CARDO SCALA 500: A Review From a Budget - Minded Owner
Written: Jan 13 '06 (Updated Jan 15 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Price. Comfortable. Loud speaker. Battery life. Price. Looks cool. Lots of extras. Price.
Cons: Count on some static. Half duplex. Some features don't work with the Treo 650.
The Bottom Line: The bottom-feeder price makes all my nitpicks with this unit worthwhile. If you're on a tight budget, this is one Bluetooth headset to look at.
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| vara's Full Review: Cardo Systems Scala 500 Bluetooth Wireless Headset |
After doing TONS of research on a sea of bluetooth headsets, I couldn't help asking myself: was there really a time when things were simple? When there wasn't so much decision-making to be done? Before the phrase "paper or plastic"? Couldn't there just be a few bluetooth headsets to choose from? Nope! There's gotta be ALL kinds out there... this one with a boom, that one without... this one in the ear canal, that one not... this one with caller ID, that one without... it's really enough to make someone's head swim.
Fortunately for me, shopping on a budget always has a way of narrowing the field. So my options were limited to headsets ranging under fifty bucks.
I own a Palm Treo 650, and as many of you Treo owners may know by now, the otherwise stellar Treo 650 is reportedly cursed with weak Bluetooth functionality.
According to my research on talk forums, the Cardo Scala 500 fits the bill better than most, including even the Treo Blue Tooth Headset, by the folks at Palm One (that headset, by the way, is actually a rebadged Jabra headset).
So... I logged onto eBay and won me a brand-new Cardo Scala 500 for $32... with shipping! Not bad at all.
OUT OF THE BOX:
This thing is smaller than it appears in pictures! Imagine yourself holding a CD from the middle with your forefinger and the edge with your thumb and you'd pretty much be holding the Cardo Scala-500. Come to think of it, it might even be a centimeter smaller than that.
It's light, too. Previous reviews have criticized the unit for cheap materials, but I disagree: certainly it is made of the lightweight variety of plastic, but having seen many headsets out there costing almost twice as much, I'd say build quality is right up there with the others. You get a bunch of stuff, too! Included with the Scala-500 is a cord that goes around your neck to hold the Scala if you so desire, or a belt clip to hold the Scala if you prefer. Also included is a mini-CD that has a detailed instruction manual that's easy to follow. The charger is a very small wall adapter that plugs directly into the unit. Previous versions of the Scala-500 used a charging cradle that most people didn't like, so I guess the boys at Cardo got rid of it. Personally, I like this new setup and it works very well.
Well, so I've taken it out of the box, and have owned it for several months now. What's to like/not like?
ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE:
Comfort: I could wear this thing for a few hours straight. It's that comfortable. After a little while, the tragus of your ear starts to hurt from the external speaker constantly resting on it (look tragus up in your anatomy books, students). The flexible over-the-ear loop makes customizing the fit pretty easy. The user manual has helpful hints on how to obtain the best fit.
Decent battery life: Not bad. Cardo advertises you won't have to charge your Scala 500 for a week, and that's about right, give or take a day. The Cardo Scala has a low battery indicator light that flashes red... whenever you see this, it's a pretty bad sign because the battery won't survive much longer than a "honey I'm on my way home" before finally dying.
Attractive: I know this is subjective, but in my opinion, this is one of the nicer-looking bluetooth headsets out there. Have you seen some of 'em? They can be quite nasty looking. Not this one. Some have complained that the flashing blue light makes you look like a dork, but unless you're in a dark room, the flashing light is hardly noticeable.
Ease of use: With so few buttons, one might think that the operation of the Cardo Scala is pretty difficult, but on the whole, I'd say it's very simple. Setting up the headset with my Treo was a snap: I was ready to go in literally less than a minute. Once you learn the basic functions of the unit, it's like riding a bike (to use a hackneyed phrase). The only small gripe I'd have is the turn on/off feature. To turn on the unit, you have to push the jogwheel button just right for six seconds. To turn it off, you have to hold it for three seconds. If you don't get it just right, you have to start over again from t=0 seconds. Also, when turning the unit on or off, the red light will flash twice before achieving the desired result. If you get distracted and don't let go just then, the unit will try to reset itself.
Loud speaker: Self-explanatory, really. The external speaker (no inserting earpiece) packs enough punch, and usually don't need to have the volume cranked up all the way. I understand this was a recurring problem with a lot of other bluetooth headsets, including the Treo bluetooth headset.
Fast pick up: Some headsets take a while to pick up an incoming call or an outgoing call. A second or two is all this headset needs in order to connect. With incoming calls, an additional ringer goes off quietly in your ear (in case you have your phone on silent or vibrate). Curiously, the ringer is a "Twilight Zone" theme (you know... neenooneenooneenooneenoo). The Scala 500 doesn't have an "auto answer" feature, but answering an incoming call is as easy as pushing the large button on the face of the unit.
ELIMINATING THE NEGATIVE (off my chest):
Static: Yes indeedy folks, this is a recurring complaint amongst Cardo Scala 500 owners. You know how sometimes you think "well, that won't happen to me" because you sometimes read positive reviews 1% of the time and assume you'll be one of them? (Sigh) Guilty as charged. Look, in all fairness reception and sound quality is acceptable. I can hear and understand my conversations just fine, and up to ranges of 20 feet, you can hear callers pretty well. But you can count on hearing static, too... almost like the old cordless phones before 900mHz technology came out. Curiously, it is better to have the Treo on the opposite side of your body to your Scala 500 headset. For instance, you'll get less static with the phone in your left pant pocket if you're wearing the Scala 500 on your right ear.
"WindGuard(TM) Technology?" HA!! Part of the reason I went for the Scala 500 is that Cardo advertised this "WindGuard(TM) Technology" that supposedly filters out wind noise for clear conversations in windy conditions, such as outdoor gusts or driving in a convertible. Really? Should be cool... Or I should say should HAVE been cool. I am disappointed to report that my experience with this has been terrible. If there is the slightest breeze, whoever I'm talking to has no idea what I'm saying. Maybe my unit's defective. Regardless, I'm cryin' foul.
HALF-duplex: I don't know if this is typical of other bluetooth headsets, but one of the most annoying things about the Scala-500 is that it operates only in half-duplex... pretty much like a walkie-talkie. In other words, you have to wait until the person on the other side stops talking before you start, because otherwise he/she won't hear you. Also, if you are listening to someone talk and you are suddenly subjected to loud noises or wind, it will break up the speech of the person talking to you. My friends often think I'm crazy when I'm driving because I often have to repeat my sentences multiple times so the other party can hear.
"Phantom" features: Supposedly, this unit comes fitted with useful features, such as call waiting, mute, and redial. Well, not the case here... I have gone over the manual a dozen times, but no matter how much I try I cannot get the Scala to mute or click over to another call. I've managed to get the redial to work, but it will only do it if the screen to my Treo is switched ON. Otherwise, it doesn't work. I parused some discussion groups on the topic. Unfortunately, for Treo 650 owners, the mute and call waiting features just don't exist. Hence the term "phantom" features (but you already got that by now, huh).
VERDICT: DESPITE COMPLAINTS, THE PRICE FITS THE BILL!
If you're on a budget, the Scala 500 makes for an excellent first foray into the Bluetooth market. I mean yeah, some things ticked me off about it, but for thirty bucks with shipping? With all the included extras? Check it out.
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: Daniel Ramirez
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