Qstik EVOQ Bluetooth DSP Headset Review

If you’ve got a phone chances are you have a Bluetooth headset, and in some places it’s against the law to not have one. There are many choices when it comes to choosing a BT headset, and as with any product, not all are created equal. Personally I prefer small sized headsets, I live in a state where it’s not yet a law to have one while driving, but I don’t drive without one, I like having both hands on the wheel. I also don’t make phone calls while I’m driving, if I get one then I have the BT headset on so I can answer it, but with the way people drive today I’ve got to pay attention to everything that’s going on, and dialing a phone is a distraction I don’t want or need. Anyway, back to small headsets, I think most of us would prefer a small headset, but what if you could get a larger sized one with a bit more features?

Today for review our friends over at MobileFun have sent me over a rather unique Bluetooth headset, it’s rather large, but it’s got a lot of features including the ability to attach a set of ear buds to it and use it like a streaming receiver for any BT enabled devices. It’s called the Qstick EVOQ, and it’s rather large really, it’s round and covers quite a bit of your ear, but it’s lightweight and it’s not uncomfortable to wear. So read on to learn more:

We’ll start with the Specs, followed by the video unboxing:

Qstik EVOQ Bluetooth DSP Headset

Qstik’s EVOQ is one of the world’s most advanced Digital Signal Processor (DSP) Bluetooth headsets, integrating military-grade bi-directional noise and echo cancellation technology, high quality stereo music streaming, sophisticated speech enhancement and wireless VoIP capability into a single lightweight gadget. Unique software digitally removes background noise from incoming and outgoing calls, allowing you to make and receive calls, enjoy gaming or listening to music, wherever you are.

Your signal level is automatically adjusted to give you the ideal volume for your environment, whilst protecting your hearing from sudden loud noises. Qstik EVOQ plays stereo audio, from the latest generation of Bluetooth music phones and devices, allowing automatic seamless switching between music and calls. The Qstik comes complete with a set of stereo earbuds which can be attached to the EVOQ to allow audio in stereo.

The Qstik EVOQ also looks as good as it sounds, with a distinctive circular design which challenges conventional headset aesthetics. The EVOQ measures approximately 45mm in diameter and 10mm in depth.

Telecom voice quality features:

* Adaptive bi-directional noise cancellation, originally developed for the military.
* Echo cancellation, originally developed for telecoms infrastructure applications.
* Auto volume control, acoustic shock protection and speech enhancement, originally developed for the call centre market.

High quality music streaming features:

* Dedicated ear-bud headset provided enables true stereo music experience.
* Supports Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) and Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP).
* Ability to listen to high quality music from A2DP-compliant mobile phones, PCs, laptops or other compatible music streaming devices.

Specifications:

* Talk Time: Up to 5 hours
* Standby Time: 150+ hours
* Recharge Time: 2.5 hours
* Music Listening Time: 4.5+ hours
* Microphone Type: Omni-Directional
* Battery: Lithium Ion
* Bluetooth Technology: v2.0, Class 2
* Supported Profiles: Headset, Hands-free, A2DP, AVRCP, GAVDP

What’s in the box?What’s in the box?

* Qstik EVOQ Bluetooth DSP Headset
* Stereo handsfree kit
* Charging cradle
* Holder attachment for charging cradle
* Mains charger
* User guide on CD
* Spare earhook and earbud

Price: about $20

if you look at the specs you’ll see the Qstick Evoq only costs about $20, shipping not included of course. For that $20 plus shipping you get a lot of stuff really.

The stand is solid metal, and it’s nice but rather useless really, I don’t know why this headset can’t be like others and just plug it in to charge it. You must use the stand to charge the headset, so you’ll have to take it everywhere with you, that just seem like it would be rather annoying to have to carry the stand from place to place.

The Evoq is large and you have to use the earloop, something that I don’t care for at all, I don’t like earloops. Though I can say it’s not uncomfortable to wear, but it’s not exactly comfortable either. What I mean is that I’ve worn others that are a lot more painful to wear, you can wear the Evoq and not have a lot of discomfort, but I wouldn’t want to wear it all day long.

On top of the headset are the buttons for volume and on the front is a silver button that’s a multi-function button. It’s for power, answering and ending calls and then can be used with the top button in combination for things like pairing. near the bottom of the headset is the headphone jack.

To give you an idea of just how large the Qstick Evoq is, here is a picture of it with a few other BT headsets I’ve got on hand:

As you may have noticed from the video and the pictures I got the wrong power supply, but you can charge the Evoq through a standard USB connection on your computer, but it just takes a little longer like any other headset would.

I paired it with my AT&T Tilt and the Pantech Reveal and I had no problems there, but when I tried to pair it with my computer I just couldn’t get it to work for me. It paired and said it was connected but I couldn’t use it for streaming audio, Windows Vista said it couldn’t find any drivers for it. So I’m not sure about that.

I did use the Evoq with the earbuds and it worked for streaming the music from my Tilt, but the volume was very low even when i had it set to maximum on both the phone and on the headset itself. It was so low that it was almost barely audible really, you could hear it yes but any outside noise easily drowned it out.

On the other hand though the actual headset is nice and loud, very loud actually, something that I like quite a bit. I’ve got children who don’t know how to be quiet and having a loud headset is pretty much a must for me.

Call quality is actually very good, everything was nice and clear and it seems to have good range, I could easily walk 10 to 15 feet from my phone and still use the headset. Personally though I don’t wonder around with my headset on, so range isn’t that important to me. When I use it in my car the phone in only a few feet from me, so if the range is good there them I’m happy.

The Qsrick Evoq does have good noise cancelling abilities, and it works well in a windy environment as well, so you can walk and talk outside if you need to and not worry about the wind interfering with your call.

Battery life seems good as well, I got the rated time, I only charged it once, but you only get about 5 hours of talk time which is rather low when compared to other BT headsets. For me five hours is good, I don’t spend that much time in the car really, so depending on your situation 5 hours might work for you as well.

Overall it’s not a bad product, but it’s not one that I care for personally. It’s just too big, I don’t like earloops and I don’t like the fact that you must use the stand to recharge it.

The idea of the additional earbuds is a rather cool one, but it doesn’t work well at all. I don’t like the headset itself but I was thinking that at least I could get some use from the earbud attachment but I was sadly disappointed with its performance, the volume is just too low.

Pros:

+Good noise cancelling abilities

+Long battery life

+Easy to use

+Nice idea with the earbud attachment

+Inexpensive

+Loud

Cons:

-Not very comfortable for long periods of use

-Very low sound volume when using the earbuds

-Large size may not appeal to most people

-Most use stand to charge the headset

Disclosure: This product was given to MobilityDigest for review by the company for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for the review, we do not, never have, and never will, accept payment from companies to review their products.