Why You Can Trust CNET Jabra SPORT Stereo Bluetooth Headset (Black/Yellow) review: Jabra SPORT Stereo Bluetooth Headset (Black/Yellow)
Jabra SPORT Stereo Bluetooth Headset (Black/Yellow)
Jabra SPORT Stereo Bluetooth Headset (Black/Yellow)
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Taking your Bluetooth handset for a walk or a run seems like a natural choice. Fortunately, Jabra thinks so too, and the company's Sport headset is designed to make outdoor activity even more enjoyable. It streams stereo audio wirelessly and lets you take important phone calls, while shrugging off spills, dust, and drops. Find out if the Sport has the right stuff to become your next workout buddy.
Design
Like other Jabra Bluetooth headsets such as the Jabra Supreme and the Plantronics Voyager Pro UC, the Jabra Sport uses a behind-the-ear battery pack design. While it lacks the long microphone boom arm found on both products and therefore isn't as bulky, I wouldn't call the Sport small. Weighing just 0.81 ounce, the Jabra Sport headset certainly is light.
The device relies on large earbud-style audio drivers that are covered with replaceable rubber tips. Though the earbuds are meant to rest just outside the ear canal, I personally found them too large for my small ears no matter which of the three types of bundled rubber tips I tried. Also, perhaps it's the Jabra Sport's rubberized outer surface or merely the earloops' tight fit, but I consistently had difficulty placing the headset correctly on my ears. The problem got worse when I wore eyeglasses or a thicker pair of Ray-Ban shades, so I guess midday runs along the beach could be an issue.
Don't worry, though, if you ever drop the Jabra Sport into the surf. This hardy headset boasts IP54 rugged certification, an international standard that says that a product can survive exposure to splashes of water (5 minutes or 10 liters per minute) plus all but the most extreme levels of blowing dust particles. IP54 (ingress protection rating) also indicates the headset can handle occasional drops, too. I verified these claims by running the Sport a few times through an open kitchen faucet with no apparent effects.
Though it's a wireless Bluetooth device, the earpieces are linked together by a yellow cable. It's a tad short in my view, or perhaps I just have a thick neck. In any case, when I wore it the cord often snagged and pulled one of the Sport's earbuds askew. The cable is wide and flat, though, so cord tangles are less likely than with thin, round wires.
Controls on the Jabra Sport are minimal, with just three buttons on the right earpiece. Here, too, is a tiny circular Play/Pause key that also serves as an on/off switch. Running along the right earloop is a thin volume bar with an FM radio button below it. A flap covering the Sport's Micro-USB port is located on the earpiece's inner edge.
Features
If you're looking for native voice command features or slick automatic sensors here, you'll be disappointed. The Jabra Sport does announce "Power on" when you press the on button. It will also inform you that it has achieved a Bluetooth connection. I paired the Sport easily with my Samsung Galaxy Note test phone, which runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Selecting the headset within the phone's settings menu and linking to it was a snap, no passcodes required.
As a Bluetooth 3.0 device, the Sport supports the A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), so it will stream stereo audio automatically once connected with a smartphone. Tapping the volume rocker increases or decreases loudness. It also will skip tracks forward or back when held for over a second. To answer calls whether you're listening to audio or not, simply press the Play/Pause key. Hitting the button again will hang up calls. If your phone supports native voice command features, like my Galaxy Note test device does, you can use the headset to initiate verbal commands.
The Jabra Sport also features an integrated FM radio, which you switch on with a dedicated key. To scan stations, you press and hold the volume bar up or down. Radio addicts will also appreciate that the tuner can operate even when there's no phone connection.
Further promoting the Sport as a fitness accessory, Jabra suggests that users download the free Endomondo workout app (free from all major mobile app stores). The software will track exercise statistics such as distance, speed, and time, to compute calories burned based on the type of activity. Hitting the Play/Pause button during workouts prompts the app to read aloud your current status.
Performance
Using the Jabra Sport on walks around the city and for quick jogs on the treadmill was an acceptable if not wholly satisfying experience. Unfortunately, fancy features and nifty app integration can't cancel out an improper fit. As I said before, it took time for me to wrap the headset around my ears and once attached it felt precariously clipped. In fact the Sport fell off a few times, especially when its short cord caught on my shirt or my neck when I swiveled my head aggressively.
I wasn't blown away by the Jabra Sport's audio, either, but again this is due to its loose fit. I have to emphasize that I'm not a fan of earbuds that don't seal the ear canal, as they leak sound, and usually force me to pump the volume up all the way. The Sport was no exception; even at the highest setting in a quiet indoor location, podcasts and music lacked any punch. Of course this device is meant for lots of outdoor use, so I admit it would be dangerous not to hear cars and other traffic indicators.
Calls I made with the Jabra Sport were again not terribly loud, but sounded fine and I could clearly make out people's voices even outside under windy conditions. Callers, though, did report that my voice had a distant quality that they didn't care for.
Jabra says the Sport will last for four days on standby, provide up to 4.5 hours of talk time, or play music for 3 hours. In my anecdotal testing, I charged it up once and have yet to run out of juice during my four-day test period of light use.
Conclusion
Jabra's $99.99 Sport certainly tries to tackle many tasks for a stereo Bluetooth headset. It serves as a primary set of audio headphones, takes calls when necessary, and is even built to withstand exposure to rain, dust, and drops. People with smaller ears, like me, will no doubt find the Sport's over-the-ear earbud design hard to wear. Also, audio quality, due to the lack of a tight seal, won't impress music fanatics. For a better fit and practically the same features, I suggest going with the OT Bluetooth Tags, which also cost less.