Review on BlueParrott C400 XT Canceling Mircophone Headset by Matt Welch

Let me start by saying that I have bought several BlueParrot VXI Express BlueTooth headsets and have really liked them . These headphones were well designed in my opinion, and this is what I've used to make my living as a product engineer alongside other technical "careers" for the past 15 years. These headsets were well balanced between battery density and weight and, together with the electronics, ensured long talk times with good sound quality. Overnight charging provides about 15 hours of talk time. In several years of use, I have never received a single complaint from others about the sound quality and perception of my BlueParrot Express headphones. This is very good for a small size and light weight headset. I am very satisfied with these BlueParrot products. Unfortunately, of the three types of headphones I bought, all three failed in exactly the same way: the USB charging port pins detached from the circuit board and as a result the headphones stopped charging, other than working perfectly. So last year when I was trying to find a replacement for the BlueParrot Express headset I found that the previous model was no longer offered and the current model was in place of this model. the same geometric style, the C400-XT I bought and although I was shocked by its size I gave the product a reasonable trial period during which I tried to love it. But honestly I'm very dissatisfied with the BlueParrot C400-XT. What were you thinking when developing the C400-XT? The question is what is wrong with her? First of all, it's the size. That's shocking. The BlueParrot hides that spec, it's 51 grams or 1.8 ounces, which doesn't seem like much until it's hanging on the ear, which literally hurts after quite a short while. While there is a really "comfortable” on-ear pad for the headphones out of the box, and moving the headset around helps a bit, over time, no matter where and how you position the headset, the ear starts to hurt. C400- The XT model also offers a headband and/or headband, a headband which I think is a brilliant design and a headband version. My favorite as I wear a hat and don't have to take my hat off to put on or take off the headset. It is very comfortable. But due to the large bulk of the C400-XT headset, I think it becomes quite uncomfortable and painful to wear for a reasonable amount of time regardless of the headband style chosen. To be honest it struck me that this headset is actually meant for those who were born with a very large head and if so then this headset might actually be a perfect fit but for everyone else it seems too big and heavy. That's huge compared to previous BlueParrot models, which I very much approve of and recommend to my friends. But I can't in good conscience do it for the C400-XT. Now let's talk about the timing of the conversation. After an overnight charging session, the C400-XT headset is starting to garner complaints from others who have to listen to me bark. They complain about static noise, crackling, cracking and this state of use starts after a couple of hours whereas previous models just beeped after 10-15 hours of use when a charge was needed and never caused any complaints. Another Problem. it's the automatic audio level control or ALC - it just doesn't work. One speaker is quiet so I turn up the volume boost to hear him better, then the second speaker on the conference call starts speaking in a stronger voice, my ear explodes as the ALC doesn't automatically adjust the audio level. That sucks. So I turn the gain down, then the other speaker comes on and I have to turn the gain back up. It's plain old technology like electronics, there's no excuse. There is a problem with the buttons. They're hard to find and have been moved from edge to side, and the power button is huge, the boost buttons are tiny and hard to find with my finger, and I often accidentally mute an ongoing call while I'm listening try to reset the boost because ALC is not working. What were they thinking? When did BlueParrot develop this junk? And it wasn't cheap either, in fact it was one of the most expensive devices on offer. I didn't send it back, which I would if there wasn't just a bunch of poorly designed BlueTooth heads out there. -Sets are available and you need to choose the models carefully to find something useful for years to come. I've left this model as it works to a certain extent, but once I find a reasonable replacement I'll put it in my desk drawer as an emergency spare and then eventually take it apart to see what's inside and it then throw away. .Recommendation to buy something else.