Cardo Systems SCALA 500 Bluetooth Headset | 
| Brand: Cardo Systems
List Price: $69.99
Buy New: $23.16
You Save: $46.83 (67%)
New (13) from $23.16
Rating:  259 reviews
Sales Rank: 2197
Color: Silver
Media: Wireless Phone Accessory
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
Model: Scala 500
UPC: 828831000309
EAN: 0828831000057
ASIN: B0006GFARG
Release Date: October 24, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Talk time - up to 9 hours per charge / Standby time - up to one week | | • | Windguard technology mic to eliminates back ground noise | | • | Easy to use controls for volume, mute and call answer/end | | • | VersaClip attachment option for ear-loop and eye/sunglasses clip |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Take your Bluetooth headset experience to new heights with the thoughtfully designed scala-500. The unit comes equipped with all the high-end features and functionalities you would expect from a leading headset, with the addition of revolutionary technology that is designed to cut wind noise. 
Easy to wear around your neck or on your belt. Take a closer look. | 
An ear-clip and an exclusive eye/sunglasses clip come with the scala-500. Take a closer look. | Equipped with the WindGuard solution, the scala-500 overcomes wind interference significantly better than does any other Bluetooth headset on the market. Whether you're walking the sidewalks of a busy city, or biking or hiking on a windy day, you will appreciate this addition. Click on the demos below to listen to a comparison between headset performance without and with the WindGuard technology (at a wind speed of 9 mph): No WindGuard protection
WindGuard and the scala-500 At a hair more than half an ounce, the sleek and stylish scala-500 is one of the smallest and lightest devices available, but it still offers up to nine hours of talk time. An integrated speaker booster provides substantially higher volume capacity than is common in other headsets. Plus, echo-canceling technology alleviates those annoying voice feedback loops that are common with lesser headsets. An exchangeable ear-loop and eye/sunglasses attachment lets you place the headset where it's most convenient, while handy controls on the device allow you to voice dial, as well as to answer, mute, reject, and transfer calls. A charging cradle ships with the scala-500, offering fast recharging of the headset's internal battery. A carry sleeve is included as well, letting you carry the scala-500 on your belt or around your neck. And last but not least, the scala-500 is Bluetooth 1.2 compliant.
What's in the Box
scala-500 headset, carry sleeve, VersaClip ear/eyeglasses clip, charging cradle, carry lanyard, AC adapter, software, and user's manual.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 254 more reviews...
 The best BlueTooth headset!!!! January 11, 2005
Ali Hasan (Eagle County, Colorado)
69 out of 76 found this review helpful
I was so lucky to find this headset
I use a Treo 650 ----- I have tried a variety of headsets, including all of the Moto's --- the Scala is clearly the BEST for the Treo 650, and likely, many others
1. The volume was very good --- louder than any other headset I used with the Treo 650
2. The connection times are usually very fast too ----- most headsets take awhile to establish a connection, but this one usually takes just a second or less, and of course, automatically picks up both outbound and inbound calls
3. 90% of the people I talk to say that they can hear me very loudly and clearly --- rarely do I get a 'barrel' effect going with this headset, as many others produce
4. The wind-noise-cancelling technology is for real --- I have talked a couple times outside, in blizzards with this thing on --- quality was loud and clear on both ends, despite the high winds!
However, it seems that I have to re-connect the pairing for this device, every now and then (maybe once every 3 weeks or so) ---- otherwise, I'm very happy
Pretty good talk time and battery, and of course, the volume is great!
Check it out in new colors ---- clear, blue, and red!
Lastly - the price cannot be beat!
highly recommended! - HAPPY TALKING!!!!!
 Better than Motorola but still not that good February 23, 2006
T. Tom (SF Bay Area, CA United States)
24 out of 26 found this review helpful
Compared to Motorola Bluetooth headsets, this Cardo really rocks. It has much better mic and speaker sound quality and volume than Motorola. The Motorola makes me sound like I'm talking on a speakerphone while the Cardo is a bit better in this regard.
That said, because the mic is so far away from your mouth, you will still sound very distant and a bit muffled. With this Cardo, callers still complain when I'm in the car or outside on a windy day that there is a lot of background wind noise.
I ended up going back to the wired headset that came with my Motorola RAZR phone, which has much better audio quality and is not as cumbersome to setup during a call as a Bluetooth headset.
 Best Bluetooth headset on the market! Great Value! March 29, 2005
Hepps (MN USA)
22 out of 24 found this review helpful
I purchased this headset after looking at many different units on the market. My first Bluetooth headset I purchased was a Belkin F8V9017 and it was dismal in its performance, barely lasting for one hour and always disconnecting from my phone.
So, I looked at all the headsets currently out and was settling on the Bluespoon Chameleon. However, I was concerned about having to bend the support into my ear. So, after further deliberation and strong consideration for the price point of the Cardo Scala, I purchased it.
I took it out of the box and placed it on the very small and nice charging base. I would have preferred the headset to be able to charge using my Nokia phone charger, but, for the price I decided it wasn't a dealbreaker. After the full charge was reached, I followed the instructions and connected it to my phone, a Nokia 6820.
I've now been using this headset for two months and it has outstanding performance. The battery life is outstanding. I have taken this headset on a 3 day trip, without charger, and had no problems with the battery life. The advertised talk time of 9 hours and 200 hours or so of standby is accurate.
It sits comfortably in the ear. After a little bending and adjustment of the ear piece, it is tight to the ear and face. It's volume can get very loud, which is great for the noisy enviroment. Moreover, their noise cancelling technology, referred to by Cardo as "Windguard technology for outdoor use" also works quite well. The usual sound you hear from a cell phone or ear piece if someone is walking outside and talking simply is not heard with this device on the ear.
It's operation is simple. You simply press the large outside button to connect it to the phone. You hold the button down for 3 seconds during a call to transfer the headset back to the phone. You click the headset once to activate voicetags, if you have them set up through the phone. You press once to end the call. The volume adjustment is on the back dial and is easy to adjust.
The range is about 30-45 feet without line of sight.
The only problem I have had with this unit is the ear bud. About 1 day after I had it, I noticed the ear bud piece separating from the unit. It looked like the glue to hold it in place simply failed. So, I took the ear bud off, readjusted the speaker and snapped it back into place. I haven't had any problems since then.
My co-workers have other bluetooth headsets, mainly Motorola. They compare well but do not connect as easily, do not have anywhere close to the batter life and talk time, and were twice the price.
I highly recommend this Bluetooth headset over any others on the market right now. Even if it was comparably priced with the others (in the $90 range), it would win. The fact that it can be bought at a considerably less price, makes it the "hands off" winner.
I like the Scala 500 BT Headset from Cardo! November 7, 2005
David in Telluride, Colorado (Telluride, CO United States)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
This is available at a very good price on amazon, and is working quite well for me, with my Palm TREO 650. The TREO had no problem recognizing the BT headset and "pairing" up, and the headset fits nicely on my ear, comfortable and light. You could easily forget you're wearing it, and the little guy is packed with useful features. Overall sound quality, in and out, seems pretty darned good, especially considering the wireless advantage at your desk, in the car, etc.
Cardo has provided very good service by phone, for questions, installation assistance, etc. -- remarkably good by today's standards. So give this a try -- the price/value ratio seems very, very good to me, particularly factoring in the very good support from the company.
David in Telluride, CO
P.S. I like my TREO 650 too, despite the mixed reviews on amazon.com. For both devices, I found these reviews very, very helpful, for both pros and cons, during the process of researching and buying these items.
Very Happy with my 1st BT headset March 22, 2005
A. Pao (Bay Area, CA)
17 out of 19 found this review helpful
Note: this is the same review I posted on epinions
After a lot of research, I ended up deciding between this headset and the Logitech Freedom Mobile headset. Since I couldn't find the Freedom Mobile headset for the price I wanted (out of stock) I ended up with this for only $3 more. Two main reasons I went with one of those two are 1) Price and 2) Wind stop technologies. I unfortunately haven't had a chance to really test out the Windstop of the scala 500 yet, but when driving in my car, the person on the other end said it was fine. I have no doubts that the wind stop helps, even if it's a little help, it's better than none, especially for this price.
Ok, onto more details. My 1st impression was actually, "This little thing feels kind of cheap." The rubber around the edges is great, but the plastic parts of it feel really thin, especially the big button on the face of it. The other button on the end of it also feels pretty flimsy, but it gets the job done nicely. Not a huge gripe, just something I noticed. Another 1st impression I had was, "This thing is really small and light!" and I like it that way. I haven't seen the Logitech one in person, but it seems quite a bit larger than the scala in photos, so that's at least one reason why I'm glad I chose this headset. As for accessories, it came with lots: Ear clip, glasses clip, neck lanyard, belt holster, ac adapter and charging stand. These were all great little toys and will find some use at one point or another. I didn't like the charging stand much, you had to fit the headset on it just right in order for it to charge or else it would come loose and not charge.
I'm guessing I have funny shaped ears, and that's why I could never get the ear clip to hold very well. It's not too uncomfortable, and it will stay on my head as long as I don't shake it vigorously, but it doesn't feel "right" and it's a little loose. I think I just need to get used to the ear clip. However, the supplied glasses clip works GREAT for me. Good thing I wear glasses most of the day. But for the times I don't wear my glasses, I'm sure I can deal with the ear clip.
Functionally, it's a breeze. The 2 buttons on it are very intuitive. A quick glance at the instructions and I was ready to go with my Nokia 6820. Using it as a speaker and mic for my windows xp machine was easy too. I did have to uninstall the native xp sp2 drivers and replace them with the Widcomm drivers to work properly, but it wasn't too big of a deal. Anyway, back to the cell phone, I could place calls, end calls, mute calls, use voice commands and turn volume up and down all with the headset controls. The headset controls not only change the volume level on the headset, but it actually interfaces with the volume controls on the Nokia too, that was cool! My Nokia 6820 also does the right thing and puts the headset into standby after ending a call or a command. To switch between headset and phone speaker, I had to use the phone itself, I couldn't do it via the buttons on the headset, but I suppose that makes sense because if you are switching between the two, you will have both of them at your reach. Like I said, pairing was a breeze, but if the headset is already on and not paired, you have to turn it off and turn it on again to pair. This was just a little annoying. But a good thing is even if you turn off the cell phone or the headset, once both are turned on again, it will reconnect automatically. This auto reconnect may be a function of the Nokia though, it might not work with all phones. The only exception to this is if you repair the headset with something else while the cell phone is off or out of range. Then you have to repair it with the phone again next time for use. This is really the biggest gripe I have about the headset, I have to re-pair with my computer or phone when I switch between them. Good thing I don't plan on using this with my computer that often and use it with my cell phone most of the time. I believe the Logitech Freedom Mobile will save both (or up to a certain amount of devices) in its memory and will automatically connect with whichever one is closest, after you initially pair or course.
Performance was fine. Nothing to write home about, but good. If I had direct line of sight without obstruction, i.e. the side of my head with the headset was facing my phone, I could get 20+ feet away without much, or any, sound quality degradations. Throw in a wall, or turn my head to the opposite side of my phone, and I would barely get 5+ feet away without at least a little crackling. However, I went downstairs to an area directly below my phone on the 2nd floor, and though there was lots of static, I could still make out what the other person was saying. Unfortunately, it was my voicemail that I called so I couldn't ask the other party if they could understand me. When I did talk to a live person (without too many obstructions that is), they said they heard me just fine. When using a voice recognition system on the other end, (1-800-555-TELL), I had to talk SLIGHTLY louder than normal to get the voice recognition working. Just something I noticed, not a big deal! I think the range is perfectly reasonable as I plan to use it in my car most of the time when the phone is only a few feet away at most. Incoming voice quality was clear, but wasn't as "bass-y" as my wired headset. Outgoing, seems fine too according to the few people I spoke with so far.
One last thing, haven't stressed the battery life yet, but the specs say 9 hours talk and 200 hours standby. Even if it's only half those values, it's more than enough for me! I'm thinking if it at least lasts as long as my phone battery, then I'm good to go. The biggest gripe I have is the inability to pair to multiple devices at once, so if you constantly switch using this between devices, I wouldn't recommend it. Overall, I'm happy with the headset. It's my 1st one so I don't have much to compare with, except other reviews, and I wish I could have compared the Logitech in person. For this price though (I got it for $39 + shipping, no tax) you can't go wrong with this thing!
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