Cardo Systems Scala 700 Bluetooth Headset

Cardo System’s was founded in 2001 and boasts to be one of the world wide leaders in wireless technology. While Cardo produces several wireless devices designed for helmet wear (motorcycle) but they also produce several Bluetooth wireless headsets for everyday wear. Cardo System’s Scala 700 ($34.95) claims to be setting a new standard for feature-rich Bluetooth headsets. According to Cardo, the headset was chosen as a “Best Headset amongst 18 competitors” by Mobile News and Business Week gives the headset five stars.

Out of the Box

When I first handled the Scala 700 it reminded me of a toy. It’s lightweight coming in at .41 ounces and has a plastic feel to it much like one of my child’s toy would. It is semi-compact measuring about 1.5 inches long and has a bendable ear hook slides into the mid-section of the device. A large control button encompasses the center face of the Scala 700 with a control wheel is positioned at the top of the device that is also a push button.

The device does not fit inside your ear but rather on top of your ear which makes the ear hook an essential part of the headset. A large LED status light is towards the front surface of the headset to confirm/alert users of the various headset functions. It will flash blue while the device is on and could double as an aircraft landing light. Fortunately, you can disable the LED.

The Scala 700 comes packaged with a carrying case, wall charger, and USB PC cable.

Performance

Pairing the device to my Samsung BlackJack II wasn’t difficult. The control wheel acts as the on/off button and by pressing/holding the button for eight seconds you can enter pairing mode. Once the status light starts to blink red/blue you can have your phone search for the headset, enter the industry standard security code, and you’re in business.

The Scala 700 didn’t fit very well and rode loose. The over-the-ear design made the fit dependant on the ear hook and it was at times tough to manipulate the hook to keep the headset over your ear. While the fit was comfortable at times, the anticipation of the headset falling off your ear never seemed to go away.

The Bluetooth connection was weak and had a lot of static. I tried the phone in the case on the opposite hip, same side hip and eventually pulled the phone out of the case and held it beneath the headset. In every position, the connection generated a lot of static. I even tried re-pairing it but still had a poor connection.

Incoming call quality was poor due to the static but surprisingly, the microphone picked up my voice good when using a normal tone and volume. Cardo advertises the microphone to be a “background noise cancellation microphone” and while background noise was minimum, it worked well. Turn on the car radio, roll down the window or stand near traffic your voice was over shadowed by the noise.

The Scala 700 has the standard headset features including voice dialing (phone dependant), call mute, redial, call conference, call waiting and call reject. It does have one interesting feature for when you misplace your headset. The headset has a buzzer alert that can be activated from the phone it is paired with. Simply place a call and while the call is in progress, you begin pressing the phone’s volume buttons up and down, repeating the sequence four times. The Scala 700 will begin to buzz until you hit the control button.

Battery life is reported by Cardo to be approximately up to 10 hours of talk time and up to 10 days of standby time. You can check the battery status by pressing the control wheel and holding it for 7 seconds. The LED light will flash red, blue or a combination depending on the battery’s level.

Overall Impression

While Cardo has high hopes for the Scala 700 ($34.95), I would have to pass on this headset. It is one of the more economical headsets out there and has a good feature set but with the loose fit, poor audio quality and plastic/toy like feel you can do better.

Alternatives to the Scala 700 would include BlueAnt’s T8 ($39.95) or Jabra’s BT2010 ($29.95).