definitely be more in this case.
The Carbon headset has a very solid feel to it. Nothing about it feels cheap or flimsy. Even though the body of the Carbon itself is made out of plastic, it's coated with a matte, rubbery coating and finished off with a circular chrome ring. It's surprising to find that Bluetrek didn't put any effort in making the attachable earhook as good as it made the Carbon headset itself.
The Carbon headset isn't your typical Bluetooth headset. No, it means business. Unlike others, the Carbon isn't fully stuffed with features and only the essentials are packed inside. It connects to your Bluetooth enabled phone like clockwork and it doesn't even bother to request a binding PIN so that you can quickly connect and be done with it. Like other headsets we reviewed, getting started with the Carbon headset is purely simple. As soon as it's turned on, the on board voice will guide you thru the pairing process. That big button on the front of the Carbon headset does look very similar to the notorious Home Button found on the iPhone and I really like that about it. Clicking it will answer and end your call. It even doubles as a status LED indicator letting you know important information regarding the power on/off, pairing mode and charging statuses by glowing blue or red.
A second button conveniently placed at the top of the headset (or bottom depending on which ear you wear it) will control the volume of the sound on board. Around the back is where you'll find the micro-USB input to charge the headset as well as the mechanical on/off button of the Carbon headset. Call quality and noise-cancellation aren't anything special and are more than decent for a very affordably priced Bluetooth headset such as this at $69.99. I sounded clear while talking to others, however I did notice that I had to speak slightly louder than usual. So much for that long boom mic.
The Carbon might be low on features, but if you're using an iPhone, a battery status indicator will be added in your iPhone right next to the Bluetooth symbol letting you know exactly how much battery life your Carbon headset has left.
At just $69.99, Bluetrek's Carbon Bluetooth headset offers a whole lot of bang for your buck minus a few fun features. But if you've got some serious businessy business to get done and want a Bluetooth headset that's all about being and looking the part, the Carbon headset might be just the one for you. It's one heck of a classy headset.
