Jabra C820s First Impressions

The name Jabra has become synonymous with Bluetooth earpieces for wireless phones. I have owned several and, in fact, I am currently using the BT250. I have come to expect quality products from Jabra, so I was very excited to find out about their new C820s corded stereo headphones. The C820s include Jabra's Active Noise Cancellation technology powered by a single AAA battery in an over-the-ear style stereo headphone. Over the years, I have traveled quite a bit, and have always been interested in noise canceling headphones, but price always kept me away. Spending upwards of $350 on a pair of headphones from you-know-who was something I could never bring myself to do.

I must admit, I was very excited when Jabra offered me a set of these headphones for review upon visiting their booth at the 2007 CES. On the flight out to Vegas, I had used a pair of noise canceling ear buds I had picked up for about $30, and let me just say that you get what you pay for. They did not fit my ear very well and the noise-canceling feature did not work very well at all.

I began writing this review in the air, flying home from Las Vegas, wearing the C820s headphones as I typed. Initially, I did not have the headphone cable attached (being able to remove it is a simple yet very thoughtful feature), as I just wanted to try out the noise cancellation feature while on a noisy little CRJ airplane. And I was not disappointed.

Upon opening the box I was immediately impressed with the build quality of the product. There are soft leatherette pads on the earpieces as well as the band that sits on your head. They feel very solid, but not too heavy. The design is simple and clean, with only one on/off switch on the outside of the left earpiece. There is a small, flush battery compartment door near the pad on the left earpiece for the single AAA battery that is required for the noise cancellation feature. Jabra claims a battery life of up to 50 hours – I have not yet used the headphones this long, but so far I have had no problems with the included battery. The cable actually detaches from the left earpiece for storage when not in use, for those long flights where you just need some silence.

Included in the package is a very nice black case that unzips to hold the headphones. The earpieces swivel so you can lay the unit flat in the case. There is a small zippered pocket that velcros into the top half of the case and holds the cord and the adapters, which include a 2.5 mm standard stereo audio cable, a two prong airline adapter and 3.5mm-6.5mm stereo adapter. There is also a connector cable for music phones with adapters.

I immediately found the comfort of these headphones to be top-notch. They are very easy to adjust, and they cupped over my ears without any problem. The soft ear pad cushions made a nice fit to my head that sealed out noise before even turning them on. (They seem to use that squishy memory foam that is found in those expensive Swedish mattresses and pillows.) But once I did turn them on, there was a dramatic shift.

The noise reduction sort of kicks in slowly - as if adjusting a volume control. I clicked the power switch on and was able to count to "one-one thousand, one" before the effect fully kicked in. The noise reduction is most effective on the lower frequency sounds, which is what makes the headphones so effective in a plane or automobile. It basically takes the "edge" off, and allows you to feel considerably more relaxed. These headphones will make my next flight to China much more tolerable.