Review: Jays Bluestreamer 2 peripheral

Mobile music and calls in a tiny package

Price: £39

Manufacturer: Jays, no UK number

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Verdict

Good points: Small and light; decent controls and features; impressive performance on phone
Bad points: Quality not nearly as good when used with a PC
Overall: We can see the Bluestreamer 2 being genuinely useful and thankfully its practicality is backed up by some impressive performance

Paul Lester, Computeract!ve 27 Mar 2008

The Bluestreamer 2 calls itself a Bluetooth stereo headset, but it's not designed for your head.

Instead it clips to a shirt pocket and you can use the built-in microphone to make calls.

You'll need to attach your own headphones to hear anything, though. It’s compatible with any mobile that uses Bluetooth version 2 (check with your phone manufacturer if you're not sure).

After a straightforward pairing process we were able to use the controls on the device to adjust volume, change tracks and play and pause music.

In addition the user is alerted when an incoming call arrives. It automatically pauses any music that's playing on the phone for the duration of the call (this is why it needs the latest Bluetooth version).

Using your own headphones means you can use the ones you're comfortable with, but it may increase the cost if you have to buy a new set.

This all sounds quite standard, but there are additional features that give it an edge over the average headset. Using various combinations of button presses on the controls you can accept and reject calls, redial the last number, make a voice-dialled call and manage multiple calls at once.

There are also a range of effective sound modes that can adjust the stereo effect or create a surround-sound effect. The device is compatible with Skype, so you can use it with a computer if it has Bluetooth capabilities (as many notebooks do).

We were very impressed by the quality of the signal from our mobile phone up to the maximum 10m range, and once you get used to the controls it’s very easy to manage calls. Often these sorts of devices suffer from an echo but we found the quality to be very good.

If you’re planning on using it with a PC be aware that you’re likely to lose quite a bit of the functionality and, more importantly, the audio isn’t nearly as clear.

When used for its primary purpose we found the Bluestreamer 2 to be very impressive – and light, at only 20g – and for regular callers or those who listen to lots of music on their phones it'll be a useful gadget.

Also consider:
Cellink BTST-9000D [/2146880]
Etymotic ety8 headphones [/2196929]
Hauppauge PC2400 X-fones [/2209887]

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