INTRODUCTION

   Whenever we hear the term Bluetooth wireless headsets the first thing that naturally comes to mind are the typical around the ear models we use with smartphones for hands free calls like the Voyager Legend by Plantronics or the MOTION by Jabra. However lately many people turn towards another less popular type which basically consists from two parts, a set of earphones and a Bluetooth receiver/transmitter. The overall size of the unit may not be as "portable" as the usual Bluetooth wireless headsets but it has three positives that we can't simply ignore. So first of all it offers stereo sound which means that not only can you answer/make calls and listen to the other person from both ears but you can also listen to music a lot better than with a single monophonic headset. The other plus is that since the Bluetooth receiver/transmitter is placed on the far end you can place it far away from your head and although so far there are no indications that Bluetooth connectivity can affect us in any way still this makes people feel safer and i can understand the why. Finally since the earphones have very little weight it can be used by people while jogging or exercising without falling off (or at least not as much). Antec mobile products chose to go with this solution and so today we will be taking a look at their ISO Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headphones.

     Antec Mobile Products (a.m.p.) is a global consumer Electronics Company committed to putting state of the art mobile and audio technology into the hands of every user. As a division of Antec, the world-renown market leader in PC hardware, a.m.p. is committed to bringing Antec’s winning VIP principles of Value, Innovation and Perfection to the mobile world. Technology is taking on an increasingly greater role in our lives and changing the relationship between user and device. People are not only demanding products that make their lives easier, but are also seeking devices that let them use, share and interact in new ways. By harnessing new technologies, Antec is changing the way people experience life through their mobile devices. a.m.p. understands that mobile products are more than just devices, they are extensions of ourselves: our tastes, habits and curiosity. a.m.p. is committed to the concept of fashion technology by providing you with devices that are not only attractive, but reflect your own unique personality.

   Antec mobile products has given the Bluetooth 3.0 compatible ISO a rich specifications sheet which also includes plenty of features that most Bluetooth headsets in the market currently will certainly be jealous of including two high performance dBs1 stereo drivers, a noise-cancelling microphone, ear tips offering superior noise-suppression, both microphone and audio controls, 3.7v/210mAh lithium ion (li-ion) Battery that gives 8 hours of continuous use (up to 200 hours standby) and finally a design which most consumers will definitely find attractive (especially teenagers). Of course specs-wise a solution like the Jabra MOTION is far more complete especially for professionals but i think that the positives of the ISO mentioned in the first paragraph matter quite a bit. Anyways our job today is to see whether or not this new attempt by Antec mobile products was a success and after testing the ISO for almost 2 weeks we think it is.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The iSO arrived inside a very small box with its picture on the front next to a quick product description in English and French.

A long clear plastic window on the right side allows the interested party to take a look at the earphones.

At the rear as usual we find the features and bundle contents lists this time printed in English and French.

The rear however opens up to reveal the features list printed in another 6 languages.

Antec mobile products has packed the iSO Bluetooth wireless headset along with two sets of silicone ear tips, micro-USB charging cable, user’s manual and a small product catalog. Unfortunately a carrying pouch would make a good addition to the bundle but Antec mobile products obviously thought otherwise.

THE ISO

By default the iSO comes with medium sized silicone ear-tips mounted however for people that may find them too small or too large the bundle also includes small and large sized ear-tips.

Although black and red is my favorite color combo the iSO is also available in white and red.

The dBS1 earphones are covered in glossy black plastic and according to Antec thanks to their design they offer superior noise suppression (we will see later on if that actually is the case). Also do notice the small bass-reflex space at the rear (red).

If we take a closer look it's easy to see that the design of the exterior is unlike most earphones (once the ear tip is in the exterior covers the ear) so my guess is that's what offers the superior noise suppression.

The housing of the Bluetooth receiver/transmitter is also glossy black and for good (or bad) its design is very simple. The button in the center is used to switch the device on/off, play/pause tracks and also to answer/end calls.

The main unit has volume control buttons on the left while on the right side it has the next/previous track, the Bluetooth pairing button which is also used to enable/disable noise-cancellation and the two activity LEDs (red for charging/green for on and blue for when connected to a device).

As expected the charging port is placed at the base of the main unit while at the rear there's a convenient clip which you can use to attach the iSO to your shirt.

CONCLUSION

   Primarily the iSO was used while on the road either in my car or in the subway so it's easy to understand that we did put the noise-cancellation and noise-suppression features to the test as we should. So did they work? Well noise-cancellation worked fine but i can't say that it's the best one we've seen so far especially since both the Voyager Legend by Plantronics and the MOTION by Jabra seem to be doing a better job at it. Of course i have to point out that the differences are not great but especially for professionals who use such devices for work i think this will matter quite a bit (for regular consumers however not so much). What really impressed me was the noise-suppression feature and i say that because when i first used the iSO i was right next to a big fan and so i put them and listened to some tracks by Bon Jovi but it wasn't until i removed them that i actually remembered that there was a fan next to me (due to the design of the exterior and the medium-sized silicone ear tips the earphones are almost air-tight when placed in your ear). The difference was impressive so i have to give a thumbs up to Antec Mobile Products for that. When it comes to audio quality well we all know that Bluetooth has come a long way and it offers almost as good quality as wired solutions but that almost does take away some points. Still the dBS1 earphones offer good volume levels with quite a bit of bass (more than i was expecting actually) along with very good and clear mids/highs. Of course we've seen better wired and wireless headsets in the past but Bluetooth wireless earphones well that's not something we see every day. However not everything's perfect about the iSO and so i do hope that Antec improves on the quality of the cable since it doesn't look like it can endure much (i could however be wrong, time will tell).

   At launch the iSO Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headphones by Antec Mobile Products (a.m.p) did cost quite a bit but after roughly 10 months in the market this price has dropped quite a bit and so currently you can find them for USD68.78 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 64.95Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). Well not much more to say now is there? The price is right (especially for a brand product), audio quality is very good (very good clarity with good bass levels), battery life is also very good (we never did reach 8 hours of use but we did cross the 6 hours mark with the volume level almost maxed out) and it also looks great what more can one ask for? So for all of the above the iSO Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headphones by Antec Mobile Products walk away with our Golden Award.

PROS

- Overall Quality
- Design
- Audio Quality (Volume, Clarity & Bass)
- Active Noise-Cancelling Microphone
- Battery Life (Up To 6+ Hours Of Continuous Use)
- Built-In Controls
- Noise-Suppression
- Price (For Some) 

CONS

- Cable Quality?