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Jabra GN-6210 Office Wireless review: Jabra GN-6210 Office Wireless

GN Netcom's GN 6210 is a full-featured but average-performing Bluetooth headset.

Kent German Former senior managing editor / features
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
Kent German
3 min read
GN Netcom GN 6210
We first reviewed a GN Netcom headset as part of our Bluetooth headset roundup. Though we were satisfied with the audio quality of the GN Netcom GN6110, we weren't too impressed with the style. In fact, we likened it to half an earmuff. Luckily, the company has given it another go with its 6210 wireless headset. Though it retains the same charging base and dual-phone functionality as its predecessor, the headset itself is identical to the more comfortable and more stylish form factor of the crescent-shaped Jabra BT250. The price is high at $249, so you may want to expense this one.

Instead of a traditional ear hook, the headset employs a wraparound design that hugs your ear from the back. A short boom mike extends from the bottom of the crescent, which holds the battery and the control buttons, while the earpiece curves in from the top of the device on a flexible rubber appendage. The result is an extremely secure, comfortable fit that allows the GN 6210 to be worn on either ear. We especially liked the MiniGel earpiece, which you can swivel and mold to your liking.

7.0

Jabra GN-6210 Office Wireless

The Good

Comfortable design; can work with landline phones; long battery life.

The Bad

So-so call quality.

The Bottom Line

The GN Netcom GN 6210 has a comfortable fit and some attractive features, but its sound quality and performance could be improved.

Controls on the Jabra consist of a volume rocker and a multifunction button that turns the headset on and off, places and ends calls, and prepares the headset for pairing. Using the generously sized buttons takes no acclimation, and they are easy to locate and press while the headset was in use. You can utilize the buttons to make voice calls and switch between the headset and the phone (once it's paired). Pairing the headset with a phone takes only one try, and a tiny blue light flashes when the headset is on and when it's ready to pair. For travel, you also get a compact charger that is much more portable than the weighty desktop cradle.

Like its older sibling, the GN 6210 can be used simultaneously with a Bluetooth mobile or a landline phone. Simply plug your home or office phone line into the charging cradle, and you can talk away without being chained to your desk. The headset comes already paired with the charging base, but a single button on the cradle also does the trick. The cradle also has a much-needed design improvement: GN dispenses with the troublesome cradle-eject button found on the 6110. This change makes the headset fit more securely in the cradle, and now it's much easier to take out.

You can use the headset with the GN Netcom 1000 Remote Handset Lifter. Designed for the truly busy--or the truly lazy--the handset lifter attaches to your landline phone via a Velcro or an adhesive strip. When answering a call on the headset, the lifter raises the phone off the hang-up button, thus connecting the call. To hang up, the process is reversed. We had no problem attaching the handset lifter to our office phone, and it worked without incident. When attaching the lifter, make sure it's positioned to hang up the phone completely.

We tested the GN Netcom GN 6210 with the Motorola V600 and the Motorola Razr V3. Overall, it performed as expected, though with a few glitches. Though the initial pairing was trouble-free, the headset lost the connection to both mobiles on a few occasions, though not when we were on a call. Nonetheless, it was bothersome. We also found the mobile pairing interfered with the landline pairing on one occasion. Audio quality was good on our end, but callers said they weren't as enthusiastic with reports of an echoing sound. Also, volume could be improved on both ends. The GN 6210 has a rated talk-time battery life of 8 hours and a promised standby time of seven days. In our tests, we got five days of standby time on a single charge.