Customer Rating:  
Summary: Short lived, a disappointment.
Comment: The BlueAnt X5 Bluetooth Stereo Headset sounded pretty good using Skype. My contacts said the headset sounded great to them. But after about 10 days the audio from iTunes and Skype started to sound gravely and not as loud as when I first installed. The Blue Tooth link is simple and the unit relinks to the phone or the streamer very easily and quickly when switching.
Update: The distorted audio has gotten worse over the last few days and I have stopped using the X5 and have bought another brand of wireless headset.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Tricky at First
Comment: Figuring out how to sync it up was tricky at first, but the mfr. customer support helped me through it. Then I was getting a TON of static, but the way around that was to keep the bluetooth piece plugged in to a power source. I didn't want to spend too much on something personal I'd keep at the office to listen to talk radio, and this all-in-one device really fit the bill. It's not perfect, but it does exactly what I need it to so I really can't complain.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent Bluetooth stereo headset
Comment: After a somewhat disappointing, but not bad, experience with a Jabra Bluetooth headset, I wasn't expecting anything much better with the BlueAnt X5 Bluetooth Stereo Headset.
What a pleasant surprise to have my low expectations upended.
The BlueAnt X5 is a delight. I've been wearing it now for several hours listening to streaming audio on the web. While not the most comfortable headset I've ever used, the BlueAnt X5 isn't terribly bothersome. It is a one size fit all kind of affair and I do have a big head (in more ways than one), but I am not being subjected to any undue pinching or pressure from the headset.
Range is good. I've used it about 25 feet away from the source with two intervening walls.
The design is nice. Understated and not too bulky. Unlike the Jabra, it doesn't have ostentatious flashing lights which normal people have to turn off each time it is used. Wearing the Jabra without turning off its flashing lights is like wearing a clown outfit.
The BlueAnt X5 has a separate microphone that plugs into the USB port. For those who want just a stereo headset, the can leave it off.
Pairing is fast and simple. Press two controls on the BlueAnt, turn on your device's Bluetooth search function and you are done. A couple of points here. First the pairing directions in the X5 manual I got were wrong. I suspect a typo that wasn't caught before the manual went to the printer - and someone forgetting that the manual with erroneous info was going into the packages.
Whatever device you use the BlueAnt X5 with must be A2DP capable! Check your device manual to make sure it is compatible. In all, the X5 supports the Handsfree, Headset, A2DP, AVRCP Profiles, which means this device is state-of-the-art. It can pair with up to 10 devices.
Earphone audio is quite good, in my estimation. Volume is more than sufficient and I am unable to discern any distortion at higher volume settings.
Microphone audio on cell calls, Skype and direct recording in Windows Mobile was somewhat on the soft side. I suspect that some would consider it of the "talking from the bottom of a barrel" effect and would find it objectionable. I did not.
The unit comes with a separate audio streaming device. This will output Bluetooth from anything with a 3.5mm audio output jack. That means you can use it with your iPod or other non-Bluetooth device, which is a very nice plus feature in my opinion.
Battery life is stated at 12 hours and I have no reason to doubt that yet.
The package has all the necessary cables and even a pair of foam cushions if you don't like the padded earphones.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the BlueAnt X5. My relatively low expectations were not in the least justified. This is the best Bluetooth stereo headset I've tried, Jabra and Sony units being the other. As far as I am concerned, my search for a high quality Bluetooth stereo headset is over: the BlueAnt X5 meets my needs - and then some.
Jerry
Customer Rating:
Summary: I WAS SHOCKED THAT IT WORKED IT SO WELL
Comment: I researched this product on cnet and read reviews from amazon and other publications, plus read all the manuals for the x-5, plantronics 590a, cardo s-2, various sanyo's and motorola's, plus the highly rated new jabra which I really wanted but it was out of my price range. Originally i received two different motorola s-9's. which didn't work with my moto q9c ie: only one side worked! Both times. I don't know if it was my phone or the headsets , but I was getting really frustrated. I was tired of having these stupid wires all over the place at the gym and at home when i was doing chores. This x-5 blue ant is everything you can want incredible sound better than most wired sets, and it works wirelessly with my computer and dell 20 gig digital jukebox. Great job Blue Ant highly recommend!
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Good and the Bad
Comment: Initial quality & Customer Service = 1.5
Overall quality of working unit (after replacement) = 4.5
Average = 3
I purchased this product for my son as a birthday gift. Although I looked for on-line research before I made the purchase, I didn't find much, because it was so new. I liked the idea of having the streamer to be able to listen to not Bluetooth enabled devices, so I went ahead and ordered it.
My son charged the batteries, as outlined in the manual, but he couldn't get the headphones to work with any Bluetooth device. He also couldn't get the streamer to sync up with the headset and after trying several times, it stopped working altogether. He went on line to the Blue Ant website and tried to upgrade the firmware to see if that would solve the problem, but it didn't. He finally had to call Customer Service and they agreed to send him a return label through e-mail.
Several days later, he received a return form, but no label. A couple of days later, he received another e-mail stating that the wrong document had been sent and the right one would be sent shortly. After a week of waiting, I called myself and was told that they do not pay shipping for returns. After a brief "conversation", they agreed to send a new unit (non expedited) and said I would only have to return the headset and streamer (no other ancillaries), which would reduce the shipping costs, as I could "use an envelope".
I received the new unit about a week later and tested it. Although the instructions are a little vague on how to sync the streamer and unit (it only works if you hold the described buttons when the unit is off), the new unit worked great. The sound quality was good also.
Unfortunately, by this time my son had gone back to school, so I had to pay to have it shipped anyway. The cost of the unit was as listed, but although I took advantage of the free "super saver shipping" with Amazon, I had to pay for the shipping of the non-working unit, as well as shipping the new unit to my son.
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