Review: iSkin CERULEAN F1+TX BT Headset

iSkin CERULEAN F1+TX BT Headset
Manufacturer: iSkin
Site: Buy from iSkin
Price: $189.99

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Overview : Nothing feels better than having the freedom to do the things we love without being tied down by wires. The CERULEAN F1+TX gives you the freedom of wireless sound from your iPod, mobile phone or computer. It delivers crisp, clean stereo sound and superior headset functionality in a sleek and compact design that's attractive, easy to use and feature filled.

The CERULEAN F1+TX was built with iTunes in mind and integrates flawlessly. It also works well with other audio applications on your PC or Mac for a hassle free listening experience. If you have just upgraded to OS X Leopard, don't worry.... it works there too.

Since everybody has a unique pair of ears, we ship the F1 with two different earhook shapes. They are designed to be comfortable and keep the F1's in an optimal listening position at all times.

Charge your F1 and TX using any powered USB charging port or USB 5V(DC) wall charger, power options are endless. Your F1 is fully charged in just over 2 hours and ready for over 8 hours of continuous music play back. You can get up to 10 hours of talk time on a single charge.

The CERULEAN F1 features full Bluetooth 2.0® compatibility and contains the necessary profiles to work with many of today's Bluetooth® mobile devices.

Features :

• Small, light weight and ergonomic design
• Multi-point pairing
• Operational range 33 feet (10m)
• Stereo Bluetooth® 2.0 equipped
• Music playback 8 hours
• Talk time 10 hours
• Standby 300 hours

Suggested Users :

• Listen to audio from iTunes®, DVD's, CD's or any applications wirelessly.
• Listen to and remotely control your iPod wirelessly.
• Stream stereo music from your iPhone and use your F1 headset for phone calls simultaneously.
• Compatible with most mobile Bluetooth devices for hands free calls and music.

Quality/Usability : With how technology is advancing in today's world, wireless is starting to play a major part in our lives ranging from mobile phones, internet, music players and remotes around the house. Cerulean thought they would chime in on the wireless technology by releasing a wireless combo known as the iSkin Cerulean F1+TX, for our beloved iPod and cellphones. The F1+TX allows you to listen to your iPod without the hassle of cords dangling from your headset and doubles as a hands-free headset for your mobile phone.

The F1 is the model of the headset. The TX is a small dongle that attaches to your iPod. Included with this package is a USB cable for charging the F1, pair of alternative ear hooks, foam earphone covers and extra rubber rings for the earphones. Also included is a USB adapter for the TX so that you can stream music from your computer to the F1 heaset.

The F1 heaset looks similar to some of the bluetooth headsets you see on the market for mobile phones but instead of only one, there are two. Both are connected via a small cable. All of the controls are on the right headset. The face of the headset features a multi-function button (Play and Pause) with an LED status light. The back has an ON/OFF switch. The top has a NEXT and PREVIOUS track controls. The bottom has a Volume UP and Volume Down buttons as well as the USB charging port. A small microphone is on the front of the F1.

The TX dongle does not have as much features or buttons on it. All there is on the TX is iPod plug with a USB charging port to the left side of the TX and a LED indicator on the front face. It's compatible with any Apple device that uses the standard 30-pin connector.

According to iSkin, the first charge should take about 6 hours but any charge after that should take only 2 to 3 hours. With new products that requires charging, I usually let it charge overnight. With moderate use of listening to music only, the F1's battery lasted a couple of days. If you forget to turn off the headset, you'll obviously drain the battery more quickly.

Once the F1 is fully charged, you'll need to pair it to the TX. To do so, its similar to that of pairing it with your mobile phone. Plug the TX into the iPod and turn the F1 on by holding down the multi-function button. Thats it! The TX draws its power from the iPod battery so you will experience shorter battery life on the iPod.

The F1 doubles not only as a headset to listen to music on both the iPod or mobile phone but it is also a bluetooth headset. But do remember that when you're using the F1 to listen to music on your mobile phone, that you phone must be A2DP compatible. Not all phones will allow you to use stream music to a bluetooth headset. You'll need to pair the F1 to your phone. The process is the same but without the use of the TX. Simply set your phone into pair mode and hold down the multi-function button on the F1. Once paired, you can use the controls on the F1 to answer calls (press once), ignore calls (hold down until you hear a beep), adjust the volume, redial, and place calls on mute or hold.

If you receive a call while listening to music, the F1 lets you know by lowering the volume and pauses the music and plays a phone ringer to let you know that you have an incoming call. If you ignore the call or hang up after your conversation, the music resumes and the volume comes back.

Those who want to use the Cerulean F1 with the Macbook, Leopard supports A2DP and does not require the TX adapter. Having tried this on my Black Macbook, it worked great but did experience some static. However, using the TX and USB adapter did eliminate the static. Those who have not upgraded to Tiger can pair the F1 to their Mac but will only function as a mono headset.

Conclusion : Overall, the iSkin CERULEAN F1+TX BT Headset is a nice product but fell short in some areas. There were some static when listening to music on both, phone and Mac. When listening to music on the phone, the volume was lower compared to listening on the iPod. I'm not an audiophile but I felt that the quality was slightly disappointing. My Sony MDR-EX71SL sounded better and was a quarter of the price of the F1+TX. This combo is expensive. There are more bluetooth headsets becoming available that allows you to listen to music from your phone for a cheaper price. But if you want to have a headset for both your phone and iPod, you may want to check out the F1+TX.

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