mogulman

Ok... so I was sceptical about the Cardo Scala 500. I order it from onsale.com (same company as eCost and PCMall). Got it today. I haven't done a test on battery life yet. This is a preliminary review using a Treo 650. I'll post more with it over the next few days.

The Cardo Scala 500 comes includes:
Headset
Ear hanger
Eyeglass Hanger
Charging cradle
AC adapter that plugs into the charging cradle
Plastic holder
Neck strap

The Cardo Scala is about the same physical size as the Logitech Bluetooth Freedom headset.

Size and shape: The Cardo Scala is pretty small and light. It seems about the same size and weight as my Logitech headphone. Definitely lighter then the Motorola HS-810. There is no permanent ear hanger on the Cardo. The ear hanger slides into a whole on the headset. The ear hanger seems to hold pretty securely onto the headset, so even though it isn't permanently attached, it should be ok.

The Cardo is very comfortable on my ear. It fits similarly to the Motorola HS-810. It is more comfortable for me then the Logitech, but is also a little loose. I tried adjusting the ear hanger and if I tilt my head to one side the ear piece just kind of hangs. It seems like it will fall off. This doesn't seem so great. I can get it to be a little more secure by jamming it into my ear a little bit, but there is no ear gel so it doesn't seem like it would stay in. This is probably my biggest gripe about this earpiece. Especially since it is supposed to be usable outdoors. I can definitely see this falling off my ear. I haven't tried the eye glass holder. The neck strap is a nice touch.

Volume: The speaker on the Cardo is one of the loudest I've tried. That's not to say it has great volume. It is the best of the bluetooth headsets I've tried without using the mute trick. It seems to be one or two levels louder then the Logitech. It's way louder then the HS810. I'd still like to see it be much louder. With the Mute Trick, it is probably at a good volume level. I haven't tried it in a server room or in a noisy car, but I can still imagine the volume on the Cardo to be lacking in a noisy environment. The volume doesn't blow me away, but it is definitely louder then other bluetooth devices that I've tried. I'd like a device where I have to turn down the volume because it is too loud.

Microphone: I haven't tried it outdoors yet or in a noisy environment. I'll have to update this after I've tried it. Inside the microphone seems about the same as the Logitech. Better then the Motorola.

Functionality: The Cardo has better Handsfree functionality then the logitech or the Motorola. Answer, Hangup, Mute, Redial and Call Reject all function on the Cardo. When a call is made with the Treo 650, the phone connects to the cardo very fast. Maybe a full second faster then the Logitech. On an incoming call, there is a delay of a few seconds while the phone is ringing before the cardo starts ringing. This is about the same as the Logitech.

Conclusion: The logitech and Motorola devices seem better made then the Cardo. The cardo wins on Bluetooth functionality. It is also very comfortable. It also has the best sound. Range seems equivilent to the other BT headphones I've tried. The only real reservation I have about it, is the way it hangs so loosely from my ear. I wish there was an eargel or some better ear hanger for it. It really feels like it will fall off.

I'm going to try it for the next week or so and see if I can live with the looseness. Anyone recommend a 3rd party earpiece that can be fitted to this thing?

mogulman

Additions/Corrections:

Call waiting using the button on this headset does not work. It drops both calls. I've tried a quick press and holding the ctrl button down.

Redial also does not work on this headset with the Treo 650. Holding the CTRL button down does initial a redialed call but the audio never gets connected to the headset. There is no audio path at all when you redial with the headset. If you click on the button on the phone to transfer audio back to the phone, you can hear the call. Otherwise, you won't be able to hear anything on the phone or the headset.

I couldn't get the Logitech or the Motorola to perform either of these functions, but it would have been nice if they worked. Call Reject definitely works on the Cardo.

I found some info on the Cardo web-site, that seems to help with the loose fit. It mentions bending the earclip. Here is a link: http://www.cardowireless.com/scala_500_clips.php

Also. Initially it seemed like the cardo was connecting to the phone more quickly on outgoing calls. After using it some more, it seems to be about the same as the Logitech.

Finally, the Cardo ringer is "My country tis of thee"... Logitech has Greensleeves...

Anyway.. It seems to fit better now that I have bent the earclip. I wish those BT functions worked with the 650. It's still louder then the Logitech, so I think its better...

goenzo

does this headset work with voice signal?

mogulman

No Bluetooth headsets work with Voicesignal and the Treo 650. Voice Signal will actually work, its just the software on the Palm needs to be updated to trigger it.

wahili

im posting shadowmite about this garbage