Over the years I’ve owned so many Bluetooth stereo headsets that I’ve lost the count. I’ve been a bit of an early adopter for such headsets when it came to pairing them up with personal music players, and have used them since the cell phones were able to play music. I’ve owned several Motorola S9 and S9-HD headsets, as well as Jabra Sport Bluetooth headset. Jabra HALO 2 is definitely as good of a headset as I’ve come across, but unlike the other ones that I’ve tried it is definitely not suitable for workouts.

**** Sound Quality ****

For the purposes of listening to music these headphones are pretty good. They are will not blow you away, but they will definitely deliver clear, vibrant sound. The headphones supposedly come with an integrated bass, but I haven’t really experienced it above and beyond what I would expect from any other decent music headphones. In my experience Jabra headphones are overall deficient in this category as compared to other brands. This headset is more than satisfying for casual music listening, but if you are an audiophile you may find it wanting.

**** Range ****

This headset has pretty much the same kind of range as I’ve come to expect from most Bluetooth devices. If you have a clear line of site with the paired device then you can use the headset with no problems even across a large room or a hall. Indoors you can also use it in a neighboring room, but the signal can become choppy. Unlike some other Bluetooth headsets, I’ve had no issues with placing this one in my cloths or on the opposite side of my body from the receiver antenna.

**** Compatibility ****

I’ve been able to pair this headset with my iPhone and iPad. I’ve also tried pairing it up with my Mac computers, but so far I’ve been unsuccessful with this. I might be missing something here, or maybe this headset was not designed to be used with computers. I would find this odd, but unsurprising. You can always use the included cord and connect the headset that way.

**** Battery Life ****

I’ve used these headphones fro an extended period of time and have never been in a position where my battery had completely run out. My guess is that you could listen to music for at least four or five hours on a single charge, but I haven’t tested them for that long yet. If I notice any long-term battery problems I’ll report about it here.

**** Design and Build ****

This is by far my favorite aspect of these headphones. They look cool, they are really easy on your ears, and when folded they are easy to stow away. The only button on the headset is the play/pause button. There is also a touch sensitive volume slider. Both of these controls are very inconspicuous, so much so that at first I didn’t even notice them. Snapping the headphones into their position turns on the headset, and likewise folding it turns it off. This too contributes to the extremely economic esthetic of this device. The only thing that I don’t like about their design is the felt padding. I don’t like the feel of felt to begin with, and felt is very hard to clean. It functions as a lint and dust magnet, and this combined with its black color makes it look used very quickly. Also, I would strongly discourage you from engaging in any activity that includes excessive perspiration while using this headset.

**** Functionality ****

The headset is convenient when you just want to play music and adjust the volume. As already mentioned, it only sports a single button and a touch-sensitive volume slider. There are no options for skipping tracks, adjusting the microphone volume, or any other features that such headsets usually include. This is not that much of an issue for me, but it can be annoying if your Bluetooth device is out of a reach for whatever reason.

**** Fit and Comfort ****

The headphones can be extended far enough for most head sizes. Both my wife and I were able to wear them without any discomfort. The padding helps make them feel soft on the ears. Also, even after several hours of use I had not experienced any excessive warming of my ears. This may change in the summer, but for now they work fine. In fact, in terms of comfort these are probably the best headphones that I’ve used so far.

**** Telephony ****

Jabra has made the name for itself with the dedicated wireless cell-phone headsets, so you would be justified in expecting a high quality for this feature. Indeed, I have been extremely happy with the overall audio quality of this headset. (I am writing these lines while on hold with a customer service.) However, it seems that the receiving party usually has more trouble hearing me than I do them. While I was using the headset for some VOIP calling the other party couldn’t hear me at all. This was only a one-time thing, and it could be completely due to some VOIP peculiarities. You can also receive phone calls while listening to music, and the side button can let you accept the incoming call. Once the conversation is finished, you will be able to resume listening to music.

**** Accessories ****

This headset comes with a charger, a regular USB cord that can be used to connect the headset to a computer, and a mini-USB to phone jack connector. This last cord is useful for connecting the headset to a device that doesn’t support Bluetooth, or to one that you don’t want to be paired up. The included charger has a fairly long cord, which makes plugging it into even the most out-of-the-way outlets very convenient for recharging. The regular USB cable can be used for charging the headset through a computer or through a specialized USB-port-featuring outlet.

**** Conclusion ****

If you need a solid, comfortable, and fairly functional headset for casual music listening, then you will certainly be satisfied with this Jabra HALO 2. On the other hand, if you are either an audiophile or someone who needs a Bluetooth headset for any sort of physical activity then you will find Jabra HALO 2 wanting.