Cardo S-800 Bluetooth In-Ear/Over-The-Ear Headset

Great little headset. I agree with others that ear piece could be a bit smaller but it does fit my ear ok & is comfortable 2 wear. I use the ear hook. Sometimes I have static with the call but the other person can't hear it, Turn the volume on the head set down & it goes away. I've seen some people have had 4-5 star S-800's & other's had 1 star S-800's With the static issue i'd would have given it 3 2 4 stars but I gave it five stars because march 08 I found it at the bottom of the washing machine after just washing jeans in hot water. Figured it being doa, I used a towel & dried it off the let it air dry & after about 15min I tested it 2 power & the power light flickered, but didn't power. Pluged the power cord in & let it charge overnight. Powered & worked the next day, still have the static issue once & awhile but it's Dec 08 & it still working after going thru the wash. For The price of $19.99 I'm going 2 buy another one 2 have as a spare.

I bought two of these in August 2008. They worked quite well with my Treo 800w & a Sanyo phone. For some reason they do not work as well with my HTC Diamond. People keep complaining that I am cutting out & they have trouble hearing me. Now, three months after purchase, one of them will no longer charge using the Cardo wall charger that came with the unit or the USB charger. I registerd the product & 4 a week have been emaling support & calling Cardo attemtping 2 get help. I cannot get anyone 2 respond. So I'll be throwing the defective Cardo away after 3 months & looking 4 a headset that works. I will probably buy somwhere other than Amazon so that I can return the device if it stops working.

This headset works very well with my SE K850i. Set up was simple & the sound is crystal clear on both ends of the call. I do not use the ear hook since it fits very well in my ear & is quite comfortable. Comfort depends on the shape of your ear, so I guess I lucked out here. What I like most about this headset is that it is simple 2 operate & the bluetooth connection never disconnects. Some bluetooth headsets work better with some phones than others. I find it very easy 2 swap the bluetooth connection between my 2 SE K850i phones. All I have 2 do is double press the multi-function wheel towards me. The hot dial function, which supposedly allows me 2 rapidly call any of three different phone numbers in speed dial positions 2, 3, or 4, does not work on the SE K850i. What it does instead is dial my first 3 numbers in my contact list. But that's a phone issue peculiar 2 SE, which is not a very important feature that I care about.

This headset is very clear, comfortable & easy 2 operate. Since I do a lot of traveling in my car, a reliable headset is important 2 me. That is why I value the Cardo S-800.

Had this items 4 sometime now & I think I can do some decent reviews.
I will just do Pros & Cons

Pros:
*Charges quick.
*Battery last pretty good. Did not have 2 charge it every day.
*Able 2 charge with USB so it's like having two charger. One at home & one in the office PC. Great idea.
*Ear loops. Easy 2 adjust & easy 2 change one ear 2 another. Some people complain about the loop but I just don't understand what's there 2 complain. Unless they have pointy alien ear. or huge ear that loop won't even cover it. Than this one is not 4 you. Or 99% of ear pcs they sell is not 4 you.
* Mic seems pretty good cause I haven't heard any complainings.
* Answer button is big & easy 2 press.

Cons:
* Drop signals. Bluetooth would just disconnect itself & reconnects without any reason. (I've had 8 bluetooth before so I know how 2 connect them)
* Volume is weak. I might got the defective one but it sure is not loud. At full volume it's hard 2 hear when I don't have the windows closed.
* Volume rocker is useless cause I could do exact same with the phone. Pointless real estate it took. They could have put something useful there.
* Power button is so small you need 2 press is with your nail tip.
* Quick dial options.Totally useless. It is tough enough 2 press that small power button once but you have 2 press it 3 times or up 2 five times just 2 call a 3 different quick dial. Sales gimmick.
* Ear pcs locater. Sound is so low if it is either under the sofa or even when it's in other room you can not hear. What's the point if you can not hear it. Sure I can find it if the range is good & loud enough.
* And lastly The Range. BAD BAD BAD. How bad? If I have a bluetooth on my left ear & have my phone on my right side pocket signal will drop. It's ok if I have my phone on same side of the bluetooth. (note: I weight 175lbs I am not a huge as house which can be a problem with bluetooth)

So there it is.

The Cardo S800 linked seamlessly with my bluetooth enabled Samsung cellphone. Audio quality is good. Two small negatives are that I need 2 use the supplied retainer 2 be sure that the unit does not fall out of my ear & sometimes while inserting the unit in my ear I accidently push the central button which activates the voice calling. This is no big deal because pushing the button again cancels the operation.

The Cardo S-800 is one of the most feature-rich & advanced headsets available on the market. Its ultra-small size & iconic shape incorporate sophisticated technology, designed 4 extensive wear & use. The headset fits equally well when worn in-the-ear or when used with the stylish over-the-ear loop.