Design
The design of the earpiece used in a Bluetooth headset.
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Earbuds. A small earpiece located in the auricle outside the auditory canal (as opposed to in-ear). The unequivocal advantages of inserts are simplicity and low cost. The sound insulation of such devices turns out to be rather weak, which can be both a minus and a plus: the earbud is not suitable for a noisy environment, but it almost does not interfere with hearing. But the sound quality of the earbuds is somewhat lower than that of the in-channel counterparts. In addition, such an earpiece is less securely held in the ear and is more difficult to adjust to the individual biological nuances of a person (although interchangeable nozzles of different sizes are available for the earbuds).
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In-ear. An earpiece that, during use, is inserted deep into the ear canal and held there by a soft cap made of silicone or other similar material. These headphones are considered more advanced than earbuds: at lower volume (and less power consumption), they provide more powerful and rich sound. The unequivocal disadvantages of in-ear models include a higher cost. In addition, a high degree of sound insulation can create inconvenience: when using such headsets, ear is almost completely closed. On the other hand, it allows you to hear the sound well even in a rather noisy environment.
Behind ear
A device designed to fix the device on the auricle; most often represents a signature shackle. Such a shackle is very popular among Bluetooth headsets — this is the easiest way to hold a relatively large device on your ear. At the same time, ultra-compact models can be fixed directly in the ear and do not need a behind-the-ear
hook. And for car kits and speakerphones (see "Device"), such a mount is not required.
Note that the shackle is most often made swivel, which allows you to reposition it from the left to the right ear and vice versa.
Connection
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Mini-Jack (3.5 mm). Mini-Jack is one of the most popular wired connectors. However, it is not used in Bluetooth headsets, and it is extremely rare in other specialized accessories and predominantly is an auxiliary feature. So, in speakerphones, mini-Jack is usually responsible for connecting several devices to each other, and in car kits, for outputting sound to the radio or standard car acoustics. Note that in this case, the headphone jack is not considered a 3.5 mm jack, although it is most often performed in this format.
— USB A. The classic USB A computer connector, which is gradually being replaced by the USB-C connector. The meaning and application of this connection depends on the type of device. So,
USB in speakerphones is a standard port for wired connection — both to computers and to specialized communication systems. And in Bluetooth headsets, this means that it is equipped with a USB adapter for connecting to a PC without a Bluetooth module.
— USB-C. A port similar in purpose to the one described above, but with a different, more modern, symmetrical shape that does not require specific connection, and correspondingly increased speeds.
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Bluetooth. Nowadays, Bluetooth is actually the standard interface for wirelessly connecting headsets and other audio accessories to gadgets. This technology is not only well suited for
...audio transmission, but can also be used for additional functions such as remote control. Features vary by version, the latest being Bluetooth v5. The communication range in this case can reach 10 m, and built-in Bluetooth modules are available in all modern smartphones, most phones, tablets and laptops, they can also be used in PCs and many other types of gadgets.Battery capacity
The capacity of the battery installed in the device (see "Power").
Theoretically, a higher battery capacity allows you to work longer on one charge. At the same time, the actual battery life will also depend on the power consumption of the device, and it is determined by a number of technical specs. Therefore, it is better to evaluate battery life not by battery capacity, but by directly claimed operating time (see below). It makes sense to use this parameter if the operating time is not specified; at the same time, it makes sense to make conclusions only if devices similar in specs differ in capacity — for example, 60 and 110 mAh.
Charging time
The time it takes to fully charge the battery in powered headsets.
In this case, we mean the time it takes to charge the battery from 0 to 100% when using a standard charger (or a third-party charger with identical specs). Accordingly, this indicator may differ from the stated one, depending on the specifics of the situation. However, it is quite possible to evaluate different models using it, compare them with each other and choose
a headset with fast charging.
We also note that increasing the battery capacity inevitably implies an increase in charging time. To compensate for this point, special fast charging technologies can be used. However, they affect the cost and require the use of specialized chargers.
Replaceable ear hooks
You can
change the ear hook that is used to attach the Bluetooth headset to the ear. This feature allows you to adjust the device to the features of the auricle, which is especially necessary for people with a non-standard size or shape of the ears. Usually spare temples are included in the package, and if necessary, they can be purchased separately.