I've owned over ten different Bluetooth headsets, some of them expensive like the Joby Zivio Boom and the Jawbone Era, some of them cheap and forgettable, most were purchased for around $45 each. About one a year gets trashed or lost. Rarely do they fail without a good reason. My favorite for functionality is the Sound ID 510 but it's discontinued and my second favorite, the Jawbone Icon HD, has no volume control apart from the phone's volume buttons (unacceptable), so I'm on the search for a replacement. Recently purchased the AiSpeed headset and, because this was only $13 and the AiSpeed is just okay, I bought the Firegram headset I'm reviewing here. Overall, I'm happy with the Firegram.
Good:
-The rubber ear loops made for the Jawbone Icon fit nicely, see photos.
-Looks good, not super refined but decent industrial design.
-The silver button isn't just painted silver, the part you touch/see is made of aluminum (probably a thin aluminum skin but better than silver paint nonetheless).
-HAS A PHYSICAL ON-OFF SLIDER SWITCH! I will not abide having to wait seven seconds or longer for the AiSpeed to turn on before it starts to connect when I'm trying to answer a phone call. The Firegram turns on and connects super fast without having to hold down a button for any amount of time.
-Sound is loud and clear on both ends.
-Resists wind noise well.
-Great battery life.
-At time of purchase the reviews for the Firegram were real reviews (as verified at the fakespot website) which is rarer and rarer with new products on Amazon.
So-So:
-It's kinda big.
-There's a blue blinking light on the face of the unit that blinks when on. Not super bright but annoying nonetheless.
Bad:
-The voice feedback that tells you EVERYTHING that's going on ("Power on.", "Power off.", etc.) is SUPER annoying. I don't want my headset talking to me!!!! Who wants this over a few beeps that take all of two minutes to know what they indicate? This is a trend in cheap Chinese brand speakers and headsets that may drive me back to only buying high end recognized brands for stuff I use everyday. These voice prompts are the worst I've heard in any piece of electronics.
-A long push of the button activates redial (the standard functionality is that a long push activates voice-dial/Siri)
-A double push of the button activates voice-dial/Siri (the standard functionality is that a long push activates redial)
-The button (silver, there's only one) takes a lot of effort to push.
-The button clicks VERY loudly in my ear.
I think I can endure the annoying voice and louder than necessary button click. Will update this review if, after some more time with this headset, I find I cannot endure that voice.