BlueAnt Wireless T8 micro Bluetooth Headset review: BlueAnt Wireless T8 micro Bluetooth Headset

BlueAnt's slogan is it's "Australian for Bluetooth," and even though this headset manufacturer is quite popular down under, it's making its way in the U.S. market as well. We've reviewed the company's fancier X3 Micro Bluetooth headset in the past, and while it offers the same ease of use and good sound quality, the BlueAnt Wireless T8 Micro is much more affordable at only $49.99. Part of that is because the X3 Micro comes in different colors and offers three charging options, while the T8 Micro only comes in one color and has only one AC charger.

The design of the T8 Micro is reminiscent to the X3 Micro, with its slightly wide body and teardrop shape. Relatively compact at 2x1x0.5 inch, the T8 Micro is outfitted in a rather dull gray and black color scheme. On the front of the headset is the round multifunction button, while the two volume buttons are on its left and right. These buttons flash blue when the headset is activated, though you can choose to turn off the LED indicators if you wish. The buttons were easy enough to press, but we thought the volume buttons were a bit too stiff for our tastes.

On the back of the headset is an earbud that comes with several gel covers for a more comfortable fit in the ear. There's also an optional ear hook that can be adjusted to fit either the left or right ear. We found wearing the headset without the hook more comfortable, though you might want to wear the ear hook for additional security. The earbud's size is a bit larger than most headsets we've tried, but we still found the fit nice and secure. We were able to wear it for a few hours without any loss of comfort.

We tested the BlueAnt Wireless T8 Micro with the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 and the Samsung SCH-u740 and were able to pair the headset with both phones without a hitch. Call quality was fairly good in quiet environments such as an office or a car, but the sound suffered a bit when in a crowded environment like a busy sidewalk. Thanks to the built-in ambient noise reduction, callers said they could hear us loud and clear. Features of the headset are fairly basic. You can answer, end, and reject calls, redial, give voice dial and voice commands if your phone supports it, and pair the headset with up to eight Bluetooth-enabled devices. We would've liked a USB charger for use with our computer, but the AC charger is just fine for the headset's price. The T8 Micro has a rated talk time of up to nine hours and a rated standby time of 10 days.