Some iPhone users may find that the supplied earbuds plus mic or a Bluetooth earpiece is all they need for voice operations on the iPhone. However, others may prefer a more capable, tangle-free true headset plus microphone for extended, battery free, conversations in the office. The Aerial7 Chopper 2 does exactly that.
Introduction
A Bluetooth earpiece is great when on the move, but in an office environment, it can be a pain to leave on all the time. Or find amongst desk clutter when a call comes in. To date, I have simply been using the earbuds for a higher quality voice conversation, especially for extended sessions, say product demos or interviews. However, I have been fantasizing about and over the head headset with a built-in microphone. So far, they’ve been hard to come by. The Aerial7 Chopper 2 answers that call.
Imagine the following scenario:
- Call comes in on iPhone
- Reach for earbuds
- Untangle the earbuds
- Insert one earbud in left ear
- Insert one earbud in right ear
- Left earbud falls out. Put it back in.
- Press the green “answer” button on the iPhone
- Caller has hung up, tired of waiting.
The Chopper 2 eliminates all that hassle. Just pick up the headset, place it over your ears, and press “answer.” There are no worries about the placement of a tangled mic, or whether the battery might be dead, or getting the earbuds untangled and inserted reliably.
Here’s a photo of everything that comes in the box:
The Complete Package
You get:
- Headphones with a cord that fits either the original iPhone or the iPhone 3G, 3GS
- A soft carry case
- A 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm (1/4 inch) adapter
- A 3.5 mm to paired 3.5 mm analog input/out cable*
* According to Aerial7, “That adapter is used to connect to a computer so you can use the headset for gaming or Skype. Computers (Mac and PC) have two plugs, one for headphones and one for mic. This splitter let’s you use the listening and talking feature of a headphone with a computer.” Note that red is for the mic input and blue is for the analog audio out.
Testing
I tested the Chopper 2 on a variety of calls, both via the iPhone radio system as well as the Skype app. The strength of the device, the audio isolation for your ears, is offset by the sound of your own voice being somewhat isolated. However, that’s ok. I know what I’m saying. I just want to hear the caller better. In fact, the Chopper 2 provided the best audio quality for a caller of any device I’ve used.
Closeup of headset
There’s a microphone with a built-in “hang up” button built into the cord about 19 cm (7.5 in) from the left earphone. It hangs just right to pick up your own voice. The cord itself is about 1.2 meters long (4 ft), so you’ll have plenty of length for freedom of movement.
As you can see from the close-up above, the earphones are nicely padded and the head band is also nicely padded: soft purple plastic underneath and faux-suede leather on the top (in the “Mojave” color scheme). As with all headsets of this kind, the earpieces are adjustable, connected to a metal extension piece. That part is quite sturdy, so I was very pleased. The workmanship and parts fit and finish is not high-end first class, but neither is it cheap. I think the price vs. quality is well set, and the user will get years of good use out the Chopper 2.
Tech Specs Provided by Aerial7
- Driver Diameter: 44 mm
- Impedence: 32 Ohms
- Frequency response: 5 to 20 KHz
- Sensitivity (S.P.L): 108 ± 3dB (at 1 KHz)
- Input Plug Diameter: 3.5mm iPhone
Closeup of mic, control and connector
Overall Impression
The Chopper 2 is my new favorite toy around the office. It is instantly available, hassle free, and gives me great audio quality for my iPhone calls. Out where I am in the country, having to use a Cell Ranger to make decent cell phone calls, it’s even more important to me to hear the caller clearly.
The Chopper 2 comes in four color themes: Britt, Hype, Mojave (the one I reviewed) and Pharaoh.
If you don’t like wearing a Bluetooth headset all day in the office, and you hate tangled earbud cords, the Chopper 2 is a great solution.