Ever since Bluetooth became popular I always wanted a speaker phone for my Truck. It just was never enough priority because I always had a headset. Having a speaker phone became less of a priority when I got my Avalanche. I have the phone feature activated with my OnStar subscription. Last week I finally decided to try out a Bluetooth speakerphone and I am so glad that I did. The Jabra Cruiser Bluetooth Speakerphone works flawlessly.
There are a ton of different types of Bluetooth Speakerphones you can get for you car. Some of them require installation because they integrate with your car stereo. I decided to try out the Jabra Cruiser simply because Jabra has never let me down when it comes to Bluetooth. I like the more portable style like the Jabra Cruiser because I travel. It is going to be nice to be able to take my speakerphone with me wherever I go.
Features
The features of the Jabra Cruiser are perfect for what he device does. The amazing thing is how well they do their job. With more and more cities banning cell phone use while driving the Jabra Cruiser offer a solution for hands free conversations.
The features include
- Volume Controls on the side of the device
- Adjustable FM Modulator
- Dual Mic’s for Noise Cancellation
- Voice DSP
- Voice announcements
- Connect 2 Devices
- Lighted status display
- 14 hour talk time
- 13 day standby time
- Audio Streamin (A2DP, AVRCP)
What’s in the Box
The contents of the Jabra Cruiser are actually quite simple. That seams to be the theme throughout the device. You have the Bluetooth speakerphone, USB cable and cigarette lighter adapter. The tip on the cable is the exact same as the Nexus One so that made my charging life a bit easier.
Jabra Cruiser Setup
Now of course the first thing that I did was charge the Cruiser. It only took two hours to charge so that went very well. Now one of the first things that can turn somebody off of a gadget is the setup. The easier it is for someone to get up and running the better. The Jabra Cruiser fits that mantra big time. When I took the Cruiser off the charger I ran out to my truck.and clipped it to the visor. The first thing it did when I turned it on was to tell me that I needed to pair it. Once I paired my N1 to the Cruiser, it then told me it was connected.
Using the Cruiser
The first thing I did was call Rod. He confirmed that I sounded great. Rod also sounded crystal clear over the Jabra speakerphone. I then began to test the noise cancellation capabilities. When I use the phone in my truck. people complain they can’t hear me over the AC vent noise. My truck can pump some air. I turned on the AC full blast and Rod could not hear them at all. Conversely, he could hear me just fine. Next up was the big test. I wound the window down while doing 70mph. I was quickly told that he could hear the wind noise. I didn’t really expect it to cancel the window noise but, I wanted to compare it to the Jawbone headset that can do it.
Using the FM Modulator
The final thing that I wanted to test was sending the audio from my phone to my truck speakers. I turned on the FM Modulator by pressing the “FM” button on the side of the Cruiser. The first thing that it did was announce which frequency it was using. You can easily change the frequency by pushing the volume up and down buttons. One I found an empty frequency I played a mp3 track and just like that it was pumping through my truck speakers. I then called Rod back and had no problem carrying a conversation. Receiving a call worked as expected. The music stopped playing and I was able to answer the call. When the call ended the music resumed.
The little things
With everything that I mentioned so far that was enough for me to keep the Jabra Cruiser. But there were a few things that stood out that put the device over the top. For starters when I got back into the truck, the Cruiser and my phone automatically reconnected. I believe this has more to do with my phone then the Cruiser but hey it’s an overall experience too. Next, the Jabra Cruiser supports Voice Commands over Bluetooth.This worked pretty well with the Nexus One. Keep in mind your phone has to support it too. Another thing, the battery life is ridiculous. I have charged it once since I bought it a week ago and still have not had to recharge it yet. Finally, the Jabra Cruiser will announce the caller to you when your cell rings. What more needs to be said?
Conclusion
That Jabra Cruiser Bluetooth speaker phone is an awesome little device. Setup took me 5 minutes (excluding charging). The Cruiser is pretty thin, so it is not intrusive while you are driving. The Jabra Cruiser works so well I now have to consider cancelling the phone feature for my OnStar.
