Boasting built-in bone conduction — which translates jawbone vibrations into speech — Motorola's Endeavour HX1 Bluetooth headset is an intriguing device. It's one of the best sounding Bluetooth headsets we've ever used, though its voice quality in "stealth" mode could be vastly improved and it doesn't come cheap.
The Motorola Endeavor HX1 is stylish and quite attractive, though it’s a little larger than we would have liked. Recent Bluetooth headsets have generally had compact and inconspicuous designs, but that isn't the case with the HX1. However, the HX1 is well presented and features a combination of chrome and black plastic, and a rubber earpiece. The Endeavor HX1's packaging is also some of the most impressive we've seen: a large steel box with a plastic front that can only be opened by turning the top-mounted lock with a coin.
The Motorola Endeavor HX1 is straightforward to use. A volume control and a power switch sit on the right side, with the call-handling button and a key that activates stealth mode on the front. The buttons feel firm and well designed, and we much prefer the sliding power switch over a regular power button. To assist users in pairing the headset, the Endeavor HX1 features voice prompts and it also announces battery status and when stealth mode is switched on and off.
We found the Motorola Endeavor HX1 comfortable to wear, but its ear bud sits deep in the ear, so its design won't suit everyone. Motorola includes two loop ear buds and two curved ones (small and large). They look rather strange but are designed to sit securely inside your ear without the aid of a hook. A hook is included anyway, and the HX1 headset can be worn on either ear.
Motorola claims the bone-conduction technology used in the HX1 is also employed by "special military forces". It eliminates background noise by relying on the vibration of the bones in your jaw for speech. It does this quite successfully for most part, though the result is that your voice doesn't sound natural — most of our callers complained that our voice was digitised.
Thankfully, the stealth mode is designed to be used only when there is heavy background noise — for the rest of the time, Motorola's standard CrystalTalk noise-cancelling technology is used. Incoming audio is excellent and in regular mode our callers had no complaints about the quality of our voice, which sounded natural and clear.
Aside from answering and ending calls, the Motorola Endeavor HX1 also handles call waiting and redialling, and can transfer calls from the headset to your phone and vice versa. Multipoint Bluetooth means the HX1 can connect to two phones simultaneously and you can place a call on hold to answer a call on the second device.
The Motorola Endeavor HX1's rated battery life is a reasonable seven hours of talk time and 10 days of standby.
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