Well, I received the Cardo Scala-500 yesterday, and yes, it is, in fact even better than the original Allways. When an incoming call comes in the Scala-500 seems to ring almost instantly, and when a call is placed, the audio is transfered to the headset just as quickly. In terms of interference... unless I've got my head in the microwave (j/k), it's very clear. As with the original Allways, there is no fading of voice on either end, and no pop-corn sounds that seem to plague the other headsets when used with the Treo 650. The battery life is rated for 9 hours, but I have yet to use it for that long! I'll post again with a better review of battery life, specifically, later in the week. In terms of asthetics... nice! Definitely much much nicer than the Allways. It is also much smaller and lighter than the Allways. The earloop is slightly adjustable to fit different sized ears, but not quite as much as on the Allways. I have small ears, and I find that it stays put very well, but will probably hold even better on people with larger ears. I have found that staying on my ear was one of the drawbacks of using the Moto HS810/HS820. Those two were extremely floppy and would stay on only if I kept my head very still - not the case with the Cardo Scala-500. Of course, as with almost all headsets, it can be adjusted for right or left ears quite easily. Of particular note, one design difference that I was pleased about when compared with the Allways is that the silver button to end/answer/etc calls now does not function as the power button, but instead power is set by a button/roller towards the back of the device. With the Allways, sometimes the power would accidentally shut off/turn on when it was in my pocket because of the placement/function of the button - no longer an issue with the Scala-500. Conveniently, the Scala-500 comes with a tiny holster hardly larger than the unit itself, making it unnecessary to carry it in the pocket at all, but instead clips onto ur belt/pants/etc. Cardo seems to be the only one to offer a sunglass/eyeglass attachment, but I have not tried this feature. I have not tested it in windy environments enough to report back, but as soon as I do I will certainly let you know the outcome. Considering that once again, as with the Allways, people I'm speaking to do not even realize I'm on a wireless headset, I'm optomistic that there will be notable improvement in wind noise cancelation. To be continued...
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