Contour Design and Bluetrek Meld Sharp Design, Technology
Following up on our Bluetooth article yesterday, and building on our recent looks at some interesting input devices, we bring you three different and neat ways of bringing your Bluetooth audio to life, and one interesting jog editing controller for your PC or Mac, all from Bluetrek and Contour Design.
We’ll start with the odd man out- the Shuttle Pro2 from Contour, aimed at audio and video professional who aims to speed up their editing. It looks like a game controller crossed with a trackball, and offers 15 programmable buttons, an outer shuttle ring, and an inner jog wheel for precision frame control. Plugging in through USB, and compatible with both PCs and Macs, we liked the removable keycaps on the buttons (for easy labeling), and the easy configurable software.
It can be used well beyond editing though, in conjunction with a tablet, for instance, it makes a powerful Photoshop or Illustrator tool. The build quality is decent, if not amazing, and it’s surprisingly comfortable to use. We would’ve liked some texture on the button to help distinguish them, and the device doesn’t always correctly detect the program in use and adjust the settings accordingly. Beyond those small tweaks though, we were amazed at how quickly we adjusted to using it and how it rapidly became part of our workflow. Light, portable, and unique, it’s an easy recommendation if you’re looking for a new input device to help you control your A/V applications. At $80 or so, it’s reasonably priced as well.
Onto the Bluetooth audio front! Also from Contour (in conjunction with Bluetrek) is the Surface Sound Compact. We loved the compact, sleek design and slick buttons, the power thoughtfully turning on when you lower the boom microphone, and the convenient clip-to-sun-visor nature. As a carkit, it makes sense, especially in any state where hands free driving is required by law. And the battery life is decent as well- they claim 15 hours of talktime or 21 days on standby, we actually managed a bit more on average. The sound quality, though, leaves a bit to be desired on both ends, despite decent noise cancellation, and volume isn’t amazing either. The included car charger and USB cable add flexibility, but you can only pair easily with one device at a time. In short, it’s a great option for those who need something only for their car, with great battery life and even a decent price- at $60 it’s hard to go wrong.
Onto Bluetrek, makers of the Duo Stereo Bluetooth headset, an interesting combination of a basic Bluetooth v2 dongle with a microphone to serve as the headset, paired with a mediocre pair of headphones. This way, you can use your own headphones wirelessly, or use the included ones if you wish. The dongle itself is quite small (a few grams), and can be used directly as a mono earpiece- it isn’t as good as some others we’ve seen, but isn’t a slouch either. You’ll need to use an ear hook with this one to provide support, two sizes are included along with several different gel covers for the headphones. In a quiet indoors environment, sound quality was good to excellent, outside it did only so-so, offering no noise cancellation. In terms of music, we were a little disappointed- the sound was more hollow using the device than when directly connected, with occasional noise or low-intensity buzz, made worse by the SRS ‘enhancement’. The included headphones were interesting, offering a loop that made the dongle hang near your neck, but it felt a bit awkward- sound quality was better than expected though. Make sure that your device supports the A2DP profile (iPhone users need the 3.0 firmware or higher). Charging is done via USB, but the worst part was the battery life, the least of any Bluetooth device we’ve tried- only about five hours of talk time on a full charge (they claim six). At under $50 though, it’s a nice way to get stereo sound for music and a wireless headset as well without breaking the bank.
Last, and unfortunately least, come the Bluetrek ST1 Stereo Bluetooth Headset. On first glance, we wanted to love these- they look like a movie prop, something from Minority Report or another sci-fi flick, glossy black and with funky button placement. And we have to admit that the battery life and price are both decent- $30 or so buys you 16 hours of talk time (they claim 19), or more than a week on standby. Even better, the sound is impressively good- thumping bass, balanced mids, decent spatial surround. Handy buttons allow you to control your music (on devices that support AVRCP). Easy USB charging. Padded carrying case included.
If only you could wear them! Like some other objects of art, this one is perhaps just not meant for actual use by human beings. They are a bit too heavy and bulky, don’t fold, require the special pouch to carry around, the ear buds only are in one size/shape/style, and they don’t quite slip around even thin necks for easy storage when not in use (you’ll choke yourself). None of this would be so bad if they were usable, but the worst part is that they are the least-comfortable items our reviewers have tried- so bad that the men offered to wear high heels if only they could take off the ST1s. We made them endure the torture, hoping that they would grow more comfortable, but we now fear for our lives. And we haven’t even mentioned the inherent flimsiness and brittleness of the design bringing up deep concerns over reliability. We wanted to love them and their futuristic sounds, but we desperately hope that the future is more comfortable and sturdy. We’ll gladly pay a bit more.
