{"id":10484,"date":"2010-11-27T09:32:09","date_gmt":"2010-11-27T08:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/?p=10484"},"modified":"2010-12-15T16:20:31","modified_gmt":"2010-12-15T15:20:31","slug":"choosing-the-best-jabra-car-kit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/2010\/11\/choosing-the-best-jabra-car-kit\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing the best Jabra Car Kit"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to portable car kits, there are two big names, Parrot<\/a> and Jabra<\/a>. Both of these companies have recently released new models, the Parrot MiniKit Smart<\/a> and the Jabra Cruiser 2. I’m a big fan of both brands, but for different reasons. Parrot excel in compatibility, ease of use and voice control, where as Jabra tend to have a slightly wider feature set.<\/p>\n

For this post though, I thought I’d take a look at the range of Jabra Bluetooth Car Kits. There are currently 4 available. The entry level Jabra SP200<\/a>, the mid-range Jabra SP700<\/a> and the range-topping Jabra Cruiser<\/a> and Jabra Cruiser 2<\/a>. Each one has its strengths and is aimed at a different market, but which one is right for you?<\/p>\n

Features at a glance:<\/h3>\n

Everyone looks for something different in a car kit and it’s not always easy to find the information that you need. The chart below shows all the key features on the car kits as well as battery life and charger info.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Feature<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n\n\n\n
Hands Free Calling<\/td>\n\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Music Playback (A2DP)<\/td>\n\n
\n
\"Does<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Voice Dialling<\/td>\n\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Voice Prompts<\/td>\n\n
\n
\"Does<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Multipoint<\/td>\n\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Phonebook Sync\/TTS<\/td>\n\n
\n
\"Does<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Does<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FM Transmitter<\/td>\n\n
\n
\"Does<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Music Controls (AVRCP)<\/td>\n\n
\n
\"Does<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Does<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Does<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dual Microphone<\/td>\n\n
\n
\"Does<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Does<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n
\"Has<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Standby Time<\/td>\n23 Days<\/td>\n11 Days<\/td>\n13 Days<\/td>\n13 Days<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Talk Time<\/td>\n10 Hours<\/td>\n14 Hours<\/td>\n10 Hours<\/td>\n14 Hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Charger Type<\/td>\nMicro USB<\/td>\nMicro USB<\/td>\nMicro USB<\/td>\nMicro USB<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Chosing your kit<\/h3>\n

If you just want a simple, no frills kit then the SP200<\/a> is a great option. It’s easily got the best battery life of the kits and has multipoint support. This allows you to connect two phones to the kit at the same time and no matter which phone rings, the call will be routed through the SP200. Ideal if you carry a work and personal mobile.<\/p>\n

\"Jabra<\/a>

Jabra SP200 Bluetooth Speakerphone<\/p><\/div>\n

If you’re looking for a bit more from your car kit, or want to be able to listen to your music through it, then any of the other three kits will do the job, but there are a few subtle differences between them.<\/p>\n

Each of the kits has a built in FM transmitter that streams audio from the car kit to the stereo in your car. The FM transmitter works with both music and calls and can be turned off, audio will then be routed through an internal speaker instead.<\/p>\n

\"Music

Music Streaming with Jabra Car Kits<\/p><\/div>\n

If you’re new to the concept of music streaming, the way that it works is that you connect the car kit to your phone using Bluetooth. When you start playing music on your phone, it will be transmitted to the car kit automatically. If the FM transmitter is turned off, your music will play using the built in loud speaker. The speaker is only mono though, so it won’t sound as great as it could.<\/p>\n

If you turn on the FM transmitter, the kit will announce a frequency that you will then need to tune your car stereo into. As soon as it’s tuned in you’ll be able to hear your music in full stereo through your existing car speakers.<\/p>\n

The Cruiser has something that the SP700 and Cruiser 2 don’t – Music controls. This means that if you are listening to music from your phone, you can play\/pause\/track skip without having to touch your phone. This is especially handy if you’ve left your phone in your bag or pocket.<\/p>\n

\"Jabra<\/a>

Jabra Cruiser2 Bluetooth Speakerphone<\/p><\/div>\n

The Cruiser 2 is the latest kit, but oddly lacks the music controls found on the original Cruiser, instead it has more advanced noise cancelling microphones and software. If music isn’t important to you, but audio clarity during calls is, then the Cruiser 2 will be your best bet. The SP700 is very similar to the Cruiser 2, but lacks the dual microphones and advanced noise cancellation, but at just over half the price it’s a great buy.<\/p>\n

A couple of things to remember when using FM transmitters though. Firstly, FM isn’t secure. If you’re making a private phone call I’d recommend switching the FM transmitter off and using the internal speaker in the car kit. If you don’t other motorists might be able to hear the person you’re talking to if they’re tuned into the same frequency. It’s highly unlikely to happen, but it might.<\/p>\n

The other thing to remember is that you may need to retune the kit as you drive around. You may find that a clear frequency at home is in use by a local radio station when you get to work – if it is, the sound quality will deteriorate and you won’t be able to hear either one clearly. It’s not a problem, just hit the FM button on the side of the kit and select a new frequency.<\/p>\n

Best Jabra Car Kit:<\/h3>\n

My favourite of the bunch, and the one that I’d recommend every time is the original Jabra Cruiser<\/a>. It’s the only kit to have music controls built in to it. The noise cancellation and dual mics work brilliantly and it’s incredibly easy to set up and use. With the Cruiser 2 now available, it may not be around for much longer – which would be a real shame as there is no other car kit at the moment that can do what this does.<\/p>\n

\"Jabra<\/a>

Jabra Cruiser Bluetooth Speakerphone<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to portable car kits, there are two big names, Parrot and Jabra. Both of these companies have recently released new models, the Parrot MiniKit Smart and the Jabra Cruiser 2. I’m a big fan of both brands, but for different reasons. Parrot excel in compatibility, ease of use and voice control, where […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[2198,4234,4235,1166],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10484"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10484"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10884,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10484\/revisions\/10884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobilefun.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}