Cell Phone Amplifiers

Stereo Bluetooth is seeing something of a renaissance lately, as various manufacturers have figured out how to make headsets that overcome the protocol's inherent sound quality limitations. The latest is the $79 Novero Tour, a smartly designed stereo Bluetooth headset that's comfortable, easy to use, and sounds good. As with anything Bluetooth, audiophiles will want to stick with wired models. But for casual listening, the Tour does the job quite well.

Design, Fit, and Pairing
The Novero Tour measures 6.2 by 6.2 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.4 ounces. It eschews the convertible design of the Samsung Modus HM6450 ($99, 4 stars) and the earbuds-on-wires design of the LG HBS-700 ($69.99, 3.5 stars) for a more traditional headband that folds up for travel. My test model was black; an off-white version will also be available soon. In the box, Novero provides a velvet pouch, an AC adapter, and a wall charger, along with a single pair of felt ear tips. You can put these on or leave them off; I would have liked to see at least one spare set in the box as well, since they're virtually impossible to fit on the earbuds without tearing.

Have had TV Ears for 7 months until they failed completely. I called their 800 number to see how the LIFETIME SERVICE GUARANTEE (listed boldly on their packaging) worked. Boy, was I disappointed to find that they only Warrant the device for 90-days (nearly a Lifetime??). After the 90-days, you pay freight to ship it back to them AND they charge you between $35 and $59 to repair or replace the unit. Isn’t that a coincidence – very close to the cost of buying a groundbreaking new unit. When I gently challenged their LIFETIME SERVICE GUARANTEE, the service rep got very snippy with me. It’s a excellent product, but I have to downgrade it much for a very terrible warranty policy. If you’ve experienced this conundrum, do a review and maybe they’ll see the need to “get real” and support their Premium Priced product with a evenhanded warranty.

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