Jabra Supreme

A handsfree set that links up well with other gizmos and blocks out all the noise

I was a little sceptical about reviewing another handsfree kit, at first. But when I saw the specs of this Jabra, and its price, I wanted to lay my hands on it fast. The device can not only pair with two devices at the same time, it can also do noise cancellation. Also, you don’t have to fiddle with the device to turn it on. When you open the boom, it gets powered on. Close the boom, and it’s off.

I took it along the next morning on a cycle ride through Delhi. If the handsfree kit could survive the bumps and jumps of Delhi roads and stay hooked up with my iPod and phone, it would be worth the price. The ride would also help assess its noise cancellation. Now, I can go about 35 kmph on a bicycle. If it worked on a bike ride, it would work in an office or a moving car.

The promise battery life is 7 hours, which was more than enough for my 3-hour ride. The Jabra’s noise- cancellation capabilities were fully tested as I zipped past India Gate, with Republic Day preparations in full swing. The gizmo lived up to its promise of connecting both with the phone and iPod, as the music went blank every two minutes—to relay to me a GPS readout from my phone, say that I had completed another kilometre on the road, and tell me what direction to take, before resuming my music playback.

The next day, I tested it in a noisier environment, the Delhi Metro. Now, wearing this as a Sardar, under my turban, is a total no-no because this handsfree kit is much bigger than most others. So, with my hair tied and the device making me look like an alien on a train ride, I confirmed that my office colleagues did not detect the noise inside the Metro cabin, and I could hear the other person without any background office noise.

The only problem that I see with it is its extraordinary size. But that is a very small price to pay for good-quality sound.

handsfreeJabranoise cancellation