Last week I received the BlueAnt Q1 Bluetooth headset and posted a video unboxing. Today I will be reviewing the headset based on my one week of usage.
The BlueAnt Q1 is very attractive looking headset with a gunmetal aluminum finish that has some amazing noise reduction technology and voice isolation. The BlueAnt Q1 features voice recognition that allows you to talk to the headset and tell it what needs to be done.
The Q1 also has multipoint technology which allows for connecting two phones to the headset, and being able to answer which one rings first. The Q1 can be paired with up to 8 devices. The battery life will give you about 4 hours of talk time and 100 hours of standby.
The BlueAnt Q1 fits very comfortably in the ear. The Q1 does come with two different size ear buds for different size ears. It also comes with an optional ear hook for additional stability.
There is no need to refer to the manual on how to pair the devices. Just wear the Q1, turn it on, and follow the voice prompt tutorial to pair and connect to your phone. When you first turn on the Q1, it automatically goes into pairing mode. However if you wish to do it manually, just say “Pair Me” as a voice command. The voice interface on the Q1 is quite nice. There is no need to go through a voice recognition tutorial because the Q1 recognizes your voice right away. If you feel a little lost and would like some help with the voice interface just say “Teach Me” for some tips and tricks. You can also say “What can I say?” which will list all the different voice commands that can be used with the headset. You can say commands like “Answer” to answer the phone call, “Ignore” to reject the call, “Redial” to redial the last number, “Check Battery” to check the battery level of both the headset and phone, and “Call” followed by 1-8 speed dial numbers.
For testing of this product, I paired it up with my Palm Pre. During my tests the call quality of the BlueAnt Q1 seemed very good. I’ve made several calls throughout the week and compared the call quality of using the headset to without using it, and the callers were unable to notice any difference.
The Q1 handled background noise and wind quite well. Music in the car and breeze from the window practically disappeared. I’ve also tried turning the Q1’s maximum noise-reduction setting (by pressing the control button once). By doing this I’ve noticed a good amount of improvement in the background noise. Callers on the other end did hear some very faint background noise, but my voice came through loud and clear.
In conclusion, I really like the BlueAnt Q1 and can recommend it to anyone that is looking for a nice hands-free solution. The BlueAnt Q1 allows you to have some nice features as well as the build and call quality of a high-end Bluetooth headset. The BlueAnt Q1 has a list price of $129 and can be purchased at Sprint Stores and various online retailers.
Follow us on Twitter!