nXZEN Plus 5500

Overivew

The nXzen Plus is a new headset from Gennum Corporation, a Canadian company. I would like to start out by saying that the company has been very responsive to every complaint or concern that I have expressed and that is unusual in today's market. This headset is small but not tiny and light weight at 17 grams. It appears to be well made though there are a few ergonomic issues that I will cover later. It offers several unique features not found on any other headset. First, it uses two mics for input into a very sophisticated DSP (Digital Signal Processor) to effect noise cancellation and they call their technology WaveFront. The bottom line is it works and works very well. Secondly, it comes with a second earpiece that is wired for stereo sound when used with an MP3 player or other music device and it auto mutes the headset on an incoming call. Third but not last is the ability to customize the sound with an equalizer application that allows for separate equalization curves for the headset as a phone and the headset as a music listening device.

nXZEN™ PLUS Model 5500 Product Specs
Bluetooth 1.2 Weight:17 grams (0.54 oz) Size: Length 59.9mm Height 28.5 mm DSP Performance – 120 MIPS Stereo- 16 kHz audio bandwidth processor Audio Path: 20-bit end-to-end path Talk Time: Up to 7 hours Standby Time: 100 hours Charge Time: 2 hours Battery: Lithium Polymer Four-Button Operation Multiple Device Pairing

STEREO MUSIC PLAYBACK FROM CONNECTED MP3 OR CD PLAYERS AND MUTES PLAYBACK WHEN YOU ANSWER A CALL.

BUILT-IN WIRELESS 8-BAND GRAPHIC EQUALIZER ENABLES YOU TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR HEADSET AUDIO WITH A BLUETOOTH-CONNECTED PC.

Links on where to purchase:

Plantronics V510 nXZEN 5500 Flamingo

Results

Build and Construction: Build quality appears to be excellent with a solid feel where you would expect it and soft rubber where you need it. The plastic used feels expensive with switches, connectors and buttons all feeling solid. The appearance color is silver and black. The connector at the back of the unit is a small round hole . The connector supports multiple connections sources. These include the regular wall charger, a USB charger cable and an adaptor that links the headset to another earpiece and an audio source for stereo playback. When a call comes in and you accept it, it auto mutes the music playback and lets you use the Bluetooth earpiece as a phone connection. The same cable is used to connect to your PC's audio out while you link the Bluetooth headset to your PC via the Bluetooth link and then you can hear the audio as you adjust the equalizer via the EQ software that comes with the headset.

Comfort: Comfort is always subjective and I must admit that I am biased to ease of use with glasses since I am always taking them off or putting them on. This headset comes with two ear loop sizes and 4 inner ear insertions. The way I found most comfortable was to use the clear soft gel insert and the large ear loop. I found this headset to be very comfortable and I was able to put on or take off glasses without too much trouble. In a match up with the Flamingo unit, it is a close call. The Flamingo is a little more comfortable when wearing glasses but you can still wear glasses with this unit. The in ear piece is more comfortable than the Flamingo's since it just sits nicely in the ear with no pressure at all if you select the right size. The rubber loop piece is soft and very comfortable. With the ability to switch ears fatigue is less of a problem. The Flamingo is right ear only. Given the pros and cons of each I would call it a draw on comfort. The owner's manual claims the headset can be worn without the ear loop by selecting the right sized insert. I was never able to find a comfortable insert that would hold it to my ear, unlike the Flamingo EarClick system^TMthat I find holds comfortably to my ear. Different ears may have a different experience.

Connectivity: Pairing is easy. You put the unit into pairing mode by turning it on and then holding the pinch button for 4 beeps or flashes of the LED. You then use the code of 0000 in your phone device to establish the pairing. I had no problem pairing it to a BB 7100t, a BB 7290, and HP HW 6510 and a PPC 6700. Pairing it to my PC using the special pairing mode was another question. This required that I remove the drivers and profiles that came with my Bluetooth dongle from my Windows XP SPK 2 system first and reestablish the dongle under the MS Bluetooth stack with its more limited profile support. Only then could I get the unit to pair with the PC's Equalizer application. Otherwise, it paired without problem to the dongle with the normal driver for it.

nXZEN and 7100t in car test.

nXZEN 7100t driving test.

Sound Quality: Outgoing sound quality was very good. incoming sound quality is not as clear as I would like. See some of my comments elsewhere on the page on this topic. Sound quality with stereo music was very good.

nXZEN 7100t in wind.

nXZEN with HW6510 Driving.

nXZEN with HW6510 in a Quiet environment..

Noise Cancellation: Noise cancellation is very good. It is undoubtedly the best I have heard or tested. In my TV test, I really cranked it up loud, much louder than in my previous tests and you could still clearly hear my voice and barely hear the TV. I felt like I was in a noisy bar it was so loud and yet the headset performed. You will also hear tests done from my car, even with the window down and it is still comes through. In light to moderate wind, it even cancels wind noise to the point that you can hear my voice and understand it. This is better than many headsets with a wind sock. If the wind is blowing hard enough it will cut out from the wind noise but it is usable outside when other headsets would be impossible.

nXZEN in the Wind

Ease of Use: The unit is easy to use for basic phone functions such as answering a phone or hanging up. The volume control consists of two buttons covered in soft rubber that are depressed and held down to either raise or lower the volume. I found the buttons a little difficult to find by feel and to tell when I was actually depressing the unit and increasing or decreasing the volume. Answering a call is easy, just press the large button in the center. On an incoming call there is a tone that you will hear and you need to just press the button to answer. A nice touch is the fact that the unit comes with a quick reference card that is plastic covered in addition to the user manual. In addition to the two volume control buttons and the large side button, there is a button on the edge covered in black rubber called the pinch button because you use a pinching motion to activate it. The last number redial feature works by pressing and holding the pinch button until you hear two beeps. The large side button is used for multiple functions. 1) to answer a call, 2) to hang up a call, 3) To turn on the unit, 4 ) to turn off the unit, 5) select music input and 6) deselect music input. To place a call using voice dialing press and hold the pinch button for one beep. To switch to an incoming second call when you are on a call press the pinch button for one beep. It shouldn't take anyone long to learn how to use this headset. One trick you need to know is that the headset has two pairing modes, a regular pairing mode and a special pairing mode for connection to a PC and the equalizer software. To put the unit in regular pairing mode, you first turn the unit on and then you hold the pinch mode button until you get 4 flashes from the Blue LED or 4 beeps. For the special programming pairing mode you hold the side button while pressing the pinch button until you get 4 beeps or 4 flashes. you can then pair the unit with the PC by selecting pairing from the EQ software menu.

Other Comments: In my initial testing I noticed that the sound on my end was not as clear as I would like. I contacted the company and I told them about my experience. They were very concerned and offered to send me a replacement unit (which they did). While it appeared to be a little better, it still does not produce the clear sound I would expect or the Flamingo or Plantronics units produce. However, in stereo mode the sound was very good, so it appears to be a phone related phenomenon. The company also listened to my complaints about the ear loops breaking too easily where the L shape forms to hook into the earpiece. They informed me that they had changed the ear loops and all units after serial number 500 have the new ear loops and they readily will replace any broken units. I would like to see a lanyard for the unit or a belt holster to make it easier to carry when you don't want to be wearing a unit.

Conclusion

While I still have more testing ahead, this unit appears to be a keeper. I will have a better idea when I test it with an 8700. It is a very good unit in many respects (I have outlined its shortcomings) and it has the best noise cancellation of any headset I have tested. I wish it had the EarClick technology from the Flamingo because it would be easier to wear and looks less dorky. It is comfortable but with no ear hook it would be really comfortable as it is small and light weight. I should caution that it is a bit on the expensive side and needs to have the incoming sound and the controls improved at this price point. I seem to switch back and forth between it and the Flamingo depending on where I am using the phone. Real noisy, I use the nXZEN, quieter, I use the Flamingo. I will be posting more samples in the near future.