INTRODUCTION
One problem with mobile
phone voice communications is that people can be
in very noisy environments when they’re out and
about. This can make it very difficult for the person
on the other end to hear the conversation. Some
headset manufacturers have created software based
noise canceling headsets that aim to reduce the
ambient noise by focusing on the speaker’s voice.
Nextlink on the other hand has significantly reduced
ambient noise by putting the microphone “inside
your head” (via bone conduction) where there is no
outside noise. Law enforcement and government personnel
have been using Invisio type products for years since
this method is so effective. Now with Invisio
Mobile,
this technology is available to the average consumer.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
(all images link to higher resolution)
The Invisio Mobile comes in a nice little black box.
Inside you’ll find a tiny manual, along with zip
lock baggies containing different soft springs, a
plastic clip, and a wire retainer for keeping the
wire behind your ear.
There’s also a hinged metal box that contains the
Invisio headset.
PRODUCT
FEATURES
Here you can see the white soft-spring which holds
the Invisio firmly in your ear. You can also see
the speaker in the upper right, with a soft rubber area
around it which blocks out external sound. Sometimes
a lot of ear wax can get into that tiny speaker
hole. You can wash it out by running the end there
through some warm water.
This is what the Invisio Mobile looks like in an
ear. Notice how the white soft spring keeps the
headset secure.
Here you can see the fluid filled bulb on the left
which is where the microphone is located. The bulb
picks up your voice vibrations from contact against
your jawbone in your ear. This is how the Invisio
lets you communicate while significantly reducing
external noise.
The Invisio is even smaller than Nextlink’s smallest
wireless headset; the
Bluespoon 5G.
The plastic wire retainer has a tiny slit that you
can thread the wire through. This plastic retainer
keeps the wire strung behind your ear and out of the
way.
I tested the Invisio Mobile at Coney Island on the
busiest day of the year; The Mermaid Parade. (Photo
by Jaime Roublick)
In order
to get the Invisio Mobile working with my
imate JAM, I had to get an audio adapter from Pocket
PC Techs. The Invisio Mobile has a 3 connection
2.5mm headset jack, while the imate JAM has
a 4 connection jack. Here are a couple sample
WAV files that will show you how the Invisio
sounds compared to an open-air microphone.
Invisio
Mobile recording (92kb WAV)
Open air
microphone recording (97kb WAV)
As you can tell the Invisio
recording sounds a bit more nasal-like, but it
significantly blocks out the sound of an air
conditioner and microphone which is noticeable in
the open-air recording.
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Nextlink Invisio Mobile
August
15,
2005
Review by:
Adam Z
Lein,
Senior Editor
Jump
to: PAGE 1 |
PAGE 2
HELP SUPPORT
There’s not much need for
help with this product, you put one end in your ear
and the other end in your phone. However, it is a
little tricky getting the microphone to be seated
against your jawbone correctly. In fact, it might
take a lot of trial and error to get the Invisio to
pick up your voice correctly through bone
conductivity. The microphone bulb has to be seated
just right inside your ear. You can find some more
support videos on the
Nextlink website.
BUGS AND WISHES
The Invisio Mobile does not have an answer button or
any volume control. As a mobile phone headset, I
would expect those features to be a requirement,
however they are sadly missing. So when on the
motorcycle, I have to set the phone to auto-answer
after a couple rings. If there was an inline answer
button, I could clip that to my chin strap and
easily answer the phone while riding. I also wish
the wire was a few inches longer so that there would
be more breathing room for reaching into my pants
pocket.
And if it were available in a stereo version, that
would be perfect.
PURCHASING
The Invisio Mobile can be purchased at the
Nextlink.to Online Shop for $325. You can also
find it at some other online retailers such as
Impact Wireless which sells it for $399.
PROS
- Bone
conduction microphone reduces ambient noise to a
minimum - Can be worn inside a
full-face motorcycle helmet - Waterproof
- Only real
bone conduction headset available to the public
CONS
- Has a wire
- Expensive
- Takes getting used to
- No volume control or answer
button
| Value |  |
| Ease of Use |  |
| Features | |
Overall |  |
OVERALL IMPRESSION
If you’re the kind of person that likes
to keep in touch while doing things that involve
skull protection such as motorcycling, bicycling,
skiing, snowboarding, playing football, paintball,
etc… this is the headset for you. It will also
work great while driving a convertible or walking
through the subway tunnels. Sometimes the
surrounding sound gets too loud for you to hear the
incoming audio though. A volume control could help
in that respect. At any rate, if you can afford it,
this is the most low-profile headset with excellent
noise reduction.
Originally published on Pocketnow on August 15, 2005. More Reviews articles from the Pocketnow archive.