Customer Rating: 
Summary: Like the product
Comment: I find the earphone are fairly comfortable to wear. The audio reception and quality is extremely good within line of site but does diminish if you have walls between you and transmitter, as would be expected with bluetooth. Overall I like the product and recommend it.
Arrival was less than 7 days which was excellent in my opinion as it was shipped from the east and I reside in the Northwest
Customer Rating: Summary: Short lived, a disappointment.
Comment: The BlueAnt X5 Bluetooth Stereo Headset sounded pretty good using Skype. My contacts said the headset sounded great to them. But after about 10 days the audio from iTunes and Skype started to sound gravely and not as loud as when I first installed. The Blue Tooth link is simple and the unit relinks to the phone or the streamer very easily and quickly when switching.
Update: The distorted audio has gotten worse over the last few days and I have stopped using the X5 and have bought another brand of wireless headset.
Customer Rating: Summary: Tricky at First
Comment: Figuring out how to sync it up was tricky at first, but the mfr. customer support helped me through it. Then I was getting a TON of static, but the way around that was to keep the bluetooth piece plugged in to a power source. I didn't want to spend too much on something personal I'd keep at the office to listen to talk radio, and this all-in-one device really fit the bill. It's not perfect, but it does exactly what I need it to so I really can't complain.
Customer Rating: Summary: Excellent Bluetooth stereo headset
Comment: After a somewhat disappointing, but not bad, experience with a Jabra Bluetooth headset, I wasn't expecting anything much better with the BlueAnt X5 Bluetooth Stereo Headset.
What a pleasant surprise to have my low expectations upended.
The BlueAnt X5 is a delight. I've been wearing it now for several hours listening to streaming audio on the web. While not the most comfortable headset I've ever used, the BlueAnt X5 isn't terribly bothersome. It is a one size fit all kind of affair and I do have a big head (in more ways than one), but I am not being subjected to any undue pinching or pressure from the headset.
Range is good. I've used it about 25 feet away from the source with two intervening walls.
The design is nice. Understated and not too bulky. Unlike the Jabra, it doesn't have ostentatious flashing lights which normal people have to turn off each time it is used. Wearing the Jabra without turning off its flashing lights is like wearing a clown outfit.
The BlueAnt X5 has a separate microphone that plugs into the USB port. For those who want just a stereo headset, the can leave it off.
Pairing is fast and simple. Press two controls on the BlueAnt, turn on your device's Bluetooth search function and you are done. A couple of points here. First the pairing directions in the X5 manual I got were wrong. I suspect a typo that wasn't caught before the manual went to the printer - and someone forgetting that the manual with erroneous info was going into the packages.
Whatever device you use the BlueAnt X5 with must be A2DP capable! Check your device manual to make sure it is compatible. In all, the X5 supports the Handsfree, Headset, A2DP, AVRCP Profiles, which means this device is state-of-the-art. It can pair with up to 10 devices.
Earphone audio is quite good, in my estimation. Volume is more than sufficient and I am unable to discern any distortion at higher volume settings.
Microphone audio on cell calls, Skype and direct recording in Windows Mobile was somewhat on the soft side. I suspect that some would consider it of the "talking from the bottom of a barrel" effect and would find it objectionable. I did not.
The unit comes with a separate audio streaming device. This will output Bluetooth from anything with a 3.5mm audio output jack. That means you can use it with your iPod or other non-Bluetooth device, which is a very nice plus feature in my opinion.
Battery life is stated at 12 hours and I have no reason to doubt that yet.
The package has all the necessary cables and even a pair of foam cushions if you don't like the padded earphones.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the BlueAnt X5. My relatively low expectations were not in the least justified. This is the best Bluetooth stereo headset I've tried, Jabra and Sony units being the other. As far as I am concerned, my search for a high quality Bluetooth stereo headset is over: the BlueAnt X5 meets my needs - and then some.
Jerry
Customer Rating: Summary: I WAS SHOCKED THAT IT WORKED IT SO WELL
Comment: I researched this product on cnet and read reviews from amazon and other publications, plus read all the manuals for the x-5, plantronics 590a, cardo s-2, various sanyo's and motorola's, plus the highly rated new jabra which I really wanted but it was out of my price range. Originally i received two different motorola s-9's. which didn't work with my moto q9c ie: only one side worked! Both times. I don't know if it was my phone or the headsets , but I was getting really frustrated. I was tired of having these stupid wires all over the place at the gym and at home when i was doing chores. This x-5 blue ant is everything you can want incredible sound better than most wired sets, and it works wirelessly with my computer and dell 20 gig digital jukebox. Great job Blue Ant highly recommend!
